Model Trends Over The Years

[Maximilian S]

The Death Of Sex Appeal

I made a similar post on the 'Fall/Winter 2013.14 - One Of The Worst Seasons Ever?' thread but it got deleted because of off the topic reasons . I truly believe fashion shows have gotten more and more boring because models in general have become less and less sexy/conventionally attractive both female/male and their walks get worse and worse each season. I know the topic of beauty/sex appeal can be debated as subjective but just comparing the old shows with current ones, I think we can see a clear difference.

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[theBlueRider]

^^ Maximillan S, I feel as if it's because designers are more focused on using blank slate/androgynous types of girls to wear the clothes. It means less diversity and less personality but it also means more uniformity and makes it easier for designers. There are only a few girls who I can think of walking the runways regularly who "pop out" in one way or another. But for the most part, many of the girls are starting to look the same head to toe and as a model fan, I don't like it, but I can see why it works for fashion shows. I mean, if you look at the top new faces of this past season, nobody is really breaking ground...everyone kind of looks like a throwback to Nimue or Tati types.

 

[Deleted member 130879]

I've heard from a few models that they are asking girls to walk "like if you are walking down the street" @ PFW.

In Portugal, the casting director (they only make one casting for every show) looks for the tallest, skinniest girl without a strong look. They prefer "softer" girls.

 

[theBlueRider]

I've heard from a few models that they are asking girls to walk "like if you are walking down the street" @ PFW.

In Portugal, the casting director (they only make one casting for every show) looks for the tallest, skinniest girl without a strong look. They prefer "softer" girls.

Yes, it's true there are many backstage pictures of signs telling the girls not to walk with their hips forward/swinging their hips. That might be why there are so many girls walking "awkwardly" on the runway because they walk with their shoulders now. I think they say walk like a boy.

Portugal is a small secondary market so it makes sense that they would prefer a commercial look.

 

[Maximilian S]

^ I agree guys, the bad walks must be deliberate by the demands of the designers because anyone can learn to perfect their walks if they wanted and practiced, right?

 

[Deleted member 130879]

What bothers me the most is that some designers lived the 90's, they knew and hired the supers and now they are all going with the flow in this "minimalistic" trend.

 

[Maximilian S]

^ Totally agree, bland clothes call for bland models But honestly many models today don't even look like models when compared to those 90s supermodels or even half a decade ago when the sexy Brazilians ruled the runway eg. that Versace show. It's the same with men, they keep getting younger/more unconventional looking/ bad walks



^ The men at Versace look so much mature/attractive/even fierce than the boys at Burberry

Rant Over​

 

[theBlueRider]

^^ I'd say the models today are very bland feature wise. Nothing really stand-out. During the 90's and Brazilian wave it was all about exoticism...a lot of those girls have unconventional looks in a good way and bodies that are very rare. Something you don't find on the streets or school hallways very often and/or something that a regular person can't achieve.

 

[anlabe32]

I don't mind the bland girls (my favourite model is Daria Strokous, that says it all right) as long as they are good at what they're doing. Bland models can be very versatile, like Raquel for example.
What bothers me most nowadays is that modeling has become like an assembly line. Most of the girls are in for a quick moment, and then they're out before they can even prove what they're capable of.

 

[BBfrom89]

I don't mind the bland girls (my favourite model is Daria Strokous, that says it all right) as long as they are good at what they're doing. Bland models can be very versatile, like Raquel for example.
What bothers me most nowadays is that modeling has become like an assembly line. Most of the girls are in for a quick moment, and then they're out before they can even prove what they're capable of.

I have to agree here.

 

[Legolas]

I think it would have been better if Max compared two Versace shows and not old Versace with new BP, 'cause in that case, it doesn't matter how old or recent the shows are, both houses represent two very different types of women and men... since you are talking mainly about the sexy aspect, maybe a solo Versace comparison would have been more accurate.

Now, I agree with the some of the last posts above, model casting have definitely changed A LOT in many ways, but talking only about the superficial aesthetics... I thought there was some kind of predominant pattern physically speaking, but as insecure as I felt posting my previous post in this thread, I have to admit I was wrong. I think I have to agree with Heather; now that fashion week is over... if you take a detailed look to all the shows separately, the situation seems to be just like she described it: "seems anything goes nowadays"...

There's still a big lack of racial diveristy in general, but ironically, there's a lot of aesthetic diversity, meaning there's not a predominant or established physical pattern that defines an aesthetic era. They way it's explained at the beggining of this thread is very clear:

80s-90s: The All-American perfect looking girl
90s: the individual look (the supermodel)
late 90s: the waif heroin chic
late 90s: Brazilian takeover
early 200s: androgynous girls
early 2000s: Tom Ford era (overly sexy)
mids 2000s: Eastern European wave
2004: The baby doll and alien girls
2007-2009: the clone wars
2009: the socialite model
2010: the Lara Stone remakes
2010-present: the sexy girls and plus size, rise of the asian models

Even though I think some of the titles Trevor chose for the years are kind of generalized, I do see what he meant with most of them, 'cause most of the trends he mentioned actually happened in an obvious and global way: print and runway all over the main capitals. This very same moment I don't feel like anything like it is happening. There's not a predominant trend making a momentum, not physically, not nationally, not in any sense... maybe there are some minus inclinations in some cities, but there's anything obvious or global happening. I wonder if the reason for this is maybe that trends in modelling are having a transitional phase, so to speak, the same way around 05 and 06 there wasn't any preponderant look in the industry until in 07 we started seeing the teenage Dutch domination that reigned over a few seasons until all the Lara clones started to prevail. That's why I'm gonna quote Heather one more time " we're trying to look at it in a yearly/current way instead of a decades based approach"... I think we should wait some more time to see if a notorious and defined model trend happens again.

 

[Maximilian S]

2010 - present : the sexy girls and plus size

Are we watching the same fashion shows? And who are the Lara Stone remakes?

I agree Legolas, Versace & Burberry have totally different aesthetics and they haven't changed that much for some years. Even then, the models Versace uses are a younger age group than in the past but still with a lot of sex appeal (male models atleast ). Overall across the industry models have become more unconventional looking. There are still models with what we now term 'commercial' look but they hardly get big jobs eg. the guys who walked Versace this season like Edward James Wilding, Veit Couturier did only Versace while the ones who walked for Burberry were the ones that were everywhere.

 

[Maximilian S]

Here is one brand where we can clearly see the difference in the models they use/d based on timeline - Valentino. Ofcourse the house's aesthetics have changed with the new designers but I think that only quite clearly reflects the change in the overall fashion industry and modelling if that makes any sense to anybody

The Women

VS

The Men

VS ​

 

[Maximilian S]

Where are all these men?

The top models around 2005

style.com

This picture depressed me a bit, the top models of today

tobaccochic/tumblr​

 

[Maximilian S]

Even till around 2010, the top male models were quite good looking but now I think most of the new ones are too unconventional looking, face and body

2010

dgvictims.com / johnsimondaily.com

Today

tobaccochic/tumblr

^ When you type in 'male models' in google images this is so not the type of pictures that show up, it's the same with their female counterparts, the mainstream view of model/beauty is totally different than of high fashion and the difference increases more and more through the seasons.
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[HeatherAnne]

Even till around 2010, the top male models were quite good looking but now I think most of the new ones are too unconventional looking, face and body

I don't find today's models unconventional looking at all? I'm personally glad the industry isn't overloaded with cheesy beefcakes like the guys you posted pictures of. The guys with muscular builds, who have substance, have stuck around and done just fine.

I certainly think we've seen a rise in the respectability, and quality of work for men since 2005 -- they aren't simply arm/eye candy for woman anymore.

 

[Maximilian S]

I don't find today's models unconventional looking at all? I'm personally glad the industry isn't overloaded with cheesy beefcakes like the guys you posted pictures of. The guys with muscular builds, who have substance, have stuck around and done just fine.

I certainly think we've seen a rise in the respectability, and quality of work for men since 2005 -- they aren't simply arm/eye candy for woman anymore.

'Cheesy beefcake' sounds delicious I agree that the range of work for male models has increased and there are still guys with muscular builds getting work but they aren't mainstream. Similar to girls like Adriana, Candice, Emily DiDonato who have flawless bodies and amazing faces are not mainstream in high fashion instead girls like Julia Nobis, Karlie, Cara dominate the runways. The guys who walked most of the shows this season have that same unconventional look and by that I mean not a muscular fit body nor a beautiful face (imo )

 

[Maximilian S]

There was this recent article on the Daily Mail about the topic we aren't allowed to discuss here. There were pictures of models at this season's YSL mens show compared with the likes of David Gandy, Gabriel Aubry, Andrés Velencoso showing the difference between past and present models.

Catwalk models aren't like your average attractive guy or girl from school - they fit a very narrow ideal of height and weight

^ This! It is true the attractive/popular guy/girl from highschool doesn't get to be a model anymore, instead it's the tall awkward ones.

 

[TREVOFASHIONISTO]

Are we watching the same fashion shows? And who are the Lara Stone remakes?

Lara Stone had revamped the gap tooth trend. There was Lindsey Wixson, Ashley Smith, and Georgia May Jagger. Also 2010 editorial-wise and on a lot of the runways (Fall 2010) did have girls who were sexy. Remember Prada, Louis Vuitton, Giles. Model trends don't only need to happen on the runway even though it's obvious most of the time it starts on the runway and continues into the campaigns and editorials

 

[theBlueRider]

There was this recent article on the Daily Mail about the topic we aren't allowed to discuss here. There were pictures of models at this season's YSL mens show compared with the likes of David Gandy, Gabriel Aubry, Andrés Velencoso showing the difference between past and present models.



^ This! It is true the attractive/popular guy/girl from highschool doesn't get to be a model anymore, instead it's the tall awkward ones.

It's always been that way for female models. It's never the "cheerleader" type who becomes the famous fashion model. Even Cindy Crawford and Claudia Schiffer said they were awkward and considered "ugly" in high school. Even the "cheerleaders" of modeling today like Candice were considered awkward and ugly ducks in their youth.

I would call the male models today having that "alternative"/rebel type of look which many women actually find sexy. Instead of the beefcake look, the male models look like they could be in a band, riding bmx bikes and skateboarding or skipping class. I guess some would say they look more "bada**" now.