The Evolution Of 'The Model'

[Mr-Dale]

Models have been around us for decades and never in the history of fashion and modeling have we had such a variety of looks in that particular world as we do now. In the fifties and sixties you just had to be poised and elegant. A few decades later in the nineties the 'all American girl' reigned the covers and all the big campaigns. Perfect faces, perfect hips, breasts, legs, you name it. It was all perfect. But somehow, sometime around the turn of the millennium, something switched in the fashion world. Models did not have to be perfect anymore, let alone American. Now, approaching 2006, leaving the first half of a new decade behind us, corpsy Sasha's, big-eyed Gemma's and extra-terrestrial Lily's are at the top of the modeling world. And that is only a small fraction of what the agency's have to offer us.

What do you think, as the eternal observers that I believe you all to be, caused and causes the changes in what breed of models waves the scepter? Why is it that we traded in Christy Turlington for Gemma Ward? What determines the evolution of the fashion model and most importantly, why?

Just something I thought was interesting to discuss. Every opinion is welcome

 

[marqueemoon]

Good question! A few things. In general, cultural and artistic movements are cyclical. We get tired of a certain look and there's a backlash. But the fashion industry is particularly bipolar so it's not a subtle change. After an era of generic faces, the models have to be as weird and shocking as possible.

I think it's also tied to the times. It seems like well-off, untroubled periods usually usher in bad, boring art. The eighties were generally a time of cheap, tacky music culture and the models were no different. The generic, trite faces of the fashion industry reflected an era obsessed with achieving materialistic perfection. The early nineties models were a holdover from that era, even as the economy briefly turned down again and music became darker with the short outburst of grunge. Then as the economy improved, the Brasilian bombshells took over. They were slightly more exotic than the All-American eighties/nineties supermodels, but basically cut from the same cloth. Now with the war and economy slinking, we have a new breed of models.

 

[irresistable_loz]

Its funny... supposively we have a huge variety of looks... but I'm not sure thats completely so. Try finding one size 12 model, who isn't put in a show for humour, on the fashion runways. Its a rarity these days to even see a size ten really... Another trend I see is blue eyes, sometimes green. There are very few models with brown eyes. Of course there are notable acceptions to that 'rule', natasha poly and solange wilvert two among a select few, however it isn't really normal within the fashion industry. Also, the majority of girls are in their teens. While I agree its not copy after copy, i think the girls have more in common than at first glance.

 

[fashionkitten7]

I agree with that fashion world reflects general moods/issues of the society, not only as far as models are concerned, but fashion in general.

And, Yeah, it is at the stage of trying-to-pretend-that-there-is-the-variety now...