What is the Significance of Walking Prada?

[Style Savvy]

Spring/Summer 2010
O: Lindsey Wixson
C: Kate Kosushkina

Fall/Winter 2010
O/C: Samantha Gradoville

What do you think of these girls? Lindsey is quite successful imo, and I've heard of Samantha. But I've never heard of Kate. D:

 

[Littleathquakes]

Honestly i don't get Lindsey. With the puffy cheeks, I would never take her for a successful model if I saw her on the streets. And so young too.

 

[nijuyanah]

^ I agree that I'd probably never recognise Lindsey as a model when seeing her out on the streets, but I think you can't deny that she certainly has great skills and really impresses with her print work. I see her more as a Miu Miu (not only because of her campaigns) than a real "Prada girl" though.

Regarding Kate: I think she's one of those who suffer the "Prada-curse" - she appears in the show (even closes it) and everyone expects her to explode after that. But of course, walking the show doesn't guarantee ANY girl success and therefore everyone is like "Where the hell did she go? Is she actually still modelling?" She's certainly not the most successful girl around but I think she's doing okay. Especially considering that she was SO young when she started out.

Tbh, these days I'm way more excited about who will walk Givenchy as an exclusive, than which girl will show up at Prada

 

[*Bianca*]

It's funny how things turn around and it's now considered a 'curse'. I guess exclusives, opening, closing, have all jumped the shark. We're all too aware of it now.

I personally never expected Kate K to explode after closing Prada... Lindsey (reluctantly) & Rasa (the only debut exclusive) perhaps, but not Kate - she looked like an infant compared to the rest of the cast (and that says alot, since Lindsey, Rasa & co look like little girls), and her look didn't make an impact in any of her previous shows. But, I think opening is more significant than closing anyway (unless you're doing both).

Maybe I'll eat my words, but I think Sam Gradoville will be a one-show wonder. Not because she looks young - she doesn't - but, again, because she has no real impact. Well at least not on me

 

[penny609]

^Totally agree with you on how exclusives have 'jumped the shark' and I'll be forever thankful to you for having found the right expression to say it

I didn't expect much from Kate's side either after she did Prada and actually I don't think she's is the first one to suffer from that kind of 'curses'. Quite a bunch IMO have experienced this cold shower after walking Prada or other famous shows as exclusives. Though, she might be one of the best examples of course.

As for Givenchy... not really excited either, see how many 'exclusives' they had last season and how many of them really had an impact then. And even when they left big impression or made their marks, did any of this tiny group made it really far? Not yet, I would say even if it's too early to judge but then it wouldn't be only the Givenchy-effect.

Not sure what to think of Samantha's career either, I can picture her having a decent one at least but she could also fade or go higher this season. Basically everything is possible and nothing can be predicted at all.

So, any exclusive status doesn't make me excited at all (anymore?) and I prefer slow and steady career patterns and models that keep improving after having been a bit in the shadows when they started. I still believe in Gucci-exclusives, though. Half-joking only

 

[fritmayo]

Basically everything is possible and nothing can be predicted at all.

it is a bit logical that it can not be predicted, and how it could?

I mean it gives a "marketing" advantage to the girl, it is that the girl is suddenly and immediately known by everybody in the business.
If you are booker, and that after fashion weeks you have 2 new faces, one who has booked 5 B level shows, and one has been Prada exclusive, if you send their pics to a client, obviously the client will probably already know the Prada girl and has never heard the name of the the other one, so it gives a little advantage to the Prada girl, it is obvious, and that's why for agencies, exclusive are still a very good thing to get.

But that advantage is just at that first step, at the end if the girl is just not the type needed for most of other clients, Prada girl or not, it will no help her to book stuff.
Also the timing is damned important, as the little hype it brings is really short, so in case it works, if the girl is back to school and not able to accept booking before the season after, she destroys her chance by herself, and it happens like that more often than people seems to think...

 

[penny609]

it is a bit logical that it can not be predicted, and how it could?

Sorry if my point wasn't clear... Of course no one can ever predict anything at all but what I was pointing out is that the amount and level of work she got post-Prada tells almost nothing about her potential 'advantage' (as this is the word you used) on other girls that haven't walked it, girls that walked other shows as exclusives or other girls who did Prada-Miu Miu for the first time etc.

 

[agee]

To me if I were an agent, I would let my model be a Prada exclusive in Milan, but I would not have her sit out New York in order to be a world-wide exclusive for Prada. If she is truly special then I can be making money on her in New York and equally important, she is getting exposure and experience. When this was previously discussed in another thread, someone stated that Sig.ra Prada is fanatical about getting the right fit and composition (which was not evident in the last show for quite a few looks, but anyhoo), and for that reason, I would let my model sit out part or all of London and the days in Milan leading up to Prada, but again not NYC. One situation where I can see letting a model be a world wide exclusive is if I knew that Miuccia had fallen madly in love with her and I knew that I had a better than average shot at a campaign and Miuccia only gets that caught up in a girl once every few seasons, Sasha probably being the most famous example and it seems like Lindsay has somewhat caught her fancy. Another situation may be a model who has not taken off and this is one my last resorts to get her noticed or a student who is not available to do the whole season because in both cases there is not a great opportunity cost. Now I would let one of my models be a Calvin Klein exclusive because it comes at the beginning of the season and that can be capitalized on immediately and another exclusive situation that makes sense is being a Givenchy haute couture exclusive.

If the stories are true, agencies from major and secondary cities were optioning multiple models and there has to be a crossover point where the prestige is not worth the actual and opportunity costs (airfare, hotels, local transportation, foregoing the money, exposure and experience of doing the New York and London shows), especially in cases where a designer (I think it was Prada and/or Givenchy) would have 20 -30 girls optioned for exclusives and in the end quite a few but not all are selected to walk. Then you are in a catch 22, because seven or eight other girls get the Prada exclusive and then there are the Givenchy and Calvin Klein exclusives and now that list of special girls is kinda long and on top of that you have the non-exclusive schlubs that may have booked 40+ shows and may be getting buzz from that and they have actual work experience to market.

To me the thing with exclusives and options paying off big (other than the exceptions I noted) has become more like buying a winning lottery ticket than making a sound business decision.

 

[TianSoFine]

The importance of walking Prada is so that girls have a decent excuse for disappearing in a year: "It was the Prada curse".

 

[bothsidesnow]

^
and it also means that the girls could get a mention in this thread.

 

[TommyAlbania]

as for the succsess of exclusives: lindsey is doing brilliant in new york at the moment!!! she walks just every important show!!!

 

[wangster]

yeah, lindseys career suprises me tbh. not that she isn't a good model I just thought she maybe would be too specific for a long lasting career and just be a face for the moment. but it's nice to see that the Prada curse ( like I prefer to say it ) didn't affect on her

 

[Littleathquakes]

i think it'll end though. that whole puffy baby doll face fad cycles very short, and there will be another Lily Cole/Lindsey Wixsen soon enough. it's the "jawline-so-hard-you-can-pierce-metal" look that lingers - look at Gisele, Natasha, etc.

 

[CharlottefromCA]

If she can have a career like Lily Cole then thats all good.. Lily Cole got what she needed out of modeling.. and moved on.

 

[TommyAlbania]

Of course it will sometimes end. I think we are in a time where the fashion industry doesn't produce BIG models anymore. The last ones are in my opinion Lara & Natasha who bothe are regulars at prada. Anyway i think prada was the most loyal to *rumtumtum* *some little excitement* Marina Perez!!!

Really!! I'm not crazy i mean she walked all shows from ss 2005 - FW 2009 (except FW 2007) which makes 9 seasons!!

 

[abul]

what about marc jacobs? i think he's becoming the new prada
i mean, who was tatiana cotliar before she opened MJ?
and i feel that luisa bianchin may become successful too after opening this season's show

 

[wangster]

what about marc jacobs? i think he's becoming the new prada
i mean, who was tatiana cotliar before she opened MJ?
and i feel that luisa bianchin may become successful too after opening this season's show

I hope so. But then again she didn't was @ MbMJ which suprises me.
And maybe she was just a fitting face for the show. I mean readheads have it more difficult than blondes, brunettes...

 

[nocturne]

Marina Pérez has walked Prada the week before (after a two seasons absence), then Marni, then... nothing.

 

[Shelton123]

Arizona Muse just SCREAMS Prada Curse to me.

 

[Flashbang]

OT, but I kinda wish someone would be kind enough to update the list like on post #1 and put on thoughtful words about it