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STYLE
From Issue #1
The End of the Supermodel
Are They Quietly Being Replaced?
By Hilary Rowland
"I don't
think that people are that interested in models anymore.
It's not a great moment for the modeling industry. It says
a lot about our society and I think it's good." -Calvin
Klein
The
media has been promoting the idea, recently, that supermodels
are being replaced by actors as celebrities and modern-day
icons. The coveted jobs of magazine covers and editorial
spreads are now, more often than not, being given to movie
stars and other celebrities.
Not
long ago, supermodels were everywhere that you looked. They
were larger than life - appearing on multiple magazine covers,
on all the top designer runways, in high-profile ad campaigns,
and making millions of dollars yearly. These top supermodels
are quickly being replaced by other, more off-beat models
and, mostly, by actors.
 
Oops, where did the supermodels
go?
Must be that new low carb diet...
There
seems to be a constant flow of new nameless but recognizable
girls emerging in the fashion industry. They are replacing
the supermodels as the fashion icons of today. These girls
make come as a rebellion from the "perfect" image of the
latter-day Barbie-doll supermodel. The new models and quirky,
fun, and different, in both looks and attitude. Many are
not classically beautiful. It's a reflection of fashion
and its constant change.
"The
supermodel is over. It's celebrities this year, and when
fashon returns, it will be back to the models." - Harold
Mindel, Click Model Management. Michael Flutie, President
of Company Management states that it is the management and
promotion of a model that creates public awareness about
the model. It is this awareness that also creates the demand
for the model. This makes her a celebrity model.
So
then who ultimately creates the celebrity status of a model?
According to Michael Flutie, it's "the media, a director
of a film, anyone how has direct contact with the consumer
market. The longevity of a fashion model is limited. It's
the commercial, the corporation behind the investment that
creates longevity of a celebrity model. It's the repetitive
exposure of, say, Victoria's Secret or Sports Illustrated
Swimsuit that create long, lucrative careers for the celebrity
model." Sarah O'Hare had a low key commercial life in the
modeling world. When she landed the endorsement of clients
like Wonderbra and Revlon, she rose to the status of a celebrity
model.
Ivan
Bart, Creative Director for IMG Models gives us examples
of the two distinct types of celebrity models that have
emerged: "Models are divided into 2 types - there are the
editorial ones like Angela Lindvall, Carolyn Murphy, and
Shalom, then there are girls like Niki Taylor, Tyra Banks,
and Rebecca Romijn-Stamos who have more of a commercial
success, and appeal to a wider audience."
The
world of fashion is constantly in flux. Fads and trends
come and go not only in the clothing designs, but also in
models and the media's version of what is a "celebrity".
The celebrity status that the top models had in the day
of the supermodel may never be duplicated, and the new models
who are rising in the ranks are creating their own eras
and making their own, distinct mark in the industry.
 
Move over Claudia, Naomi...here
comes Julia and Angelina.
Whatever happens in the world of high fashion modeling,
it is never a bad thing when the media takes a break from
promoting models as celebrities and pushes the celebrity
super-star status of actors. It takes a lot of talent (and
hard work) to be a top actor, and they certainly make healthier
role models than models. So the next time you see Catherine
Zeta-Jones or Julia Roberts on the cover of a magazine,
remember - wouldn't you rather the next generation have
role models that are pretty but not perfect and that have
talent as well as ambition...
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Death
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Wiz
Leonardo
A Trip to
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DJs
Defend
Raves
Bump
or Concussion
Supermodels
out of
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Debate
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