Le JT de la mode: The end of Supermodels ?

90's models Time

What's the reason for the drastic change of supermodels from 90's to 2009?

In 90's, models had perfect shaped body . Today, we can't say the same thing for all of them (except for the Victoria Secret models) .
Models are more skinny. They have to obey different rules. Modeling industry is turning a new leaf of it's history, models are the first to undergo it .

The Dream Model Team of the 90's was built on Charisma, Attitude and Power. So, what happened to today's models?

They named Naomi Campbell, Cindy Crawford, Stella Tennant, Carla Bruni , Estelle Hallyday, Linda Evangelista, Stephanie Seymour... They were Queens of the stage and highlighted this modeling time.
Now, time changed and modeling industry is evolving , No boobs, No hips , early teens models . It's another time for fashion but it's important to go back to the 90's to commemorate this sweet time.
The 90's was the time when designer accepted models express their Charisma . Today, Fashion industry silence models personality in order to make the audience more focused on clothes. Choice is made! This strategy contributes to the end of supermodels. Before it was commonly accepted to put different body shaped models in the same show. Now , models are standardized. They look the same, a few of them are outgoing but their body is standardized. There is no place for individuality.

Before supermodels were leading a lot of different activities : they were involved in fashion industry, music, cinema, and they had more personal relationships with designers.

Personality were important! In the 90's being a supermodel meant having a powerful image which ruled all the society. They were mentally involved in fashion industry. They were definitely Queens of the Stages but Queens of society too ! People had respect for them. they made people dreaming. Nowadays when people are speaking about modeling they are immediately thinking about anorexia .Relationship between models and society changed . If models are only reduced to anorexic girls it's difficult to make them leading society.

Alive and dynamic, 90's supermodels were Running the show. At this time, models had a place. They were like fashion Divas .

Those top models had a real sense of walk : Turning , Smiling , Keeping their body in a powerful attitude, making poses... They were performing clothes . It wasn't only about walking, it was more about personality and charisma. Each model looked different. This isn't the same process today.

90's models talk

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Today's models

Today's society don't really give a space for supermodels. They are not existing in the same way than before. It means that when they are on the top they can' t be sure to keep it during a lot of different seasons. Today fashion industry's turn-over isn't helping building long lasting fashion career as in the 90's. Actresses are new actors of fashion industry : they are starred into fashion campaigns . So , models have to share with actresses high paid fashion jobs.
Fashion brands need more icons, than models. Star system makes actresses more glamour than models. That's the reason why an actress can represent Chanel or Dior label. It's more profitable for a magazine to put a leading actress than a good performing model.

Fashion is moving, modeling industry too. Top models career is getting shorter. You can be on top during three seasons and after nothing . Each year is revealing a new girl. Then , she is considered as the "IT" girl . What is "IT" one day, isn't the day after. There are A-list models such as Agyness, Coco Rochas, Lara Stone, Iman Chanel, Jordan Deyn . Nevertheless today's turn-over implies shorter careers.

When models as Kate Moss or Naomie are still leading the fashion scene , today's A-list models are fighting for being on the top during 4 or 5 seasons. It's not models who don't want to be supermodels, it's not Bookers who are not helping girls neither. So what's the main explanation?

It 's because of Marketing of course ! Today's fashion industry is proposing a large range of fashion products; There are more collections than before, products cycles are shorter, and it's the same in modeling industry. More collections, more products, so more models and less long-lasting supermodels.
Innovation is the key of today's industry ! It's Marketing Time and it has consequences on modeling industry.

When a girl is doing a top-designer show during one season, it doesn't mean that the season after she will do it again. Consumers are zapping, it implies short life products cycles (what applies for clothes adapts to models) . Then, it's necessary always innovating. Models are subject to fashion products rules and they adapts to marketing requests .
Today shows are bigger than ever, there isn't intimacy of 90's fashion label anymore! It's not rare to meet models who did a lot of Top Designers shows but who a
are not considered as supermodels. They are good performing models, but not supermodels.
You can do Lanvin, Prada, Vuitton shows and not being a top model !

Before it wasn't the case if you were able to work each season for the same designer you were a top model for fashion industry. Today there are a lot of models who are used to do a lot of Top designers shows during the fashion week and they are still not considered as supermodel by the Industry. So what's the matter? How could it be possible to run frequently into Dior, Givenchy , Chanel shows and not being considered as a supermodel. One of the reason is that so much models are in this case, so it's not easy to give the supermodel status to each of them.

Modeling industry is evolving in the steps of marketing. In 90's , castings were organized by fashion designers himself , today private agencies are most of the time in charge of fashion labels castings . Those private agencies don't try to make things new, they follow trends instead of breaking it.

Big fashion groups are born in the 90's. It started to be the end of a time ! With those big fashion groups ( LVMH, PPR) , the industry became more concerned by marketing than ever. A new leaf was turned. Now the intimacy of fashion label has been replaced by financial-marketing concerns. Brands are part of international quoted groups. Tradition and family values had to deal with marketing and finance. It's a new dimension of fashion industry, it had repercussions on modeling and it explains today's industry.
What started as a fashion family turned to be a fashion industry.
When today's models are going in castings they have to go through more steps than before for being booked. Money, high designers turn-over, marketing concerns, slow down the process. It increase models competition too. Before models were working as a team, I am not saying that they were no competition but they were used to work in a family structure. Today there is no place for family values, no time for that , today the issue is different. So different concerns, different values. I had the opportunity to speak about that with a former model of this time who told me : " You know, I am amazed by today's models mentality before we were working all together and we shared castings and jobs" . I told her that time changed. Now models are not sharing castings except with their friend ( and it's even rare) . Today we assist to a kind of sneaky warrior between models. It's totally killing the soul of this job. Modeling is a Team job. There is no photoshoot without a photographer, a designer , or a make up artist. At the same time there is no fashion show with one model only.
Team working values is killed by the pressure the industry is putting on models.
Team working value is killed by the fact that it's too difficult for being friend with those who potentially can get the job you want.

It's the end of Top models and it's the beginning of A-list fashion icons. Top models became "Minute Models". They are on the top faster, but they are collapsing at the same speed. Rare are those who have a long time career.

When models are getting thinner and thinner

Anna Wintour declared about that :
"I wish I could say the same for the young women who were just on the runways at the New York fall collections. Overall, they were pale and thin, and entirely lacking in the joyfulness and charm that once defined the supermodel. This, of course, is not their fault: Designers now near-uniformly favor a non-vivacious, homogenous ideal."

We celebrated 90's model, but we can applause today's models too. Modeling industry tougher than before. It's a daily struggle to assume who you are in modeling industry. Models have to deal with continually evolving drastic rules and they're not made for making their life easier. Nevertheless they handle it because it's their job.

When being skinny and Beautiful isn't enough , what models who are dreaming of a supermodel career have to do ?

Does common people know the name of those Supermodels ?