Models,let's face it for us average folks they seem as if they are goddesses from another planet. When we take out the allure and mystique behind the pouty or sultry expressions and the glamorous lifestyle we assume these models live....models are just doing their job and their job is to be beautiful. The pinnacle of a fashion model's career just so happens to be Fashion Week. "Aspiring models and veteran models from around the world" are hopeful to be in New York Fashion Week, also known as the Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week. (Joseph Chi Lin) These models are not strutting their way to casting calls with in model mode complete with hair and make up. They are usually running from one appointment to another in comfy shoes no less and always fresh faced with natural undone hair, but yet somehow (probably because they are just gorgeous) that off-duty model appearance still seem unattainable and we can't possibly believe that they "just woke up" like that! Fashion Week is also not just about looking pretty, I come to find out that New York and Paris each have their own desired "walks" Paris runway walks are usually slower whereas in New York Fashion Week models are expected to walk more of a fast-paced strut down the runway. And let's not forget the "it factor" ah yes millions of viewers would tune in each season to Tyra Banks' "Next Top Model" and often hear the echoes of the expert panels saying "she has the it factor" and just what is the "it factor" who can say for sure, but casting agents, designers and photographers just know it when they see it, sure you have to have beautiful skin, being gorgeous is a plus..obviously, having lustrous locks help, and having the body for the clothes. We also cannot forget that the designers themselves have a particular look or ideal in mind and that changes as quickly as the fashion itself.
Now that we have acknowledged the 'It factor' there are issues with Fashion Week ignoring the beauty in diversity. "New York designers dropped the ball on diversity" (Denardo 2015)
We still as a society define beauty in very limited terms, the ideal model is still considered blonde (usually), beautiful and body-perfect. Gradually the fashion industry is making changes to reflect different beauty ideals by being represented with diverse models. Chromat was the most diverse of the shows during fashion week featuring five black models, four Latina models, three Asian models and two of the models were listed as "other". However we are still fighting against the norm, the status quo of modeling with shows such as Monique Lhuillier with only 1 Asian model, the rest were white and "Erin Fetherston only booked white models". (Denardo 2015)
Of course there is also the issue of body types, Victoria Beckham came under fire for her recent Fashion Show featuring "skeletal" modes. Social media was in an uproar arguing that these models were young and way too thin. Are we still promoting the anorexic look in 2015??! I guess "slow progress is still progress" but I cannot believe that we are still shaming women for being too fat or too thin, it would be nice to have a Fashion Week where the models aren't criticized for being "too" anything!
"Behind the Scenes at a New York Fashion Week Casting" Story and photos by Joseph Chi Lin retrieved from
www.content.time.com
"New York Fashion Week is Gradually Becoming More Diverse" by Maria Denardo retrieved from
www.thefashionspot.com
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