Supermodel Resource

With this website I’ve been trying to give a glimpse of the modeling world – what it was, its history and how it has evolved through the decades.

In earlier days, modeling was looked down upon, as a career option for women. From then, it has seen sea changes and come a long way into the twenty first century where, terms like ‘supermodels’ exist and they sign million dollar contracts in the blink of an eye.

Modeling is definitely a lucrative option if one is inclined towards a glamorous line but after reading this, I’m sure my readers will agree that it’s not about wearing nice outfits and flitting across the ramp. It involves a lot of hard work, planning, organizing, maintaining yourself, being at the right place at the right time…the list is endless.

When female models were first introduced, the requirements were not high. In fact anybody willing to model was promptly taken in. The fees were also miserly and overall, the career option regarded as for downgraded unethical women.

Today, getting into the modeling world is to enter a dynamic, glamorous and challenging competition where one needs to be better than the best to make it. The top models are pampered to keep them happy and paid whatever price they choose to name.

The trend however, is always changing. It started with healthy bodies and over time, models just kept getting thinner and thinner. The reactions of people at the fashion shows in New York and Madrid earlier this year bears testimony to the fact that nobody wants to see bone thin models anymore. A good model must project a healthy image, besides being glamorous.

Through this website I have been trying to take you on a journey through this ever-changing modeling world and I hope you have been enjoying it as much as I did writing it.

Now that most subjects are covered, I’ll concentrate on new stuff, like videos, shows, etc.

Stay Tuned!

The times are changing and it was noticed in this year’s fashion shows in New York. There were the thin models and also models with a bit of flesh added to their skeleton making them look more healthy, womanly and normal. These models did quite well and they were used by designers like Ralph Lauren, Bill Blass, Marc Jacobs and Donna Karan. Ford, whose agency supplied models to these top designers says, “Our models who did very well this season were not super-skinny. However, there were some on the runway who were very thin.”

People who own modeling agencies and the editors of fashion magazines have a great role to play in discouraging very young girls from appearing on the runway who have not even developed their curves and appear to be stick thin or coming from the hospital. One such Editor-in-chief of the Glamour magazine Cindi Leive says, “ Any responsible model booker will tell you they turn away girls who get too thin.”

Kelly Cutrone, owner of People’s Revolution, a company that produces fashion shows around the world, opines that the runway models are so thin that when they bend , their rib cages can be seen. She feels that these models are naturally thin and other women with normal body structures should not try to be like them and ultimately harm their health. Kelly Cutrone is the owner of People’s Revolution, a company that produces fashion shows around the world.

Cutrone says. “Clothes look better on thin people. The fabric hangs better.” So models are mere hangers to display clothes and not a symbol of beauty. The average age of models is 16 to 17 years and most of them are in the age group of 14 to 19 years and weigh approximately 120 to 124 pounds with size 2 to 4 . If the models are heavier than that then they don’t fit into the clothes and are dropped from the show. This means that it is not the models who are responsible for this image building but the whole fashion fraternity which includes the designers, fashion coordinators who encourage unhealthy practices. Co-operation from everyone is necessary to change the scenario.

Stephanie Schur who is a designer conducted her first runway in New York few weeks ago. She considered models with glowing skin and healthy look for her show.

She rejected models that looked pale and had thin hair.

But most of the models today look the same. They are all beautiful but none of them is extraordinary. Runway concentrates more on the clothes. They look for girls who best suit their clothes.

Schur believes that young girls do not consider runway models as their image. In fact they are keener to imitate the actresses.

Every woman want to be pretty because in today’s world “we know more about women who look good than we know about women who do good,” says Audrey Brashich, a former teen model and author of All Made Up: A Girl’s Guide to Seeing Through Celebrity Hype and Celebrating Real Beauty.

Brashich read number of letters from young girls who were keen to become famous models, singers or actresses while she was working at Sassy and YM Magazine.

She said, on the basis of culture we were at par with women like Paris Hilton or Nicole Richie. She also said that women who are thin and beautiful become celebrities while women who actually bring amendments remain unknown. Mostly people have a tough time naming women who are accomplished in other fields. Considering models, stars and celebrities as our idol, this will not change until the pop culture changes the sight of women they consider their idols.

One of the major concerns faced by the fashion capitals across the world is that “models are too thin.” The fashion industry across the globe is buzzing about the fact that more rib cages and vertebra are visible which was a serious issue of concern in the New York fashion week. It just came and went by with very few people taking notice of the underlying problem.

The abnormally thin models project a very unhealthy image for the youth. The norm today has become “Thin is beautiful”, but in reality it isn’t by any standards.

Milan, Italy, the fashion capital of the world has cum up with a solution by asking models to submit a health certificate before being allowed on the ramp. This is similar to the test athletes have to go through. This will immensely help in projecting a healthy and beautiful image in public.

Designers are often blamed for encouraging this concept of “thin is beautiful” which encourages diseases like anorexia, bulimia, psychiatric problems in the young generation who try to emulate the models.