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The End of the Supermodel...? 
Donna Rubinstein is the author of "The Modeling Life." It was published by Perigee in May 1998. She was the Model Editor for SEVENTEEN Magazine for 11 years. She is now working freelance and promoting her book through seminars and modeling conventions. Her book is a comprehensive guide on how to get into the modeling industry. |
There has been so much in the media lately about the supermodel and that she does not exist anymore. There was a time when the supermodel was easy to spot among the girls like Linda, Christy, Cindy, Claudia, Naomi. These girls were bigger than life - appearing on multiple covers, on all the top designer runways, in ad campaigns, and commanding huge yearly salaries. Now, according to the media, the coveted jobs of magazine covers and editorial spreads are now being given to celebrities,... there is no need for supermodels,... that they are angry,... blah, blah, blah. I find it amusing, since it was the media who created the hype around the term in the first place. You'd have a tough time finding many agents in the business who have used the term supermodel. And even the models are often uncomfortable with the label. So, now it's the same media who is stripping these girls of the label. Well, they did not want it in the first place... So, now where does the industry go from here? How are the stars found, groomed, marketed, and made into celebrities in their own right? By doing good work, getting the exposure, and working with top agents who shape careers. Harold Mindel, Director of Click Models represents Tanga, a model who rose to instant stardom by landing a multi-million dollar contract with Polo/Ralph Lauren. He says that she is lucky to achieve that level of success so quickly and that she is a star because she is not over-exposed, so that there is longevity to her career. A way to keep models at the top is, he says, "to have the models working with the best photographers, the best clients, and not to have them burn out by overexposure." Instead of supermodels, he sees a constant flow of new girls, it's a reflection of fashion - there is a constant change. "The supermodel is over. It's celebrities this year, and when fashon returns, it will be back to the models." Michael Flutie, President of Company Management believes that it is the management of the model that creates awareness about the girl, and it is this awareness that creates the demand for the model. It becomes the girl's recognizability that creates the demand for her, whether it be for cover, campaigns, or runway shows. This makes her a celebrity model. Who creates the celebrity status? According to Michael it's "the media, a director of a film, anyone how has direct contact with the consumer market." Michael adds, "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. He sites Sarah O'Hare who had a low key commercial life in the modeling world. But with the endorsement of clients like Wonderbra and Revlon, she has the status of a celebrity model. Ivan Bart, Creative Director for IMG Models sites many examples in his agency to illustrate what is happening in the industry. Basically, "the models are divided into 2 types - 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." As an example, when Rebecca first came to IMG, she was basically a catalog model. Ivan says that she wanted to be a spokesperson. As her agent, Ivan worked on broader placements for her. She landed the cover of GQ with Dennis Rodman, then became the spokesperson for MTV's House of Style. So her visibility grew, which led to Sports Illustrated. Her "famous" status was then turned back to fashion, and designers, and "that's when she got the Tommy Hilfiger campaign, and we began calling the magazines telling them how well Tommy's clothes are selling, how MTV's ratings are up, etc. And that has led to editorial work like Allure, Glamour covers and editorial spreads." She thus brings more to an editorial shoot. Agents I've spoken to have shyed away from the term supermodel and for good reason; what is so great about the business is that fashion is constantly changing, trends come and go not only in the designs, but in models as well. Therefore, it is understandable that what existed in the day of the supermodel may never be duplicated, and the models who are rising in the ranks are creating their own eras and making their mark in the industry. The girls like Cindy, Christy, Naomi, Linda, and Claudia paved the way for those who followed but will never be replaced. So, the agents will keep searching for the next star, getting their girls work, generating more demand, and building great careers. The models will pursuing their interests and bring more to a shoot or show than just being beautiful. It is the media that will generate a term to describe this new girl, the celebrity model, the spokesperson, the star. I'm sure that they will come up with something....... -end- |