With fashion month just around the corner, I thought this interview I did with modeling industry icon Faith Kates would add some balanced insight into the world of modeling.
Faith Kates is a modeling industry legend. She started NEXT Model Management in 1989. Recently, we sat down to talk all things modeling. Needless to say, it was a great learning experience. Enclosed are few snippets from our conversation. And to Faith and the people at NEXT, thank you!
WHY THE SECOND SEASON IN A MODELS CAREER IS MORE IMPORTANT THAN THE FIRST
Faith: Realistically, there's so many girls that have gotten ruined because they come the first season, they're not ready to do those shows and they do them. And the second season they're like, 'but she couldn't walk last season.' You know our job as agents is to prepare these models to get them out there, so that they do their job perfectly. ...we want to get them out there and we want them to know how to walk. I always say if you can get them a couple of good shows so they have some confidence. Think about being young from Latvia...this is the first time you've ever been on airplane and you walk out from behind the stage. You walk out and you're in shoes this high (gestures to a 5" stiletto) and there's a thousand people looking at you with cameras flashing. Think about that very first moment. See that's the story you should start talking to the girls about is, 'What do you fee like?' So it's a lot easier to do that exact thing in a smaller show and then another show and another show and then by the time you get to Prada, you got it.
Craig: So you might not necessarily try and book her for all the big shows?
Faith: Exactly. The first season is important but the second season is more important. Because the first season, lets say you got all the shows. You've got to keep them the second time. It's easy to get the first time. Now you have to do the editorial. Now you have to be out there the whole time. Because your only new once. (pause)
You are only a new girl once.
...you have to really know how to pace it. You have to know what you'll be able to sustain and not sustain.
ON THE IMPORTANCE OF THE EDITORIAL IN A MODELS CAREER
Craig: How important is editorial?
Faith: Very important.
Craig: More important than campaigns?
Faith: It's all about VOGUE. If you are a VOGUE girl you are everywhere. Go into VOGUE magazine. You want to learn something, go in Vogue look at all the girls that are in the well. Go in Anna J, any one of them, Catherine, those are the girls that are doing all the campaigns. Those are girls that are in all the shows.
WHY GOOD RELATIONSHIPS WITH KEY PHOTOGRAPHERS ARE IMPORTANT
Faith: ...I think that in our world...when a girl starts, if you have one of the three or 4 really important photographers behind you, that's the girls that are making it. So if you have Steven Meisel, you have Mario Testino, you have a Craig McDean, you have a David Sims... you have one of those guys behind you, you're in.
Craig: So that's the goal then?
Faith: That's the goal.
Craig: Is that how you view your goal, moreso the photographer?
Faith: It is. You could walk in 1 show. I could get you to walk in Prada, you can walk in Gucci, you can walk in 1 show. But you didn't do good in that show. Or you know. You had the exclusive for the good show. I've seen girls have an exclusive to Prada and you never see them again. They weren't so great in the show. But at least if you are in a picture, it's out there. and it's out there for at least a couple of months and people keep seeing it. It's different. It's on the shelf its always there...with magazines while they're sitting out there, people are able to take them home and they keep looking and looking and looking at them....
Craig: The photographers are the key then?
Faith: The photographers and the magazines have all the power. Designers are important, don't get me wrong. They are very important. But I think it goes first with if you can get to the photographer. There are some girls that are really photographers girls.
ON THE IMPORTANCE OF A MODEL LIKING CLOTHES AND FASHION AS A NECESSITY TO SUCCEED
Craig: Does a girl with a genuine appreciation for fashion and clothing fare better in this industry?
Faith: You don't have to care about clothes...I don't think you have to love clothes. I don't think you have to dislike clothes. I just think you have to know how to wear clothes and know what feels good and right on you.
Craig: But like a girl who can get in touch with the artistic aesthetic of a Yohji Yamamoto because she's interested in style?
Faith: I don't think that matters.
Craig: It doesn't matter?
Faith: Not at all. I don't think it matters at all. I think that girl understands better what, and appreciate more what she's wearing but I don't think that that makes her a better model or makes her any better at what she does because she understands the dress
ON TWO TYPES OF FAME FOR A MODEL
Craig: How important is press as opposed to campaigns, editorials in magazines, and runways to a models career?
Faith: It depends upon the model. So there's a "high fashion model" lets call her that's doing all the campaigns and doing Vogue and doing all the shows. It doesn't matter. Because for her, her bible is the editorial, the Vogues of the world, and doing runway.
Then there's a whole other group of girls that, they are famous because of the press. They probably were not really famous models. But they became famous because they dated somebody that was famous, they were in the right place at the right time, they dated a basketball player, there was something about them that made them famous.
...There's 2 different kinds of famous. There's fashion famous which is what every model, I hate to say it , aspires to. They aspire to being in the well of American Vogue, they aspire to being photographed by Craig McDean, and David Sims, Steven Meisel, photographers Bruce Weber, like that.
And then there are girls that you know that their dream was to be in Sports Illustrated or to be in Victoria's Secret. Its a very different kind of famous and its a different kind of fashion. So its completely different. So there's two types of fame.
ON THE INTERNET AND PRINT
Craig: ...how important is the internet going to be to a models career as opposed to print publications?
Faith: I think we've all been struggling through it for the last 7 or 8 years. I don't see the print magazine or the newspaper or even the written book going away. As hard as I try to read and kindle it was the same as turning the pages. I think the internet becomes important because every day you can change it.
I do believe that the print magazine never goes away. I don't think VOGUE ever goes. I think that they are going to do business a bit differently.
AND FINALLY: THE BIGGEST NAMES NEXT HAS DEVELOPED FROM SCRATCH
Craig: The biggest names you've developed from scratch?
Faith: Milla Jovovich, Molly Sims, Joy Bryant, Diane Kruger (the actress), Angie Everhart, Anja Rubick, Anna Jagodzinka, Catherine McNeil, and Jessica Miller.
Anne Christensen on Sixth Avenue outside of the tents during fashion week. The movement of the person in the background suggests how challening it was to weave through people at New York Fashion Week, let alone get a clear picture.
I found Carine Roitfeld fun and really cooperative with my requests. Instead of shooting a full body picture of her, this close-up picture of her wearing a hoodie with the wind blowing her hair was captivating. Notice the cab driver in the background.
This is Brian Ermanski and this is not his kid, nor is it mine. This little boy curiously walked in on the photo wanting to see what was going on. A delightful moment in time caught on camera for years to come.
The editorial style pose in this picture still rivets my attention. You might be able to notice the guy in background looking back, wondering what was going on.
I was walking across Lafayette Street when I heard the putter coming from the engine on this man's moped. Not only are the different historical references in his outfit mesmerizing, but the fact that the foreground is juxtaposed against a background of people and buildings from 2007, give this photo a paradoxical feel.
This is Sato. I like his absolutely couture approach to avant-garde style.
This is one of the first photos I took at London Fashion Week. Not only did I think her outfit was superb, but I deliberately left the street sign in the composition in the background for added visual impact.
Androgyny fascinates me when it is artfully expressed. The perfect hairline on this girl, her still facial expression, and the curved lines which lead to the dual decker bus in London in the background made for an intersting shot.
I always admire people who defy modern fashion in favor of retro-style couture. Notice the leading lines of the row of homes, leading off into the far distance, where you can see Londoners going about their daily business.
The outfit is inspiring and so is the fact that you can see the words "London Fashion Week" on the car doors in the background.
At the end of the Donna Karen show at New York Fashion Week, the fire department showed up. I'm guessing there was a report that the building had violated some fire code and the excess crowd was causing street congestion. While the lights from the F.D.N.Y. truck in the background were going off, I was able to snap this shot of well know model Irina Kulikova.
With fashion month soon to be upon us, models will be attending casting calls in between fittings, shows, and visits to their agencies. If you haven't seen what a casting call for a runway show is like, it can be quite anxiety driven. Girls are literally lined up by the 10's and 20's outside in hallways. Some Casting Directors have pre-casting castings, in which they will see hundreds of girls in just 2 days time, so they can edit down their choices for runway shows accordingly. Just try mentioning the name Russell Marsh to a model and watch her reaction. Because of the timing, I thought it was appropriate to republish an interview I did with Sarah Doukas, the founder of Storm Model Management and the one who discovered Kate Moss at JFK airport. In it, we talked about the impact of style on a models career.
We sat down for a chat at her agency in South Kensington and what follows is a brief glimpse of the modeling world, distilled ultimately into two major categories: how a models personal style can help create more opportunities for them and how press (think my blog here) can help create more opportunities for models as well.
I must add that everyone at Storm Models from their Press Officer Paula Karaiskos to their entire New Faces Division was a pleasure to work with. Many thanks to everyone at Storm who helped me along the way and especially to Sarah for breaking from her hectic schedule for the interview.
THE IMPACT OF PERSONAL STYLE ON THE SUCCESS OF A MODELS CAREER
Craig: Can a models sense of style positively impact her career?
Sarah: I definitely think it can positively impact her career. It's got to be simple but the point about that question is, that if they have absolutely no style and they go out just not looking great, they're wearing very unflattering clothes and things like that, then it's definitely going to have a negative impact.
Craig: really?
Sarah: Oh god yes, there's no question. I'm obsessed with finding British girls. It's my big thing....and it's hard to get them to the point of going out to do shows...I know that once they hit that international circuit, and they're sitting in a Paris agency and seeing those Parisian clients, if they don't look the part...you know they're wearing some kind of scraggy old t-shirt...(sighs)..they don't have to go and spend a great deal of money, but style is really important, very simple. So I think it is important.
Craig: so the lack of style can definitely negatively impact
Sarah: Impact. There's no doubt that lack of style can negatively impact. I'm not talking about wearing Balenciaga, but very simple High Street stuff. That elongates your legs and is just flattering.
STORM AGENCY TAKES ACTIONS TO IMPROVE A MODELS STYLE
Craig: do you guys tell models how to dress here?
Sarah: yeah
Craig: for castings?
Sarah: yes
Craig: So if you don't mind me asking in what? just jeans...stuff that shows their body?....is that what they're supposed to wear?
Sarah: I think if they walked around in a great big smock it would be a bit a problem for a client and I'm not suggesting that they look provocatively, you know wearing sexy stuff but certainly stuff that shows the length of their body and that they're slim. You can get somebody with the most fantastic figure and they come in here and may be in a dress like this (motions wide with hands) the client would say, "well I wonder what's going on there....have you put on weight?"...They can look at their book but they don't really know...so it's advisable to dress in something that can really see, you know show your shape. That's what I think.
Craig: so the key for style...there's not many options if you're having to wear skinny jeans and t-shirts??
Sarah: well you can wear leggings, they are back in fashion. You can still layer up. You can wear a really nice cardi with a longer tightish dress with leggings. There are lots of options. You can wear a short skirt with leggings. With boots. Again with layers. But just not, you can't walk around in sort of voluminous clothes as the clients are going to say "Hey whats going on under there? Maybe she's pregnant?"
Craig: So you do intervene then? On occasion, when it comes to a girl's style?
Sarah: Well I sit at the booking table. I do all the time. I like everybody to be autonomous in their job here and do their thing. I don't want to look over peoples shoulder. I hate that kind of thing because I work at the booking table with everybody and I don't have an office. You know, I'm just one of them, I'm not the boss or any such thing.
But yeah I do because I know its going to have a negative impact if they go out looking like that. And they appreciate it. You can say it in a really nice way. You don't have to say, "listen you have terrible style. We need to completely change you." You just have to say, "now listen, when you go out I want you to look great."
GREAT PERSONAL STYLE CREATES MORE SALES VALUE FOR BOOKING AGENTS
Sarah: You know they go into a French agency or a New York agency, the bookers are looking at them for the first time and at the end of the day we have to be realistic about this job: they are selling a product, those booking agents. So they have to believe in it when they see it. So they have to see somebody looking -- great. The book can look fantastic. But you know what? You need to believe to sell something, of course you do. You can't make any bones about it. It's a human business. And I really like these girls or I wouldn't do it. But we are selling something. So you must look good.
THE IMPACT OF PRESS ON A MODELS BOOKING VALUE
Craig: regarding press as opposed to runway shows, advertising campaigns and editorials, press like a girl gets her photo taken and she's in the New York Times...or interviews...like this is a form of press (I pointed to 1 of 4 of my Teen Vogue solo pages)
Sarah: does it have their names?
Craig: it does
Sarah: Exactly, that's very important. Years ago nobody knew who models were. Apart from those famous models, they were never given credit in a magazine or anything so there were was no credits given. So that was one thing that people were quite anonymous. And i think press is huge and I think it's really important.
We started with PR in 89 or 90. Because I just thought it was hugely important and Richard Branson was my partner for many years and he was like, "Sarah" we know he likes the press...he was like "it's really important"
I think it's important. Kate Moss is the first one that we did it with. And I build press books and I've done it on all my models. Whether it be Sophie Dahl, Lily Cole, Devon Aoki, Jourdan Dunn, Behati Prinsloo, Liberty Ross....
Craig: one thing that really gets me about press is, yeah it's cool because the model gets her name circulated in the public, but how does that impact the booking value of a model?
Sarah: Huge, because you know you've got a model "Ann Smith" who doesn't get any press, who is a great looking girl, and works alot. And you've got somebody else, say "Paula Reed" who gets press, is out in the public domain, if you went and asked somebody in the street do you know who this is? They'd say yes. Well that's what market research is. So then you get a big company going, "I want a name." So you put this beautiful girl up who hasn't got press and you put this one up who has got press. Who are they going to choose? Does the general public know this person? So they sell masses and her value is much higher than this one's is. Way higher.
ALL THINGS EQUAL, THE MODEL WITH MORE PRESS GETS MORE OPPORTUNITIES
Craig: so everything else being equal, they both walked the same amount of runway shows, they both did the same advertising campaigns and editorials, but one just got the press, that one is going to be the more valuable one then?
Sarah: yes, much more. Look at our magazines. Look at the campaigns. They're all celebrities. Actresses. Somebody well known, they take up what, 80-90% of fabulous campaigns. You know that's because that's the power of somebody whose got a name....
But if you're in the business. If you see your chance that somebody can go that route and if they want to, you've got to take it because it's going to be a huge benefit financially to them and it's going to be a benefit to the agency...it feeds on itself. As soon as you do some press, it's unbelievable. You get so many opportunities open. People are calling. It opens doors.
Craig: so being that press is so important, do you train models in self-publicizing?
Sarah: There are definite pitfalls. Of course you say to them "look, don't open up too much about your private life, or things you don't want to say." You have to learn how to talk to press, but you need to keep it professional but you still need to keep it real. They need to be interested in you as a person. At the end of the day you've got to understand that you can just chat away and end up saying something that you wish you hadn't said. So you do have to be guarded. Open but guarded...Paula would sit in if it was somebody young. Like when Jourdan had done press. She would sit in....
PRESS MUST INCLUDE A MODELS NAME TO BE IMPACTFUL
Craig: Regarding press, it's valuable as long as it includes the models name?
Sarah: Oh it has to. It has to be all about her.
Craig: So just a photo without the name isn't necessarily valuable?
Sarah: nobody would know who you were....if they don't have the name, then the general public just don't know. It's interesting now when people ring and they say they, "Ah, I want somebody well known." Well it's not easy. Not that many models are well known anymore. They're just not -- for the general public. For our world, we know who they are, but the man walking down the street doesn't. They have to constantly see the image of a person and interviews on her, with her name, with her name, constantly for it to get into their head and they suddenly say, "Oh I know who this person is"
WORDS OF WISDOM TO THE COMMERCIAL MODEL
Craig:....commercial versus high fashion...who makes more money in the short-term?
Sarah: the commercial girls make a fortune
Craig: they make tons
Sarah: they make tons!
Craig: why is it then that every girl aspires to the high fashion?
Sarah: because we all want to be driving a Ferrari don't we?
Craig: but you don't necessarily make as much money do you if you go the high fashion route?
Sarah: no, You know you always get these girls that make a load of money. You know they're fantastic looking girls and they're doing brilliantly. And they're like, "you know what, I'm going to cut all my hair off. I'm going to go seriously edgy. I want you to get me into...." And I'm like "You're taking a massive risk. You're going to ruin your market in the short-term" And it happens. It does happen. I can mention lots of girls who it has happened....I always think, "You should be glad for what you've got. I understand wanting to aspire to better and greater things. But, you could in the short term lose your whole market "
Craig: so a girl can start off as a commercial model and then go the high fashion route?
Sarah: it happens
Craig: does it really?
Sarah: yeah
THE MONETARY VALUE OF OPENING AND CLOSING A SHOW
Craig: when a model opens and closes a show, do they get paid extra?
Sarah: well I don't know that they get paid extra per se, but if a model is good enough to open and close, she may well be on a much higher rate than somebody else. I mean it's negotiated. It's all negotiated.
NEW MAGAZINES NEED GREAT PHOTOGRAPHERS WITH A GREAT TEAM TO BOOK TOP MODELS
Craig: I've got another question for you. A new magazine, a start up magazine in London calls you up and they say "we want your top girl" What are the credentials that someone has to bring for a new magazine?
Sarah: They'd have to bring an amazing photographer, stylist, hair and make up...all the jazz.
Craig: What if they don't have a famous photographer?
Sarah: You would have to be very careful with the top talent. Because you don't really know what it's going to look like. You'd ask for a dummy copy. And this that and the other but you wouldn't give top talent.
Stage 5: first look, backstage before hitting the runway
Katrin Wesolowski, production and model line up for Balmain
This Paris Fashion Week, Katrin Wesolowski is busy casting shows and scouting new faces (above with British designer, Henry Holland) while working with La Mode En Images (In House Casting & Production Company for the Balmain show) founded by Olivier Massart. La Mode En Images also works on other various shows during Paris Fashion Week like Givenchy, Balenciaga, Valentino, and YSL to name a few. Katrin was kind enough to grant me backstage access to the Balmain show, which translated itself into a story revolving around model Jac Jagaciak.
I was fortunate enough to be able to catch up with Katrin after the show in between her busy schedule, and get to know her more and what she does as a Casting Agent:
Craig Arend: Thank you so much for taking the time out from your busy schedule of shows to speak with me.Katrin Wesolowski: My pleasure!
Craig: Can you please tell us what you are doing here in Paris for Fashion Week.Katrin: I work as a casting agent for La Mode En Images. It is one of the leading production companies in the fashion business.
Craig: What draws you to this line of work?Katrin: It's such an exciting environment to work in. There are always so many things going on at the same time.
Craig: How did you get your start?
Katrin: Well, I first started as a Stylist Assistant in Milan. I then moved to Paris to assist Julia von Boehm and then worked with Christopher Niquet at MIXTE magazine. In 2006, I left Paris and went home to Stochkolm to work as a Model Agent at Mikas Model Management. I stayed there for 2 years and moved back to Paris to work as a Stylist Producer for Art Partner. I then was called by Patrizia Pilotti of La Mode En Images, who offered me a job to work for her. And I've been working for Patrizia ever since.
Craig: What is a memorable moment that stands out for you in your experience?
Katrin: There are so many, but I'll never forget my first show in Paris. My best friend, Delfina got me in to see Chanel and I was so excited I could cry!
Craig: What are you looking for when you are casting?
Katrin: Castings are so very personal. It truly depends on what each individual client is looking for at that time.
Craig: Where do you see yourself in 5 years?
Katrin: I would love to cast on my own!
Craig: Well, thank you again for finding the time to sit down with me. Good luck with the rest of fashion week!
New Face to Watch: Erjona Ala (FORD, NY) exits Costume National
A lot of modeling agencies are stuck in the Print Era Paradigm--pre-internet thinking in which the Old School hierarchy of exclusivity dominated the management of models visibility. While this system may still warrant merit, the general lack of adaptability with regards to original content via the internet is appalling. Some agencies are kidding themselves if they think republishing editorial, campaign, or runway shots online will generate a sustainable presence. The editors of today may visit an agency site to get a models stats, but the editors of tomorrow will have grown up learning models names through tumblr, blogspot, and other social media. Modeling Agencies that fail to adapt now to the Internet Era Paradigm and it's vast plethora of opportunity will be still be riding horse and buggy while their competitors speed it out in Maybachs. The internet revolution is here and it's happening in Real Time.
I can't think of single better agency to team up with for the fashion season besides FORD models. Have a click on the previous link to see what I've been up to. They get it. In the same way Henry Ford said he'd belt the earth with his cars before the highways and roads for the cars even existed, FORD models is doing the same online. They dare to venture where other agencies fail to tread. They understand the Bookings Editor's of tomorrow are the teens of today on tumblr and iphones. Agencies which reproduce Print Era thinking online as their sole source of internet presence may as well have a horse tug a Model-T chained to it's back when they could just make their own car to begin with.
Even the fashion industry which for so long tried to protect it's exclusivity has gone on the record about the power of the internet many times. In her Interview Magazine article with Joseph Altuzarra, Anna Dello Russo remarked:
ANNA DELLO RUSSO: You’ve only done four collections and already you’re more popular than Tom Ford. How do you think that happened?
JOSEPH ALTUZARRA: [laughs] I think it’s because of the Internet. You can build a brand very fast now, especially with bloggers and how fast images can get out—the message just goes out faster and stronger than ever before.
And in similar fashion at the IFB Conference in 2011, Jack McCollough of Proenza Schouler remarked, "Blogs posting things about us, going viral, spreading throughout the interent...it has an extraordinary impact on the business"
With the speed at which images travel online now, a models off duty image is half the battle. Her sense of style and fashion can rapidly propel her press image online. Some within the modeling industry "get it" like Casting Director Jennifer Starr who was quoted by New York Magazine recently:
"Model street style has blown up significantly in the past few years, what do you make of it?
There is no doubt in my mind that if you have authentic personal style, it will help you as a model. Look at models like Erin Wasson, Abbey Lee, Freja Beha, and Daria Webowy, all of whom have great style. Personal style indicates to me that you have a great sense of self. The key is having authentic style. You must feel comfortable with the image you're projecting; otherwise, it's obvious you're trying too hard."
And in an interview I conducted with Sarah Doukas, the founder of STORM models who discovered Kate Moss in JFK airport:
"Craig: Can a models sense of style positively impact her career?
Sarah: I definitely think it can positively impact her career. It's got to be simple but the point about that question is, that if they have absolutely no style and they go out just not looking great, they're wearing very unflattering clothes and things like that, then it's definitely going to have a negative impact."
Every home has a computer, but not every home has a copy of American Vogue or Paris Vogue. A new generation is growing up with the internet literally at their fingertips. And I can't think of an agency that I'd be more proud to work with at this moment in time than FORD models. If you haven't checked out the site, go now.
Tavi Williams, Style Rookie, 13 the cover of the new POP magazine, under the editorial leadership of Dasha Zhukova
4 pages in the 2d edition of LOVE a photo in style.com's Front-Row Faces
In the middle The Glamourai, on the sides The Owls Are Not What They Seem
Fashion is Poison, The Fashion Void that is DC, Fashion Pirates, Style Rookie
"Abbey Road meets Mercer Street" blogger style
A few months Jessica Schroeder from Weardrobe.com and I chatted over coffee about Jessica's dream to hold a blogger convention in New York before fashion week started. It didn't come as a suprise to find that Jessica transformed this vision into reality by bringing to New York 21 bloggers from around the country within the short time span of just a couple of months of work.
All I can say is that it was an amazing experience meeting all these girls and I'm half envious of the good time they had: a hotel room overlooking Gramercy Park, free meals in Soho where the food was shaped like tiny sculptures, DIY projects, new shoes, new bags...yet another way for serious fashion bloggers to make their presence heard in the world. Glamour.com, Seventeen Magazine, and a few other notable news outlets were there to report on the event that left this group of 21 girls turning more than a few heads on the streets of New York.
Jac is already a huge force both on and off the runway. While only participating in runway shows in New York and Milan, she walked in nearly every key show in both cities (33 total shows): from Marc Jacobs and Oscar de la Renta in New York to Prada and Gucci in Milan -- among the many.
She also managed to really solidify her presence as a strong show Opener by opening a total of 7 shows in both cities including such heavy weights as Calvin Klein, Derek Lam, Bottega Veneta, Marni, Emilio Pucci, Etro, and star Milan new designer Marco de Vincenzo. Closing Alexander Wang and Gianfranco Ferre is nothing to sneeze at either.
Off the runway, October has been an amazing building block towards her future success with editorials in Italian Vogue shot by Steven Meisel (October 2009), W magazine shot by Paolo Roversi (October 2009) and an editorial in Numero (October 2009).
Provided that no other obligations interfere, I predict you will be seeing even more of her during the next fashion month (FALL 2010) as she turns 16 in January and will be able to fully participate, without technical age restrictions, in the Paris Fashion Week shows.
Ruby just completed her first ever full circuit of fashion shows during the Fall/Winter 2010 season in pristine standing. She opened Marc by Marc Jacobs, walked Marc Jacobs, closed Lanvin and even walked the Christian Dior show. And she's already following up on that amazing first season with equally amazing off season results as well: a major campaign with a major photographer and a new feature on Vogue Italy. <--click link to see
But what I'm sure everyone here will really appreciate is her consistent sense of personal style. Whether in trailblazing the Versace show in Milan or racing out of the Christian Dior show in Paris, Ruby always looked good and always had an amazing attitude. She was always willing to take an extra minute to itemize the clothes she was wearing for the photographers and she never did so impatiently either. In the craziness that pervades everything during fashion week, that says a lot about a person.
We'll be seeing more of her in the future for sure.
Berta Zubrickaiteskirt -- self designed/made, fabric from Shanghai
Ieva Gurklyteshorts -- Primarkshirt -- Only
Dainora Salaviejute blazer -- Bershkapants -- Morganboots -- Marco Polo
Mall Casting for the Vilinius Fashion Festival otherwise known as Fashion Infection
Alina Lu shows her number to the designers.
So I'm doing a short Baltic State Tour which included a 3 day stopover in Vilnius, Lithuania during the Vilnius Fashion Festival Castings, which were held at a local mall.
These types of mall castings are very interesting, because this is one way a lot of models are discovered--whether here in Eastern Europe or even in Saint Louis Missouri. Julija Step for instance had no intent of being a model, but someone convinced her to attend a mall casting while she was there after school and look what happened to her career. In this case, there were over 400 contestants all vying for a slot in the coming Vilinus Fashion Festival/Fashion Infection shows.
Will one be the next Edita? Stay tuned for pictures from Riga coming soon.
This is Moscow based designer Vika Gazinskaya as seen in Paris right before the Gareth Pugh show. I'd recommend popping into her site for a minute to check out her theatrically powered catwalk video.
This is Elissey Kostsov (pronounced the same as Élysées in Champs- Élysées), Fashion Director of Citizen K Russia and Vika . It was fascinating to listen to Elissey tell me about the challenges the Russian fashion industry faces as an up and coming nation in the global fashion industry.
A profile view of Vika's always amazing hair.
I realize that Paris Fashion Week is already over a week past us, but I have so many shots backlogged from there that some are just too good to keep to myself. This shot of the ambiance at the Paris shows is one of them. Beyond the photographers storming Emmanuel Alt, you have the tourists on the left admiring all the action, the pigeon in the background flying away and the pigeon in the right foreground watching all the action too. All four of the latter define life at the Jardin des Tuileries: editors and stylists, photographers storming the stylists and editors, tourists in the background, and pigeons!
With the new fashion season about to hit, you know you can count on some serious Models Off Duty coverage from all 4 major fashion weeks to come. From Lincoln Center in New York, to Somerset House in London, to the Duomo in Milano and finally the Tuileries in Paris. I'll be there.
Often these girls are in a serious hurry between shows, fittings, and castings. A model can have as many as 17 appointments in one day during the middle of fashion week. Fashion season for a model is kind of like a hurricane of professional obligations to tend to: designers, casting agents, PR people, hair and make up, mother agents, drivers to find, taxi's to hail. A model is not contractually required to stop for me for a picture and by no means, required to stop and let me take detail shots, full body shots, and carefully execute a photo shoot. Let alone when she's fatigued, jet lagged, or hating the make up they just applied to her skin. To those girls that do stop for me, I am grateful for their time and patience.
Because of this, I've decided to add in the off season, some work of mine that better represents the current state of my creative photography. Sometimes that will include models from agencies like Marilyn (look out for a coming series) and Women, and other times, that will include photos from DBA girls, like Lindsey above.
First off, I wanted to wish everyone a happy and prosperous new year. I thought I'd pay homage to the year by quickly sharing with you some of my favorite shots from 2008. With two new fashion months coming up this year and undoubtedly more press too, 2009 stands to be an amazing year with startling photos and inspiration to share. So without further ado, I bring you:
Capturing Agyness Deyn with the sunset background and ensuing bokeh back in June. This was an exclusive shot of Agyness and is special since the Jean Paul Gaultier dress is atypical of her usual style.
Capturing Marc Jacobs and Rachel Zoe together back in spring. This was arguably, the first time the two had been photographed together since the media debacle back in Feb. when Rachel couldn't get into Marc's show. When I saw him again on the corner of Sixth and Bleecker, he said "thanks for that."
This picture of A Magazine's Fashion Editor Annabel Rivera is special to me because it's not just another picture of someone posing for a photo. There is motion: motion in her hair, motion in her shadow on the street, and the lighting was good too.
This picture was taken at Paris Fashion Week--an onslaught of photographers all leaning in the same direction at the same time to "blitzkrieg" Paris Vogue's Emmanuelle Alt. You should have seen the cloud of dust in the air over their heads as they ran across the Tuileries. Wait till I get a picture of that.
Can you say LONDON?
This picture of Net-a-porter.com's Head Buyer Holli Rogers is special to me for a few reasons. First, the background oozes Paris (it was taken outside the YSL show). Second, it was taken at night without a tripod and still turned out sharp. Third, Holli cooperated with me, despite their being a barrage of other flashes and photographers trying to borrow my "set up"
Cheers to 2009 folks! May we all be held in awe at the good things the world has in store for us!
sunbathe on the roof top deck with a volcano in the background
or wade in the pool
and admire the decor on the way to your room, no two of which are alike
maybe take a rest on one of the many unique couches in the halls
bedroom
no two bathrooms are alike
no two desks are alike
Panza Verde is like a luxurious village within a gated fortress. There is a security entrance and this is what you might first see when you enter.
the lobby sitting area
If Lara Stone is the hottest model out there right now, then Panza Verde is the hottest boutique hotel in Antigua Guatemala. Both have unique features, which allow them to stand out from the rest of the commercial crowd. Recently I had the pleasure of partaking of the Panza Verde experience and below recollect some of my thoughts.
No two rooms are the same
Of the 12 rooms in Panza Verde, no two are exactly alike. On a walk through, one room has a custom hammock with it's own private courtyard, another has floor to ceiling colonial window tiles, bedspreads differ in texture and print. Fireplaces are customized, bathtubs range from typical rectangular fashion to unique ovalesque rotunds. Even the key chains are distinct: my suite came with a traditional mini sandal attached to the keys. They say the value of a models beauty lies not in her standard looks, but in what makes her unique and distinct. Like Natasha Poly's instantly recognizable face, Panza Verde's unique attributes make it stand out amidst a sea of commercially available options.
Unique and safe
The staff and service is equally unique. An archeologist works the front desk, an elderly and warm, traditional native Indian serves the continental buffet in the morning. The original chef immigrated from Europe. Everyone here has a story that is unique. The entire estate is locked up at night too, like a medieval fortress to keep safe.
4 star restaurant on estate
That's only the beginning. As Celine may be the current taste maker for clothes and the recent Camel colored frenzy, Panza Verde's restaurant is the tastemaker for food in Antigua. It brings back the basics like Asparagus Milanesa, Carpaccio Pensativo, Steak Dijonaise but reinvigorates them with modern twists, that lure the impulse eater from the heart. Not to mention, the restaurant won the 2008 Tenedor de Oro for best restaurant in Guatemala.
casting for your hotel
While a modern BMW or Mercedes may lurk on the street outside the gates of Panza Verde, it's inside is a like fantasy journey back to colonial times. Everything is unique, the service superb, the attention to ambiance above critique. It's no surprise that Panza Verde attracts in the "beautiful people" from around the world and an elite clientele, for with it's aristocratic attention to detail, Panza Verde offers an intimate boutique experience that will instantly seduce anyone's heart.
Arizona Muse (Next, NY) exiting Balenciaga in Paris
Arizona Muse was arguably the new phenomena to watch this last show season. She captured the hearts of a wide set of Casting Directors from London's Russell Marsh to New York's James Scully. She's from New Mexico in case you are wondering and her show credits include opening and closing both Prada and Miu Miu, opening Chloé and closing YSL. I'm sure the Faith Kates team at Next NY will generate some amazing off season action for this new wonder.
Bo Don (Marilyn, NY) exiting Roberto Cavalli in Milan
Dutch wonder Bo Don first debuted on the runways at the Fall/Winter 2010 PARIS shows, but this Spring/Summer 2018 season marked her first full circuit of shows. Her appearence in Balenciaga marked two consecutive seasons in the show and her walks in the most directional shows like Cavalli, Givenchy, Marc Jacobs and Chanel point to what is surely going to be a colorful career to manage for the team over at Marilyn.
Britt Maren (Women, NY) exits Isabel Marant in Paris
Can you say "Hej Britt!" That's Swedish for you guys out there who want to show love by speaking in Britt's homeland language. I'm sure she'll get lots more love from the Women Model NY team lead by agency head Louie Chaban (the genius behind Agyness Deyn). With appearances in the most directional shows cast by a wide set of influential casting directors this season from opening Alexander Wang (Anita Bitton) to Balmain, Lanvin, Marc Jacobs (Michelle Lee) and Donna Karen (John Pfeiffer), I'm sure the editors at the worlds leading magazines will be taking note of her as well....perhaps Steven Meisel soon too?
Bambi Northwood-Blyth (Elite, NY) exits Balenciaga in Paris
Do you come from the land down under? Bambi does and somehow I think her booking value will be up and over the top in the off season. She's got a famous boyfriend (Ksubi co-founder Dan Single), plays in the social scene (maximizes her exposure), caught the eye of Casting Director Ashley Brokaw when she walked Balenciaga, channeled some Lagerfeld Love at Chanel, and apparently is a favorite of LOVE Editor-In-Chief Katie Grand enough to exclusively walk shows Katie styled in London.
Jessica Clarke (DNA, NY) exits Elie Saab
New Zealand hits the radar! Jessica debuted by walking a Calvin Klein exclusive. Scoring a Calvin Klein exclusive is like winning a New York Fashion Week MVP award. Past Calvin Klein runway exclusives have included Karlie Kloss (SS08), Natalia Vodianova (SS07), and Lara Stone (SS07). Jessica walked a tiny selection of other shows this season too, cherry picked from the best London, Milan, and Paris had to offer.
On Day 3 of Paris Fashion Week leaving the Christian Dior show.
The first time I met Charlotte was back in New York Fashion Week while the German National TV news network RTL was following me. From the various outfits I saw Charlotte wear later on up through Paris, I'd definitely put her in the category of one of fashion's best dressed models right alongside Frida Gustavsson, Iekeliene Stange, Dree Hemingway, Sasha Pivovarova, and Chanel Iman. It's as if each time I saw one of these girls, they would be wearing something different, yet well put together.
Apparently this last season Karl Lagerfeld saw something special in her too.
Of the 40 looks that were in the Karl Lagerfeld show, 10 girls walked the runway twice. Charlotte was one and she OPENED Lagerfeld. Talk about first impressions.
Of the 70+ looks that were in Chanel, Charlotte was the 15th girl to walk the barnyard hay runway. However, when Lilly Allen played on stage, two girls danced for the whole song, CENTER STAGE, and got an additional 3 minutes and some 21 seconds of additional "runway exposure time". This is essentially an advertisement in front of the Who's Who of the fashion world and considering that most girls only get seconds of face time, this stage time was a chance for Charlotte to shine.
And right alongside Iekeliene Stange, she let her personality shine while dancing the time away.
Make Up stylist Itsuki's assistant curling the eyelashes on a model
Hair Stylist Ben Skervin adds hair extensions to model Carolyn Murphy
Stylist Leslie Framer custom cut each tank top
Carolyn Murphy with Nigel Barker
You'll see these models walking around with these boots on during New York Fashion Week
It's all about the pedometer measuring how many miles the model walks from castings, to fittings, to shows. For every mile a girl walks $1 will be donated to Fashion Targets Breast Cancer
Back in May I had the opportunity to visit the Highline Studio's on West 15th for a day to shoot the behind the scenes action at the 9West/CFDA Runway Relief Fall campaign drive.
3 shifts of models started to trickle in at 8 am, 8:45, and 9:30. Nigel Barker was the photographer, Itsuki did makeup, Leslie Framer was the wardrobe stylist, and Ben Skervin was responsible for hair.
The point of the day was ultimately to raise funds for the Fashion Targets Breast Cancer foundation. Participating models will wear boots during New York Fashion Week equipped with pedometers and for every mile they walk according to their pedometer in the boots, $1 will go to Fashion Targets Breast Cancer.
User generated street style sites helped spawn the era of the personal style blog. Lookbook.nu and Chictopia collectively created enough social media attention to pave the way for the individual personal style blog phenomena. In an unprecedented move, L'Oreal Paris has created a new niche for user generated content: yourstyleyourstudio.
And it's all about Haute Hair.
Fashion Night Out in New York City inspirations:
Your Style Your Studio, blog landing page
WIN THIS MARC BY MARC JACOBS cross body strap bag
Win the above Marc by Marc Jacobs Cross Body strap bag filled with the above L'Oreal products
L'Oreal Paris recently approached me to help them launch this new hairstyle lookbook--Your Style Your Studio. To my knowledge, there exists no user generated hair style site like this--YET. Lindbergh may have been first to cross the Atlantic,Earhart the first woman to do so, and now Your Style Your Studio is first in the niche of user generated hair style inspirations.
The site is all about YOUR inspired hair and YOUR individual style from bold colors to daring cuts to fashion forward looks. The look book, inspired by the brand's studio line of hair products as seen in the photo above, is meant for both men AND women. So if you are a guy, go forth and upload your own pictures.
I believe in this site so much, that for the first time in the 4 year history of altamira, I'm doing an exclusive giveaway sponsored by L'Oreal Paris. Not only can you win 1 of 2 Marc by Marc Jacob's leather cross body totes, but you can win it stuffed full of the exact L'Oreal hair styling products seen in the photo above. I will personally select 2 winners.
To be eligible to win 1 of 2 Marc by Marc Jacobs cross body totes stuffed full of L'Oreal products as seen in the picture above, you must:
UPLOAD A PHOTO TO YOUR STYLE YOUR STUDIO--upload your own Haute Hair style inspiration photo to the Your Style Your Studio look book. The picture should be horizontal in format and a minimum resolution of 560 x 370 pixels.
LEAVE A COMMENT by Friday, September 16th 2011 8 am Eastern Standard Time With a URL link to your hair style photo. Make sure the URL works correctly and that it goes to the Your Style Your Studio site like this link HERE
CONTEST CLOSES on Friday, September 16th 2011 at 8 am Eastern Standard Time. The contest is open to anyone anywhere in the world. Winner to be announced on Saturday September 17th, 2011. I will personally select 2 winners based on the editorial QUALITY of the picture you upload. It's all about Haute Hair. Artsy, Avant Garde, Creative. Have fun with it. Be creative. Make your photo's better than mine as seen in the links below--as if you were submitting to Numero or Vogue.
You won't be alone in uploading images to the lookbook. I'll be uploading additional images too! Here are some of my examples but remember, you want to do better than me: A Clean Sweep Mod Squad Perfectly Undone Pony The Modern Bouffant New Wave Braids Envy
If Lara Stone is the hottest model out there right now, then Panza Verde is the hottest boutique hotel in Antigua Guatemala. Both have unique features, which allow them to stand out from the rest of the commercial crowd. Recently I had the pleasure of partaking of the Panza Verde experience and below recollect some of my thoughts.
No two rooms are the same
Of the 12 rooms in Panza Verde, no two are exactly alike. On a walk through, one room has a custom hammock with it's own private courtyard, another has floor to ceiling colonial window tiles, bedspreads differ in texture and print. Fireplaces are customized, bathtubs range from typical rectangular fashion to unique ovalesque rotunds. Even the key chains are distinct: my suite came with a traditional mini sandal attached to the keys. They say the value of a models beauty lies not in her standard looks, but in what makes her unique and distinct. Like Natasha Poly's instantly recognizable face, Panza Verde's unique attributes make it stand out amidst a sea of commercially available options.
Unique and safe
The staff and service is equally unique. An archeologist works the front desk, an elderly and warm, traditional native Indian serves the continental buffet in the morning. The original chef immigrated from Europe. Everyone here has a story that is unique. The entire estate is locked up at night too, like a medieval fortress to keep safe.4 star restaurant on estate
That's only the beginning. As Celine may be the current taste maker for clothes and the recent Camel colored frenzy, Panza Verde's restaurant is the tastemaker for food in Antigua. It brings back the basics like Asparagus Milanesa, Carpaccio Pensativo, Steak Dijonaise but reinvigorates them with modern twists, that lure the impulse eater from the heart. Not to mention, the restaurant won the 2008 Tenedor de Oro for best restaurant in Guatemala.
casting for your hotel
While a modern BMW or Mercedes may lurk on the street outside the gates of Panza Verde, it's inside is a like fantasy journey back to colonial times. Everything is unique, the service superb, the attention to ambiance above critique. It's no surprise that Panza Verde attracts in the "beautiful people" from around the world and an elite clientele, for with it's aristocratic attention to detail, Panza Verde offers an intimate boutique experience that will instantly seduce anyone's heart.
Who will be the next big face of the SS17 season? Above you will see a google table from the SS 11 New York Fashion Week shows which I designed in an effort to answer that question for the SS17 season. This was a personal project of mine I coordinated with the help of about 6 other people. The objective was to provide an easy drop down menu to track the shows the girls walked and thus recognize the best new faces to watch as well as predict which models were being favored by designers and/or casting directors.
Since history often has a tendency to repeat itself, I thought the information from the SS17 shows might help predict the coming SS17 shows. Not all shows are included though, just the more influential ones.
So for a change of pace on the blog, I thought I'd plug in some quick analysis of the past in order to help foresee the future. What are the most directional shows for a model to walk at New York Fashion Week (and fashion month in general) and what makes those shows valuable for a model? Let's start with Calvin Klein, the legacy of campaigns which helped launch Kate Moss into stardom.
Calvin Klein SS17 basic break down as a predictor of the SS17 show:
21 different models/34 different looks. 2 models walked 3 different looks each 9 models walked 2 different looks each10 models walked 1 different look
Easy Facial Recognition--the girls wear little make historically, so a place in the Calvin Klein lineup will improve the booking chances for the SS17 campaign/editorial season.
2 different shows--There are 2 showings of the Calvin Klein show, so all key editors, stylists, and photographers usually attend. This quantity of attendees improves the chances that the models will be recalled for future bookings.
good model to look ratio/only 21 models for 34 looks--unlike other shows which have 1 model per look. The limited number of models improves the chances their face will be recognized for future bookings.
conclusions: repetition, key attendees, and proven track record make Calvin Klein a key show for models to walk
32% chance a model will walk the runway more than once. A repeat walk is worth more than a single walk because the repetition gives the editors another chance to recall the face. It's like a 2d go see.
two different shows reduces chances that a possible influential attendee does not get to see a key face.
Somebody behind the scenes at Calvin Klein chose Daphne Groeneveld to walk the runway 3 times. Look how well she fared afterward in the editorial/campaign season. Basically, if you see a girl walk Calvin Klein 3 times this SS17 season, the odds are good she will be a big name to follow.
Back to regular scheduled street style shots soon!
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