By SAMANTHA CRITCHELL, THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
Who'll be the next Cindy, Naomi or Kate? Will there ever be another Cindy, Naomi or Kate - all supermodels simply known by their first names? (Crawford, Campbell and Moss, for those with short memories.)
But even if a model breaks away from the tall, leggy pack in New York, she still has to impress in Paris and Milan, Italy. Then she has to score some choice magazine spreads and ad campaigns - something that's become increasingly difficult to do as actresses such as Angelina Jolie, Catherine Zeta-Jones and Teri Hatcher consistently grace the covers of glossy magazines and hawk the fashion and beauty products that used to be models' bread and butter.
Nian Fish, creative director and senior vice president at KCD, which producesshows for top fashion houses, says that's kept new talent from being developedinto the next generation of fashion stars.
"It's like how reality television takes away from actors, celebrities take awayfrom models," she says.
Runway regulars Caroline Trentini and Jessica Stam are pretty successful byindustry standards but most average Joes would never recognize them on thestreet.
Contrary to popular belief, not all models are carted around in limos whilewearing chic dresses and high heels. Outside the Bryant Park tents where manyof Fashion Week's runway shows are held, it's a common sight to see prettyyoung things smoking cigarettes in jeans and sneakers looking remarkablyunremarkable as they try to hail a cab to beat the audience to the next show.To achieve top-tier status - the ones who are chauffeured from show to showwhile carrying handbags that cost more than startup models' monthly rent - youneed more than a pretty face.
Fish ticks off what matters more:
- Bone structure.
- Shape of head in proportion to body. (The classic fashion illustration of asmall head and long body is indeed what the industry looks for.)
- How she looks in clothes.
- Her "hunger."
"There's definitely work to this," Fish says. "Maybe you're not building a logcabin, but there's a lot of psychological wear and tear. They'll hear, 'Youlost weight,' or 'You gained weight.' And you can't read the stares (of) thecasting directors. All that, coupled with the tremendously long hours, whichcan be 6 a.m. to 2 a.m. if she's one of the working girls of the season."
Some models develop the passion - and, maybe even more importantly, confidence- after a special moment on the runway or an ego boost from one top designer orphotographer who lights the spark for "the wildfire effect," Fish says.
Before that, though, aspiring models have to find an agency willing to bringthem to the attention of casting directors. They're the ones who can see up to500 models during the weeding-out process, out of which a handful make it to asession with the designers and creative directors.
"A certain number of girls will start in New York City and get the good shows.The shows go immediately online. Then one or two models will start gettingbuzz, whether they do Marc (Jacobs), Calvin (Klein) or Karl (Lagerfeld), thenthey go on to a cool show in Milan and then THE show in Paris. ...Daria(Werbowy) was the most recent wildfire," Fish says.
Armenta from Vogue says Werbowy came at the right time. "I'd seen pictures andheard of her, but when (Steven) Meisel shot her for Prada, it blew her out ofthe water. She was unique. She had such presence. She's so gorgeous and uniquebut not in an off-putting way."
Occasionally, it's the shy girl who perseveres. Fish predicts Heather Bratton,who did the Chanel, Chloe and Burberry Prorsum shows last season and was thenshot by Meisel for Italian Vogue, will have "an amazing season."
Meanwhile, Armenta has her eye on Snejana Onopka, who has been photographed forAmerican Vogue a few times since her turn on the Louis Vuitton, Valentino andChanel runways last fall.
The models not only have to look good in clothes but also "fit" them, says IvanBart, senior vice president of IMG Models, which represents Werbowy, Bundchen,Moss and Jacquetta Wheeler.
Again using Werbowy, now the spokesmodel for Lancome, as the example, Bartnotes that she had the hippie-chic look when everything coming down the runwayhad a bohemian style.
"The main thing is the designers are always looking for the woman who bestsuits the collection, but, that being said, they always want a sure thing," hesays. "The bottom line through all of it is selling clothes."
It makes sense that designers first look at models with a paper trail offashion advertisements because practice makes perfect, Bart says, just likewith any craft.
And it pays to be nice and easygoing. It's hard for anyone - includingdesigners, casting directors, photographers, the audience and consumers - notto like an approachable, friendly person, Bart says.
"Taking fashion shows out of the equation, when you're booked for a five-daytrip on a remote location for a shoot, would a photographer, stylist, etc.,want to be with you? You have to connect to people," he says. "You can't be toodemanding or diva-ish anymore, not in 2006. ... If you're not in the best formand giving and excited to be here, there are a lot of other people who arehappy to do your job."
