Non model: Model Agencies vs. Standards
After recent fashion weeks fashion news spread news: this season there was a record number of non-standard models on the runways. And this means that conventional beauty, youth, unnatural leanness and body parameters, from which most people are far away - that is, everything that is associated with the modeling business, seems to be, albeit slowly, but a thing of the past. Simple facts: according to Fashion Spot statistics, twenty-one exits at the fashion week made models over fifty years old, at New York shows, 31.5% of the participants were not white and a total of a quarter of models at all weeks were "non-standard".
The world of fashion, contrary to conservatism, is ready for change: the phenomenon of nodels — models of very different ages, with very different figures and looks — fashion magazines have been trumpeting each other since last year. But it all started, of course, much earlier: at the dawn of independent magazines like The Face or i-D, the creators did not disdain to alternate on the covers of celebrities and supermodels with ordinary people. In Russia, a little later, they were repeated by “Ptyuch”, “OM”, and then “Afisha”. Although not on purpose, they taught readers to see beauty in its most varied manifestations, which has borne fruit today.
Of course, not everything is so simple: the society still hardly perceives the idea that not only white and very thin girls or boys can demonstrate clothes. Troll attacks on the Internet have to respond even to models like Gigi Hadid because of its supposedly "atypical" forms. What to say about Russia, where the requirements for model appearance have always been particularly strict. Nevertheless, it is impossible to completely ignore global changes - so, step by step, the situation is changing with us. First of all, thanks to the model agencies that recruit models of various appearance and age. These are not huge corporations with offices in the city center: often, apart from the founder, only a couple of people work in them, and they are looking for new people in social networks. We talked with the three creators of such agencies and asked them about beauty, attitudes towards criticism and goals.
Oldushka
agency rethinking aging and expanding traditional ideas about old age
oldushka.tilda.ws
Igor Gavar
founder
looking for age models. The first big project of Igor was shooting for the magazine "Poster" in 2014, after which demand began to grow. Logically, he decided to focus on finding older people and open an agency, which is considered to be March 1, 2016.
Now Igor is doing everything on his own. The agency has eighteen models: eleven in Moscow, four in St. Petersburg, two in Chelyabinsk and one in Omsk. “I met half of them on the street. One lady sent her photos to the post office, someone I was recommended by friends,” says Igor. At the same time, it is not easy to search for models due to the specific nature of the agency: “Girls and boys are usually found on social networks or they announce casting. Pensioners do not sit on the Internet for the most part. The probability that an elderly woman finds out about casting is extremely small. In addition “Many people are just shy of age, they think that they look worse over the years."
Two years ago, Céline invited the eighty-year-old writer Joan Didion to play; there were women over fifty in the book of The Row, and at the anniversary show of Dries Van Noten there were models that the designer had worked with since the founding of the brand in 1993. The world is struggling with ageism, but in Russia gray hair can still be perceived as a sign of "unkempt", and wrinkles - "fading." Oldushka deliberately goes against stereotypes: “Pensioners are used to not being interested in fashion, so they don’t watch it, don’t buy glossy magazines. The influence of fashionable processes in Russia is minimal on them, how do they know that their peers are new heroes fashion? "
Almost all Oldushka models are gray: "This is not a mandatory parameter by which I select people, but this is the first thing I pay attention to when I consider passers-by. Probably, this is already a kind of professional deformation." Igor admits that letters often come to the agency with the words: "My mother is sixty, but she looks much younger than her age - take her in the model." There is a stereotype in our culture that a woman looks good only if she looks younger than her age: “This story is not about us. First of all, I am interested in expressive faces, not“ youthful ”, as they say."
None of the models had professional experience, so they mastered the case as they went along. The pioneers in Russia, they have already achieved a lot: the model Irina Belysheva appeared in the seasonal lookbook of TsUM and appeared at their show, the model Olga Kondrasheva was the face of the Cyrille Gassiline brand for two seasons and opened the KETIone brand in Moscow, Valentina Yasen appeared in the lookbook of the store clothes 8-store.
"If you were happy a lot in life, then in old age you will remain joyful face. More often jealous, offended - this expression will harden. Persons of elderly people are emotional, even when they are at rest. Probably, that's why many people are so scared of old age - the whole point at once it is visible, "Igor explains his attitude towards age. The most important thing, he believes, is that Oldushka instills confidence in people, saves them from the fear of aging and helps them to look to the future with hope.
Cat-b
a young Kiev agency that works equally well with both Ukrainian and Western customers
www.cat-b.today
Anna Borovskaya
co-founder
MARIA POGGREBNYAK
co-founder
Another noticeable model agency that shatters the usual notion of beauty is Cat-b; it appeared quite recently, less than a year ago. Its creators come from Kiev, a city whose fashion scene is closely watched by the whole world. Every year in Ukraine there are more and more interesting young designers who make modern clothes without looking at anyone. Shows with the participation of models of conventional beauty interest them less and less: you can see people of various types in the lookbooks and presentations, so the appearance of the corresponding agency was only a matter of time.
Now Maria Pogrebnyak and Anna Borovskaya are working in Cat-b - before creating the agency they did what they had to do. Once Anna and Maria worked together on the shooting: it turned out that one can do things that the other cannot - and vice versa. On another occasion, they had to choose models for the book, but they could not find suitable ones: “They didn’t have them at the agencies, or they were, but in Poland - so we called on our friends to try on. Afterwards we decided to gather nice people one basket so that they are at hand, and if anything - to offer this base to someone else. " It all started with AnOther Magazine, for which the guys did the shooting in Kiev - this was their first serious project, on which they helped with production and search for models.
Choosing models, the creators first of all, are guided by subjective sympathy: "Do you like, Mary?" - "Yes, En!" - "And I like it!" - "Well, that's what we call, it means." Most often, the guys find them through social networks - but not always: "Sometimes, we approach people on the street. It happens that a good person writes us himself. Sometimes the models lead groupmates. Once they found a beautiful girl in the" Scheme " (a series of famous Ukrainian parties. - Approx. Ed.) and lost. They wanted to post a identikit on the wall of the event, but they failed to make a portrait. "
Cat-b is working on a permanent basis with the main young Ukrainian talent Anton Belinsky, whose last presentation was held as part of the Paris fashion week in Palais de Tokyo. Agency models participated in the last show of Sasha Kanevski and were shot for Ukrainian Vogue. Even the founders helped to conduct a casting for the lookbook of a new collection of Lady Gaga's clothes and accessories, filmed by the Synchrodogs duet. From completely new projects - shooting in Paris, casting director Leyla Azizi invited Cat-b models to take part in it.
The guys admit that there are more orders for Сat-b. Now they work according to the standard agency scheme: "We simply offer models a fee from the customer and immediately call the agency commission - most often it is 20%." In the future, they would like to produce their own shots and offer a full cycle of fashion production. Given the increased interest in the Ukrainian fashion and in Cat-b in particular, these plans are absolutely realistic.
Lumpen
Agency with more than 200 models, which has become the most noticeable player on the world stage
lumpen.agency
Avdotya Alexandrova
founder
she shot people for her and others' projects, whose appearance seemed attractive to her. The idea of the business came to her in the summer of 2014, when she and her friends were at the Paris Fashion Week. There Avdotya saw a magazine with photos of a loved one who did not consent to the publication of the film. She decided to make an agency through which her friends will have rights to their images.
Lumpen is not just a base of models for filming and shows. First of all, this community: many models are familiar with each other and support each other in projects that go beyond the limits of modeling. For example, one of the most famous and successful male models, Lumpen North, began to develop as a designer, and his eponymous brand is now sold in Moscow’s Kuznetsky Most 20, and in Milan One Block Down.
Now Avdotya has two assistants: a scout and a photographer Natasha Pyatnitsa, who moved to Rostov-on-Don from Moscow, and a translator Andrew, who helps to oversee foreign orders. By the way, it is in the database of the agency under the name Coil. Avdotya admits that she is a moderately closed person and she has to step over herself to meet people on the streets or in the subway. At parties, things are going easier: many already know her and Lumpen, and for a long time to explain what she needs is not necessary. And yet the main source of new faces is, of course, social networks: VKontakte and Instagram. Thus, now in the base of the agency there are 224 models in more than twenty cities.
Avdotya puts the personality at the forefront, the following are the criteria for selection: "A clever face, artistry in behavior, originality of actions. If we get acquainted on the Internet - statement of thoughts, literacy. And only after - growth and model data." Unlike many traditional agencies, Lumpen never sought to earn a lot. Although, of course, this is not a charitable enterprise: 20% of the model’s orders go to the agency.
The name for the agency chose a natural one: “Almost all the guys fit the description of the lumpen: many of them are poor, unemployed, provincials. The guys are mostly shaved, without complicated haircuts or beards - they have a feeling of a disadvantaged area. I was sure that luxury brands will book, and I wanted to see this contrast. Agree, it's cool when the Russian lumpen in a few thousand euro things opens a show in Paris. In addition, this is an international concept causing a powerful association, "the founder said.
There are few interesting projects in which the Lumpen models could take part in our country, and many guys refuse to do it themselves: “There are few works in Russia and very low fees. Our boys and girls earn ten times more in Europe than here, therefore we plan to open an affiliate there to simplify the work. " The main customers here are the shops of the Central Department Store, KM20, SVMoscow, several magazines and online publications. Alexandrova also collaborates with designer Gosha Rubchinsky. Together with his team she oversaw the casting of models for the last show in Kaliningrad. Looking for them all over the country.
Both American Vogue and i-D have written about Lumpen - a huge interest from the West to the agency has not subsided until now. Now Avdotya and her wards are among those who represent the image of Russia on the world stage. Lumpen models participated in the show Balenciaga, Vetements, Lanvin. In recent weeks, they could be seen on Rick Owens and Veronique Leroy. Comme des Garçons is already working with Lumpen on an ongoing basis: at the last show, Comme des Garçons Homme Plus of twelve models, eight were from Lumpen.
An interesting reaction and the Russian audience. In addition to the recognition effect and job offers, the agency also faces rudeness - especially on the Web: “There are people who still call models“ freaks ”- if this happens on the Internet, we simply block them. Criticizing looks is the last thing.” Avdotya admits that the agency’s models are her personal choice, which she is very proud of: “I’m glad that not only I like lumpens, but I don’t have any bitter regrets that I don’t like them - I don’t care I respect, constantly proves the opposite. When Adrian Joffe shakes your hand for the casting, what a matter it may be that these people think and say. "