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In an instance where a character model works, designer Karen Monk-Klinjstra and celebrity model DJ Cndo, who was dressed to portray the Zulu Tretchikoff theme of her show at Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week Joburg last week.
Professionals. That’s what we like to see at major fashion events, of which we have plenty in SA.
This month started with Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week Joburg, presented by African Fashion International at Hyde Park, and will conclude with SA Fashion Week (SAFW) in Rosebank at the end of the month.
Each features a host of local designers showcasing their Spring/Summer 2012 Collections.
The organisations will present winter collection showings later in the year.
Other fashion weeks, such as Cape Town Fashion Week and, perhaps, even a Durban event of this nature are also on the cards.
As it stands, our city’s foremost fashion event is arguably the Vodacom Durban July, which includes the Invited Designer Showcase, Young Designer Award, Fashion Challenge and Fashion Experience Shows.
Last year brought the emergence of the 031 Collections by Mr Price locally.
The issue of numerous shows aside, these are our biggest fashion events with national standing.
It is on these runways that we expect to see – and show to the world – nothing but the best. After all, these are, among other things, portals to international arenas, trade fairs and ultimately markets.
Designers wouldn’t want to use anything other than professional photographers, make-up artists, producers and the like.
However, in recent times a trend has emerged to ditch the professional model in favour of celebrities because their brand and the designer’s brand have synergy.
It is also done in favour of regular people.
Ordinary
The modelling world refers to everyday you-and-me types as “character” models.
These are people who portray the characters that the designer sees wearing his or her clothes – an older woman, a truck driver or a plus-size person. Anyone.
Everyone I chatted to agrees that the idea of using real people is wonderful, but risky.
Derrick Mhlongo, a fashion stylist and model agent for iindoni models, says using ordinary South Africans in shows is one way to end perceptions that fashion is only for super-skinny people.
“Sometimes an older guy or larger woman on the ramp is refreshing. In this way, character models are necessary to help strategically position a brand.”
Greg Wallis, the chairman of the KwaZulu-Natal Fashion Council, says: “One of my students makes only sizes 38 to 50, some only make maternity wear. They would never use standard models. Other designers may not have such a niche target market, but they will have a particular market that character models can help them represent.”
Bev Nates, a fashion editor at Cosmo magazine, says: “It is easier for the average person to see the clothing on the blank canvas that is a standard model – not everyone is progressive or has the imagination.
“But if the person is wearing the garment the way the designer intended it to be seen, this is fine. We must allow our designers creative licence. Sometimes it will work and sometimes it won’t.”
But what if the character is an awful model, with a weird walk that distracts the audience?
Coat hangers
Suspend your ideas of imposed, Western ideals of beauty for a moment and consider that at shows “where all the models look the same” (a phrase you’ve no doubt heard before), the clothes take centre stage.
As soon as you replace the “coat hanger” runway models with ordinary people, you draw attention to them.
Done successfully, a designer can reel in their target market, which identifies with this person and appreciates the gesture.
Doing it for the sake of doing it (especially by those whose names or brands are less well known) can be detrimental.
ICE Models boss Tiffany Prior says ordinary people should be used “when the collection calls for it”.
“Many designers design with real people in mind. However, when you put real people on the ramp, you still want them to look good. You must be aware of body shapes, your garments must be well made, fit beautifully and your message with the introduction of a ‘character’ must be clear.”
SAFW director Lucilla Booysen says the designers who include ordinary people in their shows, such as Amanda Laird Cherry and label Black Coffee, do so successfully because they have the experience and “eye” for it.
“A young designer shouldn’t rush out to present oddball characters in their shows with the intention of simply being different. They are still learning and can benefit from the norms.”
She says that while they don’t dictate, none of their designers would dream of using unprofessional models for no good reason.
“Internationally, each designer hand-picks their models and they are flown in from all over the world to do shows. We don’t have that kind of budget in SA, but we do have a level of professionalism.
“I think you are only as strong as your weakest link and if your model doesn’t show the clothes with confidence the designer suffers.”
Plus-size professional model Melissa van Zyl agrees. She says you don’t have to be the traditional runway-size model (size 32 and about 1.75m tall in SA) to be a good model.
“Professional models come in all shapes and sizes. You do, however, have to be well groomed, exercise, eat correctly, look after your skin and look great in the clothes.”
Aspiration
Adding to the sentiment, designer Kathrin Kidger says it’s important to remember that “models and fashion… are aspirational”.
Kidger, who always uses models, says: “Its not about size. I want professional people, who know how to walk up and down the ramp and look good in my clothes because my aim is to sell.”
Producer Jan Malan, who has worked everywhere from New York and Miami to France, says that at fashion weeks they can provide models for designers to choose from, but who they ultimately use is their prerogative.
Malan brings up a point pivotal to the debate. “The African question comes into play when I work in Africa. We are always asked why the girls are so skinny and told that ‘the ramp doesn’t reflect the true beauty of African women’. This is why there are no rules or stipulations. It’s up to the designer to decide.”
To make that decision, Prior says, a designer needs to ask what this departure from the norm is going to do for their work.
“My advice to a designer wanting to include a character into their show would be to ask: ‘Is this person interesting enough, well-known enough or different enough to make the statement I want to make?’
“I think emerging designers may want to play it safe. However, I have seen emerging designers do crazy, wonderful things that work.
“For or against really should be about the message the designer is sending.”
l See GoodLife
