21st Century Modelling

The huge changes in fashion over the past century, together with the revolution in technology, means that the fashion world and its models have a global reach and worldwide influence. Everything from televisions to clothing and Burns Jewellers Ice Watches are modelled by individuals with the right look for the brand.

Diversification

The personnel changes in the big design houses over recent years, combined with the emergence of new designers around the world, and particularly in China, have affected the fashion and modelling industries. Fashion houses have diversified their business, producing clothing lines for men and women, launching accessory ranges, bringing out new fragrances and even moving into designing homeware and luggage. They want the models who promote their key clothing collections to promote their other ranges – creating an association in the mind of the consumer.

This means that whilst the modelling opportunities have increased for most models, particularly in the commercial and fashion catalogue sections of the industry, the top models are working harder, and have also moved into super-celebrity status. They have to work hard and earn millions of pounds, but are hounded by journalists and photographers outside work.

Technology and New Markets

The internet has been the technology success of the last 10 years, and online modelling agencies are now commonplace. These agencies widen the opportunities available to models of all shapes and sizes, who may be contracted not just for straight modelling work but also for music videos and TV work, as non-speaking actors, or extras.

The creation of the “tweenie” market; 8-12 year olds, has prompted a rise in the need for models of this age, and so many more children than before are contracted to model agencies. The age for spotting a model who may progress to super-stardom is now around 14, when she has just finished pre-teen modelling.

24 hour television and dedicated fashion channels, together with online versions of the traditional fashion magazines has increased the exposure for models of all types. Models appear at a whole range of celebrity and charity events, but are also subject to the most demanding levels of scrutiny from the public and the press.

All these fashion and modelling trends have really emerged in the last 60 years, when, in the aftermath of the Second World War, fashion was one of the bright spots. What will happen to the modelling industry in the next 10 years?