How Atypical Models Have Invigorated Fashion

(photos: Indigitalimages.com)

A beautiful face will never go out of style, however the models getting the most attention lately have been defined not by their adherence to the rules of symmetry but by their distinctive, jarring, and at times off-kilter looks. Unique models have always existed, but they’ve been the exception rather than the rule. Every so often a model has emerged who shakes things up. Think back to Alek Wek’s ebony skin and close-cropped hair challenging all of fashion’s preconceived notions of black beauty, or Gemma Ward’s wide-set eyes and rounded features standing in sharp opposition to the business’ standard of Amazonian sexiness. These were movements that ushered in whole new eras, but they were also the reactionary responses to outmoded visuals. As innovative as fashion can be, its ideal of beauty rarely wavers—the girls today may be taller and thinner than their counterparts from decades previous, but by and large they’re still the same lanky, classically beautiful young women who have always been able to peddle product to the masses.

Then along comes Molly Bair.

(Molly Blair. Photo: Sonny Vandevelde/ Indigitalimages.com)

At 6 feet tall, with insectile features and a clomping, stomping saunter completely unlike that of her peers, Bair is as close to a revelation as the business gets. First appearing on the runway at Proenza Schouler’s Spring ’15 show, Bair has subsequently been embraced by nearly every designer and photographer worth mentioning. After closing Chanel’s couture show, appearing in the pages of Wshot by Steven Klein, and getting photographed by Fabien Baron and Steven Meisel, it’s safe to say fashion’s insiders have noticed her. Dazed’s fashion director, Robbie Spencer, finds Bair’s one-of-a-kind face indicative of a larger movement. “For me, Molly Bair best represents modern beauty now,” says Spencer. “She is such a nontraditional model but has a very modern look, captivating and beautiful. She represents something unexpected, a new way of looking at beauty. In the same way Twiggy’s look shocked in the ’60s, Molly gives the same kind of wake-up call, breaking away from the classic ideals of beauty and instead embracing something different.”

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(Liza Ostanina. Photo: Michele Morosi/Indigitalimages.com)

It’s that desire for difference that has caused the biggest casting shifts in recent memory. Houses once known for their uniformly lovely selections of models have in recent seasons gone for girls with looks that skew unorthodox. Early adopter Hedi Slimane distinguished his vision for Saint Laurent with a lineup of beauties that fit his rock-chick aesthetic. New Gucci designer Alessandro Michele underscored his youthful, hipster-y collection with a lineup of fresh faces so completely unlike Frida Giannini’s glamazons that it even managed to take attention away from his furkenstocks. These shifts in casting are no happy accident, says Givenchy casting director Daniel Peddle, who with partner Drew Dasent also casts 3.1 Phillip Lim. “There are so many models now that designers really don’t need to compete for an It girl. With such a vast spectrum of types available, designers have the opportunity to craft a unique brand identity through their casting. We see the really directional designers striving to march to their own drum beat rather than clamoring for the same handful of girls. Individuality is really crucial at the moment.”

(Esmeralda Seay-Reynolds. Photo: Michele Morosi/Indigitalimages.com)

Models have always echoed the sensibilities of the fashions they’re required to wear: The wasp waists of Dior’s New Look found their counterpart in Bettina Graziani, while Thierry Mugler’s extreme proportions were brought to life by similarly severe muses like Nadja Auermann. In recent seasons, the prominence of minimalist uniformity resulted in models whose nonchalant cool and sophistication mirrored the streamlined clothes they wore on the runway. The rise of pristine beauties like Julia Nobis and Vanessa Axente corresponded with the trend toward austerity. “I think that there has been a recent fad for a kind of girl-next-door ambivalence,” says casting director Angus Munro, the man behind shows like Rick Owens and Ann Demeulemeester. “That being said, some of the most exciting and beautiful new faces I have ever seen are products of the last few seasons.” In a time when fashion is once again embracing eclecticism, the model pendulum is swinging back toward uniqueness.

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(Aamito Stacie Lagum. Photo: Michele Morosi / Indigitalimages.com)

More than ever imperfections matter—with thousands of models flooding the market at any given moment, the girls who stand out have to be more than just pretty faces. Peculiar beauty resonates not just with casting directors but also online, where social media and user-powered forums have given models added cachet. With more models being scouted via Facebook and Instagram, it’s often the quirkiest faces that make an impact—models like Issa Lish and Esmeralda Seay-Reynolds have developed dedicated social followings in part because their striking features automatically attract attention.

(Kasia Jujeczka. Photo: Sonny Vandevelde / Indigitalimages.com)

Instead of adhering to one set look like the baby doll models of the early aughts, the newest girls on the scene are notable for the ways in which they stand out. Liza Ostanina’s crooked nose and larger-than-life blue eyes gave her a kooky gorgeousness on the runway for Dior, while Marjan Jonkman’s shaggy dip-dyed hair added a touch of punk to Gucci’s lineup. Stella Lucia’s exaggerated kewpie facade is catnip to designers like Riccardo Tisci and Giambattista Valli, while Aamito Stacie Lagum’s sculptural beauty won over Alexander Wang and Alber Elbaz. Natalie Westling, who predates Bair for on-the-runway eccentricity, channels Penelope Tree in campaigns for Miu Miu and Saint Laurent. Each of these newcomers is undoubtedly beautiful but in a manner that is atypical and surprising, providing a welcome jolt to the senses and the kind of excitement that the industry has lacked.

(Cierra Skye. Photo: Michele Morosi/Indigitalimages.com)

For the models at the forefront of the issue, it’s less about changing the game and more about being themselves. “I think most people have the idea that it’s easier to blend in or look a way that is somewhat more interchangeable—in this industry, anyways. For me, I think I would probably feel pretty insecure [looking] that way,” says Natalie Westling, whose distinctive face can be seen in ads for luxe brands like Miu Miu and Saint Laurent and who was recently dubbed “Face of a Generation” by i-D. For Westling, her unique looks come with an added bonus. “Looking different somehow makes you feel less lost in a business that can so easily swallow you up if you don’t have a real sense of who you are.”

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