Toronto Photo Essay: The Faces of Fashion Week
Rail thin models are sometimes referred to as clothes hangers, but never by those who work with them. The models that walk the runway help to sell the idea that the clothes are meant to represent. They bring fabric to life. The faces of Fashion Week in Toronto are diverse, and the longer you look the more clear it becomes that there's not one model for beauty.
Being backstage at this season's Fashion Week gave us the opportunity to meet and photograph some of these bright young faces. Our close-up portraits also showcase the creative talent of the hair and make-up teams. These professionals worked quickly and tirelessly completing the fantasy of each show with colour and crimping irons.
Toronto Photo Essays are visual, themed collections of photographs submitted by readers of blogTO and members of the blogTO Flickr Pool. We appreciate the interactive, collaborative nature of this column, and encourage readers to submit photo essays for future consideration.
Comments (24)
models are rarely the epitome of beauty. this collection of models is proof of the previous statement.
interesting faces...i've noticed that models aren't usually that physically/sexually attractive, but they have unique or interesting features...exemplified by this group
side note: this is why real-world girls shouldn't obsess about model weight and all that. it's no fun boning skeletor.
Technically superior photographs. I particularly admire the black and white offerings. Excellent work.
I thought they were lovely girls. I always find the male models rather amusing, this version (11.1) looks rather disheveled wispy. I think what these photos go to prove is that models aren't the aesthetic perfection we seem to continually label them with. And I'm pretty sure these photos haven't much been edited either. I think i saw a few of these models in the Cashmere Collection about a month ago..
This is a really cool piece. I would agree with Also Human that models aren't models because they define beauty or attractiveness. This is just a study or collection of interesting human features and it's fascinating to be able to see them all side by side.
Great work Istoica!
Gorgeous! The photos, the models, all of the artists involved in creating these looks-- such wonderful, beautiful work! I love the boldness of "the new face"; thick eyebrows, deep dramatic eyes, and even some long-ish noses! Wonderful, wonderful article.
So, are we supposed to not photograph anyone that may represent something that is deemed potentially unfavorable by society? Is the answer that we make piranha's of all the very thin girls? If they do have eating disorders than they are just that, disorders, saying that they look "gross" won't erase the psychological organization that lead to the behaviour. People aren't ONLY thin because of an eating disorder either, so at what point are we punishing a thin, attractive girl because she decided to enter into an industry that rewards her for being that way. Models get to be models for a very short portion of their overall lives, it's a young game. High-fashion is also not as influential as say, Miley Cyrus, or 90210. No one is claiming that any of this is an accurate depiction of real life. It's a fantasy, with characters. I don't think we should encourage girls to look any certain way, but I also don't buy that some head-and-shoulder pictures of these models tacitly supports eating disorders and props up the patriarchy. Sometimes a photo is just a photo. And these happen to be really nice photos, so let's focus on that shall we?
Jenny, I think you mean "pariahs" not "piranhas" - although a lot funnier the other way around! :)
I think we should all be careful about jumping to conclusions that "everyone" is this or that (in this case having eating disorders, etc). Fashion has been around as long as people have been wearing clothes. Like everything else in our world, it has become increasingly specialized, and demands great effort in order to stand out. When, for example, an athlete makes a tremendous commitment of time to train and eat specialized food we don't jump all over their alleged neuroses and disorders. There are as many reasons for a person to get into fashion as there are people. I agree with Jenny - let's focus on the photos. And, let's hear what the author is trying to tell us - these are real people, not just things (clothes hangers) and are interesting and photo-worthy on their own terms.
Can some one point to nearest bathroom as I'm about to trow up..that is just most disgusting thing I've seen today
Since when did "model" become synonymous with "eating disorder"? Believe it or not there are healthy, naturally skinny models out there. None of these girls (and guy) look gaunt, malnourished or underfed. You commenters really need to get over yourselves and your insecurities.
Beautiful photos. Love the contrasts. Keep up the good work!
Beautiful eyes and masculine faces. A model should not distract a viewer from the outfit she/he wears, so she/he is not supposed to look sexy. Rather like a mannequin. But I like that edgy look.
So im the girl in the 1st picture on the right and let me tell you all, i eat like any other normal person. I just have a very high metabolism, and i dont count McDonalds as my primary food source. I also happen to know all of the above models and NONE of us have any eating disorders. There are naturally skinny and beautiful girls, especially in Canada, being a very diverse country. We all stay relatively skinny by eating healthy and actually TAKING CARE OF OUR BODIES instead of trashing them with crap. Something, some of you should think about before judging others. Thank you. By the way i love the images!!
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