What’s Happened to the Models?

Have you ever noticed that models are no longer a big figure in US fashion?

Yes, they walk down the runway, and you can see them in some campaigns for big names.  But, when you look at a magazine cover or even at commercials for perfume, who do you see?

Celebrities are the answer.

In 2010, only 3 out of 12 magazine covers for Vogue US featured models.  One was for Giselle Bundchen, the other Christy Turlington, and the third was a special tribute to models that had three select models on the cover (and an additional six in a pull out).  In the high peak of models, getting a Vogue US cover was the highlight of your career.  Nowadays, models can only get a cover if they’re a household name.  You won’t see Anja Rubik or Arizona Muse on the covers of Vogue US, but you will see Lady Gaga and Charlize Theron.

And as for advertising campaigns?  While celebrities are slowly falling out in favor for models, they’re still everywhere!  I feel as if everyday I hear a new celebrity has been named the face for some fashion line.

Natalie Portman’s the face of Miss Dior Cherie Fragrance and Keira Knightley has done various advertisements for Chanel’s perfume Coco Mademoiselle.  Blake Lively has also been named a face for Chanel (since Karl Lagerfeld loves her) and has appeared in a print advertisement for Gucci.  Even Kristen Stewart has been named a face for Balenciaga.

And male celebrities aren’t left out either.  True Blood’s Alexander Skarsgard can be seen as Calvin Klein’s new face for their Encounter Fragrance and Hayden Christensen was once the face of Lacoste.

But, why is is that celebrities are breaching into what was once known as model territory?  Money.  Celebrities are more bankable then models.  We see celebrities everyday, whether on television, in a movie, or just browsing online.  They even make their way into the afternoon news.  And thanks to social media, celebrities are now more relatable then models.  Young girls look up to them.  Plus, thanks to celebs always being in the public eye, you get to see their flaws.  With models, you don’t.  They just appear as these beautiful and skinny girls.

Maybe one day, models will grab back fashion from the hands of celebrities.  But, for now, they’ll have to deal with the occasional campaign here and there and maybe a cover of Vogue US every so often.