Press "Enter" to skip to content

Models Are Now Also Stylists, Photographers, Set Designers, Makeup Artists…

In the time of Covid-19, people are having to get creative with shoots, giving models more duties than ever.

We’re rounding in on a solid month of social isolation efforts to slow the spread of Covid-19, with everyone deemed “non-essential” now working from makeshift home offices. That means most of the gears of the fashion industry have ground to a halt.  

That poses a problem for people who are trying to keep their e-commerce — now the only open outlet for many, many retailers — and editorial businesses running. It’s not only hard to have a photoshoot while keeping six feet apart, it’s downright impossible when you consider the very hands-on tasks of styling teams. And while journalism is still considered an essential business, it’s a little hard to justify putting people at risk for the sake of a fashion spread.

So retailers and magazines are getting creative and putting the work in the hands of their models, who are now tasked with being stylists, set designers, makeup and hair artists, and sometimes, photographers all in one. Talk about a model-hyphenate!

The first to gain buzz over this, uh, model-reliant model was fast-fashion retailer Zara, which sent its most recent drop of product to the home of regulars like Malgosia Bela and Cara Taylor to task them with shooting the collection on themselves in their homes.  

And it’s a good thing Gigi Hadid has plenty of experience in editorial, as Vogue Italia tasked her and other models, including Lindsey Wixson, with creating their own fashion spreads for its April issue

View this post on Instagram

Far Away So Close. For our April issue we mustered our community. Over 40 artists, scattered around the world and in full lockdown, have made themselves available in their own homes to create a snapshot of the new world – everyone far away, nobody alone. @LindseyWixson: «We are very fortunate and grateful to have a home with outdoor space during this crisis. We have been keeping sane working on neglected projects (planting trees), and incorporating making images in the process. Thank you for the opportunity to share.» Sending love from Kansas, Lindsey & Two Hawks. Discover the full Far Away So Close portfolio in our April Issue on newsstands tomorrow. #FarAwaySoClose #imagine #WhiteCanvas — Editor in chief @EFarneti Creative director @FerdinandoVerderi

A post shared by Vogue Italia (@vogueitalia) on

In the case of Hadid, the Vogue Italia team, under the direction of creative director Ferdinando Verderi, sent an outfit to the farm where the model is currently holed up, and the resulting image is actually super cute: Like so many of us, she’s sprawled on a couch playing video games — in her case, Mario Kart, but perhaps she’d like to give Animal Crossing a try next? — and eating Goldfish snacks, which are tumbling out of her bag. Unlike so many of us, she’s doing this in a full Chanel look. But the detail of the Goldfish by her foot! Brilliance.  

I-D magazine got a little fancier with its makeshift photoshoot, tapping photographer Willy Vanderperre to snap shots of models making the publications signature winking face over video call services like FaceTime and Zoom. 

View this post on Instagram

How do we stay sane during this time?⁣ ⁣ Separated by the coronavirus pandemic, we’ve all never been more physically apart. Forced into our homes to self-isolate and live for an indeterminate amount of time in our own little bubbles. How do we stay healthy, or keep to any kind of routine? ⁣ ⁣ To reflect this current mood, we found out how some of your favourite fashion people from around the globe are staying safe + sound, in a new special edition i-D project by Willy Vanderperre.⁣ ⁣ Hit the link in bio to see the project in full.⁣ ⁣ [i-D SPECIAL EDITION 04 2020]⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣ .⁣⁣ .⁣⁣ .⁣⁣ Photography by @willyvanderperre⁣ Editor-In-Chief @alastairmckimm⁣ Creative Director @lauragenninger @studio191ny⁣⁣⁣ Casting director @samuel_ellis⁣ Text @felixlp, @jacksunnucks⁣ Senior Social Editor @danilboparai⁣ Motion Graphics Designer @calseeum21⁣

A post shared by i-D (@i_d) on

Of course, this system isn’t perfect, either: This almost certainly requires that someone on the brand side go to an office to pull looks to be messengered or delivered by another handful of people, so it does still break the boundaries of social isolation. But as we enter the crucial period where teams are beginning to assemble those all-important September issues, fashion editors are going to have to think differently about what glossy spreads and high-wattage covers can look like. 

Let’s continue to flex our imaginative muscles. The health and safety of our communities are worth it.

Want the latest fashion industry news first? Sign up for our daily newsletter.


Source: Fashionista.com

Be First to Comment

    Leave a Reply

    Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *