Conquerors of the world's catwalks... However, before this, more than one casting of girls is held. And this is not as simple as it seems at first glance. Those who want to connect their lives with the modeling business must meet certain parameters. Let's take a closer look.
Model appearance - what should it be like?
Where to begin? Of course, a model’s appearance means, first of all, tall stature and a thin body constitution. In addition, the image must be holistic and universal. That is, a model’s appearance should be accompanied by a certain charisma and zest.
Height and weight are especially important for a girl on the podium. When photographing a fashion model in various magazines, catalogs and advertising campaigns, the external parameters of the face are much more important.
In principle, the most important criteria in this regard for almost all girls are well-groomed beautiful hair, perfect smile, natural eyebrows. The future model must monitor her figure from the very beginning. early age. Excess fat deposits are by no means necessary. The skin also requires a lot of care. Even the most minor flaws will be visible under bright spotlights. Naturally, professional image makers, makeup artists, and stylists work with models at shows. They are able to transform a girl's appearance. Therefore, the types of model appearance have some similarity. The face should not distract the viewer from the clothing itself. However, it is also necessary that it looks holistically with her.
Face
Model appearance has clear requirements regarding the selection of girls. It is by these that their prospects in this area are determined. The standard of beauty has changed regularly since the fifties. Today, there are specific standards for model appearance.
For example, the face should be without any flaws, symmetrical. models are usually complete. The eyes are large and expressive. Cheekbones are high. The nose is neat and straight. Of course, even the most beautiful models cannot be completely perfect. However, the closer to the standard, the greater the chances of achieving success.
Height, volumes, proportions
The next stage that greets any casting of girls is “in the numbers.” The height of the model should be 174-181 centimeters. Although in Asian countries the requirements are much simpler. Models need to be 170-172 centimeters tall. There are, however, exceptions. For example, Kate Moss is incredibly famous with a height of 168 centimeters. A height of 168-175 centimeters is also suitable for a fashion model.
The girl's slimness is also important. The standard is considered to be 90/60/90. That is, chest, waist and hips. The key parameter is the last one. For European catwalks, hip circumference should not exceed 90 centimeters. In Asia - 94 centimeters is acceptable.
If extra pounds do not affect the necessary parameters, then they do not play a special role. However, if a thickened layer of fat is noticeable on the body, some measures must be taken. In addition, it is very important that all parts of the body are proportional to each other, combining harmoniously with each other.
Age
It is best to start a modeling career at the age of 14-17 years. However, if your parameters coincide with all of the above, you can try yourself in this business at 20-22 years old. A model's career usually ends at the age of 25-28. However, this is not considered a rule. These are just statistics. The most important thing is how the model looks visually. In order to prolong your career, you need to lead healthy image life. That is, take care of yourself, eat right, exercise. Although many factors also depend on heredity.
Is it really that easy?
And finally. Do not forget that a girl’s model appearance is not all that is necessary for this profession. Think carefully about how difficult it is to walk this path. Achieving your goals is not so easy. You have to go through a lot before you get that coveted status of a famous model.
In a word, this business is a huge job. It would seem, at first glance, that this work is very simple and fun. In reality, these are daily grueling assigned tasks. There are many aspiring models, and the competition is very high. Therefore, in order to become famous, so that your name is recognizable, you need to regularly take part in various castings, agree even to small fees for contracts, in general, for almost all the work offered to you. And even if in a day you have to travel around dozens of studios located in different parts of the city, getting up at 5 am and returning at 2 am, you should under no circumstances show your fatigue or bad mood.
So, weigh the pros and cons before deciding to become a model. Think about the fact that you will always need to look perfect, regardless of any circumstances. If you are ready for this, and your appearance meets all the above criteria, welcome to the modeling business!
A feminine, sexy gait is the most necessary and important “accessory” that will come in handy modern girl in any situation: it is a reflection of your lifestyle and, as it were, your handwriting, which reveals your individuality, reveals your character and mood. In addition, an elegant, graceful gait excites the male imagination and makes a woman special in the eyes of the opposite sex - this is why famous top models literally bask in fame and become idols of millions of men. If you want to conquer the podium or just learn how to walk beautifully, get acquainted with the main rules of the art of catwalk. FashionTime assures that it is not as simple as it seems to spectators at fashion shows. But the game is definitely worth the candle!
Standards of female gait: from submissive geishas to liberated film stars
The relationship between gait and sensual associations can be observed from the most ancient times - for example, to look seductive, Japanese geisha wore traditional wooden sandals called okobo - thanks to their high platform, women's hips involuntarily swayed with each step, making walking even more like a dance, especially if small ringing bells were attached to the okobo. In addition, in those distant times, absolute humility, defenselessness and languor were expected from a geisha, so a doll girl, wrapped in a kimono and floridly mincing with miniature steps, was considered a model of attractiveness.
The film star of the last century owes her success to the emphasis on the hips and small steps. Marilyn Monroe- her iconic “from the hip” walk became a symbol of the pin-up era and Hollywood in general. They say that in order to make her walk slightly swaying, with chic “eight” hips, the famous blonde specially filed one of the heels on her shoes and wore sheath dresses with a narrow skirt, emphasizing all the advantages of her figure. Her contemporaries recall that when Marilyn climbed the stairs of the film studio, all the men, from ordinary workers to famous directors, came running to the floors to watch such a hot “show”!
Everyone tried to imitate Monroe's gait, but only a few succeed in replicating her unique style. However, some screen stars decided not to copy their predecessors, but to come up with their own gait with a twist - Italian actress Sophia Loren invented a spectacular gait, training quite in an original way: during rehearsals, Sophie walked for hours between rows of bedside tables with open doors, slamming them with flirtatious movements of her hips and practicing hard until the doors began to close almost silently. A French movie star Brigitte Bardot Although she was distinguished at the beginning of her career by her rebellious disposition, she became famous for her academically elegant gait, developed in childhood in ballet lessons - the actress always walked very lightly and carefully, as if she was walking along one drawn line, causing the delight of the public.
However, the “era of film stars” gave way to the “era of supermodels,” and a delightful gait became the prerogative of top models, who immediately established their own rules of the game on the catwalk.
Fashion show lessons - choose your style
As you have probably already noticed, each fashion show has its own style: for example, at a grand spring show Louis Vuitton the models walked decorously and nobly, as if along one thin line, and at the same time with a clearly fixed position of their hands and almost without smiling - such a fashion show is called classic and is taught in modeling schools as an example of professionalism.
But there is an alternative to the classics - an extravagant style, nicknamed va-va-voom by fashion industry insiders, and known from fashion shows Versace: This style of walking is characterized by expressive steps with overlap, a free position of the arms and, most importantly, active swinging of the hips. This style is slightly dramatized to focus attention on short dresses or swimsuits and play up the subtleties of the cut.
Golden rules of modeling gait
If you decide to learn the art of fashion shows at home, organize your training space in advance: you will need several large full-length mirrors and a long corridor that replaces the podium. Also, prepare tight-fitting clothes in which you can see all angles of your movements and don’t forget about suitable shoes with a stable heel no higher than 7 cm. - for the entry-level, choosing high stiletto heels is dangerous!
So, your first lesson has begun: stand in profile in front of the mirror, straighten your body, straighten your shoulders and back, lift your chest, pull in your stomach and look into the distance, keeping your chin at a right angle to your body. Remember this fixed position - this is how you should look in front of the audience. Then draw a straight line with chalk on the floor and walk along it for at least 15 minutes, getting used to this gait almost to the point of automaticity. If it’s difficult for you to get used to keeping your figure in line, then do the following exercise: lean against the wall with five points: your heels, calves, buttocks, shoulder blades and the back of your head. Stand in this position for several minutes and repeat this pose when you feel that you are losing your posture - over time you will remember this fixation of the body without problems.
Special attention pay attention to the correct placement of the foot: always step on your toes, the toes should be slightly turned in different directions, and the heels should follow each other, as if in one line, while the length of the step should not be greater than the length of your bare foot!
And never forget the three rules of the catwalk walk: point No. 1 - walk clearly in a straight line; rule No. 2 - walk only on your toes, and point No. 3 - when you reach the end of the podium, stop for 3 seconds so that the photographers have time to take more shots. This rule was announced by the top model Tyra Banks and all her colleagues agree with her.
Although you should not think that the art of modeling gait consists only of an algorithm of steps and poses, since muscle flexibility plays a huge role in the fashion show. To develop plasticity, you need to conscientiously and regularly do certain gymnastics, which your body will remember at the reflex level: “figure eight” exercises accustom your hips to smooth movements. circular movements with every step; splits increase the stretch of the inner thigh, making leg lunges graceful; and by rolling a bottle with your foot, you will quickly develop elasticity in your step and easily relieve fatigue after long workouts! And, of course, be friends with sports - supermodel Gisele Bundchen, who still hasn’t given up her throne as queen of the podium to her competitors, has admitted more than once that she owes her impeccable posture to swimming lessons, and her chiseled hips are the result of cycling.
But, most importantly, don’t think that all models were able to defile perfectly from the very beginning - everyone, even the most experienced catwalk queens, have mistakes and even falls. As proof, FashionTime offers to watch a video about emergency situations on catwalks and advises to always treat your falls with a smile!
e, at level c appearance, the model's gait is assessed. Her future career will depend on the model’s gait.
Walking on the catwalk is given the most attention in modeling schools, where girls are forced to walk in high heels along drawn lines and constantly smile.
There are several types of walks on the catwalk and all of them are used by different TOP models, the main thing is to bring your skill to perfection.
More than a hundred years ago, in 1910, designer Paul Poiret was the first to talk about the gait of models, as he invented a dress that was very narrow and could not be shown as a regular walk.
The designer explained to the models how they should walk, and called this gait Humpelrock (lame skirt). Despite the fact that the fashion for such tight dresses and skirts has long passed, the gait is still often used by models.
There are 4 main types of gaits that models use most often: Criss-cross, like a heron, clubfoot and classic. Each gait has its own unique characteristics.
The basis of every gait is an even posture, because how straight the model holds her back will determine how she walks.
The secret to the classic gait lies in the legs. The model should keep her leg straight and only when it touches the floor relax the muscles and bend the knee.
If a model walks along the catwalk with her toes too close to each other, this gait appears to be clubfoot and is called accordingly the same.
The heron gait is very popular among models. It is no coincidence that it bears such a name, because during the movement the girl raises her bent leg 45 degrees and only then, straightening it, takes a step forward.
The criss-cross gait is also often used in the modeling world. As the name suggests, during a fashion show the girl puts her feet behind her feet, taking small steps of 15-20 cm.
The hip gait is very popular with many models. It was invented by Marilyn Monroe, who could drive men crazy with just her gait. Her hips made figure eights so gracefully that almost all the women in the world tried to repeat it.
Naomi Campbell invented her unusual graceful gait. She walks like a real panther, and the model’s gait has become her distinctive feature from the very first appearance.
Tyra Banks amazes everyone not only with her smile with her eyes, but also with her fiery walk, which is unique to her.
Among modern models, there is even a rating of the most beautiful gaits:
- Natasha Poly
- Isabelle Fountain
- Dasha Verbova
- Carmen Kass
- Mariacarla Boscono
- Caroline Trentini
- Coco Rocha
- Snezhana Onopko
- Vlada Roslyakova
- Flavia Oliveira
Each model should have a beautiful and graceful gait, because no matter how attractive the face is, and no matter how sexy the figure is, a sloppy gait can ruin the entire first impression.
Of course, the ability to walk femininely is useful for any girl or woman, but for a model it is a very necessary and important “accessory” that can reveal her individuality and give her a ticket to the world of high fashion.
Having once performed an excellent show at one insignificant show, you can immediately expect new offers, because if you cope with the fashion show best of all, for fashion designers It doesn't matter at all what you look like. Learning this is not so difficult, but it still requires certain skills and time.
Previously, film stars of that time were role models. Their graceful and feminine gait drove all men crazy. The unsurpassed Marilyn Monroe also possessed this skill. However, later the girls chose a new ideal for themselves - a model, and to this day the model’s runway gait is an example to follow.
Irina Shayk at the show 2015
Decide on a style
As you know, every designer has personal preferences about models and their gait, so it’s worth choosing either a universal one or training until you get the most basic and common types of fashion shows.
For example, the famous fashion house Louis Vuitton selects for its shows only those models who can walk the walk without batting an eyelid.
The models seem to walk exactly along the line, fixing their hands in a certain position, while remaining focused and noble. In narrow circles, this type of fashion show is called classic and is basically what is taught.
There is another type that can be found at Versace or, for example, Victoria's Secret shows. This is a freer and even more expressive fashion show style, which is characterized by a smooth gait, unfixed arms, and active hips that visually outline the number 8.
The designers chose precisely this manner of fashion show, in order to show all the lightness and ease of the image and focus attention specifically on new collection and its features.
Basic rules for a perfect fashion show
For a home workout, you will need a lot of space, for example, a long corridor, at the end of which there should be a large full-length mirror. Without a mirror, learning how to perform an ideal fashion show is very difficult, because you need to see your flaws and know what exactly needs to be corrected.
It is advisable to train in tight-fitting clothes; black leggings and an ordinary T-shirt would be ideal, as well as shoes with medium heels (about 7 cm).
Don't put your shoes on right away. high heels, because due to inexperience it will be very dangerous.
To begin with, you should mentally draw a straight line and strictly follow it. The most important thing in any fashion show, regardless of its style, is an even posture: the back should be straight, the shoulders should be down, and the top of the head should stretch slightly upward.
You can check whether your posture is straight by standing against a wall, with your heels, buttocks, shoulder blades and head touching it. Having fixed yourself in this position, you need to train to walk in a straight line, and then on the world podium. At first it may seem that this is difficult and uncomfortable, but after training for at least 10-20 minutes a day, you can get used to this position and believe me, you won’t be able to go back to stooping and you won’t want to.
Another common problem among beginning models is foot position. Many people do not attach much importance to this, but it is the direction of the foot that is a very important nuance during the ideal gait. Each step should be started from the toe, and they should be slightly turned in opposite directions, while the heels should follow that same imaginary line, one after the other.
The stride length is also considerable important feature, it should not be too wide; ideally, the step is equal to the length of the foot.
The arms should not be too tense, much less bend at the elbow. In a classic fashion show, the arms swing relaxed behind the back. You also always need to remember three cherished rules that will help you walk perfectly on the podium.
- it is tedious to walk strictly along a straight line;
- the step should start from the toe;
- At the end of the catwalk, you must stop for exactly three seconds to give photographers the opportunity to photograph the fashionable look.
These rules were invented unsurpassed, and to this day no one has challenged them.
Stopping at the end of the catwalk can vary. The position of the arms depends only on your imagination or the wishes of the designer, but there are two types of leg fixation: classic and standard.
The classic one looks like this: left leg the supporting leg is positioned straight, and the right leg is slightly bent at the knee and placed in front of the left. This position is mainly used for displaying dresses and lingerie.
With standard position the right and left legs are located parallel to each other, one of which is the supporting leg. During the demonstration, during this position, you can change the supporting leg, thereby moving the hips from one side to the other.
Of course, straight posture, foot position and position at the end of the catwalk are important, but muscles play a big role in the ability to defile correctly. You need to keep your body in shape and exercise regularly.
An excellent example for many aspiring models can be the beauty, who, thanks to swimming and cycling, was able to become a real queen of the catwalk, and after which the highest paid model of our time.
You also need to remember that not all models were born with the skill to skillfully walk down the catwalk. Even the most famous models have had runway gaffes. The main thing is not to withdraw into yourself after an unsuccessful attempt, but to treat everything with a smile and if some doors close, then knock on others.
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After the Victoria's Secret 2016 Paris show, the world press does not stop talking about how sexy Irina Shayk boldly conquered the catwalk, not being afraid of the fact that she is in an interesting position. We decided to remember other models who violated the usual concept of fashion shows, going to the fashion show with rounded bellies.
On large-scale show At Victoria's Secret 2016 in Paris, everyone's attention was focused on Irina Shayk, who showed off her underwear. Despite the fact that about 50 other models participated in the show with her, it was Shayk who became the most talked-about beauty of the evening. And all because Irina glowed with happiness and did not hide her interesting position. Under her lace lingerie, one could see the supermodel's slightly rounded belly, but this did not stop Irina Shayk from walking on an equal footing with her colleagues.
It is worth noting that the appearance of a pregnant model at Victoria’s Secret is an exception to the rule rather than a good old tradition. There were rumors that the official “angels” Candice Swanepoel and Behati Prinsloo did not refuse to participate in the show at all, but simply could not go on the podium, since they had not yet gotten into proper shape after giving birth. The Victoria's Secret brand has repeatedly found itself in scandals because of its requirements for fashion models, whose bodies must be fit and perfect. Therefore, it is possible that when inviting Irina Shayk to the show, the organizers did not know that in the future she would appear there as a “surprise” - with her belly in the first months of pregnancy. But, be that as it may, pregnant Irina Shayk managed to outshine many, taking part in the Victoria's Secret show for the first time at the age of 30.
Designer Karl Lagerfeld does not shy away from pregnant models, and even makes them the “highlight” of his shows. Two years ago, Lagerfeld invited Ashley Goode, who was at recent months pregnancy, closing the Chanel couture show. The girl dressed in a snow-white dress, and Karl proudly walked along the catwalk with her, holding her hand.
For some designers, family and the birth of a new life have become an inspiration and even the main concept of the collection. Dolce & Gabbana sent models on the catwalk who walked with children, and Bianca Balti showed clothes while she was 6 months pregnant.
One of the most famous “angels” of Victoria’s Secret, Alessandra Ambrosio, worked actively during pregnancy and did not at all plan to refuse shows. She became one of the most striking examples of the fact that a model does not fall out if it is in an interesting position.
See photos of others in the gallery popular models, who appeared on the podium in an interesting position.
