X-Raying The Legendary Children

Some of the best videos on YouTube are the fifty second Go Sees shot at various modeling agencies and posted online. I find them fascinating because they show models in unguarded and unadorned ways that tell you a lot about the way they work.

I’ll start by presenting you with one of my favorites, Ranya Mordanova*, registered with The Ford Modeling Agency. The Go See video format begins with a verbal introduction, followed by a walk and then a quick profile. The video takes all of forty-five seconds. Ranya has a good, classic runway walk, stands well, and ends with a classic profile.

Paul Boche** is seen here at a Go See at MTC (Maurilio Carnino Casting). A “Go See” for those who don’t know is a sort of audition for modeling work in editorial, runway or other various commercial projects. Even if a model is hot or famous they still do them just to touch base with the agency.

In this video Boche looks a little nervous but still shows dynamic presence in front of the camera. His height is so imposing that walking through the narrow hallway is a little touchy. Cool video.

Misha is from Russia, in case her heavy accent doesn’t already give it away, and registered with The Ford Agency, too. She has a very good walk and manages to keep a good poker face in spite of the models in the background laughing while she’s breaking into her model stance. Her stance, by the way, is very good.

Francisco Lachowski from Brazil is a pretty dynamic print model, one of my favorites, in fact, but here his walk looks very underwhelming, not his strong suit. In fact, Robert Mitchum going fishing looks more dynamic than this walk. It’s pretty weird to see where some models' strengths lie. Some are better before a camera and others are better live on the runway. I always assumed they were great at everything.

Stephanie Rad from England is the exact opposite. Although I find her facial expressions in editorial print to be somewhat lifeless and even frigid, here she comes off as animated and pretty happy. She also walks in the classic model style, one leg crossing over another, and then breaks into the most badass pose, her legs spread out defiantly. And that's how you sell fashion designs!

* Previously seen in “No Runway In The Sky”, February 29, 2012.
** Previously seen in “Once Rock Stars Looked Like Models But Now Models Look Like Rock Stars”, January 12, 2012.

Once Rock Stars Looked Like Models But Now Models Look Like Rock Stars

Talk about turnabout, we’ve reached it in rock ‘n roll fashion. It’s been a long time since rock musicians influenced style. In the past, rock stars as diverse as The Beatles, The Sex Pistols, David Bowie, Debbie Harry, and even Kraftwerk resonated in the way kids dressed themselves. Kids always looked up to rock stars to check out The Cool New Look.

That’s all gone now: musicians fall into one of two categories these days: 1) American Idol-type puppets, trussed up and painted up by a team of style professionals that think tossing on a distressed New York Dolls bootleg t-shirt and forking their hair like a petrified parrot is rock style; or, 2) “Alternative” guys who dress like slobs and look more like roadies than the roadies themselves. Bands have ceased to invent cool new looks we can dig, and that’s depressing.

The great irony is that a small handful of models currently embody rock style better than anyone holding a guitar or microphone. True, they’re being dressed by high fashion designers and coiffed by fashion pros, but it’s what they’re doing with all those elements that look more rock ‘n roll than anything I’ve seen in the past twenty years.

Paul Boche is from Eisenach, Germany, and in the past five years has been one of the most sought-after models in the fashion industry. His resume reads like a Who’s Who of the most cutting edge designers in modern fashion: John Galliano, Ann Demeulemeester, John-Paul Gaultier, Roberto Cavalli, Simon Spurr, Rick Owens, and Alexander McQueen. He’s currently represented by eight different modeling agencies (Holy Shit!), and was chosen to be the Face of Lanvin en Bleu in 2010. He’s already been booked to catwalk for 10 different designers this year on New York, Paris and Milan Fashion Week.

Paul Boche is a model who effortlessly emulates rock & roll style. When his hair is short he recalls David Bowie, Alec Empire, or a new wave icon from the Eighties, and when he wears it long he resembles a glam rock star like Mick Ronson or Marc Bolan. His rock star looks make you want to wear everything he’s photographed in, and it’s a refreshing change from the predictable look of models with short, chopped hair, bland faces and G.I. Joe bodies. If there’s a model I can follow like a rock star it’s definitely Paul Boche.

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If there’s a female counterpart look no further than Charlotte Free. Looking more like a punk rock star than a fashion model, Free has also been burning up fashion editorials and shows in the past few years. Just like the best punk rock, however, her arrival on the fashion scene was controversial, the reasons being: 1) She stands at only 5’7”, a shrimp by modeling standards; and, 2) fashion snobs think her multi-colored hair looks limit her to a “Hot Topic Princess” look. Her detractors, mostly jealous females, are outnumbered by a larger group of young girls that identify with her, raising her to heroic status. Just like the best punk rock, the formalists are pissed but the kids get it.

Originally from Los Angeles, California, Free has modeled for Vivienne Westwood, Jeremy Scott, Marchesa, and Moncler Gamme Rouge, among others. Whether she becomes the model of the moment or not doesn't matter, she’s one of the most unique faces in fashion since the heyday of models like Twiggy and Peggy Moffit. And of course, you gotta love a model that gets so many snobs upset.

At this point in time the most inspired rock star looks are coming from models like Free and Boche, and like the best rock groups make me look forward to seeing what they’ll do next.

Suggested web sites: Paul Boche: paulboche.livejournal.com, or fuckyeahpaulboche.tumblr.com

Charlotte Free: fuckyeahcharlottefree.tumblr.com