Who’s NEXT? THE NEW BREED OF RUNWAY President of Next Model Management Los Angeles, Alexis Borges, who spotted Lucky Blue Smith’s potential at age 10, shares his thoughts on the future of the catwalk. Lucky Blue Smith has become the world’s most famous male supermodel with over 3.3m Instagram followers. Despite that, more non-white, plus-size, trans, non-binary, and over-50s models walked the Spring 2018 runways than in any other season, with New York leading as the most racially diverse city. Yet it took 20 years to have another black model open a Prada runway show, the last being Naomi Campbell in 1997! If color doesn’t matter anymore—does gender, age, or size? Are African and transgender models simply 2018’s flavor and just fashion’s way of capitalizing on popular public trends? How radical an entire industry becomes when it’s desperate to reach the Gen Zs while still sticking to the (outdated) concept of “seasons”, and “menswear” vs “womenswear”. And what does it mean for scouting the new breed of models? WHO’S NEXT?
Alexis Borges Fashion Interview by Holger Homann talent that is being pushed out. I don’t scout models based on trends, I scout models that I believe would appeal to my fashion peers. There are models that will be able to cross over and do men’s or women’s, but there are models that simply will never cross, nor should they have to. There is a difference between a female physique and a male physique. Within this gender identification, there will also always be different builds that will appeal to a more athletic consumer, or a high fashion consumer. HH I consider Bryce a good example of a rather “gender fluid” cast. Is the line-up of future models at Next to be perceived as a reflection of the diversity of our society in terms of gender, religion, race, sex etc. rather than an ideal of just “beauty” and how the industry defines the ideal of beauty? HH You once spotted a 10-year-old Utah boy who then got signed by the age of 12 and became one of the most popular male models: Lucky Blue Smith. How often does it happen, that you see such potential in a future model, when that person is perceived by others as simply a good-looking kid? AB It happens a couple of time a year for sure, but there are a lot of factors that come into play. Finding them is one thing, however, whether or not they reach their potential is a whole other thing. It all depends on such things as school trajectory, religion, geographic location, family dynamics, family beliefs and many other things, but mainly they have to want it and work hard for it. I can’t want it for them, you know what I mean? I pride myself on my keen eye for spotting potential models—it goes way past whether they are a good-looking kid or not. Most are not so good-looking or obvious “models” as they are young and may be holding on to baby weight, or acne and all the other wonderful things we have to go through as teens. When I spot a kid with potential, I’m looking at them from head to toe, I’m looking at cheekbones, length of arms and legs, how they hold their shoulders, how they stand out or not stand out in a group if they are with friends, etc. HH In terms of fashion’s relationship with inclusion—do you consider the growing casting of diverse models as just a trend or a commitment of an industry to a more modern, more open society? AB Well this time, I hope it’s not a trend. I have seen this wave of “inclusion” in fashion many times before, throughout my 30 plus years as a manager. I think as human beings, fashion or not, we should have evolved by now, in something so simple as being inclusive of all beings regardless of race, color, religion, or sexual preference. I hope this time it sticks, and in the near future there will be no need for talks of inclusion as it will be the norm. That would be ideal! HH Do you see any progress within the fashion industry in terms of the creators and business people of the industry becoming more diverse—in making model decisions rather than who’s on the runway? AB In editorial, fashion shows and fashion advertising, yes, I see a difference, but unfortunately we are only just seeing an increase mainly in African American models. There has been little to no noticeable increase in Latin/Hispanic, Asian, Indian and other models. And when it comes to e-commerce, we still get breakdowns that say looking for 1 African American girl or boy. Yet they feature dozens of Caucasians models. Also they usually offer a lower rate, which is just messed up. The fashion industry has a long way to go, as far as I’m concerned. HH In regard to the topic of gender fluidity, do you think model agencies will also increasingly refer to trends within the society and its needs to explore the concept of individuality in general, rather than just matching the demands of the sometimes capsuled world of fashion, which still sticks to the rules of, e.g., menswear vs womenswear? AB I have been representing gender neutral to transgender models since the late 80’s with iconic people like Connie Girl, and costume designer Zaldy. I think agencies shouldn’t follow trends; we are the managers, and we are a big part of the contribution of the AB Very good question, however, the answer is yes to both. We have to cater to the consumers as well as the industry needs, while retaining our creative power to sign talent we believe are worthy of our management. What we look for is always changing and evolving. What we make sure is always to stay on brand, on our mission of what fashion and beauty means to NEXT. We will always push for diversity and equality. That’s in our DNA. HH In times of technical achievements turning the smartphone into a camera, everyone seems to have turned into a photographer nowadays. Is the next step happening that everyone can become a model? AB No, not at all. I think what we are seeing is that there are a lot more opportunities for these potential models to be discovered, and as we know there has also been a lot more opportunities for truly talented people to get noticed. HH I have a very distinctive opinion about what one needs to be called a photographer. Can you explain what one needs to be a model? AB Height, fitness, personality, and ultimately how they photograph, and their ability to feel comfortable in front of the camera. HH I’ve had the pleasure to meet Cindy Crawford, Claudia Schiffer and Christy Turlington: do you think we will experience a revival of the Supermodel mania like in the pre-digital era? AB In my opinion that era has come and gone. Those girls will always remain the reason I got into the industry to begin with. Today’s consumer doesn’t seem to have the attention span to remain influenced only by a small crop of models that at the time dominated the industry. With that said, there will always be a few girls that rise above their peers and will be in demand. How long they will reign is still in question. HH Talking digital era: how important is street casting still, and how important have the social networks become in scouting? AB Digital casting is important for sure, and for the most part, easier than pounding the pavement, scouting for talent in a mall, airport or amusement park. But to me, there is nothing like street casting. Seeing the person in the flesh and getting an immediate feel for how they truly carry themselves without the pressure of a camera presence and the pressure of social media and the power of photoshop. I will always prefer street casting over social media casting. HH Since we will face not just a new generation of consumers but also buyers for retail worldwide: do you think we will still have runways as the most important stage to present a fashion brand’s new collection, or in times of AR and VR, do you think these new technologies will take over soon? AB I think it will look very different down the road, shows will be more for “show purpose” and the theatrics and creative outlet of the designers. They will remain important for brand awareness, but not catered to the consumers. AR and VR and new technologies will take over—it’s inevitable. It may feel weird and different now, but it’s our future and part of our evolution. 2 3 WHO’S NEXT?
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