"Maybe women are sick of looking at clothes on a size 2 model," says Karley Sciortino, whose own size 6 curves landed her in two of Kate Spade New York's most recent campaigns alongside the likes of style icon Iris Apfel, filmmaker Tracy Antonopoulos and composer Jon Batiste. The writer and founder of Slutever, who affectionately refers to herself as a "nodel" (not a model), is the latest in a string of "real girls," who, with their own distinct looks and large social media followings, are bumping top models from their posts to front high fashion campaigns.
From Hailey Gates (former Paris Review editor and current State of Undress host) in Miu Miu's fall 2015 campaign, to Camilla Deterre (of New York's Mimi restaurant) in Sophie Buhai's spring 2016 campaign, and Lisa Przystup (owner of James's Daughter Flowers) modeling for Banana Republic, it seems an increasing number of brands are choosing the "nodel" route.
"In the age of social media, we don't look at people because they're pretty”we look because we're interested in them, because we want to follow their story," ventures Sciortino. Indeed, Kate Spade New York chose the writer not for her blonde bombshell looks, but because she's "interesting," says the brand's Senior Vice President of Creative, Kristen Naiman. "Karley is a powerful, feminine woman who possesses a sense of curiosity, intelligence and strength. In our campaign, she does what she does best: she is herself."
San Francisco-based retailer Lisa Says Gah”along with New York boutique Maryam Nassir Zadeh, Brooklyn's Sincerely Tommy and the New Zealand intimates brand, Lonely Lingerie”is also making a mark thanks to its continued use of real girls, rather than professional models, in brand imagery; something that started unintentionally, says founder Lisa Williams. "We launched a year and a half ago with a limited budget that only allowed us access to 'real girls'. But as our business began to burgeon, we thought we should try the more 'professional' route by hiring a model in a studio setting. The result felt inauthentic to the Lisa Says Gah brand, so we quickly switched back and have had more success since."
Though Sciortino expresses concern that this trend”which has gained traction alongside the rise of a new, online feminism heavily rooted in body politics and taking back the male gaze”is just that, a trend that will soon phase out, others see the shift as having permanency. Footwear designer Mari Giudicelli, who also models for Maryam Nassir Zadeh, believes consumers are getting smarter; a reversal of which she doesn't see happening anytime soon. "They're more conscious, they know what they want," she says. "That includes less artificiality and more real identification."
