Chapter 2
[EN]
“Creating is hard, criticising is easy” – Part 1
◼️It’s no secret that fashion is not exactly seen as the most valuable industry in Portugal. Although we have unparalleled textile factories in the North, ‘idea bank’ creatives and a booming production on the rise for the Portuguese shoes’ sector – which is in fact being recognised for exporting overseas – establishing a solid and unwavering presence in the market is only accessible to a select few.
Whenever someone starts something new, they always start by copying what has already been proven successful by someone else (that can be a formula, an aesthetic, a business structure, etc…). This applies to both people and things. With time and experience you learn how to develop your own style, interpretation and slowly expand your branding. Cheap copies are bound to exist and attempt to substitute your value as you get older, but until people realise that it is the person behind the body, the face, and the Photoshop that sets it apart, it’ll take a while to change.
If you look closely at most producers’ mood boards, there is an uncanny resemblance among them and creativity is astonishingly missing. Those who genuinely want to distinguish themselves are, more frequently than not, faced with reluctancy, and therefore, their creative wings are cut right before their eyes. That unfortunately builds a wary ambience in the studio and designers end up taking less risks.
It might be hard to believe, but occasionally, fashion is not a very creative industry. There are clients who show up on set with a very specific image screenshotted from Pinterest and the only thing they are looking for is a clone-product of that. Oftentimes they are unwilling to listen to any ideas the team members may have, which results in dispiritedness and robotic reactions. In those circumstances, the model becomes a “puppet” trying to copy every single detail/angle/nuance and it takes away the magic of creating something new. The idea of personal space is also forgotten, as some clients make a point to move the model’s arms and legs as they please, without prior notice.
My very first job as a professional model was exactly like that.
I had a pose I was entrusted to copy and that was it. We tried it for a few hours until I was able to recreate the inspiration perfectly and then went home. It could’ve been a disheartening experience. After all, I was excited, I was feeling honoured to have been chosen for that role and had been looking forward to it for a very long time. Not only was it going to be displayed on a big billboard but it was supposed to launch my career. That job ended up becoming more memorable than I could have ever anticipated and used as fuel for my drive to prove to myself that I should keep turning the pages, as one bad chapter doesn’t define your whole story.
Back then, the pose required an unnatural standing posture. Although I saw it as an interesting challenge, had a dancing background and made sure to warm up beforehand, my back didn’t agree with my excitement and, as the icing on top of the cake, while balancing on one heel only, my body was criticised, compared and sexualised on my debut as a 15/16-year-old girl.
Throughout my career I always ensured to stay away from objectifying my body online, as I believe some things should always be kept private. Whether that meant that I would have less likes and general interest, I never once considered that route. Just because I didn’t, doesn’t mean that I have anything against those who do. It is a personal choice and one that should be consented.
Body image and its intricacies is a topic I want to touch upon on a future publication since I believe it deserves a deeper contemplation, and not a trivial paragraph.
One thing I can tell you for sure is that models are some of the most insecure people I know, but at the same time the most resilient. People’s physiques are often discussed by strangers and one must be ok with that, as it is part of the job description. I applaud every single one who tries out, especially those who prevail for more than one season, because no one knows how hard it actually is making a dream come true in this business environment. Your discipline needs to be set in stone, otherwise, at the first sign of hardship, you’ll want to flee. I’ve worked under all sorts of climate conditions, sometimes not even having access to basic necessities, put in dangerous situations, falling ill and having no one to take care of me but myself in a country where no one speaks my language (nor English); Photographing Winter clothes in Summer – and Summer clothes in Winter, walking on sand, ice, glass, rain... People don't see this side but it takes a lot of effort to make it look effortless.
One thing I would like to make very clear is that “social media models” don’t have the same job as my colleagues and I. It is a job, a respectful one and they may also have agencies that manage their schedule, but they face an easiness that is incomparable. They also have their own challenges, but at the end of the day, they have a say on what is posted.
A working model needs to have the courage to be disliked. Not by the people who they work with, but by the people who may see their work and not understand it. They need guts, bravery and unselfishness. It’s not about only showing the right side of the face, because they prefer it. The client is always the one who decides which pictures are approved and shared, and if they like your left side profile better, that is the one that is printed.
In the performing arts department, a singer learns how to sing, a dancer learns how to dance, but a model doesn’t learn how to model… At least not in my country. You learn from doing it, from attempting and failing, getting frustrated with the end result, and looking for ways to better the connection with the camera. You learn from watching other models in the industry, from studying your strengths and weaknesses and working on your body/posture awareness. It’s the invisible work that makes a difference.◻️
