Most models do not lead the life the public envisions for them. Instead of drinking Champagne, shooting in the Caribbean and walking for Prada, the majority spend their time working off their debt to their agencies, shivering in studios and being treated as expendable deaf mutes by casting people on go-sees.
But there are exceptions: good commercial girls, the smiley ones you see in catalogues but never in editorial, can easily pull in six figures each year and, of course, there are those girls fashion followers all know who manage to get great editorial and prestigious ad campaigns.
Hovering above all of these are the chosen few who manage to snag contracts that pay millions for a few week's work a year to ensure exclusivity.
The mother lode is not a Milanese fashion house or a cosmetics giant, but the bordering on tacky lingerie powerhouse that is Victoria's Secret. Every few years they announce the signing of a clutch of new Angels, girls who have been groomed to act as celebrity spokesmodels for the brand.
"We don't subscribe to that nameless, faceless model routine," said Edward Razek, Victoria's Secret Chief Marketing officer in a 2007 Forbes interview. He's not exaggerating: Angels become global household names, most of whom are recognisable by theri first names alone: Gisele, Helena, Karolina, Adriana, Tyra, Laetitia. Heidi Klum is the most long-standing - she's been with the company since 1999, but this year Victoria's Secret have a problem.
Of the seven angels who started the year, the most recent appointment still working as an Angel is Miranda Kerr who was signed in 2005, and three of them have become pregnant, including Karoline Kurkova who has stepped down.
Time for a fresh batch of Angels: Victoria's Secret announced the appointment of five more today: Emanuela de Paula, Lindsay Ellingson, Candice Swanepoel, Chanel Iman & Britain's first Angel,Rosie Huntington-Whiteley (pictured above & below), currently Model of the Year at the 2009 British Elle Style Awards. Looking at the line up, I'd guess that Rosie is being drafted to fill in the 'classy looking girl' slot. (Victoria's Secret being known for having a diverse line up that runs the gamut from sought after editorial girls (Doutzen) to sexy American cheerleader type (Marissa Miller).)
Who cares that you have to wear outfits of gob smacking tackyness when you've just signed what is reasonably assumed to be a multi-million, multi year contract?
(news via The Cut)
Wednesday, November 04, 2009
Rosie Huntington-Whiteley named as Victoria's Secret Angel
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
12 Opinions:
VS is surely no La Perla, but the all-access pass and mass market exposure of a VS campaign doesn't compare to arguably many fashion campaigns, period.
At least VS has cute reasonably priced things too. :)
She is gorgeous! And for this money I would walk down the runway in lingerie too! (it would be a disaster)
thesingular.blogspot.com
While not entirely a fan of mass produced VS lingerie, they have marketed themselves so well in the USA, it is like a machine that keeps on feeding the hype.
Really a great read! I enjoy your blog very much!
Milana
I could probably get over my distaste for the clothing (such as it is) if I were offered that paycheck. It's hard to blame these young women for grabbing the chance to make their nut while the makin' is good, but oooooh, would that I never had to walk past another 15-foot photo of an "Angel" with her boobs hoiked up around her ears. I refuse to shop there, can't even go in the place.
http://closetaltar.blogspot.com
She's gorgeous, hope she'll do it great!
The second picture nearly looks like barbie - I don't know if to love or hate it. Looking forward to the campaign with all the new models.
I have serious thigh envy now. Maybe I am going to make it until next summer. Off for a run now.
Life is very odd sometimes! I went to school with Rosie, back when she was a Devon-gal!
Crikey, how times can change - now she's not only in my favourite magazines, but my favourite blogs too! Brill, and somewhat surreal!
I think the only way not to feel guilty about pulling in that much dough is to have a sense of humor about those "outfits." They're pretty awful, most of them.
I actually quite like Victoria's Secret ... they do have a lot of sort of tacky things, but they have a lot of really nice lingerie and underwear that's actually affordable as well.
And I like their whole "angels" thing because their models have much healthier bodies than the fashion standard -- curves in the right places, and even when they're thin, evidence that this is through exercise not merely starvation (the abs... dear lord).
I'm with Kat on the VS girls being healthy-looking, at least that much is positive about them. Now if only there were gorgeous non-underwear outfits to put on them in a fashion show....
And that second outfit is fugly in its tackiness, but Rosie somehow manages not to be dragged down to its level. Good hire, I say.
Post a Comment