MODEL PROFILES: TATIANA COTLIAR

Born in Buenos Aires on 31^st October 1990, Tatiana began her modelling career by signing with NEXT Models in 2009.

She debuted at Fashion Week that September, walking in shows for Burberry, Jason Wu, Mark Fast, Rodarte and YSL. She also became a hit with legendary designer Vivienne Westwood. Picked to close both Westwood shows in London and Paris, Tatiana was also selected to appear in the brand’s latest campaign.

Forever rebellious, the label stems from punkish roots to form a fashion house underpinned by a couture sensibility. Like Alexander McQueen, Vivienne has taken her extensive knowledge of fashion history and translated it into a silhouette that’s become the Westwood signature.

With a career spanning 3 decades, Vivienne joins the likes of Karl Lagerfeld and Giorgio Armani in marrying old-school skill with new-world philosophy. All three designers are over 70 years old, but are as relevant today as they’ve ever been.

Tatiana’s ability to wow fashion’s elite became apparent when her runway breakthrough came in February 2010. She was picked to open the Autumn / Winter Marc Jacobs show. The staging provoked as much response as the clothes themselves and Tatiana got to open a show where models emerged from a large Perspex box to take to the runway. Unveiled by Marc himself, this was Jacobs tearing up the rulebook, presenting a collection filled with wear-now, love-forever pieces. It was a startling about-turn for Jacobs, but the show, as a concept and as a collection, was a hit.

With closing spots for Ungaro and Miu Miu, Cotliar also signed up to appear in over 50 shows. Tatiana was a feature in runways as diverse as Chanel, Missoni, Prada, Versace and Valentino. Her unique blend of edginess with real-girl likeability made her a shoo-in for this season where classic and contemporary came together to produce a spectacular season. Sure enough, the press took note. In March 2010, Tatiana was featured as a Top 10 Newcomer by www.models.com. A day later, she was ‘This Week’s Model’ for www.wmagazine.com.

Filling the summer months with editorial work for German and Chinese Vogue, Tatiana made a bold try at campaign domination, with appearances for Proenza Schouler and Valentino. It would be hard to find two labels more different, but Cotliar’s presence belies her experience, then barely totalling a year. Tatiana epitomised Proenza Schouler’s effortless, art house cool and mastered Valentino’s heritage elegance.

With another successful RTW season in September, Tatiana hit a genuine career high in early 2011 when it was revealed that she would become one of the faces of Prada’s S/S 11 campaign.

A now-landmark campaign of dizzying stripes and swirls, Tatiana joined models Arizona Muse, Zuzanna Bijoch and Kinga Rajzak; at the time all were new faces breaking into the industry. This campaign helped launch all of them onto the fashion circuit as serious industry contenders. A Prada campaign is a powerful calling card, and unsurprisingly, Tatiana’s link with the Italian powerhouse sent her career into overdrive.

The Prada effect was in full flow just a month later, when Tatiana opened shows for Giles Deacon, Isaac Mizrahi and Sonia Rykiel. Her charm offensive on the fashion industry was certainly working: in February she appeared in Russian Vogue for the first time, in March it was Japanese Vogue. In April, she appeared on the cover of i-D, in a series of multi-covers including models Shu Pei and Meghan Collison.

In August, Tatiana got to feature in a spread of self-named portraits, photographed by Rafael Stahelin for Wonderland magazine. Her ability to work avant-garde grew in earnest as she landed an editorial in Love magazine the following month.

Proving the reported demise of print media as somewhat premature, both magainzes have bucked the trend by adopting a multi-platform approach to exploring fashion. With the explosion of blogs and fansites peppering the internet came one very clear message: those outside the realm of glossy, aspirational fashion wanted their fair share of representation. Those with alternative views; those who didn’t find what they were looking for on the catwalks of Paris, wanted to be heard. But more than that, they wanted to be seen.

The answer was a type of new magazine that brought together the best of new media, art and fashion to make a hybrid fashion experience with an intelligent, inquiring spirit at its core. The natural heirs to magazines like Dazed & Confused, this latest generation are delivering high fashion to an audience who have often felt sidelined. This same audience is now at the forefront of driving forward how high fashion is presented online. Quite a reversal of fortune.

The spirit of individuality made its way to Fashion Week with designers taking the deliberate decision to move away from their usual point of view and explore new things. Christopher Kane veered off the neon path to present a collection blossoming with femininity; Rodarte explored Western chic, taking the theme to a whole new level. It’s evident that tough economic times have not made our designers timid, they have made them bold. This last season was a game-changer for many designers, taking them from left-field to centre-stage.

Against this backdrop, Tatiana’s individual beauty couldn’t help but score big, and this Autumn she did just that with a huge, multi-page campaign from Mulberry. Joined by Julia Saner, they modelled Mulberry’s satchels against a background of birds’ eggs and sleeping foxes.

One of fashion’s best at self-marketing, Mulberry’s semaphore is firmly embedded in the mythology of English country houses, evoking images of Hunter boots caked in mud, and jars of home-made preserves. It seems so instinctively old-school, it’s hard to get your head around the fact that Mulberry is barely 40 years old. Created in 1971, Mulberry is a classic example of writing the history you want.

In October, Tatiana came full circle with a cover and major editorial in the Argentinean edition of Harper’s Bazaar. Her editorial, ‘Diario de una Princesa’ represents a new direction for Tatiana as she works ladylike, regal fashion. It is somewhat surprising for someone who has built her career on appearances in fashion’s edgiest tomes, but as we have seen, a change of direction can often work in your favour. Tatiana’s ability to cross over into softer fashion is particularly well-timed with many designers showing work that would not look out of place in a princess’ wardrobe. The hit show of London Fashion Week, Jonathan Saunders, made Deco pastels and 50’s skirts thoroughly desirable. After years of urban chic reigning supreme, these new clothes are elegant, graceful but workhorse-like in their potential cost-per-wear. Feminine, but not fussy, will be the watchword for Spring 2012.

Where fashion moves, modelling must follow. One of Tatiana’s last editorial assignments of 2011 has been to appear in V, celebrating the achievements of NEXT agency. The catalogue of established and newer faces on their books shows that NEXT is not only great at compiling feminine faces, but promoting diversity within that brief. Compare the quirky, editorial stance of models such as Hailey Clauson or Suvi Koponen to the glossy, campaign regulars like Abbey Lee and Shu Pei, and it’s evident that Tatiana is neither one nor the other. She falls somewhere between, and that ambiguity has made her very successful.

The difficulty with putting any model in any category with an absolutely degree of confidence shows how fashion’s ideas of femininity have become all mixed up. A campaign favourite can equally convince in haute couture, and someone with tough, edgy credentials can plug into soft and graceful without missing a beat.

Tatiana’s evolving career is perhaps one of the best illustrations of how the fashion industry has relaxed the rules. It’s not just about maximising earning potential, but taking a closer (and better) look at models. No-one wants to be thought of as one-dimensional, and in today’s climate, if you want to be successful, you have to reveal a little more.

The idea of models as ‘types’ is slowly edging out into a space where models are seen as the sum of themselves: looks, personality, warts and all. At a time when models have Facebook pages and followers on Twitter, the idea of model as mannequin just feels wrong.

It’s no accident that some of today’s most successful models are also the most prolific: Coco Rocha and Sessilee Lopez may be seasoned at runway, but they are positively expert when it comes to working social media to their advantage. Being an active presence on Twitter bridges the gap left when the term ‘supermodel’ was downgraded to ‘model’. Few working now have the media clout of a Cindy or Christy, but today’s smartest models create their own reputation online – and on their own terms.

Cotliar’s ace is her likeability: placed somewhere between quirky and edgy, but with the potential for glamour, Tatiana ticks all the boxes but refuses to be fenced in. Her almost-girl next door look (but not quite) is what makes her such a find for designers. Tatiana may be hard to define but that’s entirely the point. Already armed with a career that’s determined to keep us guessing, Cotliar joins a generation set on selling beauty that’s anything but skin-deep.

HELEN TOPE

MODEL PROFILES: JOAN SMALLS

Born in Puerto Rico in 1988, Joan Smalls began her career by signing with Elite Model Management in 2007.

Her career started off modestly, but soon developed, scoring a campaign for Liz Claiborne and catalogue work for U.S department store Nordstrom.
Many models struggle with the gap between being approachable but still high-fashion, but Joan’s early experiences of modelling provided her with the skills that would prove to be an excellent grounding for future campaigns.

Between 2007 and 2008, Smalls racked up catwalk credits with L’Wren Scott, Diane Von Furstenberg, Sass & Bide and Benjamin Cho. But her decision to leave Elite and sign with IMG in 2009 was a pivotal moment in Joan’s career. IMG Models, forming part of the huge global company IMG, is an agency that manages names such as Daria Werbowy and Gemma Ward, whilst housing newer talent such as Emily Di Donato and Barbara Palvin. What IMG is famous for, and it’s a strategy now used by many agencies, is applying the lessons it learnt from music and sports management and applying them to the world of fashion. It’s a smart way of extending the shelf-life of a model’s career, taking them from runway to celebrity.

Joan’s breakthrough came in January 2010. She was asked to walk in the Givenchy Couture show as an exclusive. The world of haute couture has often been criticised for being one-dimensional when it came to featuring models from different ethnic backgrounds. But Givenchy’s decision to hire Smalls as an exclusive was a signal, loud and clear, that times weren’t changing – they had already changed.

The ripple effect from the Givenchy show trickled down into Joan’s ready-to-wear bookings. Signing up to walk in 45 shows, Smalls appeared for designers such as Alexander Wang, Burberry, Jason Wu, Marc Jacobs, Prada, Stella McCartney and Valentino.

Joan’s moment as fashion’s latest ‘it girl’ continued when she appeared in her first editorial for Italian Vogue. Working alongside models such as Lara Stone, Amber Valletta and Angela Lindvall, the editorial, ‘Shrink to Fit’, was a quirky take on cropped tailoring and high hemlines. Joan’s performance in the shoot was astonishing; calm, confident and assured.

In June, Joan was featured in American Vogue as a rising star. Selected by Vogue’s Andre Leon Talley, Smalls’ reputation as the next big thing was now established, with the nod from American Vogue being enough to catapult Smalls into campaign territory. In summer 2010, it was announced that Joan would be one of the new faces of Gucci.

It was a massively important signing. Gucci eclipses even Prada as the most famous label in fashion. Its reputation is the same the world over, a byword for luxury and glamour. To hire a non-Caucasian model to be one of the campaign headliners indicates just how far fashion has come in terms of embracing all kinds of beauty.

Silencing any doubters, when the campaign was unveiled, it was clear that Joan’s presence wasn’t a cynical attempt to appeal to the widest demographic possible. Gucci is the type of brand that doesn’t have to pander to anyone in order to get its goods off the shelves – the Gucci name sells itself. Working sophistication and sex appeal in equal measure, it was clear that Joan got the job because she embodied the Gucci brand from head to toe.

Following that Gucci ad, Joan could now add Dior and Jean Paul Gaultier to her couture CV, walking for both labels in July. Also appearing in back-to-back editorials for French and American Vogue, Joan took Fashion Week by storm when she opened shows for YSL and Jason Wu and closed the show for Dior. Appearing in a total of 41 shows, Joan was visibly moving up the ranks.

As much as Joan charmed the international runway crowd, she positively enamoured American Vogue. Her barn-storming performance at the world’s best runway shows, got her not just one editorial in their September issue, but four. Traditionally the best-selling issue of the year, Joan’s inclusion was not about special treatment, but equal treatment. It was a genuine coup.

Joan started off 2011 by renewing her contract with Gucci, also signing up to appear in campaigns for Roberto Cavalli and Stella McCartney. A month later, she appeared in two simultaneous Spring / Summer preview editorials for French and American Vogue.

In a surprising move, Joan also elected to appear in an all-black editorial for Italian Vogue. Dubbed ‘The Black Allure’, Smalls appeared with Chanel Iman, Sessilee Lopez, Arlenis Sosa and Aminata Niaria. The shoot referenced flapper glamour of the 1920’s, in particular, dancer and actress Josephine Baker. Of her time, Baker was extraordinary, and it is due to her efforts in getting diversity recognised that fashion more clearly represents the way we look now.

In March came the announcement that Joan was to join Liu Wen and Constance Jablonski in Estee Lauder’s new international beauty campaign. It was a brave move from Lauder because while they are widely known within the fashion industry, they are not the immediately recognisable faces normally associated with the brand, such as Gwyneth Paltrow and Elizabeth Hurley.

But hiring three relative unknowns put Estee Lauder in a strong position because without the baggage of celebrity, these models could quite literally be ‘everywoman’. There’s no bad film or questionable album release to hide – models tend to be the best hires for selling products because they come to a project as a blank canvas.

The signing of Smalls, along with Wen and Jablonski, created a great deal of excitement and rightly so – with this campaign, Estee Lauder effectively announced to the world that it is a global brand, inside and out.

Joan continues to be a prolific presence in 2011, with an A/W runway season totalling over 40 appearances, plus editorial work for American Vogue. Appearing in the April edition, Joan featured in ‘Bodies of Work’ with some pretty illustrious company. Raquel Zimmermann, Gisele Bundchen, Daria Werbowy, Lara Stone and Natalia Vodianova all signed on to take part.
The newest name among some seriously big hitters, Joan features in a simple body-con fashion shoot, channelling clean lines and athleticism mixed with a dose of glamour – just what American Vogue does best.

This type of shoot could also signal a change in Joan’s career, taking her from strictly runway to Victoria’s Secret and beyond. Having a marketable face is one thing, but a body that can transform from ultra-minimal tailoring to sexy body-con puts you in another league altogether. Being paired with Raquel Zimmermann, Lara Stone and Gisele Bundchen is no accident either. If American Vogue sees Joan as belonging to this group (and indeed she performs on a par with the more experienced names), then Smalls’ career could have a longevity far beyond the catwalk.

Of course, no model works alone – literally or metaphorically. A part of Joan’s success (and that of her peers) can be attributed to models like Naomi Campbell, Tyra Banks, Yasmin Warsame and Alek Wek who made black models a legitimate choice for high fashion. From Yasmin’s delicate beauty to Alek’s all-conquering smile, the faces may not be as numerous as we would like, but that is visibly changing. Joan’s signing with Stella McCartney is the type of booking that her generation are coming to realise is theirs for the taking. Joan may look good in strong colours and exotic prints (an asset using to particularly striking effect in the Gucci campaign), but her range of bookings cover every aspect of global fashion.

The virtue of being an all-rounder is obvious, but what makes Smalls a particularly exciting prospect is that she hasn’t even realised her full potential yet. Her affiliation with labels like Gucci, Ralph Lauren and Roberto Cavalli is a sign of things to come. To go from virtual unknown to Gucci girl in less than three years is an indication of a model that can go the distance, in an industry where models’ careers are often short-lived.

But better still, what Joan has to offer (not just now but to future generations of models), is a career where nothing is off-limits. The idea of possibility is one that will ultimately transform the landscape of fashion, building an industry where beauty is made not only possible, but achievable, for every kind of woman.

HELEN TOPE

MODEL PROFILES: CHANEL IMAN

Chanel Iman, born 30th November 1989, is fashion’s brightest trailblazer – turning barrier-breaking into an art form.

Named after her mother’s favourite designer, Chanel spent her childhood practising runway and studying fashion magazines. This early groundwork prepared Iman when she entered the 2006 Ford Supermodel of the Year contest. She came third, but signed to Ford Models immediately. In February that same year, she made her debut at New York Fashion Week, walking for Derek Lam, Anna Sui, Marc Jacobs and Proenza Schouler.

In September, she walked in the S/S 2007 shows, including Alexander McQueen, Derek Lam, Dolce & Gabbana, Nicole Miller and Stella McCartney. But her appearance in the Valentino show sparked Chanel fever when she worked her now-signature move.

At the end of the runway, just before she was about to turn, she caught the eye of the audience and winked. The fun gesture won the crowd over, and Chanel was featured in http://www.style.com/ as the stand-out of the season – the studying had prepared her, but the impulse to stand out is what made her a star.

Chanel made it her business to exceed expectations early on in her career, receiving the Trailblazer Award from the Sankofa Group in April 2007, and in May became part of modelling history when she joined other top models to take part in the seminal US Vogue cover. A collective of new talent, Chanel joined the likes of Coco Rocha, Lily Donaldson, Hilary Rhoda and Jessica Stam to form a powerful declaration to the fashion industry. These girls were the future of modelling, and every model on that cover by Steven Meisel, went on to become part of the fashion landscape.

In September, Chanel’s career sky-rocketed with appearances for Alexander Wang, Dior, DKNY, Hermes, Louis Vuitton, Marc Jacobs and Oscar de la Renta among others.

2007 ended in triumph on the runways, but a question mark hovered over Iman’s rising fame. Landing catwalk and editorial work is one thing, but could Chanel take it to the next level and land big-name campaigns? This would then put her on a level playing field with her peers, and 2008 saw Chanel rise to the challenge with not just one, but four campaigns. Chanel did campaign shoots for high-prestige brands like Ralph Lauren and DKNY, plus budget-friendly names like Gap and Lord & Taylor.

In February 2008, Chanel’s status as fashion’s latest crush was established when Chanel, Karlie Kloss and Ali Michael appeared on the cover of Teen Vogue, photographed by legend Patrick Demarchelier. A magazine as influential as its grown-up counterpart, Teen Vogue tipped all three models for greatness.

Chanel’s year snowballed: in February, she landed an editorial with Russian Vogue, plus a stellar season walking for designers as varied as Bill Blass and Donna Karan, Jason Wu and Zac Posen. Her CV was maturing well with a mixture of old-school labels, cutting-edge talent and established names. Paired with Chanel’s appearance in the Dior and Jean Paul Gaultier couture shows on July, she had all four corners of the fashion industry covered.

July proved to be a busy month, as Chanel not only appeared in American Vogue with Jourdan Dunn, but also scored two additional editorials in Italian Vogue. However, this was to be a pivotal point in Chanel’s career. Italian Vogue took the decision to put together an edition that would only feature black models.

It was a powerful statement, but it was not without controversy. Many in the industry and press questioned Italian Vogue’s motive for doing this issue. Was it to be taken on face value, as a celebration of ethnicity, giving full-focus to new talent, or was it about something else entirely?

By shining the spotlight on black models to the exclusion of other talent (including models of other ethnic backgrounds), was this a step forward, or a giant leap back? Did such pointed inclusion do more harm than good?

Whatever the motivation, what is clear is that the Italian Vogue edition sparked debate. But debate without action is useless, and what is encouraging is that nearly two years on, a new raft of models including Tao Okamoto, Lyndsey Scott, Liu Wen and Hind Sahli are not only working but flourishing in an industry accused of having a less-than-stellar record when it comes to diversity.

Chanel’s career itself flourished after the Italian Vogue went to press, landing the September cover of Korean Vogue. She was also chosen to open the S/S 2009 Rock & Republic show. Appearing for Alberta Ferretti, D&G, Giambattista Valli and Sonia Rykiel, Chanel was becoming a hit in Europe as well as America.

2009 brought several accolades, rapidly establishing Iman as a go-to girl for not only runway work, but covers and editorials. She landed the cover of Italian Flair in February, the premiere cover of the Dubai edition of Harper’s Bazaar and the cover of i-D in May.

In September, Chanel appeared as a guest judge on hit TV show ‘America’s Next Top Model’. A spot usually reserved for designers or photographers, Chanel’s years of brushing up on fashion paid off, making her intelligent and insightful appearance a hit with fans. This was not just a model with personality and opinions – but someone who knew Pucci from Prada.

Chanel also landed a second cover of i-D, shooting a pre-autumn cover with Arlenis Sosa, Jourdan Dunn and Sessilee Lopez. The cover’s launch shows how quickly things can change in the fashion world. In 2008, Chanel’s appearance for Italian Vogue’s all-black issue was challenged as ‘agenda-pushing’. Just one year later, Chanel, Arlenis, Jourdan and Sessilee were presented, quite rightly, as cover girls at the top of their game.

Chanel’s trail-blazing continued when she surprised many by signing a 3-year contract with Victoria’s Secret. Chanel, while perfect for high-fashion, was not an expected choice for the uber-sexy lingerie brand. Some questioned whether her athletic frame could carry off the VS signature look, but Chanel’s personality-packed performance on the runway put all doubt to rest. In one fell swoop, she proved not only her versatility, but her ability to do the unexpected. This element of surprise is what gets Chanel re-hired time after time.

2010 is set to be another busy year for Chanel, with a full couture and RTW season under her belt. Walking for designers like Aquascutum, Dior, Givenchy, Thakoon and Gucci, Chanel’s list of credits defies the expectation that a black model would struggle finding work. Chanel’s career is an important lesson for models coming into the industry: place limitations on yourself at your peril.

Have a look through a recent fashion magazine: the percentages of ethnic to white faces could be better, but the numbers are not as dire as people seem to think. The argument that fashion only allows one black model to be the ‘top girl’ at any one time is clearly no longer the case: Chanel, Jourdan, Sessilee and Arlenis are all getting coveted editorial and runway spots, with Joan Smalls and Rose Cordero rising through the ranks. While it is clear that fashion has a long way to go before equality can be stated as the norm, the notion of a closed-off industry is also somewhat wide of the mark.

While Chanel’s career is still on the rise, what’s encouraging is her awareness that she is flying the flag for future models, whatever their ethnicity. The message that fashion recognises excellence is an important one for the next generation. Fashion’s consumer-base is becoming more cosmopolitan, and as a result, our expectation of seeing diversity better represented on the runways and in magazines is starting to be met.

The fact that one of Chanel’s first covers was for Teen Vogue says it all. She wasn’t being treated as the token ethnic model: Chanel made the cover because she (along with Ali and Karlie) were fashion’s brightest new models. When it came to the cover, Teen Vogue wasn’t indulging in a box-ticking exercise: it simply wanted the best.

The recession has been a huge wake-up call for the industry, and has resulted in fashion rethinking its entire approach. Fashion, as a whole, is becoming more democratic. Runway shows are being broadcast live on the internet, so you can see the latest collections at the same time as Anna Wintour, and bloggers such as Bryanboy (http://www.bryanboy.com/) and Tavi (http://www.thestylerookie.com/) are being taken seriously as fashion commentators at large.

Modelling is also becoming part of this radical rethink, and this new directive is just the beginning. Still not convinced? Watch Chanel’s progress over the next five years: the future is already here.

HELEN TOPE