More Than Just a Pretty Face: The Makings of a Model in 2021
Graphic by Michelle Hong. Images via The New York Times and S Magazine.
In the summer of 1982, Northwestern’s own* Cindy Crawford was discovered in a corn field (well, “own” for a ~brief~ few months before Mccormick couldn’t compare to Milan). As the story goes, the legendary supermodel was detasseling corn at a DeKalb, Illinois farm when a local news reporter took her photo .. fast forward to August 1986, and Crawford and her iconic mole graced the cover of Vogue.
Vogue August 1986 issue; Crawford’s first Vogue cover.
In July of 2019, Charli D’Amelio dueted @move_with_joy’s “move your booty” dance tutorial in a black hoodie and leggings in the hallway of her Connecticut home. Now she’s hit over 100 million TikTok followers, renegaded at the Chicago NBA All Star Game and hobnobbed with Hollywood's elite.
The idea of “being discovered” captivates me because it’s so unexpected, so unpredictable and so serendipitous. In my mind, fame is one of those rarities that really can’t be bought, or even earned. Just like Shakespeare’s theory of greatness from “Twelfth Night,” fame is thrust upon us — often in the most unexpected way.
This January, we witnessed another big break, but this time it wasn't in a corn field or poorly lit hallway; it was on Capitol Hill at the presidential inauguration. As of last month, Amanda Gorman, inaugural poet laureate, and Ella Emhoff, stepdaughter of Vice President Kamala Harris, are now IMG models, in addition to activists and intellects.
Gorman, a 22-year-old, yellow-Prada-coat-wearing poet, blew the nation away with her “The Hills We Climb” inaugural poem. This was truly an unforgettable moment. I can say with certainty that I’ll always remember standing in my kitchen, eyes glued to my laptop screen and tears running down my face as I watched — and rewatched —Gorman deliver her poem. Seeing a woman, only two years older than me, reciting such a brilliant, heartfelt poem on the national stage was incredibly inspirational to me. She reminded us that “the dawn is ours” and “if we’re to live up to our own time, / then victory won’t lie in the blade. / But in all the bridges we’ve made, / that is the promise to glade, / the hill we climb.” This stanza was nothing short of sensational.
Amanda Gorman delivering “The Hills We Climb” on January 20, 2021. Image via O, The Oprah Magazine.
Amanda Gorman for TIME.
The National Youth Poet Laureate and best-selling author grew up with her twin sister, Gabriella, and single mother, Joan Wicks, in Los Angeles. Her poetry collection “The Hills We Climb” and children’s picture book “Change Sings: A Children’s Anthem” are Amazon and Barnes and Noble bestsellers (both are available for pre-order with a March 30, 2021 release date). The ecstatic Gorman’s reacted with this touching tweet.
She graduated from Harvard last year with a degree in sociology, finishing cum laude (no surprise there). So, she’s a passionate writer, sociology expert and now a model for one of the world’s top agencies .. Amanda is really out here living my dream, even down to the college major.
Ella Emhoff is a senior at the world-renowned Parsons School of Design studying fine arts and textiles. She specializes in knitwear and recently designed a collection of custom knitwear via Mall, an “Online shop for independent and emerging designers.” According to Madison Feller in her February 18, 2021 article for “Elle,” the collection included two sweater vests, a pair of shorts, a midi dress, and a Tweety Bird bag. Items were priced between $160 and $320, and sold out almost immediately.
One of the sweater vests via Elle.
The midi dress via Emhoff’s personal Instagram.
This month Emhoff has also raffled off pairs of knit pants. Hopeful recipients donated $10 or more to the For The Gworls or The Okra Project in order to be considered for the pants. Feller explains in her article that both organizations “work to support Black trans people.”
Undeniably, Emhoff is making major waves in the world of sustainable fashion, and she’s using her platform to support life changing organizations - a win-win! It’s crazy to consider that her instant popularity, and the great work she’s doing, may not have been possible, or at least as widely visible, but for her appearance at the Inauguration.
She truly turned heads with her custom Miu Miu coat and unforgettable charm. In case you need a little refresher, Emhoff’s tweed Miu Miu featured interwoven beige, maroon and sky blue threading with amber crystal detailing cascading down the shoulders. A delicate, white eyelet collar peaked out from under her coat and a single tortoiseshell button fastened the formfitting silhouette.
As you can tell, I am very into this coat. It is what I consider a “subtle bold” choice. Emhoff stood out from the other monochrome-clad women at the inauguration with her “old-school academia” ensemble, and I absolutely love that for her.
Ella Emhoff in People.
I don’t know why this particular image came to mind, but I can so vividly see Emhoff meandering down the aisles of Vogue Fabrics in Evanston, searching for the perfect bolt of tweed fabric for her coat. And then I can see her carefully combing through the boxes of miscellaneous, overflowing buttons and baubles to find that single button.
Gorman and Emhoff are now “signed” with IMG Models, the agency that boasts the likes of Bella and Gigi Hadid, along with Selena Gomez and Naomi Osaka. But what does this really mean? How will this impact their future careers and opportunities?
I want to provide some context for what it means to me “signed” with a modeling agency, especially in 2021. The line between model and influencer is blurring every day, so the concept of a traditional modeling contract is somewhat passé. While fashion models still maintain contracts with modeling agencies, like IMG or Ford, to secure work, and athletes, actors/actresses, musicians and influencers sign with talent agencies, there’s an increased overlap between the two sectors.
For example, Noah Beck, who is signed with the talent agency TalentX Entertainment, is dipping his toes into the world of high fashion. According to a recent “Vogue” Celebrity Style article, Beck was invited “as a VIP guest to watch the new fall 2021 Louis Vuitton menswear show, presented virtually.” He was photographed in Louis Vuitton as part of the VIP experience. By modeling for this house, Beck has crossed the proverbial line between “talent” and “model.” And he is certainly not the only one.
Noah Beck by Vincent Mui for “Vogue”.
This common occurrence justifies WME’s recent acquisition of IMG (i.e. it was a strategic business deal). The two have merged to form Endeavor. According to the “Our Story” timeline on WME’s website, in “2014 WME acquires IMG, creating WME | IMG (now Endeavor), a leading global entity in entertainment and sports.” In layman's terms, WME (the talent agency) and IMG (the modeling agency) have recently merged together to form Endeavor (talent + modeling). But WME and IMG still maintain their own websites, social media, etc. — it’s like how Jordan Brand is owned by Nike, but it has its own logo and branding to boost interest and distinguish itself to consumers.
For Gorman and Emhoff, this is good news. With IMG’s ties to talent agents through WME, they are not only signing a modeling contract, but also signing a talent contract. I foresee this as especially beneficial for Gorman, who presumably hopes to secure brand partnerships and events that will leverage her writing and activism career. Emhoff, with her fashion design niche, can use the talent piece to market her own “slow fashion” designs. Or perhaps she and Gorman will head straight for the runway. Either way, both touched the hearts of Americans during the inauguration, and will continue to do so, now with a little help from IMG.