Success in the Modeling Industry
Success in the modeling industry is mostly based on appearance. Although the intensity and walking technique might make a difference, what the audience sees first is what leaves the most impression on and off the runway. Models frequently change their hairstyles and colors during each season to accentuate their beauty. Their careers are suddenly propelled by their daring new look, which makes them stand out in performances and in demand with directors and designers (“11 Model Hair Transformations That Made Their Careers”). Transformability makes for excellent role models. Instead of making a major hair alteration, hair transformation works wonderfully to change their appearance. The careers of some models were in fire before they decided to change their hairstyle but the change ushered in a new era of their popularity. To other models, a good cut or color increased their legacy bringing in editorial as well as campaign success. Some of the new looks became a major hair inspiration for fashionable girls all over the world.
The Hair Transformations That Increased Model's Popularity
The looks and appearance of models to the world has immense impacts on their careers. With each season, most models are now switching their hair through cuts and color to have a fresh look. A familiar Coco Channel quote stated that women who cut their hair are about to change their lives. For most successful models, the words are true. For instance, Linda Evangelista was almost in tears when her hair was chopped for the first time. Surprisingly, the transition to short hairstyle turned her into a famous supermodel and continues to surprise the world with new dramatic styles. Another model whose hair transformation rocketed her career is Jessica Stam. Initially she was a redhead but when she lighted up to a golden blonde-haired woman, she became one of the in-demand models of her time. Tao Okamoto, a model who had her hair in long black locks traded them for a blunt bowl cut that led to her success in modelling and finally being an actor (“Hair Transformations That Took 7 Models’ Careers to the Next Level”). Another model who transformed her career through a change of the hairstyle Arizona Muse. During her earlier days in the modelling industry, Arizona wore blond locks that were long flowing but she changed into signature bob that paced her dramatis entry into fame. Just like Arizona, Karlie Kloss elevated her looks by adopting the sophisticated bob and ditching her long locks and this cemented her status in modelling. Lastly, Eddie Campbell bravely cut her long hair and adopted a mullet that worked to perfection. Soon after the transformation, she was booking campaigns and shows with the most popular names.
The Symbolic Power of Hair
Throughout history, people viewed long hair as a symbol of power. Samson of the Bible lost his magical strength when he cut his luscious locks. In the contemporary world, simple haircuts have the power to take ordinary mortals and elevate them to prominence. Initially, individuals shifted their hairstyles to suit the prevailing trend and style. Nowadays, people worship the cult of personality at the individual alter. A good example is Kristen Stewart who recently shaved her crop of brown hair to reveal the most striking blonde buzz cut colored with peroxide (“Model Hair Transformations – The Best Model Hair Cuts and Dye Jobs”). According to Kristen, she cut her long hair for a new role she would undertake in the forthcoming film, Underwater in which she would play as a mechanic performing his job at oil rig located at the bottom of the sea floor. She confesses that she had been looking forward to shave off her for the sake of novelty. Further, she claims that she had never looked better and felt iconic, powerful and strong. It is not the first time that the transformative power of a haircut has been witnessed at play.
The Modeling Industry and Body Image
The modeling industry impacts body image formation along with the women’s identity. It occurs during the materialization of body images where the gaps that exist within the resulting individuality and can result in insinuation from the fashion industry. Body image describes the ways in which people perceive and experience their bodies emotionally, visually, physically or mentally (Entwistle, 123). The body image can affect an individual’s eating behaviors, relationships with other people, exercise behavior as well as their self-esteem. Over the last two decades, the brutality of the beauty practices carried out by women on their bodies have become more unembellished. Some of the practices involving spilling of blood, skin breakage and even amputation of body parts. Women have embraced foreign bodies such as breast implants. The developments have more disastrous impacts on the bodies of the women and especially their health (Jeffreys, 25). The beauty practices have evolved to be aspects of oppression rather than a creative expression of the women. The western culture has adopted some beauty practices that are culturally harmful.
The Fashion and Beauty Industry Complexes
The complexes in the fashion and beauty industry, present itself on women aiming to glorify the female body and to encourage opportunities to indulge in narcissism. It appears that its objective is to depreciate or devalue the bodies of women by arousing an obsession to purchase more beauty products to deal with the egotism blow. Consequently, the women have a deficient feeling and that their bodies require modification and heroic measures to preserve it. During the massive entry of the women in the employment industry, they were expected to act like sexual objects for the sexual delight of their male colleagues. To keep their jobs, the women engaged in painful, time consuming and expensive procedures to meet the professional beauty qualifications. People lay a lot of social significance on physical appearance. Many studies and research materials have documented the effects of skin conditions and facial morphology on social perception. The lack of substantial experimental evidence on the role of hair in social perception can be attributed to the technical difficulties in systematic variation of features in the creation of suitable stimuli. Most studies have concentrated on the hair preferences. A larger percentage of magazines presented blonde women creating an impression that blonde is an ideal for the feminine beauty (Mears, 99). For instance, most models prefer wearing long straightened hair and this has made those with curly hair feel the need to straighten it.
Conclusion
In the modeling and fashion industry, the physical appearance of the models highly determines their success in their careers. The models engage in painful and expensive procedures to meet the predetermined beauty standards. The models alter their physical appearance every now and then by switching hairstyles and using beauty products. Particularly, hair transformations have led many models to the heights of their careers. Through simple haircuts and color, their physical appearances suddenly change and their prominence increases.
Works Cited
Entwistle, Joanne. “Fashioning Models: Image, Text, and Industry”. Bloomsbury Publishing, 2012.
Jeffreys, Sheila. Beauty and misogyny: Harmful cultural practices in the West. Routledge, 2014.
“11 Model Hair Transformations That Made Their Careers.” ELLE, www.elle.com/beauty/hair/news/g27124/11-times-a-model-haircut-made-her-career/?
Mears, Ashley. Pricing Beauty: The Making of a Fashion Model. U of California P, 2011.
“Model Hair Transformations – The Best Model Hair Cuts and Dye Jobs.” Harper’s BAZAAR, www.harpersbazaar.com/fashion/models/g4292/model-hair-transformations/?
“The Hair Transformations That Took 7 Models’ Careers to the Next Level.” Byrdie, www.byrdie.com/model-hair-transformations.
