Model Today Magazine ( October 2022, Issue 10 )

MODEL TODAY International Digital Magazine

October 2022. Issue 10.

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Model

International Digital Magazine

We are glued to the global modelling industry standards

Our team is updated with the benchmarks that the field of modelling & glamour photography across the globe, today. This helps us to record the changes in the global perspective, thus making us the to provide a platform for models & photographers in the world arena.

We are here to help you

Our goal is to provide you a global platform, exposure & options to better your talents while, sharing tips and tricks to improve your portfolio. The biggest joy is in building a bridge between you and world and there is no debate on this.

Cover feature : Swati Pandya Cover image : Prasad Dharmadhikari

How older models are changing fashion industry

How older models are changing fashion industry

Margaret manning

MODEL

How older models are changing the fashion industry

Margaret Manning

For decades, or centuries even, fashion has been a young person’s game In a way, this makes sense Not only were young people the ones with the most disposable income, but, retirement, was seen as a time of aging gracefully, not dressing fabulously

Oh how the tables are turning! For starters, older women are now one of the most desirable consumer groups. In addition, far from fading quietly into the night, women in their 50s and 60s are embracing fashion and makeup and living life to the full

Companies are responding by hiring older models and running focus groups to answer the question “what do (older) women want?” Here are a few important implications of this trend

Agencies see the commercial Power of older models

Companies have started to realize that older models can have just as much commercial clout as women who are decades younger. Why?

It’s all about realism. One article in the Guardian describes how the fashion industry’s ideal has shifted “from fantasy to wearability,” which means more photographers are trying to depict a more realistic vision of how women relate to their clothes and accessories Instead of featuring teenage models, more fashion designers are seeing the value in showing mature women

On a commercial level, this makes perfect sense According to facts cited by Sheconomy ( a website on marketing to women ), today’s Baby Boomer women are more financially empowered than any previous generation of women As just one example, women age 50 and older control net worth of $19 trillion and own more than three fourths of the nation’s financial wealth.

Older models are shaking things up with energy and exuberance

Being an older model is not just about looking great it’s also about demonstrating charisma and charm One example is 63 year old Jacky O’Shaughnessy, who is the latest face of American Apparel lingerie Another woman that I admire is Lauren Hutton Lauren is age 70 and is still a fashion model cover girl and who has appeared on the cover of Vogue a record setting 26 times

And, of course, no list of fabulous older models would be complete without Cindy Joseph, who I interviewed for the Sixty and Me Cindy is a big believer in reinventing yourself, appreciating your own beauty and inner confidence, and using natural beauty products to get “better” as we get older.

This

Retailers are thinking differently

Now that older women are commanding a larger share of consumer spending and buying power, retailers, magazines and fashion brands are starting to adapt their strategies.

U.S. retailer TJ Maxx used images of regular shoppers in a marketing campaign, including a 62 year old model Earlier in 2014, Marc Jacobs chose 65 year old model and actress Jessica Lange to be the new face of Marc Jacobs Beauty Finally, Sarah Wiley, a striking 66 year old with naturally grey hair, was featured in Stella Magazine and is a busy working model after being discovered at age 57

Women over 60 are no longer invisible

Perhaps the most positive ramification of the rise of older models is the way it signifies a broader cultural shift: Women over 60 are not invisible anymore!

Women our age are more visible than ever in society in politics, as corporate leaders, and now even in the world of fashion, which used to be so fanatically, exclusively youth obsessed. Whether or not we’re fashion mavens, I hope that all women over 60 can take some inspiration from the rise of older models We don’t have to feel ignored or invisible We don’t have to feel like the world is passing us by We have more power and influence at this stage of life than ever before: This is our time!

This Issue

Shooting with Color gels

Shooting with Color gels

Julia Kuzmenko McKim

MODEL

Image

There are times when I find myself shooting the same stuff or using the same lighting setup over and over again Repetition helps to improve and fine tune my skills, but sometimes it just feels boring and degrading, let alone useless for my portfolio

But as much as I dislike feeling stuck and repeating myself, I now realize how such times in fact help me to become a better artist and shooter. It's usually the desire to entertain myself and experiment that leads me to new personal artistic discoveries It's when I'm bored and want to "spice it up", I start searching for new lighting ideas, tricks and techniques

If you have come across this post at a similar time in your photography career, I hope a stream of new ideas and images will pump up your love for photography, inspiration and enthusiasm Let me offer you a few fun lighting ideas in a series of posts, and I will start with one of my most favorite lighting accessories color gels I will also mention how to make each lighting technique execution rather affordable without compromising the quality of the outcome

Shooting with Color gels

Julia Kuzmenko McKim

1 The strobes and flashes that you already have Continuous lighting equipment will also work, but you have to be careful and make sure the higher temperature of the lamp doesn't melt the gels, which in turn will damage the light bulb

2. You can buy proper photography color gels or filters they start from as low as $6 99 for a set of four 12 inch color gels online But I personally use colored cellophane rolls or wrapping paper from hobby and craft stores

I actually only had to purchase them once a long time ago, and I haven't gone through 1/3 of any of my four rolls (yellow, green, red and purple) Each roll cost me under $5 and I use them in almost every studio photo shoot So, not only they are really cheap, they also last for years

The density of colored cellophane and color gels sheets may be different and colored cellophane is often very thin, so the resulting colors may be not as vivid To solve this

problem I simply double or triple fold it before mounting on the strobe, and, like I said, I am still not even half way through my rolls

3. Barn door / Gel frame assembly or a roll of duct tape Obviously, if your studio is full of expensive lighting equipment and cool photography "toys", and that's how you and your clients like it, you might choose to go for proper color gels and gel frame assembly from your lighting equipment manufacturer

I personally carry my colorful rolls and duct tape to all my commercial and personal shoots, and my clients and fellow creatives don't care how I do the "color magic" as long as I get them the pretty pictures they are after

If you end up deciding to use colored cellophane and duct tape, keep in mind, that the cellophane will melt if it's placed too close to the modeling lamp as the lamp heats up during the shoot The cellophane will be ruined and it may also damage the lamp if you're not careful I always turn off modeling lamps after the lights' power and positions are adjusted for the shoot, so I don't have to worry about it.

Equipment that you will need

Shooting

And here comes the fun part! There are so many ways you can utilize your color gels, it's not even funny. There are a couple of main ways of how I use color gels in my lighting setups: coloring rim lights and coloring the main light, and tons of variations of each. Let me show you what I have created with them and how I achieved those color effects.

COLORING RIM LIGHTS

Lighting diagrams for such setups are usually similar and vary slightly for different shoots. You can add one or two (or more) rim lights, background light, fill light, etc.

Variations:

1. Using only one strobe for colored rim light, subtle touch of color:

3. In the following image you can see that even though the lighting setup is similar to the previous (mirrored), there's a lot more color on the model's body. You can achieve this by moving the strobe with the colored light slightly closer to the camera plane allowing more light to spill on the model's face and body, and, of course, position the model accordingly.

2. Using only one strobe for colored rim light, vivid and rich color. You need to pump up the strobe power and use a dense color gel, or fold your colored cellophane a few times to get nicer and richer color.

You can also control the width of the rim light by adjusting the position of the strobe, moving it along the camera model background axis (see illustration below). The closer the strobe to the plane of the model's position, the wider the rim light will be. And the further back from the model's plane along that same camera model background axis you place it, the thinner the rim light will be, i.e. less colored light visible to the camera will be spilling on the model's face. I know this may sound confusing, but once you try this in your studio, you will see how simple it actually is. Be careful to not move the strobe too close to the plane, in which the model is positioned, or the rim light will become side light, and side light can create messy shadows on the model's face and ruin the shot. But it, of course, depends on what you're trying to achieve in your photo.

4. Two strobes with color gels, one on each side, subtle touch of color. When I want a very thin rim light on the model's cheek, I usually point the colored light approximately at the back of the model's head.

COLORING THE MAIN LIGHT

This is when it helps to have a roll of colored cellophane. I can cut a generous piece and wrap it around my beauty dish or even a soft box, if I want to.

Variations:

Basically, everything goes you can mix strobes and flashes, and try various light modifiers. I normally combine complimentary colors, but it never hurts to experiment with unexpected pairs of colors.

1. In this setup I used a beauty dish on a strobe ( red ) and a simple flash ( green ).

5. Two strobes with color gels, one on each side, vivid and rich colors. I also added a red color gel onto the background light. I was shooting with gray backdrop and it looked really dull behind the colorful subject.

6. You can also play with longer shutter speeds, but I will talk about this technique in one of my future posts.

2. Two strobes: hard blue light and soft red light. There's a simple metal reflector on the strobe (blue) and it's placed a little further away from the model, so that it creates hard light and a well defined shadow on the wall.

The strobe with the beauty dish (red) is much closer to the model, the light is softer (larger size of the light source, plus diffuser and it is closer to the subject) and its mission is to only fill the shadow behind the model with rich red color.

These are the setups I've played around with, and I'm sure you will come up with many more if you like the idea of experimenting with color gels. Come back and show us what you got!

Model Vibes

Paola Alpagao

Model Vibes

Model Vibes

Model Vibes

Model Vibes

Model Vibes

Model Vibes

Model Vibes

Model Vibes

Just in…

Archana Schäfer

MODEL

© Prasad Dharmadhikari

Just in… Archana Schäfer

A Highly energetic & hurricane of energy! I believe, life is an art of drawing without an eraser! Being a versatile person full of qualities, I melt butter to bake a cake ( baker), weld metal to make a shape ( installation artist ), cut the fabric to make a dress ( fashion designer ) and lift the weights to keep in shape ( fitness enthusiast )

Born and bought up in Pune ( India ), lived in Dubai & Germany for 20 years. Married to Markus and have a daughter AaryaSofia aged 13. I am art school graduate who is in Interior designer, but fashion designer by choice I started a fashion institute and fashion choreography in the 90’s in Pune After feeling incomplete, I started studying fashion designing Sooner, I realized there was a huge gap between the ideas to connect with the people & what was thought to real life requirement Like, if you can’t make what you draw, what’s the use of that idea or concept or a sketch? Got it right, finding the balance and that’s what I was teaching my students then Sooner, I got engaged creating experimental clothing for the ramp by making hand painted quilts for overseas opportunities. But presenting your own design on the stage in the world arena still gives me a high!

In a professional world, I am running different ventures with my creative bug

• Blooming Dales ( Fashion institute and fashion choreography ), in Pune since1990

• EMA ( Event management company ) in Dubai “The knowledge Brokers” since 1999

• Naatak ( Life is a drama, live it by Archie ) where creating through nothing is my vision It was a success story at the international art exhibition in 2019, in Pune

• Bit’sOven my little baking hub started during 2020 in Pune.

• In 2020, I was awarded as a Corona warrior for actively mobilizing funds to feed over 1000 families in Pune

Fashion is my passion but recycle, reuse, repurpose projects keeps me challenged It relaxes me when I create handmade installations and furniture Tyres also find a place in my creative world. I dance! Dance to relax & let the body move like no one is watching you! Belly dancing, Indian classical, Lavani I have everything to explore myself

“I live glamour!” I always carried myself well, with confidence and grace Being a fitness enthusiast discipline, I believe modelling is an art and needs a huge dedication and commitment towards yourself first For me, being in the world of fashion, modelling was a beautiful coincidence and desire

Since, May 2022, I won many celebrated titles & crowns But mind you my invisible crown goes with me everywhere as these crowns I can’t carry always.

• Mrs. India Capital September 2022, Chandigarh.

• Ambassador for SD August 2022, Pune

• Mrs Veenus India and Mrs Fashion Icon in June 2022, Jaipur

• Mrs Talented EWI and Mrs Glamorous EWI in May 2022, Pune

That’s not the end of journey, today’s world remember visuals As a model, you need to present yourself with today’s commercial world When people find a space in their mind is connected with you, they remember the arôme for a long time. And that’s how I came across to shoot myself. I am very strategic to present myself on

Just in

© Prasad Dharmadhikari

social platforms Somewhere in 2021, we crossed the lines. But not till August 2022, it got materialized & I agreed to collab with Prasad Dharmadhikari for a concept shoot. But me being a versatile person, he wasn’t sure which of his segment I would fit in “You will be difficult subject to shoot”, that’s what Prasad said after we started discussing As much as he troubled me with his ideas, we had to take a call & cut off to freeze the concept Finally, I matched pretty well to suit them Being a designer I got creative too and now understand each other, better His ideas are realistic & meet the character of the person he works with

Being behind the lenses is already a task in itself but making it an experience is what Prasad does! He has his own style & ideas and both of us like to experiment, that’s how the world moves. He believes, your first image should stun the world & he delivers it every time

Entering a pageant, I recommend at least once for ladies to do it full heartedly so they learn many things about themselves So be it a good ones or those they can change It’s a self confidence booster, teaches you team work and lifting each other Healthy mind healthy Society My reason to enter a pageant was to understand where I stand and if I can I do it Entering pageants have never been my ultimate aim & should be yours, too But it gives you a mileage otherwise there is no point running behind crowns.

You can be a model at any age. Days of young cheeky faced & zero figure models are over. In today’s digital world information reaches directly on cell phones & algorithms sync with your habits to pop up products of your choice & age, anyone can be an ambassador for brands What you need is to find out what your assets are!

Sachin Sawant

Just in

© Prasad Dharmadhikari

Why Indian ethnic wear for women is so popular all over the world?

Why Indian ethnic wear for women is so popular all over the world?

Why Indian ethnic wear for women is so popular all over the world?

The elegance and charm of Indian ethnic wear have been upheld since times immemorial, and the occidental culture has always been fascinated by the glamour and magnificence of the popular ethnic outfits saree, salwar suit and the lehenga With the innovation and introduction of new trends and fashion, talented fashion designers blended the western and ethnic sensibilities together and gave birth to fusion wear which took the global fashion arena by surprise. The elegant trends, cuts and comfort aspect of western wear were blended with the traditional finery and glamour, and it naturally notched up the popularity of Indian ethnic wear in the global market

But, the popularity of Indian ethnic wear for women and men experienced a sharp decline in the recent past because of dropping quality standards, high prices, lack of innovation and increase in the popularity of western wear There came a time when ethnic wear was simply not considered chic enough to match with the modern context. But thanks to the much needed creativity and inventiveness of the fashion designers Indian ethnic wear has once again undergone a revival in India as well as all over the world.

Top reasons for global popularity of Indian ethnic wear for women

There are a number of factors that has attributed to the increasing popularity of Indian ethnic wear in the global market in recent times

Fusion of western and traditional fashion

Western fashion is known for its level of formality, suave style, elegant cuts and high end fashion that rules the international fashion ramp whereas Indian traditional wear is known for its glamour, opulence and gorgeousness. Modern fashion designers have blended these two sensibilities to come up with latest designer

sarees in a range of material and fashionable styles, latest salwar kameez in a plethora of designs and cuts and latest lehenga choli which are a combination of comfort and chic style These are the latest trends in Indian ethnic wear that are becoming popular on international fashion ramps, film festivals and events and even Hollywood celebs are spotted wearing these uber chic ethnic outfits.

Ideal for traditional occasions

Traditional and ethnic outfits have always been the favourite during festive occasions such as Navratri, Diwali, Dussehra, Karwa Chauth and Asians living abroad also prefer to dress in traditional outfits with a touch of innovative style during the festive season in order to enjoy the occasions in its true spirit Even people of the western culture, who participate in these occasions like to experiment with their style and favour trendy ethnic outfits over formal western wear

Increasing online promotion

One of the major reasons for increasing popularity and demand of Indian ethnic wear in the global market in recent times is the increasing use of E Commerce by the various small, medium and large scale enterprises of India The powerful e commerce platform has made it possible for Indian designers and craftsmen to reach out to the global fashion arena and it also facilitated overseas tread The online ethnic wear stores have made it possible for people from all around the world to know about Indian traditional fashion and ethnic wear; browse through the garments are even place an order The global buyers are more interested to buy traditional embroidered sarees, designer salwar kameez, lehenga choli, tunics, kaftans and kurtis along with intricately designed jewellery. Today, people have the option to buy Indian

Today, people have the option to buy Indian ethnic wear online from a wide range of dependable online stores.

High quality product at reasonable price

The downfall of ethnic fusion wear was mainly caused due to reduced quality of the garments and excessively high prices But modern designers and craftsmen have made amends by improving the quality, design and finishing of the garments and online e commerce sites have made these garments available at reasonable prices along with additional discounts and offers which have turned Indian ethnic wear into a cost effective and viable option making it available to a wide spectrum of customers from all over the world

Today, designer Indian ethnic wear has become popular in international markets like Europe, UK and the US along with Brazil, Indonesia, Malaysia and Singapore because now people have the facility to shop for Indian ethnic wear online from a plethora of reliable online stores and e commerce sites