Fashion Industry: The Evolution (Part 1)

This week's post is the first part of a series which will track the progress of the Mauritian Fashion Industry, addressing its current problems and ways to correct them. This week, I've written a brief recap on how the situation is so far. As soon as the industry evolves and changes are made, you can bet Part 2 will appear.

Interwoven between the article are the beautiful pictures featured in Cosmopolitan India January 2012 issue.
I was a sort of communications-liaison officer between the magazine and the Mauritian industry
professionals, helping them choose the model. Laetitia Darche was chosen, and I must point out that I was so impressed by her total dedication to the shoot, her willingness to embody the vision of the team, her enthusiasm and professionalism on set. One of the best models working here today.

The fashion industry here is booming. Many very talented designers are cropping up, making themselves known and are establishing themselves as forces to be reckoned with. It's all ante up on competition, innovation, partnerships, experience and knowledge. That side of the industry is growing perfectly well, and I firmly believe that the outside world is going to take notice very soon (and has taken notice already!).
I would like all of you to support this innovation and make the Made in Mauritius label known worldwide, not for resale under different brand names but as a solid identity. That means always choosing to buy a Made in Mauritius label from our local designers (Anu Sumputh, Oriya, Possal by Sweetie Ramlagun, In'Am, Sanjeet Boolell, Veronique Lionnet, Lionnet & Fauzou Ltee, Lida O'Reilly amongst others) rather than buying from foreign shops and brands here. We excel quality wise, no mistake.

Concerning photographers-well here, things are taking a slightly sour turn. Yes, we are extremely lucky to benefit from incredible fashion photographers working here. I'm talking about the likes of Kunal Jankee and the En Mode photographers, amongst many others. But-and sadly, there is a but-many amateurs are declaring themselves as professionals, believing that once you have acquired a DSLR camera this elevates you to the status of a professional. A photographer, after understanding the very foundation of photography, goes on to specialise in some select (even one, at times) fields-wedding, fashion, portrait, advertising (commercial), nature and so on and so forth. Jack of all trades, Master of none. Remember that.

Now if the photographer in question fully acknowledges that he or she is an amateur, or doesn't have enough skill, that's perfectly OK, because he or she has stated it. Most of us post photos for fun. We don't create pages on Facebook for photography unless we are serious and demand constructive criticism to help us further build upon our photographic technique.
But once this photographer declares he is a professional and (worse) states that he is perfectly capable and has total proficiency in undertaking (paid or free) jobs instead of a true professional photographer, this becomes a problem. And this is a big issue here.
I'm working on a list of the who's who in the photography world here that will be published soon, so that you have a better idea.

And concerning modelling? Now that is a major problem.
I wrote two major articles on the subject (here and here). I wrote e-mails, specifying the standards, to help people actively involved in the matter here. I didn't want to write this at first, hoping that with persistent and continuous effort the problem would go away, but its here. It's bad.
I won't name drop, but:

1. Payment is still a problem here. I used to think delayed payment was the worst thing, now that thought looks positively naive. Some agencies don't even pay their models!
It's NOT a fame game. Modelling is not about making you famous, and if that was the reason you entered the industry in the first place, then hit the ground running as fast from the industry as you can. Same applies if you accept to work freely for an agency that in particular circumstances could have paid you (that is, in some cases, it cannot be helped. For instance: models are generally not paid for editorial spreads in magazines. However, for campaigns they are paid big money). Modelling is about the heart. How many beautiful women have graced the covers of magazines around the world and you don't hear that much about them again? The aim was to create art. Modelling comes from the heart and soul.

2. Many 'models' working here have to realise that not everyone can be a model. You are the expression of an artistic vision. Not everyone has the capacity to do that, even those that fit the measurements.

3. There are different categories of modelling, each having their own set of measurements and standards.
For example, a model working in Mauritius (and I adapted the criteria to Mauritius!) specialising in fashion and swimwear modelling (very athletic bodies, which I prefer to the painfully thin variety) would have to be:

Height: Above 1m71
Bust: Around 34 inches/ 86 cm
Waist: Around 24 inches/ 60 cm
Hips: Around 34 inches/86 cm

This is not respected. And what's worse is that there is only so much I can do. I can make the issue known, but if the designers, photographers and other actors in the industry don't adopt the standards either there is no hope.

4. "Like" contests are making things worse. Sure, they provide great exposure to up and coming models who have the potential (and measurements, according to the type of modelling they specialise in) but they also drop the standards to an embarrassing level. It's not just about a pretty face. You have to work up to and be the whole package. You can't claim to be a model after someone took a couple of pictures of you at the back of your house. You need to work to establish a reputation, work towards a career, create contacts, sign up to a credible agency with hard, solid contracts. Only then can you claim to be a model.

Mauritius is still rather limited, so I would advise photographers, models and upcoming designers to try
and work alongside professionals internationally.You learn a terrific amount that way!

Have an amazing week and weekend

And Happy Easter!

xoxo

Alex