The pandemic has hit many areas of business. Modeling is no exception. Some agencies closed down, unable to stand the pause due to the lockdown, some focused on training or scouting “for the future”. A year has passed, and the situation is still unstable: countries are opening and closing, models are tired and eager to fight. What are the forecasts for the near future for global modeling — we discussed this at a round table with the directors of modeling agencies.
Julia Temporiti, Velvet Management: “In my opinion, one-day agencies that can’t cope with stress will not survive the crisis, and those models that can’t adapt to the circumstances will lose their shape — there are no restraining factors. By the end of the pandemic the mother agencies will know who to work with and who not to work with. I have closed a lot of contracts, as I see that the girls are not ready for work situations. The pandemic has shown which agencies and models are ready for the new reality, with whom to continue working, with whom not. Despite all the losses, the pandemic has also brought me positive things — I need to reconstruct the process and look at the work in a different way.”
Polina Yudina, Russkiy blesk: “I think the trend is that major global brands will move away from participating in Fashion Week. Even now, it is clear that the models are no longer doing the frenzied number of shows per season, as before. Plus, Russian models still have no access to many markets and it will soon be very difficult to break through simply because of visa issues.”
Nelly Malysheva, Nelly Models: “In the current situation, it is difficult to make any predictions, but I still hope for a positive outcome — everything will recover and return to normal. Perhaps it will be new forms, but still the situation will stabilize. There is no doubt that the markets have changed and will continue to change. Even without the pandemic, the COVID situation served as a detonator for the explosion of necessary changes in the Fashion Industry and Modeling. And we should change, too. I have already changed the format of training in my model school as well as the conditions for international work. I keep my finger on the pulse of news from the world of fashion and modeling and try to respond quickly to new changes. This is a growth point for us. It is necessary to act, and not to lament that the old way will no longer be. It will be new!”.
Katerina Mironova, Index Models: “For me, the pandemic has become a kind of litmus paper and has shown which foreign agencies can work with and which can’t. Not all of them adequately met the situation with export flights, some felt that in this situation it is possible to unjustifiably fine models who flew home ahead of schedule and canceled the commission. Like not all models behaved professionally at lockdown: many people changed their appearance without asking, stopped following the figure, made claims to the mothers that they were sitting at home and not going anywhere. As if closing the borders is our whim! Now, as I say, two and a half countries are open, that is, there is complete instability: someone is closing, someone is opening, it is very difficult with visas. They say that the vaccine will soon be required for entry from the host country, that is, only the four approved by them (the Russian one is not included there) and only their local one will be required for China. It may also increase the duration of quarantine, which already reaches 21 days in some countries. Work in open countries is no longer in the same quantity as before, rates (model rates per hour) are falling. All this is undoubtedly stressful for all parties, but I urge you to still hope for the best and just wait out the hard times with dignity.”
