By Jessica Frost
@jessicaxfrost
Fashion can seem like a whole other world when you’re first getting into it so to make it a little easier, I’ve defined a few of the key terms every model should know like the back page of her portfolio…
Avant-garde Fashion – if you’re a Project Runway fan than you’ll be all over this one. For those who aren’t, avant-garde fashion is all sorts of weird, wacky and wonderful. It pushes the boundaries and seamlessly combines fashion with art. Think Alexander McQueen runways with those infamous armadillo boots or anything that Lady Gaga wears.
Cold Read – when a model is given a commercial script or piece of copy that they’re expected to read on the spot in the hopes of getting the part, no time to talk to yourself in the mirror for three days to prepare.
Editorial – fashion shoots that are styled to tell a story or portray a mood or feeling rather than just sell clothes. It will typically be a spread in a magazine with the direction coming from a collaboration between the photographer and fashion editor.
Go-see – I first heard this term many moons ago whilst watching America’s Next Top Model and was like whhaaaattt? But actually, it’s simply like a casting appointment for models where you take your portfolio into the studio of a designer or brand and show them what you’re made of. You give them your portfolio, doing a little walk and keep your fingers crossed they book you for their project whether that be a look book, commercial, runway etc.
High Street Fashion – the term comes from the UK where the main streets of suburbs, where all of the shops, banks and cafes are, is called the high street. There is pretty much always an H&M, Topshop, Zara, River Island, Forever 21 etc. which is why they’re called high street stores. They produce fast, trend based fashion and are constantly updating their season collections.
Luxury Fashion – those uber chic, uber expensive brands such as Chanel, Givenchy and Saint Laurent that are well established, produce immaculate, high quality pieces and sell dresses that cost more than your car.
Micro Trend – a micro trend is one of those things you see pop up (mostly on Instagram) that everyone gets obsessed with for a minute and then all of a sudden, something else comes along and takes over (see; fishnets under ripped jeans, ripping up a band tee to show off your lacy bra, every single choker trend we’ve had to endure).
Ready to wear – those clothes you see on the runway that you can imagine people actually wearing in real life (well, some of it anyway). It also refers to pretty much any clothing that is mass produced and sold in stores off the rack, rather than being specially made for someone.
Sustainable fashion – also referred to as ethical or eco fashion, this is clothing and accessories that are made with environmental impact in mind. It often incorporates recycled fabrics, production processes that save water or use less electricity and a conscious effort to reduce the amount of sweat shops and child labour involved with producing clothing.
Test Shoot – if you’re looking to build your portfolio than pay attention. A test shoot is a collaboration between a model, photographer and sometimes stylist to produce a shoot essentially donating their time and resources to each other because no-ones getting paid. The bonus is that everyone involved gets to use the images produced for their portfolios which is essential to have to book paid jobs. It’s also good to get the practice in a slightly more relaxed and collaborative setting where you don’t have a client to impress.
