Fashion
They said/We said: About Face, a new documentary about supermodels reveals what it’s like behind the scenes
Photography by Jenna Marie Wakani
We all know modeling has always been somewhat of a controversial issue. Retailers are often criticized for their depiction of the female body—just yesterday Jezebel recently reported that fast-fashion empire H&M digitally produces the models’ bodies on their website and sticks on a real person’s head in post production. There’s also the whole “do models really eat?” issue, which recently made headlines when Victoria’s Secret Angel Adriana Lima revealed her diet prior to the big VS fashion show. A new documentary About Face, premiering at Sundance next month, is also making headlines for its gritty portrayal of how supermodels like Christie Brinkley, Jerry Hall, Cheryl Tiegs and Christy Turlington were treated during the peak of their careers in the ‘70s and ‘80s.
In the film, former supermodel Paulina Porizkova claims that, “what people called sexual harassment, we called compliments. When a 16-year-old girl is flattered by a man pulling out his penis, that’s noteworthy.” Porizkova’s confession is obviously terrible, but are we really surprised that the life of a model is not as glamorous as it is depicted in the media? The film is set to air this summer on HBO and you can be sure we’ll be watching. We want to see what other secrets are revealed about this profession that has always evoked so much curiosity and controversy.
THEY SAID…
WWD: “About Face, a documentary, portrays a group of Seventies- and Eighties-era models as survivors, blessed with beauty, yet condemned by society’s less-than-tolerant view of aging and its relentless celebration of youth.” [WWD]
Fashionista: “Hmm, has much changed in modeling? We are putting this one on our must-see list.” [Fashionista]
Huffington Post: “We’re sure the new documentary will be a gripping and gritty investigation of whether modeling is actually as glamorous as it seems.” [Huffington Post]
WE SAID…
Randi Bergman, online editor: “Considering how prominent these faces and bodies are in our every day life, it’ll be really interesting to get a peek at what goes on behind the scenes. As far as scandal though, modeling has its pros and cons, just like any job, and I’m sure that everyone will agree on the pros far outweighing the cons.”
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