Editor's letter: Summer 2009

From CNTM to industry veterans, it’s no secret this season is a celebration of models.

By Ceri Marsh

Photography by Gabor Jurina

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Can you believe how many people are on our cover this issue? Neither can I. When planning this shoot, which launches season three of Canada’s Next Top Model, the FASHION team looked at several magazines that featured large groups on the cover. We found examples of three actresses, five models, seven models—but 12? Nowhere. But that was our task on a blustery day in March. Luckily, we were working with a fantastic team—a not-so-small group of makeup artists, hairdressers, stylists and stand-ins—led by the unflappable photographer Miguel Jacob. It takes a certain combination of calm and charm to coax a great shot out of 11 very green models, most of whom had done next to no modelling before this shoot.

Naturally, the most experienced of the group was our 12th model, Jay Manuel. The host of CNTM has clocked plenty of hours on both sides of the camera, and many a model could learn a trick or two from him. Like you, I’m eager to see which of these girls makes it to the end of the show. The winner will return to our pages in an upcoming issue of FASHION. Click here for more behind-the-scenes scoop on our shoot.

You’ll find another celebration of models in this issue. “Travel & Leisure” (page 104) is an ode to some of the great, dramatic supermodel fashion shoots of the ’60s and ’70s. As we were working on the production of this shoot, I overheard our fashion director, Susie Sheffman, saying, “Imagine Veruschka at the pyramids. But without Veruschka. And without the pyramids.” But you get the idea. The stars of this shoot are two of our all-time favourite girls (yes, I realize they’re both grown women, but forgive me, it’s industry-speak): Yasmin Warsame and Liisa Winkler. Any notion that being a model is simply a matter of winning the genetic lottery is put to rest by these two. Obviously they are both exceptionally beautiful, but it’s the strength and charisma that they bring to their work that keeps us captivated.

Will any of the 11 girls on our cover make it in this business—let alone have the kind of long (at least in this line of work) career that Yasmin and Liisa have both had? Only time will tell.

Let me know how you enjoy this issue at letters@fashionmagazine.com.

First published in FASHION Magazine June 2009

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