Photo courtesy of wikipedia.org
The fashion industry is changing rapidly, a fact clearer than ever after this month’s announcement that staple fashion TV series America’s Next Top Model will end in December.
Saying goodbye to the show after 12 years and 22 cycles is more than a simple casualty of the changing times; it’s the end of an important era in the modeling world. With ANTM, former supermodel and host Tyra Banks brought high fashion into the mainstream, challenged traditional notions of beauty and taught us all how to smize (short for smiling with your eyes, for less-than-ANTM-savvy readers).
ANTM premiered in 2003 as one of the first reality competition TV series, blossoming into one of the most successful. The show, which once reeled in millions of viewers, airs in more than 150 countries and has even inspired several international offshoots.
While winners of other reality competition shows often fade back into obscurity after a season finale, several ANTM alumni still model. Analeigh Tipton of Cycle 11 found her way into acting, starring on ABC’s short-lived show Manhattan Love Story and snagging supporting roles in films Warm Bodies and Crazy, Stupid, Love. Fatima Siad, Cycle 10, walked in runway shows for Ralph Lauren and Betsey Johnson and was tapped as the face of Hervé Léger’s Spring 2012 campaign. Others model for DKNY, Guess and Old Navy — certainly not high fashion, but successful modeling work nonetheless.
And ANTM constantly expanded its definition of beauty beyond conventional standards. The show counted drag queen Miss J Alexander among its panel of judges, and in Cycle 11, the show introduced its first transgender contestant, Isis King.
Most of all, ANTM was fun to watch. Contestants lived together in a lavish mansion, got makeovers, modeled for exciting photo shoots, met celebrities and traveled the world. You could marathon an entire cycle in one sitting, and if you watched a few too many, you might even convince yourself you belonged on the show, too.
It’s true that models’ successes today are determined less by their abilities and more by their social media presence. Cara Delevingne has more than 21 million Instagram followers. Karlie Kloss makes YouTube videos (and is a member of Taylor Swift’s best friend brigade). Kendall Jenner was a regular on her family’s reality show Keeping Up with the Kardashians before she ever walked the runway.
Furthermore, high fashion is a hotter commodity than ever these days. A few years ago, teens needed only an Abercrombie & Fitch moose logo on their T-shirts to be considered stylish. Now, they increasingly turn to stores like Forever 21 and H&M, which sell cheap renditions of the latest runway looks made to last only until the next trend comes along. Big names like Isaac Mizrahi and Lilly Pulitzer have designed wallet-friendly collections exclusively for Target.
In response to the changing culture, ANTM underwent format changes that included British- or college-themed cycles and involved fan participation on social media, diminishing the show’s purpose and quality in the process. Still, none of these larger shifts in the industry would ever have happened if ANTM hadn’t brought fashion to the people in the first place.
ANTM might have run its course, but it surely left an impact. In the meantime, I’ll cling to Project Runway for as long as I can.
