As FDCI selects 24 new male models to walk the ramp for its fashion show, Team Viva finds out from models, designers and fashion consultants that men are still used as props and asks whether this initiative will change the perception of the fashion fraternity towards them
It was sometime in the golden 90s when we gasped at the sight of Milind Soman walking down the ramp or a muscular John Abraham inviting a thunderous applause at a fashion show. That was the time the fashion industry gave us men who not only created buzz through the walk but also grabbed eyeballs in the entertainment industry. Yes, they made their way to stardom but they kept coming back to the ramp.
Over the years we saw the percentage between a male model and a female one declining. If a couture week had a bridal collection, then a man would only appear at the end as a groom. Understanding the dynamics of the divide, FDCI recently held a separate audition for male models. Among the 200applicants that they received, only 24 were chosen who would grace the ramp at the forthcoming FDCI fashion week Autumn/Winter 2016.
We spoke to Rashmi Virmani, head of The Ramp modelling agency, and she pointed out that the decline in the number of men was because of the difference in demand and supply. “The difference is so huge that we have a very few designers who design only for men. Designers like Shantanu and Nikhil and Raghavendra Rathore have always been very serious about men’s fashion and have been trying to say that in their own way,” she pointed out.
“It is a welcome change that FDCI has taken but when we cast for any show, I see the problem that there is no dearth of the talent but even the good ones lack the experience because the opportunities have been fewer. We have great talent coming in from Punjab and Haryana but unfortunately, they lack the amount of opportunities and cannot make their way to the ramp. If you look at any fashion show, then there would be 16 female models and four male models,” she added.
For a change, the FDCI Autumn/Winter collection will showcase American model Rhyan Atrice on the Indian ramp. Rajan Kapoor, owner of Strawberrifox Model Management, who has brought the dark-skinned model to India told us that it was about time we diversified our search for models. He gave us a different view altogether. “It is a good step that the council has taken and the reason why I bought Atrice to India is because I felt that we needed diversion. He is not the first foreign model in the industry. We have scope for foreign models is because the ones we have are unprofessional, they are rarely on time. And the money, the little that they get, they spend on luxury instead of grooming themselves,” he said.
Designer Hemant Trevedi is of the opinion that most male models consider modelling as a stepping stone to enter the entertainment industry. “Also, India is very biased when it comes to choosing a male model because we are always looking for someone with a fair complexion but men in India are mostly wheatish and that is why, even if they have the right physique and the correct attitude, male models are not selected as often as the girls,” Trevedi pointed out.
Rohit Kamra, from Rohit & Abhishek duo, pointed out that the auditions are a welcome change in the Indian fashion industry. “For the simple reason because FDCI has always been a platform for women. With this male audition, guys will get an equal chance,” said the designer pointing out to the fact that men’s fashion is showing a slow but a promising growth. But he feels that the time has come when men’s fashion is witnessing a big leap. “Men are getting more fashionable by the day. They are trying out colours and designs they have not tried before. Having more number of male models will give a big boost to the fashion industry and there will come a day, not far from now, where designers who work on menswear, will showcase at FDCI,” he added.
However, Hasnain Patel, celebrity stylist based out of Bombay, believes that men are still being used merely as accessories in fashion shows. “But with a lot of new contemporary designers focused only on men or equally focussed on both the sexes, I see a good valve in the near future,” Hasnain said and added, “Only when designers take their men seriously, as much as they take their women in terms of construction, inspiration, story ideas, silhouettes and western wear, is when the industry for the male models could bloom.”
Models, on the other hand, also echoed Hasnain’s thoughts. We got in touch with Robbie, who walked for the first Men’s fashion week in India, and he said that organising auditions for male models might help the newbies, as designers can select them according to their preferences. “Male models have always been used as props for female models. I have been working in the industry for a long time and have done international shows, too, but people still consider me as the new guy because the exposure on the Indian ground is way less,” he said and added that a lot of favouritism also affects the selection process. “But with FDCI conducting a male audition and receiving a whopping number of applicants just goes to show how much talent is withing the country,” he elaborated.
Manu Bora, member of Elite Model Management, Paris, and Major Model Management, Milan, et al., who is also a surgeon by profession gave a different picture altogether. He said, “Many of the established models did not go for the auditions because the amount offered for each show is so less. I have been in the industry for more than five years and have given my best, I deserve to be paid more. It can be good for new boys but not for us.”
He also added that things are changing but only in the wrong direction. “Nobody can make a decent living and earn their bread and butter only through modelling. If you do it part time or as a hobby, then you can survive. It is already so difficult to get into the business and then you pay less, this is the reason why the situation is going worse,” he pointed out.
As FDCI will showcase a menswear collection at their forthcoming show, male models will certainly get the exposure and attention like female models. The question that arises here is that whether an initiative like this would continue to open up horizons not only for the designers but also the male models. And, whether the trend will continue to expand in the future or come to a halt as we witnessed in the past few yearsIJ