DAVAO CITY (MindaNews / 1 March) — Late in February, Netflix debuted “Reality Check: Inside America’s Next Top Model,” a documentary that examined the
DAVAO CITY — Late in February, Netflix debuted “Reality Check: Inside America’s Next Top Model,” a documentary that examined the controversies and cultural impact of the reality series produced by Tyra Banks.
It sparked a much needed conversation to respond to the barrage of recent social media commentary about the racism and body-image issues peddled by the show from the early 2000s. Tyra Banks speaks in ‘Reality Check: Inside America’s Next Top Model,’ a Netflix documentary. Netflix photo I find that it is easy to examine the reality TV show from a regional lens and I will refer to the fashion wisdom of journalist and former Vogue Australia editor Kirstie Clements for this purpose. In her book “The Vogue Factor,” Clements highlights one striking element that breathes life into the Next Top Model series: drama. “Of course, any exercise on the show is completely irrelevant to the real world of modelling,” she wrote in a chapter titled “Next Top Drama” which detailed her experience in 2007 where a collaboration with Vogue Australia took place with Australia’s Next Top Model Season 3. “Models don’t need to know anything about anything. They don’t even need to speak. They just need to be beautiful and show up on time,” she wrote. She argued that all of the drama is designed to breathe life into this form of entertainment and many modeling challenges depicted in the reality show are disconnected from the real modeling industry. For example: the styling challenges for the models, she recalled, were unfair because the choices of clothes were “horrible” and a test of fashion magazine cover knowledge was “imbecilic.” Edgar Buyan brings the right amount of visual drama on the runway. MindaNews photo by JESSE PIZARRO BOGAA more critical comment from Clements pointed out that the model, although a key component to every fashion campaign or editorial, shouldn’t take a brunt of the beating when things go flop. She described this as some sort of an injustice. I know, it’s ridiculous how fashion uses these strong words to describe something trivial; don’t even get me started with how Next Top Model ads always include a video clip of an ambulance in a montage to convey a sense of hazard in the profession. As if? We are glorifying the wrong creative process in fashion. “I felt a similar sense of injustice when a bad photograph was taken of a girl and she was then criticized for ‘not bringing it to the camera,’ when in fact the photographer should have been blamed for their crappy shot,” Clements wrote.“Every element on a shoot counts: the photographer, hair, makeup, styling. The model is one component and certainly can’t be singled out for the amateurism of others,” she added.Everything about the Next Top Model series whether in Australia, Asia or America is about the drama. The journey of the contestants can be viewed as inspiring narratives but their roles in the show can only impact the zeitgeist as far as their participation runs. More importantly, reality shows like this glorify the wrong aspects of fashion: instead of honoring craft, heritage, and the efforts of contributors to the fashion value chain, the shallow narrative of being “slay” on camera is celebrated. Let’s face it: unless strong cultural value is brought to the table, modeling is not that profound. This sector of fashion is all about fabricated drama. But Tyra Banks, in the Netflix documentary, said that her agenda was far more complex: she wanted to fight the fashion industry’s obsessions with skinny white girls.But it is critical to note that as TV media uses airtime to showcase superficial fashion narratives, we are being taken a step backward from understanding a more holistic meaning of fashion, especially in this era where sustainability requires more attention and action. It is inaccurate for Tyra to say that she is going against the grain of “fashion.” She is not. Her TV series is about modeling. Not the fashion system, which is far more elaborate than the designer clothes, the byutipol models and the “adversities” they face at work. Benjie Panizales showcases some festive flair in Ayala Malls Abreeza’s Lookbook fashion forecast with the Davao Fashion Design Council. MindaNews photo by JESSE PIZARRO BOGAThe right amount of drama in fashion can tell a story or provoke feelings. The perfect dosage was delivered by Edgar Buyan and Benjie Panizales at the beginning of the year during Ayala Malls Abreeza’s Lookbook fashion forecast with the Davao Fashion Design Council. Buyan’s capsule collection of sheer numbers explored fluidity that teases the human eye. Through pleats and layers, he controlled visual interaction in the runway by concealing and revealing the human body in specific tempo. Panizales, likewise, brought the right amount of party energy to the floor through pieces that sparkled from any angle. His runway revelry was defined by over-the-top dressing that was pleasant and appropriate for convivial cocktails and socials. Why not? The two-part show that featured commercial brands and local designers ran for about 70 minutes. It commanded an army of slender and tall models and missed to showcase diverse bodies for this run. The music played a little too loudly and the runway playlist could have used smooth transitions. Bass-heavy tracks overhyped the runway which, in the first part, introduced an incredibly ordinary set of athleisure and high street looks with pieces that are already in clearance. That Lacoste knit sweater was pretty, nevertheless.
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