This was the year where we saw a new generation of models rise up through the ranks of social media to dominate the fashion/model/celebrity conversation. Gigi Hadid booked SEVEN international Vogue covers in 2015 alone, and now Kendall Jenner is trying to catch up. This is Kendall’s Vogue Brazil cover for the January issue. I don’t know… I think it’s pretty? Uneventful, but solid and pretty. On a good day, Kendall gives off Ali McGraw vibes, and that’s what she’s giving me here, Vintage Ali. And at the end of the day, I “get” Kendall as a model so much more than I will ever understand Cara Delevingne.
Speaking of Kendall, Gigi and Cara (they’re all buds), CR Fashion Book had a fascinating analysis of how those three models in particular are doing it right. How, you might ask? Well, they’re being “authentic” on social media, and that authenticity is paying off in HUGE ways. Apparently, a brand-endorsement tweet or Instagram from Kendall, Gigi or Cara can be worth somewhere in the neighborhood of $300,000.
While the social media value of models has been on the rise for a few years, the last twelve months have seen a drastic shift in the way that value is measured, monetized, and negotiated, and in the way once-anonymous catwalkers have the ability to create and control a personal brand that extends far beyond just looking good in clothes.
“For sure, casting directors will ask for models with over ‘X’ amount of followers, and then will ask for the specs of the talent after that,” Jennifer Powell, who works on Next Models’ women’s board and manages social media talent for the agency, says. “Especially for campaigns and bigger projects.”
It’s also become fairly standard for social media usage to exist as its own contract term, moving beyond the previously all-encompassing “online” usage term. According to Frank Spadafora, a former casting director and the founder and CEO of D’Marie Archive, an analytics group that has recently introduced an app and platform to guide agencies through putting a valuation on the social power of a model or influencer, the three most highly ranked supers on social—Kendall Jenner, Cara Delevigne, and Gigi Hadid, in descending order—“are currently valued between $125,000 and $300,000 for a single post across their portfolio. If you want to reach a model’s audience, you’re going to have to pay a hefty additional fee for that.”
According to the experts, in social media terms, Karlie Kloss, Behati Prinsloo and Miranda Kerr are considered the “lower tier” models. Meaning, a tweet or Instagram from those women will not move product or create as much buzz as a social media post from Kendall, Gigi or Cara. The entire article – which focuses on the changing nature of social-media branding – is a fascinating read. Kendall has 65 million followers, and she had the most-liked Instagram of all-time. And at the end of the day, THAT is the future of modeling, it seems. No one will be able to break through and become an It Model without social media now.
PS… LOOK AT KENDALL’S CAR.
Photos courtesy of Fame/Flynet and Vogue Brazil.
I doubt that “fresca” part.
Please Santa, I want that car!
I know, right? That car is awesome!
Great cover.
I covet that car.
My very first boyfriend had that exact car (same color too). It was the best thing about him.
The cover looks awkward to me with the way she’s holding her hair.
Sometimes she looks very beautiful, but mostly she looks basic to me. And she’s such a brat when I catch an episode of KUWTK. So that colors my opinion of her I’m sure.
She’s pretty in a basic way. Definitely attractive but not model material imo.
She’s mediocre.
Agree, pretty in a basic way. I like that she hasn’t done anything weird to her face or body to make herself unbasic. It’s refreshing. And she looks really pretty in an Estée Lauder perfume commercial I saw recently.
KenDull 4ever!!!!!!!!!
I saw some recent cosmetic advertising photos of Kendall with a bright red lip and makeup done to perfection. She looked gorgeous. That’s why she was hired, because she really looks good when all done up.
Sabrine and Bella, some years ago when i was studying fashion i was an intern in a model agency. One of my duties was to send models to castings. Everyday i would see BREATHTAKING girls being rejected just because. The competition is brutal. If Kendall was a regular girl and not a Kardashian she wouldn’t have been a successful model (same with Suki Waterhouse, Hailey Baldwin..) with huge contracts.
She is pretty but that’s not enough. She lacks charisma. I can assure you that if it wasn’t her fame and her huge instagram base there’s no way she would have been booked for Estee Lauder. She doesn’t fit the brands aesthetics, the way she doesn’t fit for Balmain,Chanel etc. She is more of a Mac or Topshop girl. Good looking in a commercial way, not high fashion.
A contract for Estee Lauder is hard to get and a huge success for a model. Caroline Murphy, Arisona Muse, Constance Jablonski,Anja Rubic,Joan Smalls all worked for EL. They have nothing in common with Kendall.
EL now wants to target at a younger audience ( most 19year olds don’t know who Anja Rubik or Joan Smalls are) and Kendall brings them fame and brand rejuvenation.She is the person with the most liked Instagram photo after all.
Rainbow, I think the point here is that modeling as a whole is changing so rapidly that the thought process you have described is no longer valid Re: what model is appropriate for what job. Right in your own comment you even concede that Estée Lauder’s focus has changed. Point being, with the advent of social media these changes are permanent.
Anon33 i am not sure that modelling is changing as a whole just because nepotism became a trend. Maybe this trend will fade too after a while.
Also some brands want the “fame” that a reality star gives them and others don’t.Old houses like Saint Laurent would never use them.
Still to high fashion people the Kardashians are seen as vulgar and are not respected. Some of use them for instant attention and that’all. They are not representing the entire fashion industry.
I dislike the Kardashian family, but if Kendall is able to get people to buy products, then I can see why she’d get hired.
I have an entirely different opinion of Kendall.
I think she’s stunning and absolutely model material.
She has such a gorgeous expression in her eyes and I think that her photos jump off the page.
The EL campaign is just beautiful.
I have to admit that I have to ignore what family she belongs to, because that will taint how I see her.
Such vapid, materialistic, narcissistic, amoral people.
I’m pulling for Kendall.
I agree with Rainbow.I know some about modeling and this girl doesn’t have the “It” factor at all.It is who she is who she knows that have given her a career at all.She is tall and thin and that is pretty much it.To me she is very plain to look at.I do not think people that follow her or a fan of hers are interested in Estee Lauder products or even familiar with them.
I understand what everyone is saying and don’t dispute that her social media presence and the trash family she belongs to are factors for her modeling gigs.
But I don’t agree that she isn’t stunning model material.
Sure – she’s not the classic EL choice or representative of the brand’s traditional target, so it does appear that she got that contract to carry EL over into the younger demographic.
But I absolutely believe the campaign is gorgeous.
There’s a billboard of Kendall in that red suit for EL in rock center NYC.
I watched as people did a double take.
It bowls you over – it’s stunning.
This is just my humble option.
I imagine others think she’s gorgeous – and that there are just as many who don’t.
I agree, bella- the EL commercial is stunning.
I agree, Bella. I think she’s really beautiful.
The thing with Cara is that she is unattractive in real life, but is extremely photogenic. While I think Kendall is attractive in real life, she looks awkward and stiff in photos. I just do not understand how she has 65 million followers.
The other day there was a post about how her sister Kim had 55 million followers. Some people commented that many of the “followers” are made up or bought. Maybe that is the case here as well. When it comes to that family nothing surprises me
Of course this is the case here. You can buy followers in a bulk. You can also buy clicks or search terms in a bulk so your website is rated higher on google. No way that there are really 65 million people following her because they are fans.
I was gonna say that too. Cara pops in photos in such an electric way. That’s what brought her to prominence.
Exactly. Cara’s funny-looking and not that ‘pretty’ in conventional terms, but she is highly distinctive and stands out in photographs, unlike Kendall. And I say this as someone who is no fan of Cara either.
Barf. This new generation of “it models” have nothing on Kate, Naomi, Linda, Cindy, Claudia et al.
+1
“Omg it’s totally not about the money u guys! lol stop spreading negativity” anyways…
So you are a pretty woman-girl who has done little but jumpstart a modelling career through your rich family and reality shows and you get half a dozen covers in Vogue, Cosmo and the sort. But if you are an über-talented, stunning actress who has been reaping awards left and right in the tightest best actress field in years (like Brie Larson or Saoirse Ronan), well, consider yourself lucky if you get a small, one-page feature or maybe a shared cover. And this is for white women, how many Oscars would Ava DuVernay have to win to get these covers?
I am a straight bloke and I find nothing attractive about this girl and her dead-eye clones, especially when you compare them with the “curvy” models. Dear fashion media, stoo trying to force these bores unto us!
The bottom line is what sales. And brands want to establish their clientele younger; create loyalty over time. These young women regardless of whether anyone likes them or not are a product of the times. They know how Social Media works and they know how to use it to their advantage. Young women love what they wear, what they do and the places they go. They are not my generation. But I see how young women follow them and copy what they do.
I actually think Kendall is a beautiful girl. She has great style and she looks like a model to me. She doesn’t have the same look as the sisters which makes her stand apart from them. I do’t know. I just think she is doing it well and making a name for herself. Just like her friends. They understand that Times have changed; and we won’t see model of old again. Just as you won’t have the Movie Stars of old anymore; the new stars are different and the way they are embraced and celebrated is different. I actually miss the old ways too.
Totally agree with you lisa2 – things change. At one point, people used to get their gossip from magazines, now they get it online because the Internet makes everything faster, easier and cheaper. Well, it’s the same with advertising. Look at all the blogs around, I don’t for a moment believe that everything on the blogs I follow are “real life” but I still follow them because I might see something I like. I got into the idea of sewing from blogs, I get crafting ideas from blogs, and yep, I get style ideas from blogs. There’s nothing wrong with change and social media is a part of that change.
Sadly she’s everywhere, Kanye & the K’s helped jump start her career which is not fair for other models struggling but that’s how it is. Cara, Gigi, & co all had their families help to get in the modeling world. If you open Vogue magazine you’ll see Kendall at least 8-10 times there, believe me I’m no fan of the K’s but they’re popular & people follow them. They have apps, their show, clothes, makeup, hair products, their own plastic surgeon, etc. We live in a world where the K’s had more than 15 minutes of fame.
In this case is that you could use one of Kim’s emojis: BASIC!
Tell me it’s basically teenagers who hype this shit up… I can’ t conceive that adults follow these people or buy their products (or watch their stuff because they’re in it).
Yeah it’s definitely pre-teens, teens, and young adults mostly. They are the generation of “selfies” and social media. They are easily influenced and being “liked” or popular is the most important thing to them. It’s all about numbers to them. How many “likes” and “shares” and “followers” they can get. It’s all bullsh*t if you ask me. I can’t imagine how these young kids are going to be able to function in normal society one day when they have to get a real 9 to 5 job. Their boss isn’t going to pat everyone on the back at the end of the day and say “you’re all winners”. Seems a generation of self-important brats is on it’s way.
Just read a blind item – thought to be her -about a famous member of a famous family who has been told by the family NOT to come out as gay. Although I read the same rumor about Rob! If so, that’s sad. Does Kendall have a boyfriend?
I think that blind is about Rob.
I think it is about Kendall too.I know a few people that do watch that crummy show think she is gay also.
I’ve read over the past couple of years that this has been rob’s struggle and why he’s gone into hiding as he struggles.
It’s sad, whoever it may be, that he/she feels they can’t be their true self and that the “family” doesn’t support them.
One would think after Caitlyn’s revelation and transformation that the clan would be more open minded.
Bella also one of the hints in the Blind Gossip was girl on girl so I think it is Kendall and it say’s right there it is someone in the Kardashian family.
Petee
The blind does not say ‘girl on girl’ within it.
The ‘girl on girl’ is the title of a similar post below this blind.
The blind obviously leaves it open to be a female or male.
And Rob is a Kardashian.
His full name is Rob Kardashian.
It’s him…
JUST occurred to me!
Kendall is not a Kardashian – she’s a Jenner!
And the title of the blind says that a Kardashian wants to come out…
Not a member of the family, but a Kardashian.
Another clue that it’s rob not Kendall.
Bella that site runs those similar articles as clues.They did it with Gwen Stefani also.She might be a Jenner but she is part of the Kardashian brand.The family doesn’t have a problem spilling Rob’s personal business so that’s why I don’t think it is him.Kendall is always seen with other young models of the same sex.I guess PMK doesn’t think coming out would be good for a up and coming young model and she pushes the sexy image for all her daughters.Almost all the bloggers agreed it was Kendall too.
Thing is, do they have any staying power? Are they muses like Kate Moss? Cara DeLevigne, maybe. Even Gigi Hadid has an interesting look. But Kendall is a generic pretty girl. The cover isn’t bad and they made her eyes look pretty. Kendall has Kris Jenner’s eyes which is disconcerting in such a young girl.
I must be the only person who thinks Kate Moss looks terrible after all the drugging, smoking, drinking years. The Burberry commercial she’s in with Cara D. makes them both look like they need a good bath.
Her partying has taken a toll on her looks, but beyond just her appearance, Kate Moss has generally great taste in clothes, not just in what she buys but also in how she alters the things she wears.
THAT IS MY DREAM CAR.
that’s really all I can muster up to comment on.
4-5 years ago I had two women in my work place that I worked very closely with. I was shocked when they said they watched the Kardashian shows regularly and LOVED them. I was so shocked, because I could not stand them. Both were in their early to mid-twenties. Needless to say, one of them was very difficult to work with and had a “mean girl” personality. I was so happy when she left the company because it was easier for me to do my job than deal with mean girls. I was in Sunglass Hut and the manager told me how they were sold out of the Fendi sunglasses because Kendall was wearing it in the ads, and pointed out the ad. I had to look closely to see if it was truly Kendall. I cannot believe these women have so much clout. It has to be coverage. Everyone covers them online, so products they wear get a lot of coverage, and since the products are already good to begin with, they sell. It is also the hype that is created. Since so many blogs cover them, people see their products that are listed as “sold out”, so people have to get them too. Ugh, all these “models” are just reality TV “stars”, nothing more. They are getting covers and runway shows because these days brands and magazines are desperate to make a sell and will use anything.
Yes, it’s easy for a model to “help” a company sell out of a product if the product is already really good and of high quality. The model get’s the credit but the products would have sold regardless. Look at the Kardashian Kollection for Sears. The sales were not good, people complained about the tacky, poorly made clothes. The Kardashians can NOT sell anything. Companies are so desperate now a days, all they look at is social media. Who got the most likes and followers this week. It’s a popularity contest but it’s all just an illusion as followers are fake and bought, If it was not for Kanye giving the Kardashians a “second life”, they would have already been forgotten about 3 years ago. Once Kanye’s popularity fades, the Kardashian/Jenners will too. But by then, one of the other girls will have found a famous man to date, and it will just continue.
If they are actually using number of followers to make such decisions, they are going to have to learn how to sort out the real followers from the fakes. But you can see why it’s worth buying the fakes in large numbers- it pays off.
It makes me sad if this is the reason they are getting jobs – number of followers because girls who are just as pretty or prettier have no chance at these same jobs if they don’t have the money behind them. I remember when magazine ads used everyday girls and not just those who are famous.
What I am wondering, do the followers of social medias expensive pret-a- porter models really have the purchasing power? I know, expensive brands make a lot of their profits on accesoires, like sunglasses, etc and doesn´t this cheap the brand on the long run for exclusive shoppers?
Kim says she bought Kendalls career.
Who bought Kim her career?
Ray J and Vivid Entertainment.
Vivid.
And I would say it was Kanye who bought Kendall’s career. Kanye made all these different connections for them. Look at the timeline. The Ks and J’s were all but done after Kims 72 day sham marriage but Kim getting with Kanye saved their a$$es. That’s why I will never believe Kim married Kanye for love she married him because of what he brought to the table no matter how crazy he is. Without Kanye they wouldn’t be at the level they are. With Kanye came the designers (who wanted nothing to do with them prior), Vogue, all the higher end connections and so forth.
Kim has a career? I don’t see what she does as a career. Maybe I have a different definition of career than others have.
@ Tifygodess24
I agree…Kanye saved their butts. Of course Kim was desperate at that point and saw Kanye as her golden ticket. This dude was trying to date her for years but she wasn’t in to him. Then all of a sudden she started dating him and got pregnant…surprise !
@ Swack – she calls herself a business woman, but honestly she doesn’t know the first thing about business. She does what mommy tells her to do and that’s it. Really Kanye and PMK are the tag team that launched a thousand Kardashian/Jenner “careers”.
This girl is…. A) successful because of the pull of her name; B) born under a lucky star; C) made the same deal with the Devil as her mother D) skill alone…lol
Welp I feel like a chump working for a living for waaaaaaaay less than what it takes for her to click “share.”
I don’t watch the show so no idea what she’s like as a person, but I do think she’s pretty and has a model-y face. It’s intriguing and she photographs well IMO. So, I don’t really care that she’s a “successful” model. I’m not a fan of her family and how her older sister getting peed on unleashed this fame-whorror on the rest of us but she does have her own career I guess. She seems harmless so get it, girl.
Kendall is so dead behind the eyes. She has no spark. Cara seems annoying and bratty in her candids, but her modeling photos are intriguing, and that makes her a successful model. Kendall just has no “there” there.
I agree, and the deadness/vapidity behind Kendall’s eyes reverberates throughout her whole face/expression. She is what I consider to be generically attractive: there is nothing arresting, interesting, or striking about her, nor do I think she is beautiful. She is just a VERY lucky, very spoiled girl who was very fortunate to come of age in the time of social media, and to have the family who got her all the connections she needed for her almost instantaneous modeling career to take off. Not a fan.
Kendall’s personal style is completely different from the bling-bling style favoured by every other K-J sister. She’s more bohemian, indie, and sophisticated. The 300K thing shows you just how ridiculous it is! Huge reach.
Yahoo had an article saying she is dropping “Jenner” because she didn’t want to be associated with her family buying her success. I’m surprised that wasn’t covered.
A little too late to drop the name “Jenner” isn’t it? She already used her family’s fame to get in the door and climb straight to the top of the ladder without much effort. Dropping her name now won’t matter. I mean she’s STILL on KUWTK.
I’ve been reading the comments about her EL contract and how they chose her hoping to attract a younger audience. The peril with that is the number of long-time customers the alienated with that attempt. The vast majority of her real fans, not the ones she bought, don’t/won’t use EL. The perfume she hawks is, IMO, awful. Her “signature” lipstick shade looks like all the other orangey-reds out there. In other words, ordinary products shilled by an ordinary, plain Jane. I just don’t get her appeal.