Response to Can 'real' fashion be done with a 'glamour'-type model?

Tommy says:
Question is: can this be pulled off with a model not incredibly tall, shapely, and beautiful?

It can, but it is tougher.

Does it have to do with the percieved image of what a fashion model should look like?

I'm sure it has quite a bit to do with what we "perceive" as fashion model-esque.

Brian says:
It sounds to me like you're spending way too much time thinking about models and nowhere near enough about the rest of the shoot.

I agree. Tommy nailed it on the head when he said:

3) In the fashion shot, the emphasis is on the clothes - the forms, lines, and color they create along with the body of the model, or, in the absence of any - the attitude.

To add Brian's idea, it also includes location, background, and most importantly - lighting.

I still stand behind the fact that finding good fashion models is difficult - and still is the first problem. One interesting exercise is to simply head to your local upscale mall, walk around, and window shop. On any given saturday, the mall will be brimming with folk. Keep your eye out for people who strike you visually. The kind of people who you notice and then say, "wow, that person looks like a fashion model."

One thing you will notice is that these people are in a severe minority. They will have their clothing tastefully chosen, with colors (if any besides black) that match. Accessories will be matching and in place. They will exude "fashion" to you. Their faces and skulls will complement their bodies and their clothing.

Now you have found a fashion model. It is up to you if you want to approach them and ask if they would like to model. However, a slightly more practical thing to do is to examine your own reaction to their appearance. What made you think that they were fashion-esque? What about their appearance and clothing gave you such a strong impression? Take these things and write them down, and then apply them to your growing body of knowledge about fashion.

i really do think that fashion is still portraiture. As a result, the model and his/her clothing can stand alone. This is why Avedon could do some of his fashion work on pure white backgrounds. This makes your job as a photographer harder - but this is also why there are "glamour shots" shops in every mall in the US, but not a single "high fashion shots" shop anywhere.

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