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If you askJanice Dickinson, the Hadid and Jenner sisters shouldn’t be considered supermodels.
While the women dominate runaways and magazine covers today, the formerAmerica’s Next Top Modeljudge doesn’t they have what it takes, she said during an interview on theBehind The Velvet RopepodcastThursday.
“No. They’re not,” she said. “They have one look. They don’t really diversify their movements. They just stand there and get paid millions of dollars.”
Explaining her stance, she added “The models of the ’70s, ’80s do not compare to the models of today, the Instagram models that get famous and they put intoVogue—theKylie Jenners and theGigi Hadids and theBella Hadids.”
Bella and Gigi Hadid.Jeff Spicer/Getty
Dickinson, 66, said she believes the models land covers at major fashion magazines because of their social media followings, which far surpass many of the style publications.
“They have millions and millions and millions of followers,” she explained. “And you know, whatVoguehas a subscription of what 800,000 andKylie Jennerhas got like, what, 25 million people following her? Something like that.”
While the women may have amassed huge followings and used their model status to launch numerous other brands and ventures, Dickinson said she doesn’t think they’ll ever compare to supermodels from decades past.
“They were never on the level of the girls from the ’70s and ’80s and ’90s,” she said. “We were fabulous.”
“No one has proven yet that numbers of followers translates to revenue,” shesaid. “So it is frustrating. I know a lot of people – legitimate fashion people – can’t stand it. Hate it that these, you know, social media stars are now the supermodels in fashion.” Then, she went on to make a pretty blunt statement: “They are not true supermodels.”
Stephanie Seymour, one of the original six supermodels,toldVanity Fairin 2016that they should be referred to as “b—–s of the moment” and are “completely different than we are.”
“Being a “supermodel” is a relative term,” Jenner wrote on her website and app. “If people want to call Gigi and I supermodels now, it doesn’t take anything away from supermodels of the past. Obviously, I have so much respect for those women, but right now, we’re the models of this time. Significant? Maybe. Hardworking? For sure.”
KMazur/WireImage
Still, plenty of fashion greats have come to their defense as well.Top Modelstar Tyra Bankspreviously said that the feud between current and past models made her uncomfortable.
“This supermodel war is raging and it’s really tearing me apart,” she tweeted at the time. “I wanna quote Rodney King so badly right now.”
She elaborated on her website, explaining how it feels to see younger women soar in the modeling world with more access and technology than she and others that came to fame before social media had.
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“We witness young girls on reality shows and super popular girls on social media now being called Supermodels and think, ‘WHAT?! It’s not fair! Is that kind of success even real?'” she wrote. “There is insanely high demand for these girls from the public, and yes, from the intimidating, elusive fashion industry too. I know you’re thinking, ‘But HOW can the industry justify them? They didn’t sweat and SUFFER like I did!!!'”
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Still, Banks concluded that these women should still be considered supermodels.
“You’re on countless covers, rule all the campaigns, walk everyone’s runway, have top designers on speed dial and everyone knows your name,” she wrote. “I think the answer is obvious.”
source: people.com
