"architects do it with models" how do architects and fashion designers utilise 'the model' as a...

7/22/2019 "Architects do it with models" How do Architects and Fashion Designers utilise 'The Model' as a means of work?

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ARCHITECTS DO IT WITH MODELS HOW DO

ARCHITECTS AND FASHION DESIGNERS UTILISE THE

MODEL AS A MEANS OF WORK?

AMRIT SEERA 1100239 CARC 6003: CULTURAL CONTEXT THESIS

BA (Hons) ARCHITECTURE UNIVERSITY FOR THE CREATIVE ARTS (CANTERBURY SCHOOL OF ARCHITECTURE)

CONTENTS


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02 1 Introduction

09 2 How The Model came to be

How the architectural and fashion models we know today came to

be

15 3 Uses of The Model

An exploration into the multitude of uses of The Model

21 4 Realms of fantasy and reality

How The Model distorts our experiences of fantasy and reality

26 5 Conclusion

28 6 Bibliography


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ARCHITECTS DO IT WITH MODELS HOW DO

ARCHITECTS AND FASHION DESIGNERS UTILISE THE

MODEL AS A MEANS OF WORK?

1 Introduction

The Model is utilised as a powerful meansof communication, with which a

designer can create a tangible language or object that expresses their idea(s) or

product(s) to an audience. The Model is a fundamental part of both the

Architectural and Fashion industries and as the title of this work indicates the aim

is to uncover the uses of The Model in the Architectural and Fashion industries

that stretch beyond its uses as a means of communication. The Model means so

much more than just as a way to communicate, Models are the co-producers of

reality (Eliasson, 2007) theyve become a way to distort our perceptions of reality

through the use of different techniques and technologies; theyve become a

means of work and process; theyve become a methodology of experimentation.

More and more different industries are coming together to create

interdisciplinary collaborations; none are more interesting than those moments


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where the worlds of Architecture and Fashion collide. The lines between creative

industries are becoming evermore blurred, the rise of the multidisciplinary

practice has allowed the Architect to be more than just an Architect i.e. product

designer, graphic designer, interior design, fashion designer etc. At the core both

these industries primary output is to provide shelter; both garments and

buildings protect and shelter the body whilst providing means to express

personal, political and cultural identity (Juinio, 2010), both industries relate back

to the human body, and more obviously in the fashion industry than the

architecture industry, allows us a form of self-expression. Architecture and fashion

are part of the art of living (Jacobs, 2013), the luxuries of expression and

creativity that surround us; the professionals of these industries have a very

significant impact on our lives (as much as we may try to deny it).

"This ... stuff? Oh. Okay. I see. You think this has nothing to do with you.

You go to your closet and you select ... I don't know ... that lumpy blue

sweater, for instance because you're trying to tell the world that you take

yourself too seriously to care about what you put on your back. But what

you don't know is that sweater is not just blue, it's not turquoise, it's not


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lapis, itsactually cerulean. And you're also blithely unaware of the fact

that in 2002, Oscar de la Renta did a collection of cerulean gowns. And

then I think it was Yves Saint Laurent wasn't it who showed cerulean

military jackets?" ... "And then cerulean quickly showed up in the

collections of eight different designers. And then it, uh, filtered down

through the department stores and then trickled on down into some tragic

Casual Corner where you, no doubt, fished it out of some clearance bin.

However, that blue represents millions of dollars and countless jobs and

it's sort of comical how you think that you've made a choice that exempts

you from the fashion industry when, in fact, you're wearing that sweater

because that was selected for you by the people in this room from a 'pile

of stuff'." (The Devil Wears Prada, 2006)

Exemplified in this quote by Miranda Priestly (portrayed by Meryl Streep) in the

2006 film The Devil Wears Prada based on the 2003 book by Lauren Weisberger,

the book is a roman la clef of Anna Wintour the current editor-in-chief of

American Vogue. Priestly explains how the decisions made by professionals of the

fashion industry can influence something as basic as the colour of a jumper. From


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one end of the spectrum these decisions filter down i.e. Oscar de la Renta luxury

couture gowns all the way down to the common every day person buying a

jumper in a certain colour from a retail store. The same principles can be applied

to Architecture, decisions made by architects, developers, contractors etc. have an

effect, no matter how miniscule, on how we inhabit and move through public

and/or private spaces.

Architecture has a permanent presence in the fashion magazines, it is one of

the most influential institutions of the industry. (Gaudet, 2011) the industries

have a profound influence on each other. Peter Marino (who frequently

collaborates with fashion houses such as Louis Vuitton and Chanel) explained how

he goes to the Fashion Weeks seeking inspiration,"[Fashion] they're able to

express changes in our sentiments much faster than architecture what I do on the

boards doesn't happen for a year" ... "Fashion is the immediate, here we are now."

(Marino, 2013) Due to the pace of the fashion industry it is a place to see the

pop culture and what is culturally relevant today; contrasting that with an industry

that moves slow, architecture can look to the fashion industry as an insight as to

what will be and what is culturally relevant.


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For a basic example of how these two industries are similar is in The Model

they use for projects.

FASHION

Fashion week, new collection, private

client, retail, ready-to-wear, and couture

Mood boards, samples, research,

collaboration, precedents

Samples, fittings, patterns, materials,

modelling, testing

Final fittings, model go sees, final

changes, adjustments, final

embellishments

ARCHITECTURE

Developer, Private client, Competition,

Exhibition, Installation, Collaboration

Research, precedents, collaboration,

mood boards, collage, sketching

Models, iterations, concept refinement,

materiality, testing, sketches

Final drawings, technical drawings, final

adjustments, Photoshop, final model

Brief

Concept

Development

Refinement

Presentation


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Figure 1 The Model of the industries

Fig 1. Demonstrates how these industries parallel in the process they use to

arrive at their final product, the stages in The Model are the same and the

processes at each stage are similar. Differences in the development stage where

professionals in the Architectural industry will use scale models to express quick

iterations and in the fashion industry they may use this technique but it would be

difficult to use scaled down models. There is scene in the movie The Devil Wears

Prada (2006) where Miranda Priestly reviews the work of James Holt, who has his

work being displayed on models, for the upcoming Paris Fashion Week, There is

a scale. One nod is good, two nods is very good. Theres only been on actual

smile on record and that was Tom Ford in 2001. If she doesnt like it she shakes

her head. Then of course theres the pursing of the lips. To which the

protagonist asks, Which means? with a reply of Catastrophe.


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This situation is very similar to the Crit or Critique Architecture students (and

sometimes Architects) face, it is a very similar situation, where you waiting with

abated breath as to see whether the person critiquing the work youve spent

endless days and nights working on without rest, trying to gauge their facial

expressions for any signs of feedback.

To specify into the relationship between these industries there are scholars

researching and writing about Architecture and Fashion such as Bradley Quinn

writes about fashion, textiles and design with titles such as The Fashion of

Architecture, Techno Fashion, Scandinavian Style and Mid-century Modern;

however the best way to see comments on this are in building or on the catwalk

by looking at designers such as Rei Kawakubo, Yohji Yamamoto and Gareth Pugh.

There are abundant researchers on models in each respective industry, for the

fashion industry at the forefront (from my reading) is Caroline Evans a Professor

of Fashion History and Theory at Central Saint Martins School of Art and Design.

Evans works include: Fashion at the Edge (2003), Fashion and Modernity (2005)

and Modeling Modernism: Mechanical Smiles and Mobile Bodies (2012), several

of these works have been referenced in my work.


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There is a myriad of scholars commenting on the architectural model, literature

of architectural models date back to Ancient Greece, however the sources that

were most useful for this work came from Bradley Starkey, Tom Porter and John

Neale, and Mark Morris. Starkey is researching the emerging methodology of

design-led research, investigating the how the process and final outcome of

architectural model making can be used as a tool through which to research the

spiritual. Starkey is a one of the editors of From Models to Drawings (2007),

which is referenced throughout my text. Tom Porter and John Neale are authors

of the book Architectural Supermodels: Physical Design Simulation (2000), which

was developed from a dissertation by Neale while a Diploma student at Oxford

Brookes. Finally the work of Mark Morris in Architecture in Practice: Models:

Architecture and the Miniature (2006) which follows doctoral research Morris

undertook in 1998-2003 at the Architectural Association; his interest in models

started during his studies and continued throughout his studies in Europe, his

studio that he teaches at Cornell University focuses on modeling techniques.

The actual topic at hand i.e. The Model in the Architectural and Fashion

industries has not been researched or documented as much as broader

similarities between the industries. This specific overlap between the industries is


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interesting as this one notion encapsulates so much of what is interesting in the

similarities and differences of these industries. There is an undeniable need for

creative industries to collaborate and work together for progression and

innovation, the industries of Architecture and Fashion can learn so much from

one another yet have very similar histories, outcomes and processes. Having a

keen interest in both of these industries this piece of work has allowed a deep

exploration into these industries and inspired a continuation in interest into this

genre of work.

Looking at a specific link between these industries has allowed for in-depth

research into The Model, in particular its uses, its significances and what it

means to each industry. Diana Agrest was quoted to have said: Architecture is

produced in 3 different registers, through three different texts: drawing, writing,

and building We could consider four, if we consider models. (Agrest,

2000:164), why is that Agrest considered models as an after thought? It should be

an integral part of both industries as it is what links the worlds of abstract and

concept to reality. The aim of this research is to explore how The Model has

become and is becoming much more than a means of representation in both


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industries, how it is not just a means of communication but also a means of

working and of process


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2 How The Model came to be

Marcial Echneique defined the model as being a representation of reality

where representation is the expression of certain relevant characteristics of the

observed reality and where reality consists of the objects or systems that exist,

have existed or may exist. (Echneique, 1968), The Model acts as a crossroad

between what exists (realms of reality) and a representation of an object or

system that is yet to exist (realms of fantasy), so an architectural model this is

obvious that the building site and its surroundings are the realms of reality and

the Architects creation will be the realm of fantasy mediated by means of model.


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In the fashion industry The Model acts in a similar way whereby the fashion

model is a mediator between the consumer and the product, however, creates

more of a fantasy by displaying the model as an image of perfection.

The etymology of the world model also reiterates this idea of The Model

acting as a mediator, borrowed from the Middle French word modle, from

Italian model, from Latin models. Modellius is a diminutive of the Latin modulus,

a diminutive of modus, which signifies the word measure. (Smith, 2004) the

aspect that makes the model a mediator between fantasy and reality is scale; the

miniature size of the architectural model makes it almost toy-like creating an

instant air of nostalgia, whimsy and fantasy about it, models gain energy by

being small (Kipper, 1978). The fashion model represents at a 1:1 scale selling a

fantasy via the lifestyle and attitude that is represented in the clothes he or she is

modeling, the fashion model exemplifies a fantasy that many women wish was a

reality.

The history of The Model in each industry has a very

similar history, they both begin in during Ancient Greek

Figure 2. Temple of


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and Roman civilisations, The architectural models of Greek and Roman antiquity,

if they existed at all, are known only from literature. The oldest acknowledge

model is mentioned in Herodotus, who describes the model of the Delphi Temple

in his writing. (Neale & Porter, 2000), as it was difficult to archive during Ancient

civilisations or means of archiving would be lengthy processes the easiest and

quickest way would have been to document a model in a description of it in

words. However, models or maquettes would not have been as significant as they

are today in this era, the notion that the early builders worked directly from

maquettes is deemed unlikely by the majority of modern archaeologists The

Great Pyramid, Stonehenge, The Parthenon and other ancient monuments were

designed and constructed according to scientific needs; their location, setting,

size, and geometry being determined by the need to embody cosmic measure

and ratios. (Neale & Porter, 2000), so although conventional methods were not

being used and The Model was not as relevant at this time, there were

systematic models used to determine the measure; which relates back to

etymology of The Model the word model being a derivative of the Latin

Modellius meaning measure.


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The Model, as architects understand it, was primarily a renaissance invention

(Morris, 2006:15) as it wasnt until the Italian Renaissance that the architectural

model began to have significance to an Architect or designers work, Leon Battista

Alberti is noted to have realized how important The Model is to an Architects

work, having constructed the model, it will be possible to examine clearly and

consider thoroughly the relationship between the site and surrounding district,

the shape of the area, the number and order of the parts of a building, the

appearance of the walls, the strength of the covering, and in short the design and

construction of all elements. (Alberti, 1996), Alberti began to understand that not

only could The Model communicate his ideas but also can become a tool of

study giving definition to the architectural ideas in three dimensions (Alberti,

1996). However, the direct relationship was lost between the Architect and The

Model as during this time period the process of making The Model was

considered messy work (Starkey, 2007) which accorded them a lower status in

comparison to the drawings which were made in the gentlemanly space of

study. (Starkey, 2007)


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It wasnt until Walter Gropius founded the

Bauhaus in 1919 that there was a

resurrection of the medieval Lost Chord

between designer and craftsman, the

revolutionary curriculum (Neale & Porter,

2000); this then reignited the idea of the model being detrimental to the

progression of design and innovation. Process Models are almost always made

by the hand of the designer and so claim the architects touch and authorial

aura. (Morris, 2006:37) through the students learning, analysing and developing

their ideas through models the Lost Chord was revived, a model gains energy

and excitement as the person whos creation it is pours their essence into this

model.

Like the architectural model the fashion models history can be traced back to

Greek and Roman civilisations, however, at this time it wasnt the fashion model

we know today. Models were first used as artists muses, Accounts of the first

models originate from Ancient Greece of 400 B.C. it is because man wanted to

idealise his own kind, that the job of the model was born. Quite simply artists and

sculptors needed base material from which to work. (Quick, 1997:10), there was a

Figure 3. Walter Gropius opened the

Bauhaus with one of the ideas to

resurrect the Lost Chord between


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need for these muses to create these idealistic perfect representations of the

human body. It wasnt until the 17thand 18thcentury when there were clothes

and designs to sell (Quick, 1997:23) that the fashion model became a necessity.

Models soon began to, and still do, play a critical role in shaping how

commodities are sold to us (Entwistle & Wissinger, 2012:1), before these models

designers modeled their dresses on dolls (Evans, 2013) or inanimate store

fixtures which were often made of wax.

The revolution of the fashion model was the works of an Englishman named

Charles Frederick Worth, who due to the innovation of the modern day fashion

model has since been dubbed the Father of Haute Couture (Ramzi, 2013). Worth

was the first to have the idea to show the clothes in motion to clients (Quick,

1997:23); many of the fashion models of this time were from the shop floor of the

salons either salesgirls or assistants. At this time the fashion model was known as

a mannequin (or manakin), the use of this term

described the spillage between animate and

inanimate (Evans, 2003), the use of this term

described the interchangeability of the fashion model

and a dummy, fashion models could transfer themselves to being shop window


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dummies after a fashion show. They would walk at the fashion shows, which

werent as flamboyant as they are now, that were held in the salons of the

designer; these soon became big social events for high society women.

It wasnt until Madame Coco Chanel set up her

mason de fashion in Paris that modeling became a

career and a source of full time employment, until this it was seen as a low-

quality job linked with preconceptions of being linked to prostitution. Chanel had

a usual approach to employing these models; she employed them in her own

image; demanding strong facial features, a lithe frame and an elegant walk. It

was Chanel that began the idea that each designer had an aesthetic for his or her

models for fashion shows.

The rise and influence of Hollywood in the 1930s added the theatricality of

glamour to the modeling industry, however it was the advancement in

photography and specifically fashion photography that acted as a springboard

for change in the status of the model (Quick, 1997:42). Photo shoots and

catwalks became a more glamorous and elaborate affair, Photographers spent

days, even weeks, creating fashion stories. The preparation was meticulous and

Figure 4. Chanel with model

(Year Unknown)


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the relationship between mode, photographer, and editor, intense. Through this

process, [Guy] Bourdin, [Helmut] Newton and [Deborah] Turberville changed the

focus of the fashion image by giving a weight of meaning beyond mere

description of clothes. (Quick, 1997:119). Similar to the rise of the architectural

model as the fashion model became a more important part of the fashion

industry the relationship between creator and craftsman became more

intertwined.

Both architectural models and fashion models

have come along way since their humble ancient

beginnings, however their success and constant

innovation is due to their ability to relate to their

immediate historical context, the target market and

the designers style (Soley-Beltran, 2012:99). More

so in the fashion industry is this possible however architectural modeling had to

and still do reflect technological advancements, Nowadays, the main aim of

architecture is the continuation of progress of its design based technological

innovation Innovation is forever dictated by science and technology. This

becomes reflected in the architectural model, the advancement of CAM

Figure 5. Dita Von Teese modelling


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technology has allowed for modeling to be quicker and more precise process i.e.

3D printing models has allowed quick maquettes to be created and is now being

developed to be at a 1:1 scale for rooms and in the fashion industry for dresses.

Models can be a reflection of the trends and patterns of that are occurring in the

industry, Peter Marino in the John Edwards Lecture 2013 describes how there are

rhythms of minimalism and maxism in fashion that are reflected in the

architecture of that time, the only way architecture gains pace and velocity is

through technological advancement and iterations that architects create. Through

the velocity of creating iteration, after iteration, after iteration is a rapid way to

progress a project, a concept an innovation.

With the advancement of technology the image of reality becomes ever more

distorted, The Models body seems irrelevant no more than a kind of raw

material that was virtually undetectable, an analytically insignificant, under layers

of airbrushing, studio effects and now photoshopping.(Entwistle & Slater, 2012)

Almost as though a cyclic pattern, with the rise of technology, we have gone a

full circle back to the original artists muse where the artist would seek out the

best parts of a model and use them to create a supermodel.There is a lot to be


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learnt from the history of The Model, and it is evident that they are a reflection

of how the industries are progressing and changing.

3 Uses of The Model

Alexander McQueens clothes at The Met was spectacular because it

wasnt about the fashion, it was a spectacular creation, on every level it

transcended fashion. People who didnt know the first thing about fashion,

you didnt need a fashion education, you didnt need to know the history

of the corset to appreciate the show. (Jacobs, 2013)

From looking at the history of the model it is clear to see that through its

history it has gained multiple meanings and uses. However to discover the

adaptability of The Model we should begin to understand the objectives of The

Figure 6. Images of Britney Spears for

Candies showing her before and after

post-editing, this image shows how

The Model can distort reality with


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Model, what does The Model wish to achieve? The Models objective is to

create a language between those of the industry and their audience who may not

have experience of their industry; its aim is to communicate artists concepts and

visions of utopia.

Models are a means of representing ideas visually in an exciting design

dimension, i.e., an architectural language that cannot be readily experienced via

drawings (Neale & Porter, 2000); there is richness in a model that cannot be

easily achieved in a drawing. Models create an excitement that often cannot be

created in rigid and regulated drawings in their miniature and toy-like nature,

especially a plethora of models that show an iterative process that architects such

as Frank Gehry, Nigel Coates and Will Alsop readily employ for projects.

Before we begin to look at other motives of The Model it should be studied

its primary function of representation and communication. The models outcome

is to provide a stimulus that is understandable, however very rarely do many

people see these models in their physicality, so how would artists communicate

their ideas to the masses? Through photography and imagery,


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Images are the real currency of architecture, often outliving the structures

they commemorate, no less than fashion, where they are used in their

millions, that both are so dependent on the traditional media of

newspaper and magazines. (Pawley, 2000)

Martin Pawley an architect that has a keen interest in the worlds of fashion and

architecture describes how images are like a currency, itis like a verbal

language and it communicates with people of society (Hedayat, 2012). As this is

the way most people will see The Model it becomes merely an image, a

representation of reality without being itself (Eliason, 2007), we forget that it is a

physical object, that there was a days, weeks and months of preparation for one

image, to sell an idea or a product. We forget that the item that is sold to clients

is a thing with certain defined properties, and to produce that thing requires

material and intellectual labour to design, define, shape, present and promote it

(Entwistle & Slater, 2012).

The Model is a representation of an artists concept, The Model is a physical

outcome of an abstract idea that an Architect or Fashion Designer has conceived,


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the concept marshals, disciplines, integrates and conceptualises a considerable

range of heterogeneous practices towards the production of a stable and

consistently identifiable object. The Model is a means for an artist to

communicate his or her concept as a vision for utopia (or sometimes dystopia) in

a physical representation either as a physical entity or as an image.

While models are frequently used to communicate design ideas, they are

rarely used to generate them. (Starkey, 2007) An alternative to the common

misconception that models are

simply there for representation is the

notion that they can be used to

generate the ideas or concepts.

Olafur Eliason describes how we no

longer progress from model to reality but from model to model while

acknowledging that both models are, in fact, real. (Eliason, 2007), this is a recent

development of how the model can be used to the advancement of a project and

of conceptual ideas. It is not simply a concept, the idea that models can generate

ideas, studios of Zaha Hadid, Daniel Libeskind and Steven Holl use the model as

a conduit for exploring embryonic ideas (Neale &Porter, 2000) therefore

Figure 7. Zaha Hadids series of models for the Venice


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reversing the The Model of the industry previously mentioned, instead of

modelling in the development and refinement stages there is the opportunity to

use it during the conceptualisation stage. Using these three practices as an

example models exist at the heart of their design thinking, a single project

sometimes being subjected to literally scores of sequentially built exploration

maquettes, each made in order to refine and resolve function and form and, of

course, to increase build-ability of their concept. (Neale & Porter, 2000) A

projects sequence and story can be told through the physical iterations of their

concept that are created, it can show a client or for future reference how a

project was successful or not so successful; in a retrospective manner they can be

an educational stimulus for practices.

The purpose of design, and in this case modelling, is to further perfect an

ideology we believe is already perfect. A house has different connotations when

we think of the perfect house or the perfect dress and as well as

communicating visions of utopia models allow us to reinvent the wheel. Olafur

Eliason explains this in his Models are Real essay, A model of a house, for

instances, would be part of a temporal sequence, as the refinement of the image

of the house, but the actual and real house was considered a static, final


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consequence of the model. (Eliason, 2007) Eliason evokes an idea that the model

from its ancient beginnings has been a progression of perfecting the image of

the house, at a more basic level it is a constant perfection and reinvention of the

way we should shelter ourselves, for both architecture and fashion.

As well as providing a fast medium through which ideas can be generated from

these iterations models become a tool for analysis they can be used for testing

the feasibility of a design, it can also test the spatial configuration of a design.

They can provide retrospective especially for models that have survived the test

of time where the 1:1 model as a building may have not, when they do survive

they provide a retrospective, insight of the Architects spatial anticipations and, in

themselves, can become celebrated as treasured relics

(Neale & Porter, 2000), there is a lot we can learn

from historical models as an educational tool. Through

The Model clients or an audience can begin to

analyse the idea themselves, especially for major

public buildings e.g. The Houses of Parliament and the Law Courts, these can be

seen by the public to inform judgement and spark debate.


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The Fashion industry has a much closer link to The Model as they operate on

a 1:1 scale, the fashion industry also can use The Model as a tool for learning

and analysing, fashions love for the female figure turned into an obsession by

the mid-Eighties. Designers wrapped and swathed the

body in clinging Lycra micro clothes photographers

cropped heads out of the picture, filling the frame with impossibly perfect figures

Fashion even named its own icon in the shape of Elle MacPherson, a 6ft tall

Amazonian model who simply became known as The Body. (Quick, 1997) The

Model becomes dissolved again into a mere mannequin, where a designer can

learn from a Model especially as models now comein different shapes, sizes and

specialities as the career is no longer considered taboo. The recent rise in

different shaped models has allowed designers to design and learn from the

human anatomy in new ways than when The Model was a standardised skeletal

frame.

Models exist in all shapes, sizes, forms and functions; within each industry there

are specific models for specific needs. There is a lot of correspondence between

the architectural and fashion industries in these different types of models i.e. a

Figure 8. The 80s gave rise

to the fashion designer

being obsessed with the

female figure swathing the


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Glamour models that often model topless or nude can be seen to relate to an

architectural structural model where all the faade and clothing has been

removed; the supermodel would be the final all-encompassing, versatile, and

polished model; or the detail sectional models could be seen as a parts model

that is used for specific body parts. There is a vast myriad of different models that

have different functions in both the architectural and fashion industries, this can

produce a wide variety of various representations and points for analysis or

learning, models come in various forms and sizes: objects such as houses or

artwork are one variety, but we also find models of engagement, models of

perception and reflection. (Eliason, 2007)

The Model through technological advancement has become much more than

a means of representation, through the ability to quickly create a rough maquette

from cheap materials such as card or technological advancements such as 3D

[Left] Figure 9. Final Model created by

Archivision Models for Terra Aqua

Developers

[Right] Figure 10. 2013s It Girl Super

Model Cara Delevingne (2013)


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printing or laser cutting there is now the ability to rapidly prototype iterations of

a model. The Model can become a generative methodologyto achieving a final

outcome, The Model can better enable an audience to connect with an artists

visions and concepts and understand it more thoroughly and with the variety of

different models that can be used different levels of detail can be addressed and

studied for further development.


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4 Realms of Fantasy and Reality

Whenever we attempt to speak, write or otherwise represent aspects of

our experience and understanding of physical reality we are entering into

a modelling relationship with the world. (Dillon, 1998)

We cannot attempt to visualise something that doesnt exist without a physical

form of it, it is difficult for an artist to share the exact same vision he or she has

with an audience without a physical representation of it. As afore mentioned The

Model is the means with which artists can distort our perception of reality,

Mediated realities are never synonymous with unmediated realities, however, and


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architectural models are always, but in different ways, abstract and partial. Models

can never represent a one-to-one relationship in all aspects and dimensions.

(Starkey, 2007) Even with fashion The Model is not the one-to-one in all aspects

and dimensions as the clothing The Model is displaying will hangdifferently on

different body shapes and consumers of fashion come in all different shapes and

sizes.

The Model is a form of simulation, it is a way artists can simulate the fantasy

or idea that is imposed into reality. In the book Simulacra and Simulation by Jean

Baudrillard, Baudrillard discusses symbols and signs and their relationship to

simultaneous existences. Simulacra are copies that depict things that either had

no reality to being with, or that no longer have an original. (Goldman & Papson,

2012) and Simulation is the imitation of the operation of a real world process or

system over time. (Banks, Carson, Nelson & Nicol, 2001). Baudrillard breaks our

understanding of Simulacra and Simulation into 4 stages:

1. The Sacramental Order whichis a faithful image/copy which we believe

may be correct


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2. Perversion of Reality this is where we believe the sign could be an

unfaithful copy that masks and denatures reality (Baudrillard, 1994), signs

and images do not faithfully represent reality as we know it but can hint at

an obscure or abstract reality

3. Order of Sorcery this is where the Simulacra pretends to be a faithful

copy, but it is a copy with no original, where signs and images claim to be

representative of something real however in the form of suggestions

4. Pure Simulation at this stage the Simulacrum has no connection to

reality at all, signs merely reflect other signs, and cultural products no

longer even pretend to be real in a nave sense.

Baudrillard identifies simulacra also relate to historical periods currently in the

third order of postmodernity and Late Capitalism the lines between reality and

representation have been severely blurred, originality has become an empty

concept. Several phenomena contribute to this effect, in relationship to The

Model the phenomena of television, film, print, and the Internet have blurred the

lines between products that are needed for survival and products that commercial

images have created a need for.


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There is evidence of Simulacra and Simulation in the modelling world, in fact

the basis of modelling is the idea of simulation by Order of Sorcery (Baudrillard,

1994) by which The Model pretends to be faithful to reality without an original,

however through suggestions claims to be a reality. Architects will almost always

ensure to include context in the final representational model, so clients may see

how this faked reality sits within recognisable signs of existing buildings. Fashion

models create fake realities of lifestyles by the clothing they display, they claim

they live a certain lifestyle due to the clothing they are wearing in the images

however this has all been a staged and simulated reality.

However the mediums through which these fantasies are created are through

photography and imagery, artist and photographer Man Ray believed

Photography was the medium of fantasy (Quick, 1997:56) this is largely due to

the human beings nature of being a visual animal that has been conditioned

by the media screen and page into accepting two-dimensional events as true

versions of reality (Neale & Porter, 2000). Due to our nature as visual animal

and the bombardment of imagery we receive in todays day and age it doesnt


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not phase us to question the images credibility that is presented in front of us,

many of us being used to the imagery accept it as reality.

In the case of the fashion model the body is The Model, the body works as a

skeleton figure on which lifestyles can be hung, withmany designers believing

their work to remain fantasy until it is worn or displayed on a human figure, as

Marc Jacobs explains, I think a room is beautiful when people inhabit it; you can

look at the pure form of a building, but if that store isnt alivewith people, and

those dresses hanging in that store arent being tried on in the dressing rooms,

and sort of left to roll around on a kerb after a party or being taken off in a fancy

bedroom for some guy, I dont understand the point of them. So, seeing dresses

displayed in the museum its not the life of a dress Its not alive. (Jacobs,

2013), with Peter Marino agreeing as a similar approach for architecture, Still

moments are doing something to architecture and its not how we perceive

them. (Marino, 2013) We often see imagery of architecture as being empty in the

middle of the day, however how often do we see a building as empty and often

unfurnished as they are in architectural photography? The image is offering up

the ideas of fantasy without inhabiting it with reality, therefore how are clients


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and audience members supposed to imagine how they would use the building?

Chanel believed the gesture, the attitude, was all important, it was what gave life

to her minimal chic clothes therefore without The Model these inanimate

objects would never become animate and take the fantasy to reality.

What is important in fashion is the creation of a fantasy, I do not speak of

a Disney-esque fantasy; I mean the kind of fantasy that is completely

unfound in reality; I mean the kind of fantasy that allows one to look at

the entirely different aspects of pre-existing material. A fashion brand that

succeeds in creating this fantasy will be considered highly valuable. So

perhaps you could say that the tricks used to accomplish this is the very

definition of fashion. (Igarashi, 2009)

Igarashi speaks of the Simulacras found in fashion, it is common knowledge

than many of the images we see are imitations of reality whereby they have

undergone a thorough conditioning of airbrushing, superimpositions of body

parts including hands, feet, legs, breasts etc. to create an image of perfection,


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that image of perfection is the fantasy the client, audience and consumer will

strive to.

The distortion of realities occurs for the Architect or Fashion designer to

exemplify their fantasies for perfection, the Architect strives to convince the

audience his fantasy of the perfect house is one that be a shared view with

others, whereas the Fashion designer will try convince their audience that their

Autumn/Winter Collection is the way their audience should dress for the season.

As we are in an Age of the Image we have become immune to images that are

Simulacras and those that are Simulations as we tend to accept all for reality, we

are visual animals that with the correct stimulus can be tricked into believing a

spectrum of obscure and abstract fantasies are real all through the medium of

The Model. In fashion The Model is already at a 1:1 scale therefore making it

easier to imagine the fantasy as a reality; however, architectural models are aided

by signs or symbols of reality to help their client visualise the final 1:1 building

(The Final 1:1 Model). Both industries rely on the ability to distort reality to

implement their design or fantasy into a simulation of reality, therefore making


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the believability of The Model and taking it from a fantastical object to a reality

existing in the real world.


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5 Conclusion

The original aim for this piece of writing was to examine the function of The

Model, it is clear that The Model is not only a means for representation. The

Model has become so much more and gained so much richness from the

development of The Model, it has developed into a means of work, a means of

progression and a language that can be universally understood.

The Model has many advantages especially when we look at it the battle that

is analogue vs. digital models, however the humble physical models communicate

well the interactivity and tangibility of a physical model always fascinates clients,

The Model is the easiest way to sell a project to clients with a physical entity

presented to them clients can visualise the final product. With the variation of

models that there now are The Model can focus on specific parts of a project or

person, if there is a faade system that is vital to the selling and concept of the


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project a craftsman can focus on this to sell it to the client, for a fashion model

that is selling a glove a part model would be used as The Model would be

zoomed in on the hand therefore focussing the client on what is being sold. The

moment in a project when The Model comes into existencethe project has a

sense of realism that wasnt there before, the project seems more realistic and

feasible once it has been proven in the form a model.

Models can have disadvantages as well, traditional models require time, money,

and a certain level of craft; they can also be difficult to revise, especially if the

revision is a minor one, unless they exist in the virtual world where revisions and

changes become simpler however lack the same magic that a physical model

creates. Physical models are difficult to archive and preserve, they can often

require large amounts of space and specific conditions in order to preserve their

original form, even more so in clothing, however the majority of models are

preserved in the form of images.

You become better at your craft by building (Marino, 2013), without models

many of these industries would not have developed to what they are today, by


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the designer having a direct relationship with the physical final output it gains

energy and a magic that cannot be replicated in drawings; this magic and

excitement is created in the animation or realisation of a the artists idea.

The Model is not an artefact that will soon be eradicated from either industry,

both industries rely on The Model so much for the success of their project, it

shouldnt be considered an after thought but integrated into the generation of

ideas. Studying The Model and is a very relevant and contemporary topic to

study as The Model is such an integral part of the Architectural industry, one

that may change into virtual models however they are and will play an important

part of the industry for many years to come and one the components of the

industry that will probably remain a part of the industry for a very long time. The

Model has the ability to adapt to new trends, new technologies and new

situations, therefore will stand the test of time, its ability to allow for a variety of

functions, as a means of work, a language and means The Model is much more

than just a means of representation.


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Soley-Beltran, Patricia (2012) 'Performing Dreams: A counter-history of models as

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6 Illustrations

Page 2

Figure 1. The Model of the industries [Diagram]

Page 10

Figure 2. De Lorenzo, Antonio & Ventayol, Marina (2007) [Photograph] At:

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/b/b6/Delphi_tholos_cazzul.JPG

[Accessed 05.01.14]

Page 11

Figure 3. Moholy, Lucia (1926) [Photograph] At:

http://www.prairiemod.com/prairiemod/2007/12/the-legendary-b.html [Accessed

05.01.14]

Page 12

Figure 4. Chanel with Model (Year Unknown) [Photograph] At:

https://default.secure.media.ipcdigital.co.uk/11116/000079312/52cc/coco-chanel-

L.jpg [Accessed 05.01.14]


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Page 13

Figure 5. Sanchez, Albert (2013) [Photograph] At:

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Schmidt-and-Francis-Bitonti_12.jpg [Accessed 05.01.14]

Page 14

Figure 6. Britney Spears before and after (2011) [Photograph] At:

http://l1.yimg.com/bt/api/res/1.2/SwF7dmxXWrMwZS7bYtzA9Q--

/YXBwaWQ9eW5ld3M7cT04NTt3PTYzMA--

/http://l.yimg.com/os/401/2011/09/30/brit1_091927.jpg [Accessed 05.01.14]

Page 17

Figure 7. Saleh, Nico (2012) [Photograph] At: http://ad009cdnb.archdaily.net/wp-

content/uploads/2012/08/1346369356-bnl-zaha-9-528x352.jpg [Accessed

05.01.14]

Page 18

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photo-jane-fonda-6234671.jpg [Accessed 05.01.14]

Page 19

Figure 9. Archivisions Final Model (Year Unknown) [Photograph] At:

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model-Panama-Model.jpg [Accessed 05.01.14]

Page 19


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Figure 10. Cara Delevingne 2013s Super Model(2013) [Photograph] At:

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"Indeed, like the end-of-term ceremonial destruction of models by architectural students,Brunelleschi, in a reported fit of frustration, is supposed to have smashed the elaborate model

he prepared for the Palazzo Medici.

Neale, John & Porter, Tom (2000) Architectural Supermodels: Physical Design Simulation. Oxford: Architectural

Press.

"architects do it with models" how do architects and fashion designers utilise 'the model' as a...

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