For the months leading up to the Spring 2016 runways, the default look for new models could be summed up in one word: weird. With stars like Molly Bair, Cierra Skye, and Varya Shutova filling the catwalks and campaigns, the prevailing ideal was a kind of distinctive, attention-grabbing look that could be polarizing and captivating all at once. United by their individualism, the models who defined the look for Fall 2015 were an offbeat bunch. “Characters, interesting beauties [are what is on trend at the moment],” shared Versace and Fendi casting director Piergiorgio Del Moro back in September, noting the prevalence of unconventional models as well as the shortcomings. “Some of them, I am afraid, don’t last more than one season—they are too specific.”
While Spring’s collections introduced the world to a fair share of unexpected new faces—Roman-nosed Calvin Klein Collection stunner Chiara Mazzoleni and otherworldly Proenza Schouler exclusive Kerrigan Clark among them—the emergence of a refined, art-influenced aesthetic in casting served to offset the atypical. It goes without saying that most models are aesthetically pleasing, but what sells in campaigns and on catwalks falls in and out of fashion as the pendulum swings. Straightforward prettiness, once considered pedestrian, or worse yet, boring, is experiencing a revival of sorts. The unbridled romanticism evidenced at key shows like Alexander McQueen, Rodarte, and Gucci has trickled into the casting pool, resulting in a slew of new, larger-than-life beauties. A glance at several of this season’s most striking newcomers showcases the power of the classic, with the aptly named Noa Vermeer giving a fittingly Baroque take on baby doll cuteness, while Olivia Jansing and Julia Fleming emerged on the scene like they’d stepped out of a John William Waterhouse painting. Chemistry student–turned-model Pooja Mor’s high cheekbones and luxuriant waves made her a fixture on the runways of New York and Milan, while Lameka Fox’s dramatic sculpted features called to mind a marble bust. In Paris, Frederikke Sofie’s Pre-Raphaelite elegance captured the attention of Phoebe Philo and Stella McCartney, while her Hungarian doppelgänger Aliz Menyhert made a splash at Simone Rocha.
With their strong jaws, long necks, and full lips, these young women radiate a graceful femininity that would be in demand in any era, but seems to especially resonate with today’s designers. And as for why, well, there’s any number of possible reasons: For one, in an age where seemingly anything goes in terms of casting and social media often trumps symmetry when brands are in search of models, timeless beauty can provide an appealing constant. For another, while it remains to be seen whose success will translate into campaigns, covers, and those covetable beauty contracts, the undeniable, accessible nature of the unapologetically pretty face bodes well. But above all, in a season focused on an eclectic sensibility with regards to clothes, perhaps it’s a relatively practical reason: The prettier the face, the easier the sell.