marc jacobs

Just a couple of nights ago, Marc Jacobs lit the fashion world ablaze with his newest Spring/Summer 2019 collection; a swirling pink, pastel fantasy that reminded me of benevolent circus clowns and cotton candy dreams.

While the collection itself was noteworthy for how good everyone thought it was (sure- it’s Marc Jacobs, of course everyone would be raving about it), it was also noteworthy for a few other reasons. One being that it started over an hour and a half late (hence all of the “Worth the Wait!!” headlines) and the other being that 35 models agreed to have their hair dyed to match their looks at the show. And I don’t mean temporary dye, or hair chalk, or wigs. I mean like full-on-hair-bleached-and-colored-by-salon-professionals dyed.

While that in and of itself is impressive and noteworthy on the hair stylists’ part, it also got me thinking about just how strange the profession of modeling really is. These models went through the lengthy process of dying their hair for one part of one night. Kay Smetsers, the model that closed out the night, bleached and dyed her hair for the show, only to admit later via social media that she would be returning to her usual brown the very next day.

Kay Smetsers, the model that closed the Marc Jacobs Spring/Summer 2019 show, bleached and dyed her normally-brown hair just for this show. She admitted she would be dying it back to its usual color the very next day. Photo: vogue.com

And while dying the hair may be tough but not impossible to reverse in the course of a day, some models even agreed to have their hair buzzed for the show. Now that’s a change you’d think one might not take lightly, and yet, in the modeling industry, these sort of changes are just par for the course.

My introduction to the world of modeling came through the over-the-top, corny and addicting world of America’s Next Top Model- a show that gave contestants extreme makeovers to supposedly make them more marketable in the fashion industry. For me, the makeover episodes always tended to be the most entertaining, not only to see how the girls would look at the end, but because there was always at least one that would burst into tears as the stylist unapologetically sheared off their locks. When the dust settled, someone was always there to give the poor gal some tough love- this is how the industry is, sweety. Get used to it, or hit the road.

It seems that modeling is a profession largely devoid of bodily autonomy. Of course, one always has the choice to not take the job. But within any modeling job, the model and the model’s body act as a canvas to enact another person’s art and vision. While this attitude has enabled many gorgeous works of art to be shown to the world, it makes me think- how healthy is the lifestyle? Physically and psychologically- what happens when it feels as though your own body, the only thing that truly belongs to you, is largely under someone else’s control?

All that aside, this collection, while it didn’t totally woo me, had some great moments. Sequin pants, ’50s silhouettes, cute, candy-colored cardigans and insanely indulgent, ruffled-to-the-max dresses so sweet they’d give you a toothache- the designer gave us a saccharine show that didn’t take itself too seriously. And, although pastel hair has probably been way overdone at this point, I do appreciate Jacobs’ take, which aimed to show a more grown up, vintage-inspired version of the millennial hair trend.

Check out my favorite looks from the show below! Next up: London Fashion Week!