Kalistan

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The Rise of the Kalistani Supermodel
New Faces becoming more famous than their Brands
Kaliburg, Grand Duchy of Ananto
December 18, 5644


Supermodels like House Del Valle's Ryan (Left) and Reed Jeweler's Skowronek Become Household names

High-end Kalistani brands are investing a lot of money in their spokesmodels.  This concept would seem odd under normal circumstances, but these are not normal circumstances.  It is all of a sudden the fashionable thing to promote a product by associating it with a beautiful person.  In recent Kalistani advertising campaigns, the subject is the person, not the product.

Recently, The Republic ran a story about Addisjah based model Kelsey Ryan, 20, who signed with Del Valle earlier this year becoming the highest paid model in the Empire.  But she is not alone at the top of highly sought after faces.  This fall, it was announced that Valruzian-born Antonia Skowronek, 24, who now lives and works in Kalibrug, has signed an exclusive 3 year modelling contract with Kaliburg's Reed Jeweler for an estimated ₭1.9 Million Rubles.  These women, who can sell a product just by appearing in an advertisement with the company's logo on it are part of a growing profession in the Kalistani Fashion industry that is being called "the Supermodel."

"Kelsey Ryan was at the Kaliburg Black Bear's season opener this fall," said Kaliburg based fashion columnist Marques Jackson, "and she was literally more famous than the team.  When they showed her on the Stadium cam, a huge cheer went up among her fans.  This is really the first time that we are seeing these young women having such fame for their looks."  The trend is even attracting foreign models like Skowronek, who said she emigrated from Valruzia at the age of 15 because she felt that there were excellent modelling opportunities in Kalistan.

"It took a long time to learn Vrassan," she said to reporters who were interviewing her about her contract with Reed.  "But good thing is, eh, models are not need to speak much.  Agent does most talking."  Skowronek said she signed with another new development around the fashion industry, a modelling agency, who helped her get modelling jobs when she turned 18, and also helped her land the Reed Contract.  "I am represented, is word, represented by Cauffman Model Agency.  They took time to go over contract and provide me lawyer, and help to invest money.  All for a meager tithe," she said with a laugh, meaning that the Agency takes a tenth of her earnings in exchange for her representation.  Ryan has also signed with Cauffman.

While these suddenly hyper famous faces are on the rise across Kalistani fashion and advertising, some criticize the industry.  "We're seeing a number of young women either delay or forego National Service all together," said industry analyst Brad Wainwright.  "National Service is mandatory, and so at some point these ladies are going to have to do it.  It's customary that service is begun directly after Secondary school is completed, but the law states that a person may muster in at some point before their 23rd birthday.  Ryan's Contract will be up after she turns 23, so it is kind of difficult to figure out when she intends to do her National Service.  A lot of these young women fall into this same situation, and while they get fabulously wealthy from their looks alone, they still owe service to the people of this Empire."

That point aside, it looks like the super model trend is not about to go away:  The faces themselves may just belong to women in their 20s rather than in their late teens.  One such person, supermodel Cathy Ruiz of Eshar, who completed her National Service last fall and returned to modelling, recently premiered a new show on M7 that highlights and reports on fashion in Kalistan.  The show, a weekly fashion and lifestyle showcase, is called "M7's House of Fashion", and runs for 60 minutes every Friday Night at 7PM in Kaliburg.

Eshar supermodel Cathy Ruiz, host of the new M7 Fashion Showcase "House of Fashion"

"We like to talk about what's hot in fashion," said Ruiz.  "It was kind of an idea I floated to M7, who wanted to do kind of a show about touring nightspots across Kalistan.  So since I was a model, I also suggested we cover fashion, since what do you wear to the trendy night spots but the latest fashions.  It's a way to highlight these trendy places and these hot fashions and these gorgeous women which are suddenly all over the place."

The premier episode had an interview with Ryan, and covered Del Valle's eagerly awaited Spring collection which is already starting to make its appearance at Sulari and Kaliburg fashion buyers shows.  She also covered a new club in Sulari, took a tour of the local gastropub scene in Dana, and interviewed R&B Singer Lil Joan Armstrong. 

"It's kind of all over the place," said Ruiz, whose magnetic personality and erudite demeanor is as much of a draw as her physical beauty.  "It's very beautiful chaos.  I think this show is probably a feature of our times.  We basically have a super model for an Empress.  Kalistan produces way more than our share of good looking people, I think its all just reached a critical mass where high fashion, jewelry, fragrance, accessories, you name it.  It's all here, and there is so much overlap between fashion and popular culture.  We truly are becoming a Glittering Empire."

For now, Kalistan seems silly with supermodels.  It is estimated that 1 in every thirty searches on Kalistani internet is a search for a supermodel.  "Guys want to be with us, Women want to be us," said Ryan.  "It's flattering, of course, because we couldn't look like this without like hundreds of people whose job it is to make us look great.  One thing I will say.  Those handful of us who are being called supermodels, I mean, these ladies are some of my best friends.  They are the nicest ladies, and everyone is so supportive, and everyone calls everyone out on their s--t.  Which is something I know I need...  It's easy to lose perspective when your face is on 1300 billboards in one city and you are instantly recognized where ever you go.  I'll never forget where I came from:  my mother still works at the MoCo factory in Addisjah.  But She's also proud of me.  I quite literally hit the life lottery.  Remembering this helps me stay grounded."

You can check out an upcoming “M7 House of Fashion” episode right here, which takes hose Cathy Ruiz to Cayo Tortuga in Gaduridos, right here. The episode will also air on M7 this coming Friday.

[Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e2B7xSnYmaM]

And La Moda, of course is also proud of these young ladies.  Of course we will continue to follow their careers with great interest.

@LaModa