Walk with me for a moment and imagine: It is 2017. Gigi Hadid just opened the debut show for her collaboration with Tommy Hilfiger. Her younger sister Bella is the new model-to-watch of the year. Kaia Gerber made her runway debut at Calvin Klein. Kendall Jenner was just on the cover of the September Vogue issue. This moment in time was akin to a renaissance of the 90’s supermodel hay day. Only this time, Instagram was in the mix and my 15-year-old transfixed eyes could not get enough. No longer were we just seeing their runway struts or they’re campaign photoshoots; we had a window into their lives as normal, everyday, 20-year-olds. Thus emerged the model off-duty. What started as some paparazzi photos here and there blew up into a full on phenomenon that everyone, including myself, was clawing to be a part of.
Of course, there was some designer sprinkled in here and there, but the overall look that models of the time were trying to achieve was all about relatable, slouchy, comfy, clothes (that just so happens to be baggy and torn in all the right places). Being just on the tails of indie-sleaze, if a model wasn’t rocking ripped skinny jeans, a gargantuan bag, converse, and circular sunglasses, then good luck to her getting papped on the streets during fashion week. One may have spotted Miranda Kerr wearing a long camel trench, skinny leather pants, and a Birkin in the streets of Paris. Or maybe Cara Delevigne on her phone in joggers, an LL Cool J shirt, and a bright pink beanie, and Karlie Kloss in denim cutoffs, a red and navy sweater, and a side purse with a chain in New York City. Even Bella Hadid in a Dior cap, high waisted drawstring pants, and a frilly crop top. This street-style was paid attention to as much as the looks on the runway, and yet, these girls were sporting pretty attainable outfits.
Seeing them stripped down and in the wild while still remaining fabulous was what we cared about. Glamor shots were no longer interesting, it was what the models were wearing in between shows that caught the masses attention. We were itching to see how these six-foot pin-up princesses incorporated the high fashion that surrounded them in their everyday looks, because it meant WE could do it too. What came with this was the focus being shifted to capturing a “candid.” Poses and stylized photos became embarrassing. No cameras, no stylists. Thanks to Instagram being the hot new Facebook (ugh, the days before Zuck owned it!) we were able to see the glamor without an invitation to the show.
And just like the good little consumers we are, we started to do it too. Of course, we would still have photoshoots, but pose in a way to make it look like someone spontaneously decided to take out their phone when we were laughing, looking at the sunset, or drinking a cappuccino. To be caught in the moment but still look effortlessly beautiful meant you were a star. Everyone just wanted to be a funny, relatable person, all while still looking camera ready and in between runways.
So naturally, I beg the question, is it really off-duty? We can’t see the friend making you laugh behind the camera, or the touch ups done right before. And same goes for the models. Can we really ever be off-duty when it comes to dressing and presenting yourself in public life? If Gigi Hadid’s flip flop hits the pavement and there’s no pap there to flic it, is she a model off-duty? Perhaps it is not about actually being off-duty, but the concept of being off-duty. Everyone loves to talk about how they don’t dress for any man and they dress for themselves. But can we ever really dress for ourselves when we are in the public eye? Apologies for hurling all of these sad questions at you, reader. I do not know the answers! I just want to bring attention to our obsession with it as a culture.
And now, the model off-duty look has moved past this unattainable attainable look that was once so popular. These days it is just straight up unattainable, and yet still captivates all of our attention. Take Amelia Gray in full on Burberry. Or Paloma Elsesser in a Chapova Lowena skirt and JW Anderson Bag. It has gone from dressing like every other 20-year-old to refusing to dress like anyone else. That is what has made watching these models so exciting over the past few years. Bottega Veneta took advantage of this, I might add, in their pre-spring 2024 campaign starring A$AP Rocky and Kendall Jenner. The spread showcased the two wearing pieces from the collection
doing notably off-duty things. It was so fucking cool. Arguably, it is a much more self-aware path to take. Instead of putting on the facade of “I’m so relatable,” they are fully indulging in their coolness and position in fashion, embracing the public eye. Yes, they still may be technically off-duty, but nothing about their look says so. Models are no longer pretending to be in our midst and are back to being untouchables.
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