Industry jargon not your thing? Our glossary will enlighten you!
The runway is the central location of a fashion show. The models walk down the catwalk, also known as the "runway", to present the designer's creations. In the international industry, it is also known as the "catwalk".
Catwalk has its origins outside the fashion industry, it actually comes from industry. A catwalk was and still is a narrow plank walkway that is located particularly high up and is used by bridge builders, sailors and other workers to reach their work sites. "Cat" walk because cats look graceful and safe even at the highest heights and on the narrowest paths.
This also brings us full circle to the world of fashion, as the models' smooth movements on the runway are reminiscent of cats.
There are no binding specifications for the structure of a catwalk, but a runway is usually characterized by the following features:
Narrow
(Significantly) elevated
No railing
Protrudes far into the auditorium
Due to the combination of these characteristics, visitors to a fashion show have an unobstructed view of the models from anywhere. They can view the designers' creations from all possible perspectives.
Giorgio Armani and other world-famous designers are not satisfied with a "normal" catwalk. They create a special ambience for each of their events. Karl Lagerfeld was also known for his extravagant catwalk ideas.
There is no such thing as a classic catwalk style. What is required depends to a large extent on the creations presented. If you are aiming for an (international) career as a catwalk model, you have to master all variations.
The three most common walking styles are:
Classic/natural (prêt-à-porter)
Sporty (lingerie)
Dramatic/sexy (haute couture)
A multi-faceted facial expression (cheerful, cool, sweet, arrogant, sexy, etc.) and the ability to walk in particularly high heels round off the requirement profile for catwalk models.
If you still see room for improvement in any of these areas, Jobwork is the right place to go to refine your walking style.
Although the barriers to becoming a catwalk model have been significantly lowered in recent years, the criteria for taking part in a fashion show are still strict. The minimum height is 175 cm and the waist should ideally be around 60 cm. Dress sizes between 34 and 38 should not be a problem for a model.
But here, too, the criteria are becoming increasingly blurred. There are now petite models, plus size models and best agers who can be found on the catwalk.
Models present a designer's creations at a fashion show. For this purpose, they walk down the runway. This short appearance is known as a "defile". The term is also used to describe the entire 10-15 minutes of the actual dress presentation.