from ELLE Australia, April 1998
photographs by Deila Bass

men's collection

They may not be paid as much as their female counterparts, but male models still have to hold a meeting if they want to get a haircut. By Jennifer Melocco

Two years ago, American Scott Barnhill was just a mad skateboarder from Florida working on a building site. His life changed radically, however, when on his 18th birthday, he was spotted by a model scout as he danced with friends at a nightclub called Pleasure Island at Disney World. He decided then and there to ditch construction work, after coming home every day with his hands dragging below his knees from carrying bricks, and enter the world of modelling.

    Now 20, he's one of the hottest men on the international model scene, having appeared in campaigns for every major designer in American and Europe - including Calvin Klein, Tommy Hilfiger, Versace and Trussardi.

    In January - when we met this year - he had been fully pre-booked for the major shows of the men's fashion world; the Milan autumn/winter 98/99 collections. He was staying at one of the city's best hotels and had a driver at his disposal to drive him to his jobs.

    Barnhill is not hard to pick among the elegantly, if conservatively dressed, Italians in Milan just days before the shows begin. Emerging from the winter fog, he is dressed in runners, his tall, lean frame swamped in skateboarders' gear, oversized jeans and windcheater. His long hair flops around his incredibly piercing eyes.

    He's just come from a meeting at his agency, International Beatrice Models. A decision has been made to cut off his trademark long locks, following a proposal by a major magazine editor. It is a risky move, as a long-haired Barnhill has been booked for 18 shows. However, the haircut is scheduled for the first day of the shows, which means 16 designers would now have a short-haired Barnhill walking down their catwalks.

    I question him about the life he leads, in which he jets around the world to appear in campaigns and on the catwalk. Did he ever think he'd be involved in a strategic meeting about having his hair cut? The laid-back, friendly Barnhill admits it's a world away from his former life. 'What other job would let you travel around the world?" Barnhill says. "I like the job, it's fun, it's cool."

    Work, in the days leading up to the shows, includes tedious hours at fittings where models try on clothes from the collections. The designer and stylist match the clothes to the right guys and the clothes are then tailored to their bodies. After an eight hour day, in which Barnhill has tried on countless designer collections, and been pushed, prodded and judged, he is still smiling.

    Designer Paolo Gerani, of the Iceberg labels, sighs in appreciation when he sees his creation transformed on Barnhill. There is a chorus of "bellissimo, fantastico". "I like the way he wears the clothes. With his strong face, he gives the right attitude to this sports fashion collection. I don't want a very masculine man, but an intellectual or 'street' look. Scott is very 'street'," Gerani says.

    Barnhill is one of hundreds of professionally beautiful men who swarm into the fashion capital of Milan twice a year for the men's fashion shows. He's one of 250 male models managed by his agency in Milan. His booker, Patricia Wassermann, gushes about him and says he's definitely at the top of the pile. "Scott is hot. He's so popular we've knocked back some campaigns to stop him from being overexposed," Wassermann says. "He has been pre-booked for 18 shows and we're not selling him for less than US$1,500 a show."

Also on Beatrice Model's books is an Australian, called Tirian, who Wassermann describes as an 'emerging' model. The towering, dark-haired 20 year old from the New South Wales far north coast has been modelling since he was 16. He was inspired to try modelling after he saw his cousin do well. He didn't really become serious about his career until he went to Europe and then the United States, 18 months ago. Since then, he's worked between the two continents, shooting with some of the world's major photographers, including Mario Testino.

    Tirian says it's important for him to come to Milan; not for the money (rates lag behind those in New York), but for the exposure. "I'm not big enough to just swan into town pre-booked, get fitted, do the shows and leave," Tirian says.

    This year, he is making his mark, and is on the constant round of castings. He mostly catches public transport from one go-see to the next. He spends his days leading up to the shows (in what seems to be an eternal waiting process) in the foyers of major design houses, along with hundreds of other beautiful young men. Everything hinges on those precious few moments in front of the show stylists, who decide whether his look and body will fit the clothes.

    One stylist tells him he has the 'strange intellectual look' for which they are searching. Another house dismisses him quickly for being too tall. Despite the occasional knock-back, Tirian says he loves the creativity of the fashion world and gets a thrill from catwalk shows. "It's really exciting doing the shows," Tirian says. "Backstage, there's a lot of energy and then you walk out on the catwalk. There's a massive pile of cameras shooting away and the audience is full of editors...it's exciting when you walk out in front of a crowd like that."

    In the week of the shows at the Milan men's autumn/winter 98/99 collections, beautiful men, embodying every designer's ideal, parade down the catwalk. Despite the general trend for the leaner, smaller man, the men at Vivienne Westwood appear like theatrical giants. The designer makes no secret about liking her men large. They are also sporting big coiffured hair and heavy make-up. Only strapping men could carry off her dramatic designs. At Versace, Barnhill saunters down the catwalk alongside fellow big-name American star Mike Campbell. Their hair is greased back off their angular faces, and the slimline clothes fall cleanly over their lean bodies. Later in the week, at the Prada show, a short-cropped Barnhill joins a quirky collection of rake thin British-look boys. And in the German designer Jil Sander's show, Barnhill and Tirian step out onto the catwalk together.

    The working life of the male model runs parallel to that of their well-publicised female counterparts in every facet - except for the money. Modelling is one profession in which women hold much higher status and take home much bigger pay packets. Booker Patricia Wassermann says that, in general, girls get paid more than twice as much as guys. "You couldn't pay a girl less than US$1,000 for a show, but many men are only being paid US$250. Yet Scott is something different for men - he's doing well and earning nearly as much as the girls."

    Barnhill reckons he works just as hard as any female model. But perhaps he doesn't have to work so hard on maintenance. "I just skateboard a lot and don't eat too much of one thing, although I'm not going to say I don't eat junk food. Late nights are not for me - there's the occasional party with friends, but the majority of the time I'm in bed by midnight," he says.

    Tirian adds that, to fit into the generally smaller European labels, there can be pressure to cut down in weight.  He also knows that, while he may rise up the modelling ladder, he'll always be lagging behind women on the pay scale. He jokingly says that the only way to get around this problem is to find a model girlfriend.

    And even though Barnhill admits that, for the moment, the women's beauty and fashion industry is a much larger market than to men's equivalent, he's doing quite well, thank you. Plus, the world of male modelling is still a lot better than working on a building site.