Model Talk with Naty Chabanenko (VO! Models) for FotyMody#4

FotyMody: Natasha, maybe you know an answer to the question which torments me during many years: who do creates much talked-about model's emotions, who brings them into life, who falls them into disuse, who? Is it decided at round-table conference, or editors of magazines sit and decide it, or it comes from models` individualities?Naty Chabanenko: You can't say, that if this was shot in Milan, it should be with sour and tough emotions. One or another magazine often doesn't make shooting in the country where they publish. You can recognize each photographer by his style, by handwriting. And what about model? She is model to make everything from her.FotyMody: Gentle images prevail in your shootings...Naty Chabanenko: ...because clients need it. There are too many such sharp girls with sharp images nowadays. Sharp make-up looks very aggressive on me. That's why they try to do everything in a gentle way and stress my natural beauty – clients like it.FotyMody: Even so?!Naty Chabanenko: Sometimes it might be true that guidelines, which were established by editor and photographer while their consultation, change at the shooting stage. A photographer sees that he doesn't want to change anything and he wants to do in such way. That is, this process depends on the fact when they see a model live, when they begin to make a make-up. Everything can change on the spot completely.FotyMody: Tell, what quantity of fashion photographers are self-confident to make decisions on campaigns and editorials by themselves?Naty Chabanenko:I think, five. Well... to ten. The first of them we know even without words. Definitely. He decides by himself what he wants and how he wants to do it. He even doesn't exceed the limits, he moves these limits apart. When we shot a videocampaign for CK Jeans with him, it was too vulgar, so openly, sexy, acock. Acock beautifully. Not for the TV. I was told later that this reel was banned in USA. As a result, when I came back home, to Dnepropetrovsk [Ukraine], I saw this reel at the big monitor on the central square. I was shocked. It was banned in USA, but went on well in Europe... That's why, when person achieves a possibility to control, why not?! He can do some innovations, he does what he likes. It's great.FotyMody: I agree.Naty Chabanenko: It's brilliant when person does what he likes, what he wants. It's not necessary to make all the people around to like it.FotyMody:In the rest of cases most often a decision is made by...Naty Chabanenko:I think usually all together decide. You may want something, but the decision is a common thing. They define what they want. Sometimes you have to do several photos and send them to editor-in-chief and he will confirm if there are any changes. And what is more, everybody join together and say, “We have such idea”. Art-director has invented a shooting before, but a photographer can create something own and they talk to the some point. Agree of disagree. All goes in such way...FotyMody: What is important for photographer's career?Naty Chabanenko: Sometimes a photographer's name is important, sometimes some connections are needed, sometimes a talent has an influence. Let us suppose, that someone likes his works a lot and someone can see a success of beginning star in him. Then some Feeling appears, “Something will come out of it! Everything was for money, but damn, I feel that something will come out of it! It's necessary to promote”. You should apply your efforts...FotyMody:To support. Without some mercenary aims. By the way, it often happens with model in such way.Naty Chabanenko: Yes.FotyMody: As for me, there is a factor of “comfort”, when team adapts each other. This stylist feel comfortable with that photographer. This is not a question of shooting`s level. They feel comfortable together, that's all.Naty Chabanenko:There are such teams which had achieved harmony in work and create collaborate projects excellently. But! The agency sometimes tries to mix, changes something not to make identical clichés, reiterations. It's often enough to bring a new person in team. Of course, it's more easier to work with people who have already worked together!FotyMody: If the stylist or photographer is good and talented, does he work in any case or doesn't he get a work because of competition at the top of this industry?Naty Chabanenko:He works in any case. Such “big competition” exist for models... They have their agencies, their agents, who offer some work to them, who search for this work. Photographers have their own time to create their own new projects. They have a lot of free time and lots of projects to do.FotyMody: Do you think that stylist is a key person?Naty Chabanenko: Yes. There is no word that stylist is a key person and decides all the details by himself, we can talk about the team again, but... The stylist's goal is to do all the possible to make everything as it was planned before at any place, in any time.FotyMody: Do models look through the ratings at models.com?Naty Chabanenko: It depends on someone's interests. I have a friend-model who explore the ratings. I don't. Sometimes it's interesting for me to see which my new works came out. It's more oftenly at thefashionspot.com. Two-three-four months pass from the moment of shooting till the moment of publication, sometimes you can forget what and where did happen because of eventful schedule.FotyMody: A Ukrainian question. I think that Ukrainian models, who have achieved a great level at West are worth to get a medal “The Hero of Ukraine” or respect, at least. Because thanks to you Karl Lagerfeld knows where Ukraine is. Steven Meisel knows where Ukraine is. John Galliano knows where Ukraine is. Do you understand? Besides models, no one from our fashion industry had achieved the world level.Naty Chabanenko: There are few people who understand what the fashion-industry really is in Ukraine. There are few people who work in fashion-business.FotyMody: And its not only the matter of tastes, there are few people who live in all of it.Naty Chabanenko: A few. Few people who are interested in it. Few people who really believe in it.FotyMody: Believe! Ukraine needs not only the investments but people who are interested in it and believe in it... And how does it happen that new face becomes a top-model in two seasons?Naty Chabanenko: When girl takes some great show, she becomes famous when she opens or closes it. When some photographer liked her a lot, she becames his muse and he books her for all his projects, she becomes famous too. The scheme is quite simple: a model inspires a photographer, he shoots her where finds necessary to do it. And there are a lot of campaigns and magazines. She becomes in-demand, her rate raises and it in-turn raises the level of her fees.FotyMody: That is, are her agent and some influential persons who create the fashion and have authority in this industry the best model's friends?Naty Chabanenko: Yes, if we talk about business. There are connections, to be sweet, smile, be friends with everybody. That is. It's clear, if girl comes to casting, for example, of some campaign and she is gloomy and sad, a client won't work with her even if she has a suitable type. And when the other one comes, who is full of energy and can blow up everybody with her energy, they will say, “Oh, we want her!”FotyMody: =) Yes, but this energy shouldn't border on the people's thoughts like, “Oooh, we will have problems with her at the shootings, she will turn upside down all the tripods, will dictate her rules, put fingers into wall outlets...Naty Chabanenko:=) No, vise versa! They will think that she is so creative person, that can show many things, that she has a character.FotyMody: The character has the same importance as her appearance.Naty Chabanenko: I had a lot of works because my agent called and said, “Look, Natasha, they need such powerful girl, crazy, fun, creative. And I told them that girl is you”. That's all.FotyMody: Did you have such shootings when you didn't like how you look in the mirror? What will you do then? Will you abstract away from it?Naty Chabanenko: There are such situations, but if I see a result and when people around like it... It's a matter of different tastes... I'm very quite, peaceful, calm, I can't say, “I don't like my make-up and hair”. If a photographer likes it, if a stylists likes it - OK, because they see it. If something went wrong, they have it on their conscience, it doesn't depend on me. Sometimes shooting can be too long not through a model's fault or because of her bad work. Let us suppose, that photographer can't set a light or stylists doesn't like photos, yes he likes model but doesn't like what is going around, he wants everything in a different way.FotyMody: Clients see you not as alien, but as beautiful.Naty Chabanenko: Clients like something unusual, but when some beauty appears, it push them to something sweet, calm, colorful.FotyMody: Is a good book is important? Book is book, but I know that some clients don't have reaction concerning photos.Naty Chabanenko: Many of them really don't react, it's important for them to see a person alive.FotyMody: And not only “hello-hello” at the casting, but to open a model in some way.Naty Chabanenko: A client estimates what a girl can do basically by the means of photos. How she can look at this or that situation. And meeting with the personality is alive only, they can see that this girl is real. You can do all possible on the photo. But a fantasy appears in the real life and they see that this girl should be put in such location and you can embody exactly this ideas with her. Or vise versa, “Oh no, we don't like her, let her go home”.FotyMody: What does attract you in model's work?Naty Chabanenko: Meeting new people, I have a lot of famous people as friends. And not because of their popularity, but because of their human qualities. Their personalities attracts me. Meetings are experiences, some live situations. When we learn to do something at the first time, then really something happens. We chalk up it. See the world. It happens that sometimes it is hard to work, because there are different people, who take us as nobody and nothing. It's difficult, because you have to show yourself of to sit quite and don't talk in some cases.FotyMody: How do you think, which percent of models really like fashion photography and learn photographers` style?Naty Chabanenko: Not many.FotyMody: And why do a rise in model's career goes unhurriedly and a final is dramatic?Naty Chabanenko: Yes, there is such thing. It means that model's era has finished. Look, girls-models were founded when they were 15 years old, when a child doesn't know what she wants and all the things go madly cool. Then girl finds herself, begins to understand what she wants and leaves modeling at some moment. I think that they get tired...FotyMody: So she left for year, gave birth to baby...Naty Chabanenko: They are bored with it for 5-7 years. When you know everyone inside out, you can write a book about this business easily. Yes, it's interesting and zany, but we have outgrew it... If it would be the thing to proud and appreciate, yes sure... But as a rule, modeling appeared on its own suddenly.FotyMody: A photographer. He has a long way to formation, he goes, falls, has successes and faults. He goes conscious, he wasn't found at the street, he matures by himself. That's why he appreciates. And model has it suddenly. Go on. The ideal place for fashion-figures is: Milan, Paris, New York? Is it possible to do cool fashion, for example, in Mongolia?Naty Chabanenko: I think, no. You have to be in that environment to understand the fashion.FotyMody: Do you concern to models who can make 100 poses by herself, even when a photographer is silent?Naty Chabanenko: I concern to those models who need to know a photographer to make 100 of poses. I need to achieve a harmony in work with him. I watch a photographer's site before my every work. I see his style and can assume what will be with me.FotyMody: Wow! =)Naty Chabanenko: Each photographer has his oddities, it is noticeable on his photos and I understand what will happen with me – would I be naked or smile, or sad, would my face be shown... That's all are noticeable, yes. =)FotyMody: The last question. Do you realize that you has such a level, when someone cuts out your photos and puts them to folder...Naty Chabanenko: ...maniacs! =)FotyMody: Noooo, why. Me and Balan...Naty Chabanenko: ... =) you are maniacs.FotyMody: =) ... Me and Balan had the studio in the centre of Lviv in 90s, we lived there. Ukraine can't boast of level of fashion photography development now, but there was peace and quiet in seemed cultural Lviv in 90s. And we bought new Vogue (of course, it was a pity ti cut it), put beautifully and uniformly advertising campaigns and editorials on walls. We looked and had a sighs. And girls form 90s as Natasha Semanova were and still are the cult person for us. This was no fanaticism, but we understood that they from our environment, they are our, but they do megalevel. =) There was such thing. So, we are maniacs. But good maniacality is not a bad thing. One thing is to work for fee, but the another when you live with for an idea, believe and go to more. =) Thanks, Naty!Naty Chabanenko: Thank you too! =)