You are here:

About Face: Supermodels Then and Now

Name: About Face: Supermodels Then and Now
Director: Timothy Greenfield-Sanders
Released: 2012
Duration: 75 min

Representation Score

7.9/10

Good

2012

Not Rated

Director

Timothy Greenfield-Sanders

Runtime

75 minutes

Average Rating

No ratings yet

New Showbiz Analysis

About Face: Supermodels Then and Now succeeds in humanizing industry icons by prioritizing their internal realities over external spectacle. By centering the narrative on the models' own voices, the film effectively disrupts traditional hierarchies that often treat women as mere objects. The documentary's strength lies in its celebration of multiculturalism and female autonomy. It moves beyond the surface of fashion to document how diverse women shaped global aesthetic standards. However, the film remains largely observational and operates within the capitalist structures of the fashion world. It lacks explicit engagement with LGBTQ+ identities or disability representation, focusing instead on professional and aesthetic evolution.

Watch this, not that →

Category Breakdown

Does About Face: Supermodels Then and Now have LGBTQ+ representation?

Fair

The film focuses on the personal philosophies and professional lives of supermodels but does not provide a clear focus on LGBTQ+ identities or specific queer narratives.

How does About Face: Supermodels Then and Now portray gender?

Good

The documentary emphasizes the ability to act of female models, presenting them as architects of their own identities rather than passive objects of beauty.

How racially and ethnically diverse is About Face: Supermodels Then and Now?

Good

The film highlights multicultural pioneers who have broken historically homogeneous beauty standards, validating non-Anglo-Saxon contributions to the global fashion industry.

How does About Face: Supermodels Then and Now represent religion and culture?

Fair

The narrative critiques the superficiality of consumerist beauty standards by revealing the stories behind iconic magazine covers. However, it remains an observational chronicle within a high-capitalist framework.

Does About Face: Supermodels Then and Now include disability representation?

Fair

There is no specific evidence regarding the depiction of neurodivergence or physical disabilities. The focus on aesthetic evolution may inadvertently prioritize conventional physical standards.

Present on Screen

Gives a significant role to a diverse group of women.
Highlights multicultural pioneers who challenged homogeneous beauty standards.
Shifts the perspective from the male gaze to the models' internal lives.

Limited or Absent

Does not provide a clear focus on LGBTQ+ identities or queer narratives.
Does not specifically represent neurodivergence or physical disabilities.
Remains an observational chronicle rather than a critique of industry structures.

Official Synopsis

An intimate view of the women whose images have defined our sense of beauty over the past five decades. An uncensored look at many of the biggest names in modeling, the movie reveals the stories behind the magazine covers displaying these multicultural pioneers. Each woman is candidly interviewed in the studio and shares her experiences, ideas on longevity, and philosophy of life in the fashion industry. Elegant archival footage and interviews with designer Calvin Klein and agency head Eileen Ford round out this absorbing chronicle.

How are these scores produced? →