‘The Androgynous Model’ – Providing An Outlet & An Education In Fashion

The 2013-2014 YouTube Series, “The Androgynous Model” provides insight into, and education about, the world of Fashion for gender nonconforming people.

In Summer 2013, Ms. Nikki Eason was given a vision of a show that would promote the visibility and understanding of what it means to be androgynous.

Androgynous, according to Miriam-Webster Dictionary, is a person

The web show features many of the models, judges, and designers expressing what androgynous means to them, and how they have exhibited or dealt with this in their lives.

One of the contestants, Melo, explained during Episode 1 how she fully embraced her androgynous-ness after moving out of her parent’s home. Melo explained that her mother “was not having any of that.”

The Androgynous Model had a very quick turnaround from conceptualization to production. In a few months after Ms. Nikki Eason envisioned the show, they were doing casting calls. On August 2, 2013, Ms. Nikki Eason shared the casting call, which took place at Private Affairs, in Charlotte, NC. Ms. Nikki Eason had a second casting call on September 8th, also at Private Affairs.

Ms. Nikki Eason explained that the models were chosen “based on 5 categories during the audition: marketability, professionalism, androgyny, originality, ambition.” Another aspect that they were graded on during their auditon was their social media profiles. Ms. Nikki Eason explained the reason for this as a way to “see how they interacted with the world.”

The castings proved fruitful as the show began to shoot shortly thereafter.

The show is now on Episode 6, which features a rising designer, Jag&Co. This episode follows the remaining 3 contestants as they practice their runway walks, and promotional modeling.

Jaguar, or Jag&Co, explained the outfits showcased on the show as,

The line is called the “red paperboy” suits and trousers. Inspired from the bowery boys, lil rascals days when there boys wore cute trousers, hats with suspenders..kinda looking like lil dapper dans. Not the early lil rascals the ones when they actually had families and parents. Thats when you began to see more fashionable expressions on these characters. Bowery Boys/Eastsiders depicted young teen out on the streets trying to figure out how to fit into mainstream society and discovered it was all in the dress.

The challenge was for each of the contestants to motivate the people in their environment to try on a Bow Tie designed by Jag&Co, and to have them pose for a picture with it and a sign that they created. The model, Emily, won the challenge and immunity from elimination.

*SPOILER ALERT*: This left Melo and SUPA on the chopping block. Based on their social media platforms and a few other reasons, Melo was eliminated from the competition.

The show is now down to two contestants. Leaving many to wait until the scheduled May release to wonder, “Who will be the FIRST Androgynous Model?”