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"The other night I was watching America&amp;#039;s Next Top Model with my boyfriend (much to his delight) when he said something to the effect of, &amp;quot;I don&amp;#039;t understand this show. What makes any of these girls a better model than the other? Isn&amp;#039;t it just about taking a photo of a pretty girl?&amp;quot; How ignorant! Or was it?   It got me thinking: if the idea is to show off the clothing or the make-up (because that&amp;#039;s why models are hired) don&amp;#039;t you just need an attractive woman in front of the camera, and the rest will take care of itself? Can&amp;#039;t a mannequin essentially serve the same purpose?   Well, no. Each model brings a totally different kind of energy to set, and has the ability to inspire different photographers in different ways, which in turn will produce a unique photograph. That&amp;#039;s why we hold extensive casting calls before photo shoots to pick the perfect girls for each story. (Check out Color Rules in the June 1st issue to see the gorgeous model that we shot with in St. Martin.)   The Metropolitan Museum of Art explores this concept in a new exhibit, The Model as Muse: Embodying Fashion (through August 9th). Says Harold Koda, Curator in Charge of The Costume Institute: &amp;quot;We look at the power of clothing, fashion photography, and the model to project the look of an era. With a mere gesture, a truly stellar model can sum up the attitude of her time \u2013 becoming not only a muse to designers or photographers, but a muse to a generation.&amp;quot; I can&amp;#039;t wait to check it out.  \u2014Amanda Greene, Associate Fashion Editor "^^<http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema#string>
<http://www.womansday.com/life/a41044/more-than-just-a-pretty-face-4958/>