CORRINE
MCCONNACHIE
SPEAKS TO ELLIOT
MACKIE ABOUT HIS
EXPERIENCES AS A MALE
MODEL IN SCOTLAND
ANDABROAD.
T
he glass ceiling has
never existed in the
forward thinking
fashion
industry.
When asked about
the fashion greats
many may think of Coco
Chanel, Anna Wintour,
Naomi Campbell or Kate
Moss. In the history of
fashion, feminism has
always been celebrated;
however it was not until
the early 1990s that a true
male presence was felt
with the introduction of
Marcus Schenkenberg, the
first ever male supermodel.
Famed for his Calvin Klein
advertisements Marcus set
the tone for years to come.
Now, modelling is a dream
career for many young
boys throughout the world
with icons like Gabriel
Aubry, David Gandy and
MarkVanderloo.
So far this year, London
hosted its first ever Men’s
Fashion Week and David
Beckham became the first
male model to feature on
the cover of
Elle
magazine.
Despite the recent change,
male models are often
still not considered to
be on the same level as
their female counterparts.
In an industry which is
slowly changing, how
do male models plan to
stand out and push the
barriers to achieve full
equality? The Bite speaks
to up and coming Scottish
model, Elliot Mackie about
his experience working
between the UK and Italy
and the challenges he has
faced in his career so far.
At just 5 ft. 8, 19 year
old Elliot Mackie has
exceeded all expectations
and, in less than a year,
the young model has been
signed to Icon Models
in Rome, featured in
internationally renowned
fashion magazine,
Cielo,
modelled for Toni and
Guy and worked with
high profile photographers
such as Erica Fava. With a
modest smile Elliot said,
“
I am really happy with
my recent work. I feel
like everything I achieve
is always more significant
because I am a little bit
shorter.”
Elliot got his first
taste of modelling when a friend and
make-up artist asked him to model on
a photo-shoot. Having found something
he was passionate about, Elliot decided
to pursue modelling and began to work
with various photographers from around
Scotland. It was not long before his
hard work was noticed and Elliot was
snapped up by Scottish agency Superior
Model Management in 2010.“I caught the
attention of Superior after working on a
shoot with Anna Olszewska and Trisha
Ward.” Modelling is something that came
naturally to Elliot;looking back on his first
photo-shoot, Elliot said, “I wasn’t even
scared. It felt really good, I remember
being really happy with it.” Isla Rafferty,
owner of Superior Model Management,
said, “Elliot has such an effortless and
quirky look that suits editorial campaigns.
Previously most male models had to fit
the commercial Calvin Klein look. Most
photographers find him easy to work
with.”
Now, Elliot works internationally
between Scotland and Italy after being
signed to Icon Models in Rome in
October 2011.With eyes almost closed,
Elliot relived the experience, “I was so
happy to have even got the opportunity
to work abroad. I was invited to Rome
to work with photographer Kevin Pineda,
which was amazing. Since I was there I
decided to go to Zoe Models and ICON
Models. Both agencies wanted to sign me
but I went with ICON because I thought
they suited me better.”
With just two years of experience,
Elliot’s success in the competitive
and demanding modelling industry is
incredible.To make an impact on the male
modelling industry, which has less of a
following than the female industry, is truly
remarkable. Alongside these challenges,
Elliot faced difficulty at the beginning of
his career due to his height. Professionals
were sceptical about working with a
shorter model, making Elliot’s job even
more challenging. Sitting up confidently
Elliot grinned and said,“I like a challenge.
I have worked very hard at promoting
myself and building up a network of
contacts. It has certainly paid off; I was
recently featured in
Cielo
Magazine, which
reaches a global audience. I was
so happy
because they chose my pictures from
300
editorials. I got an email from the
Elliot
Mackie
bite
model
behaviour
Black & white images courtesy:
Photography: Erica Fava & Martina
Scorucchi