By Ken Miller on July 13, 2011
Style
Most people probably think models as pretty faces wearing hot looks with too-cool attitudes. Outside the pages of a magazine or off the runway, the stereotype says that models are mannequins that should be seen but not heard. Thankfully, Douglas Perrett takes the opposite approach. As the founder of COACD, he has taken a uniquely humorous, personality-driven approach to the fashion industry.
“Overall, it’s about, do you want to spend time with this person in a studio, set or location all day?” he admits. With that idea in mind, Perrett has injected his own playful personality into fashion casting - a business that was previously largely invisible and slightly intimidating.
For example, Perrett recently turned his camera on photographers, creating a humorous pin-up calendar featuring some behind-the-lens talent. And to celebrate the past decade of fashion, COACD created an illustrated poster featuring 100 of the biggest models in the industry. But instead of glamour shots, the calendar used cute, brightly-painted watercolor illustrations.
Still, Perrett admits, “The client is not interested in your style. Style may get you the casting, but natural beauty is everlasting.” He then quickly adds that, “Casting has gotten so diverse in terms of color and size [of models]”.
Since COACD does casting for magazines, advertisements, television and more, Perrett is constantly on the lookout for that special face with a charming personality. The key isn’t just being beautiful but also connecting with the culture in a real and honest way. Which is why Perrett says that COACD “Will go to any length to find the right talent for the right project.”
Perrett prefers to do his castings at large, public places such as the Coachella music festival. “Modeling is 99% luck,” he says. “The right place, the right time.” So having access to a giant crowd of stylish kids greatly increases his odds of finding the next globally famous face. The COACD approach is simple: blend into the environment and then spot who stands out.
Perrett jokes that sometimes he feels like a club promoter handing out flyers at a party since perhaps the toughest part of his job is convincing a stranger that he’s legit. From there, “We foster that relationship over time. For some kids getting shot by a photographer/brand/magazine happens right away.” For others it takes more time, “But the fairy tales happen to the overlooked and forgotten.”
Perrett is constantly reminding potential models that working in fashion – despite its glamorous image – is a full time job and it is not easy. Which is why Perrett also takes time away from jetsetting to New York, Los Angeles, Paris and beyond in order to spend some hours doodling drawings and making novelty calendars. All work and no play would make COACD a pretty un-fun place to be. Thankfully, Perrett’s playful, street-savvy and supportive approach has made him one of the most influential men in the fashion business.