Computers are now claiming to do what Tyra Banks was never able to: predict which fresh faces will become top models. Jaehyuk Park and a group of researchers at the Indiana University in Bloomington have used a machine-learning algorithm to determine which models are more likely to be fashion’s next big stars.
So, how did they manage to do it? The group gathered data of 431 female models, including how many runways each had appeared on, their number of Instagram followers and likes, as well as measurements and the agencies with which they may or may not be signed. What they found was quite telling. “Various factors positively correlate with runway popularity—for example, tall models are more popular and each additional centimeter of height more than doubles their chances of walking a runway,” an article in Technology Review explains. “Being on the books of a top agency is an even more important factor which increases the chances of appearing on a runway by a factor of ten. Rather predictably, factors such as larger dress, hips, and shoe size all negatively correlate with success while waist size is not correlated either way. Social media turns out to be important too but not always in obvious ways. More comments on an Instagram account correlates with higher chances of walking a runway. But strangely, having more ‘likes’ reduces the chances by around 10 percent.”
After getting all this information, the team took things a step further and used the machine-learning algorithm to help figure out which models we would be most likely to see on future runways, taking a sample of 15 models. “The best algorithm correctly identified six of the eight models who would go on to become popular on the runway. Our framework successfully predicts most of the new popular models who appeared in 2015.”
But before you get too excited, there are some problems with the findings. They don’t take into account that some runway appearances are more coveted than others, though it did find that having a strong Instagram following seems to be a more important factor in the success of a model than being at a top agency.
Still, this provides interesting insight into what a top model makes and further proves the idea that if you want to be a successful model these days, you’ve got to make sure your Instagram account is on point.
[via This Review]
