Story Deborah Kidd by Amina Magazine N 574S
Deborah Kidd is the kind of woman who englobes the world of fashion with much elegance.
Originating from Seattle in the United States, Deborah Kidd came to France at the age of twenty to pursue a career in modeling. A risky project but one that proved to be the fulfillment of her dreams as she walked the runway for some of the most famous Haute Couture houses: Yves Saint-Laurent, Givenchy and Paco Rabanne. For the past 15 years, after her modeling career, which she was able to prolong thanks to her youthful appearance, Deborah Kidd has been working for a fashion showroom and has plans to launch a clothing line. She is also a professional eyelash technician and makeup artist.
After a career in modeling, you have been working for a showroom for the past ten years representing ready-to-wear brands such as Kenzo or La Perla. How did modeling help you in your current job ?
Modelling permitted me to understand the fashion world from the inside. I am now what is called a booth model: designers try on me the collections before the shows, to make alterations if necessary. This permitted me to see how they work and where they buy their fabrics, which is very useful because I have a project to launch a brand of Caftans that would mix the oriental and sub-Saharan style with tie and dye fabric.
Concerning Jean Demavinssy’s showroom, what’s your vision ?
My work in the showroom of Jean Demavinssy is to present and sell new collections to customers, which are stores located around the world: Paris, London, USA etc.. The showroom represents ready-to-wear brands all over the world: Germany, Russia, England etc.
The agent Jean Demavinssy, with whom you work, wrote a book entitled “la guerre des showrooms” in which he describes all the intimidations and attempts at swindling he has been subjected to. Is fashion a cruel world?
As for me, fashion has given me the opportunity to travel and discover other cultures. I am a very curious person, fashion has allowed me to satisfy my desire to explore new things. The big difficulty I encountered in my job was the fact that I was not African enough for some modeling agencies. Originating from Seattle in the United States, I was rejected several times in castings in France because I was too American.
What do you remember about your modeling career ?
I have a very good memory of a fashion show tour I did in Turkey for a large ready-made store. I fell in love with Istanbul, it’s a beautiful city. I also had the chance to discover South Africa where I lived for two months for a photo shoot. It is a fabulous country.
How did you become a model?
The husband of a casting director in Seattle, USA spotted me. His wife registered me in a modeling contest in New York, where i finished third in the contest: on this occasion, I met French agents who advised me to go and live in France to pursue a career in modeling. Once I arrived in France, I was totally lost, it was the first time I took the subway.
I passed a first casting which had a bad turnaround where the agency told me in an abrupt way that they already had their “quota of black models”. At the end of this casting, I met a model in the subway to whom I told my misadventure. The coincidence is that she was going to a casting herself, she invited me to go with her. We both pass the casting, I am taken but not her. It is thanks to this woman that I stayed in France and that my career began.
At catwalk, you walked for who?
I have walked for haute couture houses such as Yves Saint-Laurent, Paco Rabanne, Givenchy, Balenciaga. I also walked a lot for lingerie brands like La Perla, Barbara. For three years, I was a “fitting” model for the new Dim collections.
Which fashion show marked you most?
Paco Rabanne, because it was my first Haute Couture show.
For about ten years, cosmetic brands and the French retail industry have been promoting specific products for black skin, why do you think this delay compared to the United States?
I went back to Seattle last year, and at that time I was thinking of staying there permanently. I immediately found a job as a manager for the Lancôme brand in a large shopping mall. The American market is more open, there are more opportunities than in France.
What can you say about fashion in France compared to the United States?
In France, fashion is more technical, the pattern structure is more creative. The cuts in the US are all the same, straight and classic, there is no change in fashion from one year to the next. In France, there is more room for creativity and eccentricity, while in the United States, designers prefer security, relying on models already seen.
Oprah Winfrey is the first black woman to win the Cecil B. DeMille Award at the Golden Globes. During the ceremony, she delivered a poignant message, paying tribute to Recy Taylor, a black American woman who was raped by six white men in 1944. “Rosa Parks was in charge of the case, together they wanted justice…but these men were never prosecuted” “it is the insatiable dedication to finding the truth that forces us to face corruption and injustice. “For a long time, women were never heard or believed, if they dared to speak their truth to the male power… But their time is running out. “What does Oprah Winfrey’s female empowerment mean to you?
Oprah Winfrey is a positive woman, I love her strength and the power of her words. She is an example for all women. I myself am trying to become more spiritual, to forgive people who have hurt me, you have to leave the negative behind to move forward and follow a path of personal growth. You must always keep in mind the good energy you have given to people, the good you have done around you. You must be proud of yourself and appreciate your life.