MODERN MANIKIN.

Hawera Star, Volume XLVIII, 11 January 1929, Page 7

MODERN MANIKIN.

LONDON’S NEW TYPE. The popular notion that beautifying herself, posing and smiling are itho three sufficient talents to make a successful manikin, in iv London shop, at least, is very emphatic ally exploded by the revelations of one' off the! newer type of London' manikins, to a representative of '‘The Daily Chronicle.” What is true of the. British Capital’s famous West End shopping centre in this particular may be suspected toi be! parallel ed more w less in the daily duties of minikins' in American, cities. Fashions change in manikins' even as in) clothes, wo are assured, and -the! West End manikin who was supposed (to l have nothing to- do but languish alnd pose in elaborate and expensive' frocks, to basic in the glow off admirers, to accept -hosts of invitations t'o dinners, .parties, dunces and supper cl'uibsi, is said toi have passed Out of existence, if this type ever really did exist. According to this contributor to “The Daily Chronicle,” the prei sent manikin is first, not all eosmetes, ■but—

‘ ‘ She is essentially a- business' girl, who is expected to go about her work in a. businesslike way. She, works- the hours of the normal business girl—often a few more -besides. She must havei a: business head for selling, as well' ma; beautiful form. She is the quiet, fresh, typically English sort. Maybe she is riot oven shingled. “I think I have discovered her at her best in one of the, youngest recruits to -the profession, a- girl already known to shoppers throughout- the West End, for her work takes: her to all the principal unending delight. stores in .turitf. Talk with her for live minutes' about her life, and little, of the old ultra-romantic glamour of the manikin survives.

“First, the expert training at the manikin school. An hour’s hard physical ‘jerks’ for fitness find poise, then walking practise and ‘-modelling’ learning the -proper way of showing coat or cloak, costume, or frock, bag or umbrella, ancl one' knows not what, each with its special technique. Five different, ways, for instance', of wearing a shawl! “After the modelling, some hard tuition in the a.rt off selling and management —'for the 1 new manikin- is 'essentially a selling manikin, with a, wise head, on her lovely shoulders; she, must be able to push her goods as well as display them. Demonstratiou ‘ 1 selling ’’ is rehearsed, exactly a® .under shop conditions'.

‘ ‘ The the actual work. There are- the usual parades, of course, during which — for. anything up to two hours, in which nearly a' score off changes may be necessary—the manikin may pose: ah'd glide-, and imagine herself, just for fun, <ah actress 1 of superb talents. ’ ’ But itho major part off her day, we read- further, is spent in a sufficiently prosaic and tiring manner — just walking around -the crowded departments and the restaurant, tempting shoppersto 'Stop and ask her about the model she -is wearing. There is nothing off the languishing' odalisk about that, it, is firmly staffed, but just hard work demanding extreme patience, tacit, and seflling acumen. The; earlier type off manikin, with beauty but not brains, we axe told, -would probably under this regime retire with a nervous breakdown within a week. Meanwhile, this informant relates that she learned from this well-known West End malnikin that shoppers are shyer than one would think, and we read: ‘ ‘ They know she is a manikin; they are dying to ask her about her model, blit it hey will -hang back. Well, if they will not go to her, she must go to them, That’s her job and its psychology. Another thing you have to do, moist tactfully. is to relieve women of the obsession that they simply can not wear g particular colour, when you know very well than they can. “Then there- are- the debonair men who haunt manikin shows —of the retired Army and club bachelor type, for the aim.si part—who seem possessed of a romantic complex, and just like to amuse themselves watching beautiful women. You must be able to* -single them out intuitively from the real buyers, who are there for business, or you will ivaste good time.

“When one -brushes his trim mustache nervously, and says, ‘ Oh, ah-um-'■er, I wats just wondering if that, ah, .material would ah, do for -pajamas, don’t you know! ’ you need not waste any more selling psychology on him. Mayfair invitations? Potting? The gay night life? Jfo, the new manikin -gets precious little of those, Rh-e, just ha-sn't -the time —or realises that sort of thing is not going to improve her mentality and looks. “ ‘They want natural good looks today —not heaps- of make-up and tired expression,’ she -says. ‘ Often, mother sends me to bed at ten, so that I sliall keep any looks. It’s just ah ordinary business life. Yo-u -can knock out all •those old notions of romance!’ ”,