>> Spring 2009 campaign season is upon us, and everyone's dying to know who's going to be paired with what, but there's also something else to keep in mind — hard economic times mean the return to "commercial" models — models who can sell product.

Budgets are already being slashed, and as Wayne Sterling, Editorial Director at Models.com points out, "Last season saw the much vaunted 'Return Of the Supermodel' for brands ranging from YSL (Naomi) to Chanel (Claudia), Prada (Linda), Ferragamo (Claudia again), and Vuitton (Eva). Will Spring 2009 see those icons in a return engagement, or will they be simply too expensive for the budget?"  It will certainly be interesting to see if brands go for the new model faces "who may lack recognizability but boast affordability" or if they'll go for celebrities who are "guaranteed to bring a certain degree of media heat," as Wayne puts it.

But most interesting will be who survives — economic times like this have a way of separating out the models who can weather the business, the weak from the chaff: "Tough times will thin the herd. May the fittest survive."
*image: source