Victoria Beckham, ‘duck face’ and onesies: 9 issues Zoolander predicted about vogue | Fashion
Critics have been divided, the US launch date couldn’t have been worse (a couple of days after 9/11) and the sequel was a flop. Yet few movies have predicted vogue’s personal current like 2001’s Zoolander. The memeable absurdist comedy concerning the “three-times male mannequin of the 12 months” was a cinematic Cassandra: accurately predicting themes, types and sensibilities of the trade that also ring true immediately.
Pucker up … Blue Steel grew to become a lifestyle
The joke round Derek Zoolander’s trademark look, the Blue Steel, was how ridiculous it was. Still, the shocked however vacant stare with the exaggerated pout later grew to become the facial pose on social media. Officially outlined as “duck face” (after the Japanese time period “ahiru-guchi”, duck mouth), the look gained traction on Instagram within the early 2010s, when folks lastly took a break from smizing. But tweakments reminiscent of lip-filler and brow botox imply that faces have begun artificially morphing into the pose. So now everybody will be actually, actually, actually Zoolander, with out even attempting.
Donald Trump stored telling tales
There is a well-liked principle that Trump crept into the hearts and minds of the American public by his appearances on his actuality TV present The Apprentice. But he additionally made fleeting cameos in movies reminiscent of Two Weeks Notice, Little Rascals and Home Alone 2. His one line in Zoolander? “Without Derek Zoolander, male modelling wouldn’t be what it’s immediately.” A superb little fib that he imparts very believably. Shocking to listen to in 2026, I do know.
The onesie grew to become a winter staple
The morning after the VH1 Fashion Awards, Derek and his mannequin flatmates Brint, Rufus and Meekus (performed by Alexander Skarsgård) are all hanging out, when Zoolander’s nightwear of alternative is revealed to be a onesie lined in penguins. A decade later the onesie would grow to be ubiquitous, with high-street gross sales skyrocketing after One Direction introduced them into people’s living rooms. File subsequent to man-buns – and always remember Zoolander did them first.
Sweat store abuse continued
At the beginning of the movie, a shady vogue cartel are intent on conserving sweat store labour going, regardless of the prime minister of Malaysia’s plan to ban it. One fiendish fashionista complains: “50% of my stock is manufactured in sweat retailers in Malaysia!” Zoolander satirised vogue’s cognitive dissonance about sweat store labour deftly. 25 years on, it’s nonetheless, tragically, very much an issue.
Very area of interest drinks orders grew to become the norm
Donatella Versace likes her espresso served in a pink-and-gold china cup, Anna Wintour’s order is reportedly a grande, extra-hot whole-milk latte from Starbucks, whereas Calvin Klein infamously obtained his workers to match the hue of his milky espresso to a Pantone colour swatch to get it “good”. In the movie, Derek, Meekus, Brint and Rufus share a love of the orange mocha frappuccino, whereas freaky designer Mugatu (Will Ferrell) loses it when his latte is simply too foamy. Fashion’s area of interest drinks orders have arguably solely grow to be extra excessive – as any vogue intern with a protracted record of hyper-specific morning matcha and iced espresso orders will inform you.
It’s Posh’s international stage, and we’re simply residing in it
after publication promotion
Zoolander has extra visitor stars than an episode of Friends. Hi David Bowie, Tommy Hilfiger, Paris Hilton, Gwen Stefani, Tom Ford, Winona Ryder, Mark Ronson, Donatella Versace, Lil Kim and Sandra Bernhard. Groaning beneath the load of its personal star energy, there may be one cameo that feels barely extra vital than the others. Victoria Beckham delivers the road “he’s a vogue icon!” about Derek. Given her transfer from non-smiling Spice Girl to non-smiling artistic director within the final 25 years, she might have been speaking about herself.
Gasp! Fashion retirements stay stunning
When Derek pronounces his early retirement from modelling on the triple funeral of his flatmates (“I’m positive there’s much more to life than being actually, actually good trying,”) the assembled mourners are shocked. But the shock catwalk curtain name has grow to be acquainted: Jean Paul Gaultier stood down in 2020 after 50 fantastique years, Dries Van Noten mentioned goodbye in 2024, whereas stylist Law Roach “retired” on Instagram in 2023 earlier than sneaking again two years later. Cheeky. Even Derek himself got here out of retirement for Zoolander 2.
Top magazines went the way in which of the dodo
“Not many individuals learn your Time journal, or no matter it’s referred to as,” Derek tells journalist Matilda. At the time of launch this was a joke on the expense of our mannequin hero. Time journal’s paid circulation was 4m copies per week. Now, not solely is Time’s paid digital circulation at about 370,000 however lots of the vogue magazines featured within the movie have lengthy ceased manufacturing: Look, Marie Claire and InStyle to call however a couple of. Hearing that line in 2026, it hits otherwise. Earth to Matilda, Derek was proper, not many individuals are studying your journal (though possibly they’re studying your Substack).
‘Derelicte’ grew to become the distressed pattern
Mugatu’s Derelicte assortment, crassly impressed by unhoused folks, was a stinging touch upon how far-removed vogue will be from actuality. While John Galliano had already produced a set impressed by these residing alongside the Seine and purses resembling bin luggage did appear on the catwalk (Lanvin), the Derelicte assortment, which included a battered cardboard field worn as a gown, a feather boa of inflated condoms and a cape product of garbage, picked at an idea which the likes of Demna later centered in on at Vetements and Balenciaga, elevating wear-and-tear because the distressed look.
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