Is there room for new blood in the fashion industry?

It seems everywhere I turn I see the same faces on walls, print, magazines, at castings, shows and even contests.   It's become the norm, that if a model is an established name/well known face she can pretty much walk into any casting or contest and expect to be in the top three at bare minimum.  Now, if more than one show up, the rest of us should pretty much just walk home as we are just background dancers to their Prima Donna performance.

Why is this so?  My limited experience and the word on the street says that up and coming designers are desperate for the marketing asset that an SL Supermodel can bring to their brand.  That of course, is a smart and sensible marketing strategy.  You need a good reputation fast so you hire a star to endorse your product.  I suppose that it's working, otherwise we, the general public and consumers, wouldn't frequent some of the lesser known shops.

This is not to take away from the incredible work that these Supermodels turn out.  I'm not implying that they are not deserving of their reputations or status.  On the contrary, I bow to their greatness and acquiesce to their supreme knowledge of styling, for it is them who inspire us to become better.

However, what I am questioning here today, is whether or not there is room for new blood in that category.  See, in RL, models AGE.  Where Cindy Crawford and Tyra Banks were once at the top of their game, now they work behinds the scenes, while newer, fresher faces are allowed the spotlight.

What happens in a world where there is no aging, and you can change your physical appearance at will to keep with the current trends?  Does this mean that the ones that are at the top, will never get old, will never be dated and can work as THEE face of SL for eternity?

Where does this leave the rest of us?  I have seen many try to become clones of the select few Icons of SL.  More and more schools teach models how to make their shapes mimic those of these models and some even suggest having their shapes made either in the image or by the star herself.  Are we to become interchangeable drones? Copies of copies of copies......of the original?

And there there are those of us who don't want to be like the others.  In a world that is sooooooo afraid to stray from what worked in the past, and is so focused on worshiping the ones that are the "standard," how do you make people take notice and SEE what's new and exciting?  Is it even possible, or has the fashion industry just become the next PREFAB?  Perhaps they will begin to make model templates and issue them at the schools, to make it easier to assimilate. Hmmmm, I think I now know what the Borg evolved into.