Why are the majority of models Eastern European?

I personally think it's because the majority of them can be very tall, small shoulders with great hourglass figures. They generally have high cheekbones and striking features.

There are a lot of them here in Toronto and I notice even the shorter ones have striking facial features. Especially Russian, Ukrainians have the nice high cheekbones but sharp eyes.

I think all races are beautiful but EE's tend to have the model requirements.
 
What @Milaxo said, also, many of them come from less fortunate backgrounds from which modeling is an opportunity to provide for themselves and often their family too, therefore they're hungrier for it and less likely to complain of poor conditions. If life back home is less than plushy you're not as likely to call it quits when things get 'too hard'.
 
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Well, we have to consider the fact that the fashion model scene was not always dominated by Eastern European girls. The 90s supermodel clan - Christy Turlington, Naomi Campbell, Claudia Schiffer and co - weren't Eastern European dominated at all. They also had quite a different look. Eastern European models came into fashion when Miuccia Prada, in order to give the clothes a greater focus, chose a crop of models for her show that were unknown faces. These girls played the role of walking clothes hangers at the shows, and therefore were very young, skinny and tended to be Eastern European - quite literally blank canvases.


Also, from TFS, some thing I found interesting, the model trends over the years...
80s-90s: The All-American perfect looking girl
90s: the individual look (the supermodel)
late 90s: the waif heroin chic
late 90s: Brazilian takeover
early 200s: androgynous girls
early 2000s: Tom Ford era (overly sexy)
mids 2000s: Eastern European wave
2004: The baby doll and alien girls
2007-2009: the clone wars
2009: the socialite model
2010: the Lara Stone remakes
2010-present: the sexy girls and plus size, rise of the asian models
 
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What @Milaxo said, also, many of them come from less fortunate backgrounds from which modeling is an opportunity to provide for themselves and often their family too, therefore they're hungrier for it and less likely to complain of poor conditions. If life back home is less than plushy you're not as likely to call it quits when things get 'too hard'.
Yes, this is so true.

I've also been told that in East Asia, Eastern European (generally Russian) models who are just starting out and/or unknown faces accept and work for less than the models from their own country. This in combination with the fact that there are many tall Eastern European girls makes them even more desirable, which is why magazines and catalogs all over the world have been Eastern European dominated.
 
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Yes, this is so true.

I've also been told that in East Asia, Eastern European (generally Russian) models who are just starting out and/or unknown faces accept and work for less than the models from their own country. This in combination with the fact that there are many tall Eastern European girls makes them even more desirable, which is why magazines and catalogs all over the world have been Eastern European dominated.

Also, Asia has been doing better economically, there is increasing demand for Asian models because then they can try to appeal to the Asian market. Makes good business sense.
 
I always guessed it was because the girls are tall, start off relatively slender and have an easier time maintaining a skinny aestethic, and the culture. They are more likely to put up with the demands of modeling than an American... I dont know but thats just my opinion. Plus a lot of Eastern European girls have the features that the designers want like high cheekbones, blonde hair, blue eyes...
 
I always guessed it was because the girls are tall, start off relatively slender and have an easier time maintaining a skinny aestethic, and the culture. They are more likely to put up with the demands of modeling than an American... I dont know but thats just my opinion. Plus a lot of Eastern European girls have the features that the designers want like high cheekbones, blonde hair, blue eyes...

Agree. A diet of cabbage soup, borscht and sauerkraut keeps most of the girls skinny. ;)
 
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I personally think it's because the majority of them can be very tall, small shoulders with great hourglass figures. They generally have high cheekbones and striking features.
There are a lot of them here in Toronto and I notice even the shorter ones have striking facial features. Especially Russian, Ukrainians have the nice high cheekbones but sharp eyes.

well russia is a damn big country, there are also tons of russian women who look like crap. actually a lot, at least in germany.
i second what @sabine said. many of the russian girls come from poor cities/countryside in the middle of nowhere and are likely much more thankful to start a career than other girls who have also other career oportunities in their countries and have some monetary support from their parents. i am sure for some it's the only way out, so they work really hard. plus they may be the ones earning the money to feed and support the family, so they may feel a lot more pressure to stay in the industry.

i could also imagine that girls from EE tend to be more, idk if it's the right word, frugal, and adjusted b/c of their education due to political circumstances. in russia e.g. it's not common to shout out your opinion, you'd rather stay humble and not complain. in western europe young people are taught to speak up for themselves, take responsibility for their own lives and address problems straight away. we have freedom of speech in our countries and all that.
 
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Agree. A diet of cabbage soup, borscht and sauerkraut keeps most of the girls skinny. ;)

you are not a true eastern european if you don't eat cabbage at least twice a week :lol:
seconding everything said, and yes, the culture is quite different but that depends of each one's education
 
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Everything said here is relevant, but as said by a French model I know, they have the discipline to get to such a small size and maintain it. Probably a lot to do with what others have said, their background etc. In relation, restricted diets might not be new to them, or might not be a very big problem in comparison to what else they could be doing. In the mean time, british and american (and I guess french?) girls will put their foot down at a certain point, they'll turn their nose up at certain working conditions/hours/demands, and they know it's stupid to starve themselves - and that it's the only way to get to the size the industry wants them - so they refuse. Enter Snejana.