Inside Redbeau Mannequin Service workshop. Inside Redbeau Mannequin Service workshop. T he concept of a new mannequin collection is a creative process that develops out of intuition, and moods, a sixth sense of fashion that has to be able to envisage future demands. From concept to launch a collection can take as long as a year or as short as three months. S ometimes, the artist per the direction of the mannequin manufacturer is the one who comes up with the idea.
Mannequin sculptors can be in-house or can be commissioned.
Mannequin companies usually have both. Once the concept has been approved, the sculptor then looks for a model, unless the model was predetermined like the Twiggy mannequin or the Christy Turlington mannequin. A sculptor spends over 20 rigourous hours with a model, sculpting her body in clay. Usually, a different model is used for the face of the mannequin. Sometimes, it's the same model used for the body and face.