Tom Cruise Launches Website

Tom Cuise launches his own website this month to make room for his biography, photos, and even a video montage of his 25-years of lead roles in films.

"My hope with this site is to bring you in and share with you the fun I experience every day during the film-making process, from working with the script, to the making of the film through to what we finally see when we settle in our seats and the lights go down," says the TomCruise.com's welcome letter.

With a not-so-hot media publicity for Tom Cruise these days, the 45-year old actor surely needs to have publicity at all costs if he wants to stay in the limelight. Good thing there's the internet.

Preteen model Lacey models for teen fashion jewelry

Preteen Model Lacy gets modeling job

11-year old model Lacey wrote us to let us know that she has landed the modeling job of being the new face for Fileybelle Teen Fashion Jewelry.

Another example of how even a Basic portfolio at New Faces can get results.

Read modeling success stories from New Faces models.

Sharon Stone apologizes for “karma” statement

When work is at stake, you've got to make sure you have the sweetest smell for the media and the public, even if it means making a public apology for personal opinions. This is what the actress Sharon Stone learned when she made a public apology for saying that recent Chinese earthquake is “karma” during her speech in the Red Carpet Review in the Cannes Film Festival.

The 50-year old actress was dropped out by the French fashion house Christian Dior from its Chinese ads after her Cannes statement stirred anger in the Chinese media.

Sharon Stone expressed her sympathy to the current conditions of Tibetans under Chinese rule as she said, "I'm not happy about the way the Chinese are treating the Tibetans because I don't think anyone should be unkind to anyone else... And then this earthquake and all this stuff happened, and then I thought, is that karma? When you're not nice that the bad things happen to you?"

But her bold statement roused anger to many Chinese people. She was even labeled by a Chinese news agency as "public enemy of all mankind."

Shortly after, Sharon Stone was dropped from the Christian Dior ads in China. The company also released a statement from the actress apologizing for her statement.

Too bad for Sharon Stone, she is now castrated in the Chinese community for her “karma” statements despite the apology.

Fashion Models Promote For Peace In Kenya

Think fashion is just a thing for the high-class society? Think again.

In Africa, African models and designers joined forces together to promote peace in Kenya.

Held in Nairobi National Park last weekend, the “Fashion for Peace” aimed to raise money for the victims of Kenya's post-election violence. The show will help 300,000 Kenyans who were uprooted from their homes in fighting after a disputed December election where more than 1,300 people died.


With most of the models wearing traditional African dress on the catwalk, the fashion show was launched in a marquee under the moonlight on savannah.

Model Lisa Pitkin shared the feeling of most people who came to join the event. "It is great that fashion can be held in the name of peace. Fashion is always a good thing that brings people together and this show has really demonstrated that."

"The fact international designers came here is a good sign, definitely a move forward from where we were two months ago."

One again, fashion models prove their influence. This time, they made an impact not only on the catwalk but also on social and humanitarian cause.

Tennis Player Ashley Harkleroad Poses For Playboy

American Tennis Player Ashley Harkleroad has posed for the top international men's magazine, Playboy, while she was hospitalized some months ago for cyst on her ovaries.

The photoshoot, according to the 22-year old Ashley Harkleroad, is first sexy pictorial of a tennis player for the magazine, following American swimmer Amanda Beard who bared all for the cameras.

"I was just lying there in hospital for three weeks, and an offer came to me. I thought about it and it was something that I did. I'm proud of my body" says the blonde tennis player.

"I stay in shape and try to stay fit. I'm just trying to represent a female athlete and her body. That can be sexy too. It's no big deal."

Ashley Harkleroad represented the US in the French Open but was knocked out by Serena Williams on Sunday.

It was Serena Williams who backed Ashley Harkleroad's decision to pose for Playboy. "I do appreciate that magazine. I think Hugh Hefner is a great businessman, and he has a niche that he just did really amazing in," says Serena.

"I'm happy for her if that's what she wanted to do. It takes a lot of courage. And whether I'm courageous enough, I don't know, but it's great for someone to be so courageous and tough."

The pose of the tennis player Ashley Harkleroad will appear in the August edition of Playboy.

Naomi Campbell Sculpture

Supermodel Naomi Campbell will be immortalized in a sculpture through the help of British photographer Nick Knight.

In one of the sculpture, Naomi Campbell will be straddling the barrel of a large tank. In another, there will be a “circle of three Naomis, like The Three Graces."

Known for his personal, experimental vision resulting in magnificent work of arts that exist outside the conventions of fashion photography, Nick Knight will be using three-dimensional scanners, to create a series of sculptures of the Supermodel Naomi Campbell.

This breakthrough in photography is something that Nick Knight obliviously has taken pride of as he said, “Photography is changing completely, and one of the things that's doing this is 3-D scanning.”

"You get a 360-degree view of her, and because it's all digital, that data can be used to output real objects. You can lay one image over another and create sculptures that would never have been conceived if you were chipping away at marble."

Aside from the easier way of sculpting though the help of 3-D scanning, there is also a changing trend in modeling. These days, a supermodel's career seemed not be threatened by controversies and scandals anymore. In fact, it even serves as way of maintaining popularity with the media.

Thanks to her current assaults with the police officers, Naomi Campbell's popularity in the fashion industry only appears to be growing.

Aside from her highly-publicized sculpture with Nick Knight, she is currently the face of YSL. She also appeared in a cameo role on popular TV series “Ugly Betty.” D&G has also been reported to throw a birthday party for the 38-year old black British supermodel Naomi Campbell.

When Kristen Bell Reacts

Veronica Mars aka Kristen Bell is former stage actress. This might be the reason why she remains cool and poised in showbiz, despite the millions of gossip that every Hollywood actor has to deal. Proof?

Here's how she reacts to issues involving her:

Kristen Bell is just “the pretty girl”:
“The feedback I’ve always gotten is that I was not nearly pretty enough to play the pretty girl and not homely enough to play the ugly girl. So I’ve always been like, ‘I’ve got to be able to fit in somewhere!’”

Kristen Bell is flat-assed, Kristen Bell is stupid, blah, blah, blah:
“I could spend all day weeping about the bad parts of this career, but I wouldn’t change it…you just buck up and build a thicker skin, you know?”

Kristen Bell has done her boobs!:
“That I got a boob job. I’m barely a B cup!”

Kristen Bell is dating Justine Timberlake:
“I’ve never even met him, so you can understand why I was surprised to read an article about our torrid love affair.”

Too many gossips and issues for the 27-year old Kristen Bell. Fortunately, she's smart enough to fight back with wit. But what's one essential truth about her?

Kristen Bell will be filming her latest project, “When In Rome” with Josh Duhamel. The leading background casting company in New York is seeking background talent for the movie's upcoming shoot. Check the casting here.

Model Of The Moment, Is It Over For Agyness Deyn?

English model Agyness Deyn is known for the title “Model of the Moment” as her strikingly handsome look has lead the way for many successful Burberry and Giorgio Armani campaigns. But will her popularity pulls over?

She is the most popular face of the British luxury fashion house, Burberry. With the company, Agyness Deyn has made a fast rise to fame. She becomes a regular on the celebrity circuit and is recently recording her first single.

Because of her rising popularity, she was hailed as “the fashion industry's next great supemodel” and is also called the “ambassador of British youth culture.”

But high-profile always has a negative effect for models. And even Agyness Deyn is not spared by this modeling fact.

It was reported that the 25-year old, 5 feet 7 ½ inches model has been dropped as the face of Burberry because she has become over-exposed. This overexposure is reportedly criticized by famed fashion photographer Mario Testino, whose opinion seemed to be highly-respected by the fashion company. Says one critic, “She was just a flash in the pan. Last year she was quirky, but now she is challenging Moss in the fame stakes by positioning herself everywhere. That kind of popularity just hasn’t sat well with Mario, who is looking for something different.”

Once again, we have been reminded of the idea that any model who becomes a face of a commercial company is expected to lose other bookings especially those coming from rival companies. Worst, she will also lose other modeling opportunities due to over-exposure.

In the case of Agyness Deyn, she was dropped for overexposure not by rival companies but by the very fashion house she represents.

Although a spokesperson for Burberry declined to talk about the issue, there is one clear modeling advice that models like “Model of the Moment” Agyness Deyn has to remember before her career pulls over: Over-exposure is bad. Don't overdo it!

Coco Rocha: The Bouncy Teen Canadian Supermodel

Aside from her rising career in the fashion world, the 19-year old Canadian teen supermodel Coco Rocha is also known for her signature bouncy, confident gait.


Coco Rocha was scouted at 14 during a Highland dancing event in Vancouver. Guess who singled her out for a modeling career? The controversial but undeniably one of the most successful and beautiful supermodels to date – Naomi Campbell!

Naomi Campbell told the young Coco Rocha "I like your walk." It was the beginning of a phenomenal modeling career for the raven-tressed beauty of angular features and pale complexion.

Nearly six-foot, Coco Rocha's bouncy, confident gait becomes her signature as a model just as Gisele Bündchen is known for her hair or Kate Moss for her personal style.

As a sensational teen model, Coco Rocha has already landed the covers of Italian Vogue and American Vogue, which has named her as one of the Top 10 Models of 2007. She has also been featured in countless editorial spreads and runway shows, including Highland dancing in full regalia for Jean-Paul Gaultier.

Being featured in Gaultier has greatly helped her career. As for her dancing, the young model confesses, "I hear comments like, 'Oh, it's a dancer. Oh, it's Coco!' It's good to be able to show I'm not just a model who knows how to walk in heels."

Today, the teen supermodel already owns a Manhattan pied-à-terre, and a luxurious Blackberry cellphone which only a few girls her age can afford.

Coco Rocha has been in recent fashion weeks in London and New York, but as she visits her nativeland for the L'Oréal Fashion Week, the bouncy teen Canadian supermodel just wants to keep things light:

"It's important. Its nice to come home and - I don't want to say 'be a celebrity' - but be able to say Canadian girls make it out there."

Tyson Beckford Shares Men's "Supermodel" Success

Tyson Beckford's success in the modeling industry is an open book. With his name on top of the list of male supermodels in the world and the most popular Ralph Lauren face to date, Tyson is also an actor and the host of the current television show on Bravo, Make Me A Supermodel.

To his host co-host and fellow supermodel on the show, Niki Tylor, the 37-year old Tyson Beckford shares that in most modeling competitions, men usually fall short to women. According to him, women's modeling success is more predictable than for the men, “just because modeling is such a predominantly women's business. Women are in control of this business."

So if men want to make it to the top of the modeling business, Tylor Beckford believes that they have to do multitasking, that is, to learn to be a well-rounded talent. "The guy that wins this, or the girl that wins this, has to be able to multitask — to be able to represent a product line to the fullest, to be able to host a show, to be able to do a movie.”

Thus, a man is considered a successful supermodel if he is able “to model clothes, do commercials, act in films, have a video on MTV, everything."

These versatility in the modeling community is what Tyson Beckford calls “being involved.”

Here's two important things in modeling that Tyson Beckford follows by heart, which are also important modeling advice for those who want to become a successful male supermodel:

1. Always know what the clients are looking for, what the objective is.

2. Always do research to know what you are doing, whether it was modeling, acting, riding motocross or skateboarding.

“Some kids have the idea they want to become actors, and they say, 'OK, I'm going to go to an audition.' You can't just do that. You have to study, to know what the art is. The kids who are still on the show are the ones who understand that."


Also check modeling success story of male supermodel Gregg Avedon.

Click here for more modeling advice from male supermodel Gregg Avedon.

Click here for the hottest modeling opportunities for males on the Casting section.

Amy Winehouse Is Runway Model For London Fashion Week?

Amy Winehouse is set to model at the prestigious London Fashion Week in September. Troubled and disturbing as she may be, the British singer was reportedly approached by top British designer Julien Macdonald to appear in his fashion show this year.

While there are a lot of promising future for Amy Winehouse as a model and a fashion icon, critics disapproved her worn look that seemed to set a new high-street trend. One critic couldn't accept the fact that the singer has been chosen as a model for the top fashion event, saying that the singer is a mess. “She's always roaming the streets in ripped clothes, like she's thrown things on, and not on purpose... She goes for a rework of the 50s look, but when she's out of it, she looks terrible. There's nothing chic about walking around drunk and screaming in public!"

Despite these oppositions, the fashion designer himself spoke in favor of Amy Winehouse: "Amy has great style and she's an amazing talent, isn't she? She's unique."

Amy was also reported to be offered $1,000,000 in February for a one-off performance by French fashion house Louis Vuitton to appear at their show during Paris Fashion Week. It was said that Louis Vuitton are huge fans of Amy, believing that she will be the perfect performer during the show.

The designer company was willing to risk a big amount, convinced that it will gain more in return from using the name and face of Amy Winehouse.

Sometimes, what fashion wants are not just people who are chic and hip. In the case of the Amy Winehouse, she has win the hearts of many famous designers primarily because she doesn't care what other people has to say, as long as she's able to carry herself, no matter how humongous her hairdo may be or how strip her shorts is.

...But really, do you believe Amy Winehouse will make it good as a runway model for the London Fashion Week?

Supermodel Alek Wek Honored At The AAFA American Image Awards

Black Supermodel Alek Wek was honored by the American Apparel and Footwear Association (AAFA) during the 30th Annual American Image Awards in New York last Wednesday.

Alek Wek received the “Spirit of a Woman” award for being a fashion model and a humanitarian during the gala event that was held in Grand Hyatt Hotel. The purpose of the gala was to raise money for Fashion Delivers and K.I.D.S. Fashion Delivers is a charity organization that helps poor children and families and those who have been victims of natural disasters. K.I.D.S. Foundation, on the other hand, donates merchandise to children and youth of more than 1,000 non-profit organizations.

Along with supermodel Alek Wek, Mark Badgley and James Mischka were also honored during the AAFA American Image Awards as the two were named "Designer of the Year."

Inmates Fashion Show at Milan's San Vittorre Prison

Because fashion is for everyone, the women inmates in Milan's San Vittore prison showcased a collection on Wednesday of three wedding dresses at a glamorous fashion show to launch their own womenswear line.

Security were tight as the models ramped, the celebrities sized up the fashions and the jail spectators' eyes were on the catwalk.

The women designers were loudly applauded for their creations, all designed by Rosita Onofri. One creation had white flowers stitched on, while a knitted-like bodice topped another. There are also hats decorated with flowers and cool white-framed sunglasses to add a stylish touch.

It's “Mama Mia!” indeed for wonderful fashion show and the creativity of the women inmates of San Vittorre Prison.

Plus-Size Model On Painting Sets Art World Record

A 1995 life-size painting entitled "Benefits Supervisor Sleeping" where an overweight woman, a plus-size model for that matter, posed lying on the couch set a record for the most money paid for any work by a living artist.

The painting done by 85-years old British artist Lucian Freud (grandson of Sigmund Freud) has earned $33.6 million in a bidding at Christie's auction house in New York.

The overweight woman was Sue Tilley, a manager of a government-run job center in London. On the painting, she was lying on her side on a worn-out couch with nothing to hide her folds of flesh.

The painting is one of a kind because it challenges the modern notions of beauty. Moreover, because some people regard the nude painting of the plus-size model as shocking or ugly, it has elicited a reaction from everyone who sees it.

Critics believed that a more conventionally beautiful painting would not be able to fetch such a large amount. With the nude painting of the overweight model, "It's the sort of thing that everyone immediately wants to voice an opinion about... It challenges conventional taste ... and people do find that rather exciting and interesting to talk about."

Lucian Freud painted the portrait of Sue Tilley over nine months in 1995. She posed for eight hours a day, two or three days a week. As a model, the painter initially paid her £20 ($31) a day for posing, and the fee later went up to £33 ($51) a day.

Today, Tilley is 51 and still works full-time at the job center in London's West End. She calls her new-found fame "a bit bizarre."

She laughingly describes how she now has to arrange her schedule to accommodate media interviews.

Being the plus-size model of a record-breaking masterpiece, Sue Tilley said she was excited to find out how much the painting sold for, but knowing it could set a record was a bit scary. Says Sue Tilley, “It's hard to put your head around it, really. But it's all good."

NBC's Ryan Seacrest Is Momma's Boy!

Yes, it's true. Ryan Seacrest produce a reality-game-dating show on NBC called "Momma's Boy."

And where could Ryan Seacrest getting the idea, but from his own experience. A self-confessed mamma's boy, Ryan admitted that his mother's opinion has always been important in many decisions he make.

“Anytime I make a decision either personally or professionally, I have to ask myself...what would my mother say? Like it or not, I am a true Momma's Boy. She is the most important woman in my life and she is never short of opinions.”

With these original concept that stems from his motherly inspiration, Ryan Seacrest went off to produce a show that will feature marriageable bachelors and their possessive mothers. The show will ask the mothers to choose the perfect bride for their sons. What's more exciting is that the mother and son are housed together along with the prospective brides. Conflicts are expected to arise as the stage mothers look for the perfect brides for their sons, while meticulously eyeing on the women.

“Some of the possible brides are "nice girls" -- while others might not be as appealing to the mothers. As expected, rivalries are formed, drama mounts and emotion builds as crucial choices must be made.”

Pretty intriguing eh?

It's just getting more exciting as the casting has begun for NBC's “Momma's Boys!” Check out the casting now.

A Mother's Day Special: Color Therapy Fashion Show

In Japan, a fashion show was held on Sunday to celebrate the international day for mothers. The show incorporated color therapy and featured “mother's generation models.”

The theme of the show was simple: vibrant colors. From a thousand applicants with age ranging from 52 to 92, a total of 51 models were chosen to pose on the runway in colorful attires of pale pink, cream yellow, lettuce green, and many other rejuvenation colors.

The color therapy fashion show urged people to have a positive outlook in life – just like the vibrant colors that the models wear.

Aside from influencing others to be optimistic, the color therapy fashion show also urged the mature models themselves to be cheerful, just like the colors they wear. They should not allow themselves to be caught up with age. They should not pretend to be someone else. Instead, they just have to be themselves and freely enjoy things.

The participants, on the other hand, were very inspired and grateful for the event. While usual mother's day celebration gave them flowers and presents, the color therapy fashion show gave them something extra. “We've been given the secret to staying young," says one participant.

Cindy Crawford, A Boring Supermodel?

Would you believe that one of the brightest supermodels of the 90s, Cindy Crawford, actually thinks that she's the most boring supermodel in the fashion industry?


Cindy Crawford's perception of herself as boring was revealed as she admitted, "I regret that I wasn't wilder. I was working and I was nervous. I was the one in the corner with the book, being responsible."

It is true that Cindy Crawford may be considered as too much of a good girl at the height of her modeling career. She was not involved in sex and drug controversies, unlike most of top international models today.

But boring? Many media critics might disagree with her.

The 5 feet 9 inches (177 cm) tall model with brown hair and eyes has captivated the fancy of many people around world with her nature allure. She is one of the most popular supermodel who graced the covers of many magazines like Playboy, Vogue, Cosmopolitan, and many other international print media giants. She appeared in fashion campaigns of many famous clothing lines like Versace and Revlon. She had also become the face of many cosmetics company including Maybelline and Clairol.

Her inclination towards books comes naturally. How could she not be interested in books when she's really an academic achiever? Cindy Crawford finished high school as a valedictorian, with a 4.0 GPA. She won an academic scholarship to study Chemical Engineering at Northwestern University. She only dropped schooling to pursue a full-time modeling career.

So don't be too pious when Cindy claimed she's boring. She might just be downplaying her marvelous supermodel image.

For one, Cindy Crawford is a precious gem in the modeling industry – a wonderful example of “Beauty and Brain.” She is a celebrated fashion icon that a famous designer has labeled as the "classical beauty and the all-American dream girl."

Tyra Banks Lives Up To Her Supermodel Name

The Brazilian supermodel Giselle Bundchen may have been the highest paid model this year, but she still has more years to earn dough as much as what the famous black Supermodel Tyra Banks is making.



At 34, Tyra Banks is officially retired from modeling since 2005. Even then, she is reported to be as highly-paid as she was at her peak, earning US$50,000 a day.

The black supermodel-turned-TV host has led the way for many colored races in the world of fashion and modeling when she started her modeling work as teen runway model by the age of 15. She was the first black model to post for the covers of Sports Illustrated's Swimsuit Issue and GQ. Afterwards, Tyra Banks was contracted to represent the famous Victoria's Secret lingerie.

Tyra Banks used to be a youth correspondent for Oprah Winfrey's talk show but now that she hosted a show of her own, she keeps making upward progress as lots of advertisers supported the daily talk show because of its appeal to many youth audience.

Last year, Tyra Banks was reported to earned at least US$18 million, making her land on the 61st spot of Forbes 100 Highest Earning Celebrities. Her company, Bankable Productions, owns 25 per cent of the famous fashion Reality TV show, America's Next Top Model, which is syndicated to more than 100 countries worldwide.

The secret to her success in the modeling and fashion industry? A "fierce" work attitude and a determination to escape poverty. Tyra Banks, who grew up with her mother and younger brother in a one-bedroom apartment in Inglewood, Los Angeles, was known for her frugality and fear to lose what she had established. In one of her interviews with Vanity Fair magazine she had revealed, "Sometimes I feel guilty for how much money I have."

And so, it is unmistakable that Tyra Banks is the one of the richest and most successful Supermodel of her generation. Currently, she has two hit TV shows - America's Next Top Model and The Tyra Banks' Show.

With all the good things that life has made for this once plain Black model, it is logical to think that supermodel Tyra Banks is living up to what her surname defines.

Many Hollywood Celebs In The “Superheroes” Fashion Exbihit

Today is the opening of “Superheroes,” the star-studded fashion exhibit of Costume Institute.

“Superheroes" explores the visual iconography of comic book superheroes, as well as their role as symbols for social and political realities even as reflected in the fashion industry. The exhibit features designs of clothing that are use to alter the human body, be it functional or a purely fantastic clothing.

Hollywood celebrity icons who are present at the exhibit include Marc Anthony and Jennifer Lopez (in Alberta Ferretti), Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes (both in Armani) and Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen (in different gowns by Diane von Furstenberg). Vera Wang comes in her own design while top model Karolina Kurkova also wears a gown from the fashion designer. Liv Tyler is on Calvin Klein Collection, while Scarlett Johansson dons Dolce & Gabanna. Beyonce is in a tightly-bodiced Armani Prive gown while Eva Longoria wore Hollywood favorite Marchesa.

The exhibit will be open at the Met in New York throughout the summer, until September 1.

Increasing Traffic to Your Portfolio

If you are serious about having a modeling or acting career, then it's important to increase your visibility.

One easy way to do that is to swap links with other New Faces members in your "My Top 10 List" section of your portfolio page. (You add members to the list from your LaunchPad when you are logged into the member admin area)

It's similar to the benefits of Reciprocal Linking, and can help drive more traffic to your portfolio, hence more visibility, hence more chances of getting noticed and cast.

You can make a posting in the New Faces "How to Promote Your Portfolio" forum to say that you are interested in swapping links with other members.

Another way is to be in the "Member Spotlight" boxes that appear on most of the pages throughout the newfaces.com site. Members with the highest ratings are displayed in the Spotlight boxes. You can increase your rating by asking other members to RATE you.

There is a RATE MEMBER tab on the right side of each portfolio page and if you click on it, you are able to rate a member from 1 to 10 (10 being the highest rating). There is also a New Faces "RATE ME- Adults" forum and a "RATE ME- Children " forum to ask other members to rate your portfolio.

Doing these two things can help get you more visibility by casting agents and modeling agencies.

Johnny Depp Joins The List Of Public Enemies

Johnny Depp, the versatile Hollywood actor who played the unforgettable and endearing character of Captain Jack Sparrow in the Pirates of the Carribean series is set to immortalize another roguish character in the upcoming feature film, “Public Enemies” with Channing Tatum and Christian Bale.

In the crime/drama movie, he will be John Dillinger – a notorious American gangster who was always in pursuit of the Federal agents, along with his friends Baby Face Nelson and Pretty Boy Floyd. The movie will be set in the booming crime wave of the 1930's.

But this bad boy aura that Johnny Depp plays in the movie opposes his character on the real scene. While filming for Public Enemies in Oskosh, Wisconsin, he reportedly left a $1500 tip for the waitress after enjoying his dinner with friends. Not long ago, he also recorded a voice message for a young fan who was in a coma. Johnny Depp was even identified as one of the nicest celebrities to his fans, often taking the time to sign autographs.

Meantime, the local filming of Public Enemies has been postponed for at least a week.

The cast and crew of Public Enemies was set to be in Beaver Dam at The Rogers on Monday morning and James Street in Columbus on Monday afternoon. Public Enemies location scout Adam Boor said the local shots were pushed back due to some of the actors’ schedules.

Casting call for the Public Enemies movie starring the genuinely good guy Johnny Depp is posted here.

Black Models To Fight Against Lack of Diversity In The Fashion Industry

The Italian Vogue magazine is set to feature black models exclusively in its issues. This is in response to the lack of diversity in the fashion industry.

The fashion industry have long been criticized for using mostly white models in fashion shows and many other modeling venues - runways, editorials, advertisements, and fashion covers.

One of the most publicized attempt to put an end to the so-called “white-washed fashion” was probably that of former model agency owner Bethann Hardison who have represented supermodels Tyson Beckford and Naomi Campbell. Hardison convened two summits to discuss the refusal of some of the most influential fashion personalities to embrace black beauty. As support for her call, CFDA president Diane Von Furstenberg sent out a letter prior to fashion week urging designers to incorporate models of all ethnicities onto their catwalks.

The efforts, however, was to no avail. The fall '08 fashion season ended with white models flooding the runways.

And so Italian Vogue came back with a vengeance, as few days earlier the editor-in-chief of Italian Vogue Franca Sozzani made a public statement that said, "We are using a lot of black models, like Iman! ...Not only the models of today - a lot of different girls."

The magazine's purpose was made clear by Sozzani: "Because nobody is using black girls. I see so many beautiful girls and they were complaining that they are not used enough."

In addition, all of the other editions will be incorporating not only black models, but other under represented minority groups in their magazines much more than usual over the next few months.

We just hope that this bold campaign for diversity in the fashion industry would not turn out to be a case of “black versus white” issue. After all, it wouldn't be called diversity if all the white models become black.

“Superheroes: Fashion and Fantasy.”

Our favorite fictional characters will walk the fashion runway from May 7, 2008 to September 1, 2008 in the highly celebrated event, “Superheroes: Fashion and Fantasy.”

Everybody got to have their favorite superhero. And most of the time our well-loved superheroes becomes our inspiration for clothing and style. So as superheroes are always top in the list of most popular mass icons, the Costume Institute at The Metropolitan Museum of Art organized a show that aims to explore the symbolic and metaphorical associations between the superheroes and the fashion.

There will be 60 ensembles to be featured in the exhibition including movie costumes, avant-garde haute couture, and high-performance sportswear. These ensembles are expected to reveal how the fictional characters serves as the ultimate metaphor for fashion as well as their ability to “empower and transform the human body.”

Top designers of the show will be led by Giorgio Armani who will be the Honorary Chair of the Gala. His Co-Chairs are famous Hollywood celebrities George Clooney, actress Julia Roberts, and Vogue Editor-in-Chief Anna Wintour. Other famous designers w ho will be present during the said event will include Alexander McQueen, Atair, Balenciaga, Pierre Cardin, Jean Paul Gaultier, Eiko Ishioka, Moschino, Thierry Mugler, Nike, Rick Owens, Gareth Pugh, Speedo, Spyder, Bernhard Willhelm, Dolce & Gabbana, Julien Macdonald, Three As Four, Walter van Beirendonck, and Versace.

Every superhero will represent different themes that each reflect a unique expression in fashion:

“Superman and Spider-Man costumes will address the subject of “The Graphic Body.”

“Superman’s ‘S’ chevron to designer logos and branding.

“Catwoman will represent “The Paradoxical Body,” which will explore the character’s vacillating manifestations of good and bad.

“The stars and stripes of Wonder Woman’s uniform, a composite of the American flag, epitomize “The Patriotic Body” and designs that appropriate patriotic emotions implicit in the character.

“The Hulk, a metaphor for male potency, will introduce a section on “The Virile Body,” which includes inflatable clothing that swells to exaggerate the male physique.

“The Flash – a character who possesses superhuman speed -- will address the “Aerodynamic Body” as manifest in high-tech sportswear such as Nike’s “Swift Suit” and Speedo’s “Fastskin Suit,” which enhance athletic performance in sprinters and swimmers respectively.

“Batman and Iron Man will represent “The Armored Body,” and examine avant-garde fashion that merges mesh and metal, skin and chromium.

“The Mutant Body, denoted by the X-Men, will highlight clothing that morphs men into beasts.

“Ghost Rider (the biker-demon with flaming skull) and The Punisher (the vigilante who sports a giant death-skull emblem on his T-shirt) will symbolize “The Postmodern Body” that suggests an anti-hero identity through the eclectic mixing of street styles.”

To make superheroes walk in the catwalk as fashion icons is one of the most eccentric but appealing modeling concept ever conceptualized. But to see our favorite heroes transform into runway models, isn't that wonderful?