Victoria's Secret Models Walk At Prada's High-Fashion Runway

Voluptuous lingerie supermodels of Victoria's Secret prove to us that boobs are not just their best assets as they project to make a smooth transition into high-fashion.

Miranda Kerr, Alessandra Ambrosio, and Doutzen Kroes – three gorgeous women who have been excluded from the runways because they are "too big" – walk in the Prada Fall-Winter 2010-2011 ready-to-wear fashion show at the Women's Fashion Week in Milan on Thursday.


Miuccia Prada has one thing in mind when these type of models were cast:

"It's normal clothes – the silhouette of the 90s, but using many different kinds of models who are much more womanly."

So there it goes. Despite the "uber sexiness" of these Victoria's Secret Angels, they still reflect the kind of bodies closer to regular women, that is, with breasts and bottoms.

Following the trend of replacing androgynous and emaciated models with fuller ones, Prada also tries to redefine "sexy" with a mixed collection of clothes that include winter coats, Mad Men style A-line dresses, lady-like skirt suits, and even odd-looking dress with lots of black and white frills around the chest.

"Our vision of what is sexy in women is getting narrower. It is all about bows and frills and clichés now. Women can't seem to give these clichés up. It's just my take on what's happening today. That's all," says the influential designer.

Meanwhile, Doutzen Kroes says she was happy to walk in the show and see "a change in more healthy looking women on the runway." The voluptuous model has previously told reporters that she rarely does runway shows she might have done so when she was "11 or 12" because she doesn't fit the current runway sample size.

Heathy Curves Back On The Runway

The decrease of "beanpoles" on the latest runway shows was noticeable. New York and London Fashion Weeks have featured more normal-sized women catwalking this year.


Though IMG vice-president Fern Mallis did not attend the CFDA's panel discussion on fashion industry and body image the day before New York Fashion Week, she was glad to notice healthier models on the runway.

"I was here at the Tents, but I haven't seen so many scary-looking girls this time," she commented during the Naeem Khan show.

"I was just at a show sitting with the husband of a designer who said a girl came in for a fitting and her legs looked like poles, and they said, 'No.' It was great at Calvin's show to see some of the old girls back, like Stella Tennant and Kristen McMenamy, and Michael Kors had Frankie Rayder. They're gorgeous girls. They weren't beanpoles, they're still gorgeous."

The same trend was also noticeable at the London Fashion Week. Even Kate Moss walked the Fashion for Relief runway with more body fats. Supermodel Naomi Campbell also welcomed the arrival of many normal-sized women on the catwalks, as well as the plus-size models. She was quoted as saying:

"I think the bigger the better. I don't comment on size, I think if someone is beautiful then they should do what they want to do."

Fashion designer Borun Aksu also noted after his show that larger, healthier models appear to have made a breakthrough on the catwalks:

"Over the last couple of seasons they have become more noticeable. You also notice that these are girls who look healthy and happy."

Mark Fast's runway show has featured four plus-size models led by Crystal Renn, size-16 and one of the most famous plus-size models today.

Meanwhile, giant high street retail store Debenhams has started replacing some of its size ten mannequins with plus size models more suited to the average British woman's size 14-16.

"The average British woman is a size 14 to 16 and it's important that the woman on the street is able to walk into a shop and feel comfortable with the choice available," said Sarah Travers who runs Europe's largest plus-size modeling agency.

Weird Runway Hairs At Rome Fashion Week

Rome Fashion Week featured runway models with hair sculptures yesterday at Lorenzo Riva fashion show.


The former Balenciaga designer paid homage to the 1970s heyday of actresses such as Monica Vitti with a collection that includes feminine skirt suits, gowns with big bows at the waist and lots of large, black-and-white patterns.

But the Lorenzo Riva fashion show was not memorable because of the dresses but because of the attention-grabbing runway hairs, which were actually hats.

One hair hat looked like a weeping willow tree:

Another hair hat was shaped like a flower pot:

Glamour supposed that these hair hats were meant as geometric artist statements that provide balance to the clothes.

For designer Lorenzo Riva, the hairstyles were just one element of his fashion show that calls for the return of elegance to Rome:

"Haute Couture must stay here. Now if only one 'big name' designer would return to Rome, the other Italian stylists would come home too."

Paris Spring-Summer Haute Couture Fashion Week

January 24-28 is the week of Spring-Summer 2010 haute couture fashion shows in Paris.

Let's take a look at some of the most extravagant and/or out-of-this world styles that top fashion designers and runway models presented for the spring-summer season:

Beauty In Horror on 24th

Dutch fashion designer Josephus Thimister opened the fashion week on January 24 with a fashion show that "searched for beauty in horror."

Equestrian Chic on 25th

For Christian Dior, it was a display of whinnying equestrian-themed collection as designer John Galliano presented his collection of nip-waisted jackets and flowing skirts inspired by 19th century horsewomen.

Aurora Borealis and Sweet Pastels on the 26th

Giorgio Armani Privé made a forward-to-the-future statement with a collection that referenced Art Deco but used high-tech futurist fabrics.

The fashion designer's favorite material in the collection was liquid metal while his favorite fabric effect was "aurora borealis," where the northern lights seemed almost impregnated into silk jacquard looks.

"Very futuristic? Maybe, but for today, for 2010," commented Armani when asked about the futurist elements in his Privé haute couture line.

No More Little Black Dress

Chanel made a ground-breaking moment when the fashion house presented a collection without a speck of black. Saying goodbye to its "little black dress," Karl Lagerfeld's haute couture for next summer were inspired by the patisserie counters.

Chanel models walked the runway in hairs elaborately coiffed into heart-shaped Sixties beehives with an adornment of bows and baubles. The models' hands have dinky fingerless silver mittens while their feet were shod in shiny silver ankle boots.

Karl Lagerfeld also decreed for next summer a collection of candy floss pink, apricot, almond green, lilac and primrose - anything but black!

Femme Fatale on the 27th

Jean Paul Gaultier haute couture show resurrected the character of Ava Gardner from the film Avatar to play the femme fatale leading role in the fashion show.

"I saw 'Avatar' and, like everyone, found it extraordinary. And from there, I began thinking of nature and ecology, and the Latin American tropics and from there it was not very far to Mexico," explained Gaultier of his haute couture line.

Gaultier also concluded the haute couture Spring-summer 2010 displays with a piercing mariachi cry.

Union of Exquisite Clothes and Fine Jewellery on the 28th

The Paris haute couture week dedicated the 28th day to the craft of fine jewellery. The haute couture houses welcomed the haute joaillerie makers like Boucheron, uniting two of the city's most renowned and expensive hand-crafts.

London Fashion Week Celebrates 25th Year

London Fashion Week is coming to town on September 18 and to prepare for its 25th anniversary celebration, the city's hottest fashion designers, models, and artists are coming up with bright ideas to mark the occasion.


Elle UK has asked 25 of the most beautiful people of London to design a poster for the London Fashion Week and contributors include Naomi Campbell, Pat McGrath, Matthew Williamson, Rupert Sanderson, and Rob Ryan (pictured here). The 25 poster designs are featured on Elle UK's website and will be on display across the London Underground network.

Meanwhile, stunning waxworks of Kate Moss and Tyra Banks have been unveiled at the London Fashion Week area at Madame Tussauds London. The seated wax replica of Kate Moss looks innocent and youthful in an elegant dress of opulent gold full-length gown while the waxed Tyra Banks, on loan from Madame Tussauds in New York, is shown in all her signature fierceness in a black gown with a plunging neckline.

"We wanted to do something special to celebrate London Fashion Week's 25th anniversary and Kate is undoubtedly one of our most popular figures. We have created a totally different look moving away from understated chic to a really high glamour feel.

"Tyra's guest appearance ups the glam factor even more and visitors will be able to imagine they are working the catwalk themselves when they meet the Madame Tussauds stylist and can get up close and pose alongside two of the world's most famous models."


The London Fashion Week will open on September 18 with Paul Costelloe and offerings will feature spring/summer 2010 fashion collections from Matthew Williamson, Maria Grachvogel, Charles Anastase, Clements Ribeiro, and Christopher Kane.

Though the public is not invited to hang with the big names in fashion during the trade event in Somerset House, the London Fashion Weekend is opened from September 24 to 27. Various collections from autumn/winter 2009 to spring/summer 2010 lines will be seen during the designer shopping event (ticket price starts at £12.50).

New York Fashion Week - Backstage

Hi everyone! This is Hilary Rowland, the founder of New Faces®. I've been attending fashion week, backstage and front row (and don't forget the parties!), with my friends from IMG.

I'll be posting more photos and coverage soon, but here's a shot of a model being interviewed backstage, that I took about an hour ago! Lots of love, Hilary

Me with male models at Calvin Klein.

Tori Praver being interviewed backstage. Go girl!

Fashion Designers' Alternatives To Runway Shows And Fashion Weeks

"Many fashion designers live up to their name as they creatively look for alternatives to showcase their collections on outside splashy runway shows like fashion weeks."


Following the Fashion Designer Allegra Hicks' withdrawal of her collection from the London Fashion Week after her sponsors pull out their support from her catwalk show, we are reminded of the fact that fashion is one of the first to be affected by “economic circumstances.”

However, designers do admit that runway shows greatly promote the clothing collections of fashion designers. That is why behind the glamour and sophistication that a clothing line gets when being presented in fashion weeks, it is rather costly for fashion designers. Aside from personal money, designers have to look for sponsors to help them showcase their work on the global stage.

In New York Fashion Week for example, the venues at the Bryant Park tents which are the hub of eight days of previews for retailers, editors and stylists, cost between $25,000 and $50,000. This still do not include the costs for models, invitations, show producers, even food backstage.

The good thing is that amidst this economic crisis that affects the fashion industry, many fashion designers live up to their name as they creatively look for alternatives to showcase their collections outside the splashy runway shows like the fashion week.

There are designers who go for static presentations as alternative for the expensive runway shows. Static presentations do not need runway or seats, and some designers use mannequins instead of models.

Showrooms and trade shows are also alternatives for showcasing one's fashion collection. Trade shows usually have more buyers than press media. Without the editorial attention from the media, however, designers still need to promote their collection to the buying public to make money.

Other designers use volunteer models while still some stage runway shows outside the Bryant Park tents. If designers cannot afford the media exposure and access to taste makers that fashion week offers, the images from the runway are printed and use for advertisement.

When getting to the runway show is really the goal, other cunning designers go for unusual sponsors like faucet makers instead of fashion and beauty companies. This way, they do not have to compete with other fashion designers for sponsorship.

As for Fashion Designer Allegra Hicks' Fashion alternative to runway show in the London Fashion Week, she announced that her company will present the new spring 09 collection after the shows in a more private environment. Her company will be showing the spring 09 collection to buyers as usual from London, Paris and New York.

New Faces at NYC Fashion Week

Hilary Rowland, our founder, was at all the shows for New York Fashion Week. She went to make new contacts with designers and industry pro's, and to see all the agents and fashion insider's that she already knows. Here is a video she took at one of the shows: