We Invented Online Portfolios for Models and Actors in 1995 - Enough Dreaming. It's Time to Be a Star!

Tired of the “The Hills” or “Jersey Shore” drama/controversy/trashy documentary? A new reality series is coming to inspire the young ones and the young-at-hearts!

WeTV series “Sunset Daze” follows nine fabulous senior citizens living in Sun City Grand, one of the country’s largest retirement communities in Arizona. It has debuted on TV on April 28.

The show features old but definitely fun and intriguing characters like real-life friends Joanne and Sandy whose hobbies include golf, charity work, downing glasses of vino and practicing their gun skills among many others. Joanne, 63, is a married retired real estate agent. Sandy, 68, is a widower who has been boasting about her “battery-operated boyfriend” and has been setup by her friends on a series of blind dates with eligible bachelors.

There is also the 72-year-old Jack who is a thrice-divorced retiree who complains that the lady he is dating won’t make a commitment probably until 80, 68-year-old Ron who is African-American and currently running for one of the empty spots in Sun City Grand’s Board of Directors, 61-year-old Ann who is a former nun in Ireland for 21 years before leaving the convent and realizes more fun in life after skydiving, 70-plus Gail who is a former performer and still dreams of her Academy Awards trophy, 74-year-old LaWanda who is a California retiree moving in to the community and taking up dancing, and 64-year-old Eileen who is currently running in the Ms. Senior Arizona Pageant, and 64-year-old Linda who is a newcomer to the community and dubbed as the “new kid in town.”

The reality show has gotten excellent reviews from top publications in the country, sighting the values of “fun and contentment” that is hard to find hand-in-hand in other reality or documentary series. “Sunset Daze,” they say, is a reassuring portrait of adults who can still act like kids but are at peace with their twilight years.

“When people compare us to ‘Jersey Shore,’ all I have to say is, ‘What a nice compliment. Thank you very much.’ To be compared to twentysomethings, what’s not to like about that? I don’t think we’re as crazy as they are, but we’re not dead, either. We have a lot to look forward to, and I think that most of us want to make the most of it,” says Sandy to The Associated Press.

Would you prefer to see models or celebrities in fashion campaigns? Designers are making a consensus.

Although the May fashion magazines are flooded with celebrities gracing the covers instead of models, they are going extinct in upcoming campaigns of major fashion labels.

Tapping the charisma of supermodel Daria Werbowy, Yves Saint Laurent designer Stefano Pilati says “What I need to focus on is an attitude, and this comes from a great, experienced model. (Models) can feel the clothes and make them relevant from a fashion point of view.”

Hiring the German top model Raquel Zimmermann for Gucci’s fall-winter spots, creative director Frida Giannini agrees “I think it’s a very contemporary approach. The other issue with celebrities is that they are characters who are often associated with a certain film. I prefer a strong, generic face that’s not related to any world – whether that be music or Hollywood.”

Fashion designer extraordinaire Karl Lagerfeld also has models-only casting for his high-fashion labels. For Chanel, he hires Freja Beha Erichsen, Abbey Lee Kershaw and Brad Kroenig; for Fendi he taps Anja Rubik  and Baptiste Giabiconi; and the Karl Lagerfeld brands have seek help from Iris Strubegger and Giabiconi.

“Why? Because I love them:  They have the right look and class,” says the sharp-tongued designer. “A change was needed,” he adds. “Celebrities want to do their own lines, their fragrances, which sometimes works for a short time.”

Ogilvy & Mather Paris Art Director Antoaneta Metchanova also prefers the expertise of fashion models over the magnetism of celebrities. “Celebrities have been used so much without reason. Today it’s no longer relevant to use a celebrity just to endorse a product. Fashion brands are starting to realize that in order for a product to make an impact, a model would better suit the task. Leave the modeling to the models and work with celebrities when the idea makes sense or when there’s a story that a particular celebrity could help tell.”

Part of the trend to choose models over celebrities is also triggered by the economic environment. Robert Ferrell, Director of Marilyn Agency’s celebrities and branding in Paris, has pointed out that despite the fact that celebrities can command great publicity in advertising, they also have to sell. “They have to make sense and they have to be believable. It’s not because you win an Academy Award it’s going to generate sales for the company… Especially in this economic environment, brands are definitely looking to get more out of their investment.”

And then there’s the case of overshadowing. Remember how universally-known Angelina Jolie has been replaced by a lesser known Karen Elson to become the new face of St. John?

Eva Cavalli shares, “Celebrities tend to overshadow the clothes and are fine if they appear in a house’s campaign only once in a while… It’s easier to transform models, and I think they interpret the clothes better – especially the more seasoned ones. It’s not only a question of beauty, but of character.”

Lastly, fashion designers have come to realize that it is the models, and not the celebrities, who are professional chameleons – able to transform a simple piece of clothing into a coveted fashion item.

“Actresses are fantastic, but they’re not models and it’s not easy. (Actresses) have an attitude, but will never be the fashion attitude. To me, fashion photography is with a model; otherwise, it’s a portrait,” says Pilati.

A successful fashion campaign, according to the Yves Saint Laurent designer, captures a “dialogue” among professionals:

“I do the fashion. They, the models, know how to wear it, and the photographer knows how to take a picture of it. It’s where the fashion dream comes from.”

Tween idol Justin Bieber, who skyrocketed to fame after posting his video performances on YouTube, arrived on Tuesday in New Zealand to promote his debut album “My World 2.0.”

A crowd of about 500 hysterical young fans who were waiting to greet him as he arrived in the airport ended up stealing his hat and knocking down his mother! As the crowd pressed forward, Justin Bieber and his entourage were escorted out a side door at the airport.

After the incident, Justin Bieber appealed to his more than 2 million followers on Twitter:

“Finally got to New Zealand last night. The airport was crazy. Not happy that someone stole my hat and knocked down my mama. Come on people… Want to be able to sign and take pics and meet my fans but if you are all pushing security won’t let me. Let’s keep it safe and have fun.”

The hysterical fans have not stopped Justin Bieber from performing six songs for a private concert at an Auckland school and bungy-jumping from the Auckland Harbour Bridge a day after the airport incident.

Before his New Zealand trip, Justin Bieber was also in Australia. He was to perform in a concert on the Sydney Harbour foreshore, but the Australian police had to shut down his concert  after 5, 000 teens got out of hand during the free event.  About eight of the screaming fans were injured in the crush and others have fainted.

Justin Bieber was signed by Island Records after his YouTube fame. His debut single “One Time” was a huge hit last year while his album “My World 2.0″ has stayed four weeks at the top of the US charts since its release last month. The hysteria surrounding the young performer has been likened to the obsession of young fans for The Beatles during their tour in the 1960s.

The O.C. star Rachel Bilson becomes the first eyewear ambassador of Sunglass Hut, international retailer of sunglasses and sunglass accessories and part of the world’s largest eyewear company Luxottica Group.

“I can’t say what makes me a good style adviser for them, but I am a huge sunglasses addict. If that’s all it takes, we’re serious ambassador material,” says an excited Rachel Bilson whose new role entitles her an ample supply of fabulous sunglasses for free.

As an eyewear ambassador, she will appear on the brand’s advertisement campaigns. She is also expected to model Sunglass Hut’s sunglasses as she possibly can and that would mean regularly coming in to parties, events, and simple public appearances with hidden eyes – just like Anna Wintour and Karl Lagerfeld.

For the intellectual part of being an eyewear ambassador, Rachel Bilson will also write on the company’s blog site as its Style Director, host online consumer chats and tackle eyewear inquiries, and conduct video podcasts and interviews with fellow sunglasses collectors and style icons. She is even eying Karl Lagerfeld at the moment as her big interview prospect because, “he wears sunglasses at all times.”

“We wanted a symbol of our philosophy, somebody who’s familiar and relevant to our target (consumer), but at the same time was herself sunglasses obsessed,” says Sunglass Hut’s CEO.

Rachel Bilson, amidst little acting projects, is one of the few Hollywood actors who has found a new blooming career in fashion. Prior to becoming an eyewear ambassador for Sunglass Hut, she has also started writing a style column for InStyle last year.

Victoria’s Secret has been one of the most successful institutions in the modeling industry. It houses many of the brightest and top-paid models of today and has a long list of supermodels who have walked the lingerie company’s celebrated fashion shows.

Edward Razek, Chief Creative Talent at Victoria’s Secret, has contributed much to the success of the lingerie company by personally handpicking models for the brand. Fifteen years and counting, he has become one of the most important names in the modeling industry.

Under his management, Victoria’s Secret models (called “Angels”) have become fuller (though still leaner and taller than your average girl), more toned, and athletic. Although these women are naturally gifted with beauty and body before signing up with the brand, they are constantly checked-up by measuring tapes to encourage maintenance of their extraordinary good looks.

But while it is important for Victoria’s Secret models to have über sexy physique and ton of confidence, Edward Razek expects the women to go beyond that if they want to achieve supermodel status.

“I try to encourage all of the women to get involved with the brand, to develop their communication skills and to watch the best examples, like Heidi, to see what they’ve done with their careers. I am constantly looking for the next Tyra, Gisele or Heidi.”

Professionalism is also of utmost importance for Victoria’s Secret Angels – and that does not include divas like Naomi Campbell.

“The notion of girls partying all night and showing up late and throwing cellphones at chauffeurs, you won’t see it, period. There are too many good girls (out there) and we won’t deal with divas.”

Style blogger Garance Doré has caused quiet a stir after saying that plus-size models are “not really physically healthy and not always flattering to fashion.” While she has made the point to emphasized the diversity of models on the runway, pro-curves and plus-size advocates have responded with a good amount of boos.

Through Vogue UK, the blogger has commented:

“It should not be such a big deal to show women with different bodies, but sometimes it’s treated like a bit of joke, or for shock, like the plus-size models on the runway in the UK Fashion Week. It’s not such a good thing to show plus-size because it’s not really physically healthy and not always flattering to fashion.”

Readers have been quick to react, especially those who favor plus-size models. They see Garance Doré as an arrogant hater of plus-size figure. And the flack has piled up so that the blogger was also forced to speak for herself.

Through Huntington Post, Garance Doré has cleared things up by explaining:

“I never said that plus-size models are unhealthy. That would be totally stupid of me. To me, they represent the diversity of women’s bodies, and what I said is that I will be happy to see them on a runway on a regular basis, just mixed [in with regular models] and not (walking) all together at the same time.

“But I also think that if things like V Mag or the Mark Fast show contribute to making people more tolerant and the fashion industry more open to that, then it’s just great and a good sign for the future.

“I, myself, am not a model at all, and I have always said that I like my curves.”

Apparently, Garance Doré has been skeptical of designers like Mark Fast for bringing plus-size models in his runway show like a shock factor, a publicity magnet. While it may seem brutal for plus-size to be called physically unhealthy, the blogger’s statements also have some truth in them.

Models have always worked hard to achieve bodies that are physically more appealing than ordinary people. That’s why they are called models – they have bodies that serve as the standard of beauty for all (or at least the majority). You see, it is easy to be “plus-size” but not everyone can become a “plus-size model.” And this is the reason why we need diversity of models on the runway – to make a point that it is not really the body shape that defines a model but poise and bearing.

Just like Garance Doré has once told Sky News, “it’s too much and almost naive of the fashion industry because it would be nice in a few years that the idea of different body shapes is normal, but right now it’s not quite there yet.”

We want to discourage extreme thinness for models but we do not all have to veer to the other end of the spectrum by going for plus-size models. So quit favoring one over the other – skinny or plus-size – because too much of each is really unhealthy and boring.

Plus-size label Lane Bryant has cried “double standard” against FOX and ABC for alleged reluctance of the two television networks to air their plus-size lingerie ad for Cacique line.

On the Lane Bryant’s blog, the rant goes:

“It appears that ABC and Fox have made the decision to define beauty for you by denying our new, groundbreaking Cacique commercial from airing freely on their networks.

“ABC refused to show the commercial during ‘Dancing with the Stars’ without restricting our airtime to the final moments of the show. Fox demanded excessive re-edits and rebuffed it three times before relenting to air it during the final 10 minutes of ‘American Idol,’ but only after we threatened to pull the ad buy.

“Yes, these are the same networks that have scantily-clad housewives so desperate they seduce every man on the block, and don’t forget Bart Simpson, who has shown us the moon more often than NASA, all during what they call ‘prime time.’

“While it’s no secret that Victoria’s Secret ‘The Nakeds’ ads are prancing around on major networks leaving little to the imagination, steaming up t.v. screens and baring nearly everything but their souls, our sultry siren who shows sophisticated sass is somehow deemed inappropriate. The network exclaimed, she has ‘too much cleavage.’ Gasp!

“Does that make sense to you? It doesn’t to us either.

“Does this smack of a double standard? Yep. It does to us, too.”

As far as raciness goes, some say the problem with the commercial is not about the cleavage but of its booty message that suggests the woman is meeting Dan out for lunch, with just a robe and lingerie on underneath.

And as far as publicity goes, the commercial ad has become famous after making news of its alleged restriction. In fact, Lane Bryant has presented the ad on its blog as “The Lingerie Commercial FOX and ABC Didn’t Want Its Viewers to See.”

After all these years of photo retouching, Britney Spears deserves the right to demand no airbrushing and flaunt her real body on commercial advertisements.

Her latest ad campaign for Candie’s is “raw” – exposing the popstar’s large thighs, cellulite, bruises on her calf, dry skin on her feet, and (whew!) bathing-suit bunching.

While the 28-year-old singer has triumphantly appeared on Candie’s campaign without airbrush, the US-based fashion firm has also released a retouched version of her images. The enhanced version shows a slimmer and flawless Britney Spears, to be released simultaneously with the unretouched photos.

It may be true that “Britney is proud of her body – imperfections and all” but she is still a celebrity that succumbs (willingly or reluctantly) to the pressure of looking perfect.

In this digital world of photo enhancement, appearing on campaigns without retouching is the new publicity attraction. And then fashion critics predicted: “Britney Spears won’t be the last of the celebrities seeking Photoshop-free exposure.”

Read Here:

Britney Spears, Toxic Digital Beauty

Mad Men star Christina Hendricks has been voted as the Most Attractive Woman in America, as published in the May issue of Esquire.

A poll of over 10,000 women has chosen the 34-year-old Christina Hendricks (30%) over 28-year-old Adriana Lima (17%) and 23-year-old Megan Fox (14%). This could mean that from the woman’s point of view, the voluptuous and mature Christina Hendricks is more desirable than the two other hotties. Given the chance, majority of women prefer to be like her than the Victoria’s Secret Angel or the Transformers seductress.

Accompanying the survey is Christina Hendricks’ open letter to men, which has revealed some of her unadulterated opinions on being a sexual woman, reflecting a personality closer to her role in the Mad Men series as the femme fatale “Joan Holloway.”

Here’s the excerpt:

Christina Hendricks: A Letter to Men

“We love your body. If we’re in love with you, we love your body. Your potbelly, everything. Even if you’re insecure about something, we love your body. You feel like you’re not this or that? We love your body. We embrace everything. Because it’s you.

Speaking of your body, you don’t understand the power of your own smell. Any woman who is currently with a man is with him partly because she loves the way he smells. And if we haven’t smelled you for a day or two and then we suddenly are within inches of you, we swoon. We get light-headed. It’s intoxicating. It’s heady.

We remember forever what you say about the bodies of other women. When you mention in passing that a certain woman is attractive — could be someone in the office, a woman on the street, a celebrity, any woman in the world, really — your comment goes into a steel box and it stays there forever. We will file the comment under “Women He Finds Attractive.” It’s not about whether or not we approve of the comment. It’s about learning what you think is sexy and how we might be able to convey it. It’s about keeping our man by knowing what he likes.

We also remember everything you say about our bodies, be it good or bad. Doesn’t matter if it’s a compliment. Could be just a comment. Those things you say are stored away in the steel box, and we remember these things verbatim. We remember what you were wearing and the street corner you were standing on when you said it…

About ogling: The men who look, they really look. It doesn’t insult us. It doesn’t faze us, really. It’s just — well, it’s a little infantile. Which is ironic, isn’t it? The men who constantly stare at our breasts are never the men we’re attracted to…

There are better words than beautiful. Radiant, for instance. It’s an underused word. It’s a very special word. “You are radiant.” Also, enchanting, smoldering, intoxicating, charming, fetching.”

Young Saudi Prince Abdullah bin Meteb has appeared in a television commercial for Saudi Arabia’s second-biggest mobile phone operator Etihad Etisalat (Mobily), which has caused public stir.

Although the advertisement has raised the eyebrows of questioning critics, it has also shown a change in the country’s monarchy – Saudi Arabia’s royal family is getting closer to the public.

In the commercial, the grandson of the country’s king and professional horse rider Prince Abdullah was shot taking care of his horse. Then a voice from the commercial says “Passion for success drives us to take the lead, and we are like that at Mobily.” And then the prince rode on his horse and jump on a fence on fire.

“Why is a Saudi prince on a television commercial? And why did it have to be the grandson of the king and not someone else?” asked a Riyadh-based Western diplomat. The country’s absolute monarchy has always been known to be secretive of its internal affairs.

The prince’s appearance on the television commercial and his sponsorship deal with Mobily has exposed discreet changes that have been affecting the Saudi royal family in recent years as it becomes ever larger and younger, says one Saudi analyst.

“They are getting closer to the public. The number of young princes eclipses the number of patriarchs in the Saudi monarchy which is getting more bourgeois in its lifestyle. Whether through their involvement in business life or in philanthropy, royalty is becoming part of the Saudi elite,” the analyst has added.

Mobily’s vice president for corporate communications, Humoud al-Ghobaini, has revealed that their company had offered to sponsor the prince in exchange for his appearance in the television commercial since he was a “successful equestrian sportsman.” They did not, however, expected him to accept the proposal.

“This is the first time a Saudi prince appears in a television commercial. We did not sponsor him and do the commercial because he is a prince. We have sponsored soccer clubs, several sports federations and even schools before we approached His Royal Highness Prince Abdullah,” Ghobaini has only told the press while refusing to discussed details of the sponsorship deal.