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Wednesday July 28, 2010

14-Year-Old Kendall Jenner Causes Outrage In Bikini


Fourteen-year-old Kendall Jenner is definitely one of the freshest and hottest teen models today. Add “controversial” to her resume as her latest bikini photo, which shows a great amount of cleavage, is now causing outrage for being “too young” and “too sexy.”

Kendall Jenner is the young girl occasionally seen on the reality TV “Keeping Up with the Kardashians” as half-sibling to Kim, Khloe, and Kourtney. She also has a YouTube show “Keeping Up With Kendall & Kylie” with her younger sister.

Her sexy photos have been posted on Twitter by her Kardashian sisters who are obviously proud of her. Wearing a string bikini and heavy eye makeup, the teen model poses seductively for photographer Nick Saglimbeni.

“All I can say is wow! I am speechless. She looks amazing!! So proud of you, Kendall,” says Kourtney.

“I am so proud of Kendall. She’s going to take over the modeling world… you just watch!” says Kim.

“In my head, Kendall is still my adorable 2-year-old sister whose diaper needs changing. LOL… when did she turn into a supermodel?!” says Khloe.

Kendall Jenner is not really new to showing off her beauty. As a teen model, she is signed with Wilhelmina Models and has already modeled for Forever 21 and Nordstrom.

However, at barely 14 years old, people are having mixed opinion if this hottie is still too young to show off so much skin. And then some critics ask, “Why does people suddenly care?” Tall, curvy, not-so-white and perfectly exotic, they have argued that Kendall Jenner is just like all of the supermodels who have started posing in bikinis at 14 or 15.

Perhaps people are still not used to seeing this young model in barely-clothed photos. Kendall Jenner has been introduced to the camera as an adorable little girl. It may take a while for that perception to go away, especially that up to this moment, she is still a minor.

She has a promising career in modeling alright, but any 14-year-old girl (popular or unknown) should not be subjected to society’s base sexual desires.




Tuesday July 27, 2010

Lara Stone Thinks She Looks Like A Boy And Will Never Model


Rising supermodel Lara Stone, whom Karl Lagerfeld praised for having the “body of a woman,” has once thought that she looks “exactly like a boy” and could never make it to the fashion world.


Once unsure of her looks, Lara Stone shares on Britain’s Grazia magazine:

“When I was a little girl growing up in Holland, I remember seeing the posters of Kate Moss in the Calvin Klein Obsession campaign and thinking, ‘Oh my God, she is amazing.’

“I never looked at those pictures thinking, ‘One day I want to do that’ or I want to be like her. It didn’t enter my head that modeling could be something I could do. It wasn’t even on my radar because I look exactly like a boy.”

Now 26 years old and wife to British actor David Walliams, the Dutch model who is also the current face of Calvin Klein says she no longer worries about the way she looks as she does not strive for “perfection.”

“I am not nervous about taking my clothes off. For this Calvin Klein campaign I felt extremely comfortable, strong and sexy.

“When I was younger, I was told to get my teeth fixed, but I didn’t. Nobody’s perfect so there is no point striving for that.”

Truly, the greatest problems in life are not solved, only outgrown.




Monday July 26, 2010

Sex Workers Model in Fashion Show To Fight AIDS


Strutting on an improvised catwalk, sex workers have drawn a large crowd of people during a fashion show held last Wednesday in Vienna, Austria to conclude the 18th International AIDS Conference.

“Visibility of our population is very important to get less discrimination, violence and negative attitude against our group,” says the Model of the Day, Camille, a transgender sex worker.

The fashion show has been organized to raise awareness on the discrimination of sex workers and to recognize their important role for HIV prevention. It has been designed by Brazilian label Daspu, coined from “das putas,” a Portuguese term which means “from the whores.” The label has been established in 2005 by a former prostitute who is now involved in defending sex workers’ rights.

“It’s important that the sex professionals, the sex workers, know how to use condoms, and they are the best to make HIV prevention: they have contact with the clients,” says Friederike Strack who represents Davida, an association working with Daspu in Brazil.

Strack has added that the prevalence of HIV among sex workers is significantly higher than any other group in the population, but the treatment is limited in many countries. “AIDS prevention is an instrument for working,” he believes.

Joining the sex workers in the colorful fashion show are activists who are working on the same cause. Together, they model skimpy yellow shorts with thin braces as well as frilly dresses. There is also a mini-skirt over red fishnet tights. All collections are accessorized with condoms in bright packaging, which are sticking out of bodices or pockets as a reminder of the theme.




Sunday July 25, 2010

Modeling Boot Camp Transforms Olympian To Model


Tim Morehose, an Olympian fencer who has been lucky enough to be represented by elite modeling agency Wilhelmina, has credited the company’s modeling boot camp for helping him become his better self.

Apparently fit as an athlete, he says that the things he has learned from the modeling both camp has help him bag commercial endorsements, like becoming the latest face of diet-food provider Bistro MD Sport.

An excerpt from Tim Morehouse’s interview with NY Mag has revealed how he has transformed from just being a fit athlete to becoming a marketable model after the modeling coaching:

Being an athlete must have helped you land this campaign.
Every little bit helps. So being with Wilhelmina helps; obviously my pictures look a lot better. If you saw my before pictures, like, after – Beijing Olympics pictures and what they look like now, it’s like I actually have learned a lot. It’s harder than you think to take a good picture. So I’m learning, little by little.

So you learned how to pose?
Yeah. I learned how to get a spray tan, also.
And I look really pale if I don’t, because fencers don’t get a lot of sun.

So when you signed with Wilhelmina, did they give you lessons like that?
Yeah, they give you a lot of advice. It’s really interesting to sit in a meeting and talk about — you know, I’m used to, like, talking about your skills or whatever, and here you’re just sitting there talking about, well, you know, you should get your eyebrows threaded and get some more sun.

What other things did they tell you to do when you signed with Wilhemina?
Shave the chest hair, get some sun, which turned into spray-tanning, which in itself is an experience. Fencing is the worst with spray tan because you sweat so much in your suit, it wears off immediately.

Looking thinner from losing fifteen pounds, Tim Morehouse says he is looking forward to seeing his shirtless picture hanging around the city to advertise the diet food.




Thursday July 22, 2010

Former Model Sues Vampire Weekend For Unauthorized Use Of Image


Buzz band Vampire Weekend sure is making a buzz after a former fashion model who goes by the name of Ann Kirsten Kennis has sued them for $2 million. The reason: the band has used an old image of her for their “Contra” album cover art without the model’s consent.

Appearing on the album cover as a young and redhead woman in Polo shirt, Kirsten Kennis has insisted that the photo was dated back to 1983 and she had no idea how it landed on the album’s cover. She has claimed that the photo has been shot by her mother and has never been used professionally as a modeling picture.

“Her daughter came home one day and said, ‘Hi, Mom, see your picture?’” says the former model’s lawyer to the Entertainment Weekly. “Her mother was a chronic Polaroid snapshot-taker, and used to sell whole archives of photographs to these shops, five bucks a hundred or whatever. Her mother may have given away to a charity bazaar a whole ream of photographs. We just really don’t know… (Kennis) has no idea how that photograph got into the photographer’s hands,” the lawyer has detailed.

It has turned out that Vampire Weekend did not have a single idea about the unauthorized use of the photo. The band has only paid to use the image at $5,000 from photographer Tod Brody. The photographer now has been suspected to dupe Vampire Weekend into believing that he was the photographer of the enigmatic picture, and that he forged the model’s signature as “Kirsten Johnson” in one spot and “Kirsten Johnsen” in another spot on the photo’s release form.

Denying the accusation, the photographer has explained his version of the story to the Entertainment Weekly by saying “Ms. Kennis’s claim that I didn’t take the photo is blatantly false. I took the photo in 1983. The photo was in my possession the entire time, for 26 years, until it was delivered to Vampire Weekend.”

The band members of Vampire Weekend, who have also issued a formal statement of their desire to settle the matter in court, have explained that they have chosen to use the photograph basically because of its mystery. “We don’t know her or anything… There’s just something infinitely fascinating about a nice portrait of somebody, especially when she’s got this ambiguous look, and people can read a lot into it…”

Leason Learned: Know thy cover model first before dwelling on mysteries.




Wednesday July 21, 2010

Transgender Model Lea T. Poses Nude For French Vogue


Lea T. is the transgender personal assistant of designer Riccardo Tisci who has made a buzz when she appeared in the Fall campaign of Givenchy along with nine other models.

The Givenchy designer has indeed given her a break  – not away from work but towards a promising career in modeling. After being casted for Givenchy’s Fall campaign ads, Lea T. has soared higher to pose for last month’s Italian Vanity Fair and to appear in the Givenchy’s haute couture show this month.

For her latest project, Lea T. appears in a nude portrait for the next month issue of French Vogue.

People who have seen the nude image have various reactions – some are shocked to see the model both with breasts and a “peepee,” while others are impressed to witness a new definition of beauty.

Lea T. has been formerly known as Leo.  And Givenchy designer Riccardo Tisci has only good things to say for his longtime personal assistant and fit model.

“She’s always been very feminine: superfragile, very aristocratic. She’s part of the family.”

Lea T.’s nude photo for French Vogue is sure to open the longtime discussion on sexuality once again. Whilst the magazine has done it primarily for marketing purposes, having a transsexual model showing both her female and male body parts is also a call for diversity.

Lea T., model or not, is just a beautiful human being with a body and history that remains confusing, if not challenging, to understand.




Tuesday July 20, 2010

Supermodels Refuse To Photo Shoot With Lady Gaga


Call Lady Gaga’s sense of style as edgy, or outrageous, or whatever – supermodels will never be friends with her fashion statement.

In a supposed pictorial for i-D magazine’s September issue, the singer should be posing alongside Naomi Campbell and Kate Moss. The supermodels are originally scheduled to do the magazine cover in a combined shoot. Later on, the magazine editor has decided to throw in Lady Gaga, without informing the supermodels. Upon learning the changes of the photo shoot, the supermodels are said to be very angry and have implied that they do not want the bizarre singer joining them. The supermodels have suggested to do individual shots instead. To resolve the issue, i-D magazine has decided to make a pullout cover for the September issue so all the three of them – Kate Moss, Naomi Campbell, and Lady Gaga – can appear on the September issue with their individual cover shots.

“Naomi and Kate refused to play second fiddle to Gaga and insisted on having their own retouching done, so they were all shot separately,” says a source to The Daily Mail.

The supermodels are definitely acting like catty cheerleaders but somehow, the fashion critics feel for them. Kate Moss and Naomi Campbell have worked so hard to make a name for modeling the finest gowns, dresses, and fashion accessories in the world. Suddenly, they have to share the limelight with a person who has become popular for wearing telephone cords or going pant-less in public! Worst, they have not been informed of the changes at hand, like they would just come to the photo shoot and be left with no choice but to comply.

At the very least, the fashion world now knows: Gaga and the Glamazons only make a disastrous magazine cover.




Monday July 19, 2010

Crystal Renn Answers Weight-Loss Controversy


Crystal Renn has just landed the Fall 2010 ad campaign for Jean Paul Gaultier, but not without some controversy. Critics say she look definitely slimmer and smaller on the campaign.

Being the most successful plus-size model, Crystal Renn’s latest projects include walking the runway of Chanel resort and posing alongside slimmer models Alessandra Ambrosio and Brooklyn Decker for the June cover of Glamour magazine.

Amidst these high-profiled projects, complaints have also risen regarding the said weight-loss of the size-10 model.

To explain her side on the weight-loss controversy, Crystal Renn graces an exclusive interview with StyleList.

On Doing The Gaultier Ad Campaign:
“Being a part of this campaign is not just a highlight in my career, but in my life. The ad is the perfect example of diversity in the fashion industry and should be an example to all about how to proceed forward and make change.”

On Losing Weight As A Plus-Size Model:
“I feel a lot of it was speculation as opposed to fact. In a way, I am relieved it was me because I have been recovered (from anorexia) for over seven years now. If it was someone not in recovery that long, it could have had a damaging effect. My fear is that people don’t know where I stand right now, but they should feel reassured that I am taking care of myself and am very happy. I am a size 10. My weight loss is due to body adjustment because of working out after a seven-year hiatus.”

“It started with stress. Then, to take care of the stress, I went hiking in Patagonia for three weeks. Since then, I have continued hiking and have established a regular yoga and meditation program.”

On Being An Advocate Of Healthy Modeling:
“I enjoy talking about these issues because it is my passion. I have lived an experience that changed me, and along the way I learned a lot about who I am. I would not take back my experience with anorexia, because when I was recovering and looking back over what I had been through, instead of the usual hate and obsession with my imperfections, I found gratitude and awe for all that my body can do. I learned a lot at a young age (about) an issue that could have plagued my whole life, but I didn’t let it, and decided to tell others, to hopefully help them. Maybe save them the time.

“I wrote my book to bring awareness to this issue and hopefully get the reader to ask bigger questions. Is it fair? When it is about change within the industry, and the conversation will improve that situation, then I am pleased.

“But monitoring my weight and whether I gained or lost five pounds is not necessary, and (it’s) possibly detrimental to what I am trying to do. It keeps the focus on a number and supports extremes, and what I ultimately want to see is freedom for models to find health so we can start seeing diversity in fashion. This is not about being a plus-size model. It’s about taking that term away and allowing not only models but also women to just be, and to be OK with that.”

“What I know for sure is that I want to continue modeling, striving always to be the best that I can, while also speaking my message to others (and) hopefully bringing change.”




Sunday July 18, 2010

Supermodel Christy Turlington Says Modeling Is Not Rewarding


Bitter much or false humility? Why would some people, upon working so hard to get to where they are now, say they really do not like their job?

Christy Turlington, one of the lucky models in the industry who has achieved supermodel status in the 90s, now says she really hated the catwalk more than anything else in the world.

“Actually, I hated that part more than anything. I just remember thinking: ‘How fast can I get to the end and back again?’” she has revealed in a recent interview with the UK’s Telegraph.

“Gosh yes – there’s nothing rewarding about modeling. It was a fun opportunity that allowed me to see the world but spiritually and intellectually there is nothing rewarding about the profession at all.”

“We were this oddity that occurred in pop culture at that time. But I don’t think we created anything; I think we just happened to be there at that moment.”

She’s got issues, alright. But can Christy Turlington, at least, be kind enough to give young models a little inspiration? Basically, if its not for her modeling career, she would not be as wealthy and influential as she is now – two things that have helped her establish her aid efforts through the humanitarian organization CARE (Christian Action Research and Education).

There are many women out there who have the looks and also dream of achieving a supermodel status like her. The worst thing that these young models would encounter is an ungrateful supermodel who discourages them by saying that they have a senseless career.

But relax people. Christy Turlington is not really a hater of modeling. She has just found a loftier cause in life other than being a glamorous supermodel. She awes her confidence, in fact, to modeling.

“When I was 18, and my looks were what I was – and all that I was – it did feel very limiting. It got to the point where I wondered what I was doing. But modeling gave me the kind of confidence that a lot of girls in their teenage years don’t have. In the end, I think that the industry saved me from having to be self-conscious.”

“Look, a lot more positive things than negative came out of it and I’m proud that I’m still working now, whenever it makes sense,” the 41-year-old supermodel has also realized.




Thursday July 15, 2010

Teen Chess Prodigy Lands A Modeling Career


Norwegian chess star Magnus Carlsen, the youngest player to ever top the International Chess Federation rankings at 19, has landed a modeling career for Dutch fashion brand G-Star Raw.

Magnus Carlsen has already done the fashion shoot for the jeans company. The chess prodigy has posed alongside model-turned-Hollywood actress Liv Tyler.

“I think people will be surprised to see me like this. Surely just as surprise as I was when I was picked for this,” says the young man to Norway’s public broadcaster NRK. He has also admitted to not being a fashion-oriented person.

Magnus Carlsen has made history in the world of chess when he has beaten former world champion Anatoli Karpov and has pushed the legendary chess champion (and his former coach) Garry Kasparov to a draw during the much-anticipated chess competition in 2004. The event has earned him the chess grandmaster title at the young age of 13. One month after his 19th birthday earlier this year, he has already become the youngest player to ever top the world rankings.

NRK has already posted on its website on Wednesday snapshots and a video of Magnus Carlsen’s fashion shoot for G-Star Raw, as well as black-and-white ads that are stamped with the brand’s name and logo and features the teen chess superstar.




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