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Thursday September 30, 2010

Crystal Renn Eats On Vogue Shoot, But It’s Gross


Terry, Terry, Terry. When will you ever learn to detach from phallic and sexual imagery?

Infamous photographer Terry Richardson has photographed Crystal Renn in various eating positions for the 90th anniversary issue of French Vogue. But instead of convincing models and everyone else to eat, the images of the plus size model voraciously devouring foods only spell G-R-O-S-S.

Despite Crystal Renn’s effort to add fun to the ordinary way of eating, many people who have seen the photos were disgusted. Tell me, would you eat a giant squid by swallowing it whole? Or would you eat a bowl basin of spaghetti with bare hands? Or would you eat meat by slicing it from a big chunk placed between your legs?

Entitled “Festin,” the photo shoot is styled by Carine Roetfield. It’s supposedly a wonderful sight to see on magazine because, rarely, there’s a model enjoying her foods. But Terry Richardson’s interpretation of eating is just as sexually-charged as all his other works have been. Not to mention that the foods that Crystal Renn eat were not appealing and unhealthy, the overtones of the photographs were slimy and perverted.

Mouth wide open to devour food like its the most orgasmic thing on earth, Vogue magazine just served a French toast.




Wednesday September 29, 2010

Australia’s Next Top Model Announces Wrong Winner!


How would you feel if you were announced as the champion of a highly-publicized modeling competition, only to learn later that you were not the rightful winner after all?

When host Sarah Murdoch announced Kelsey Martinovich as the winner of Australia’s Next Top Model, the 19-year-old contestant triumphantly exclaimed “I just want to thank the runners-up, they’ve been amazing and all the girls for keeping me on my toes. Ah, this is crazy!”

Crazy! That’s exactly the perfect word to describe the modeling competition’s finale. Minutes after Kelsey Martinovich gave her victory speech, Sarah Murdoch announced a shocking twist – she just proclaimed the wrong winner.

Ashamed and awkward, she told the entire audience, “Oh my God. I don’t know what to say right now. I’m feeling a bit sick about this. I’m so sorry about this. Oh my God. I don’t know what to say. This is a complete accident, I’m so sorry. It’s Amanda. It was fed to me wrong. This is what happens when you have live TV folks, I’m so sorry. This is insane.”

The host further explained, “It has been so close and the lead kept changing. It was literally down to a couple of votes and we kept going back and forwards, back and forwards, and we ended up with Amanda as our winner.”

Awww, poor Kelsey Martinovich. She has already celebrated victory but it turned out wrong. Worst,  she could not sob on national TV because of the blunder. As “composed” as she possibly could, she just told the host, “It’s OK. It’s an honest mistake. It’s all right Sarah. It’s fine!”

However, the wrong announcement of winner had brought good things for Kelsey Martinovich. Because of the errors, the producers felt they owe her some consolation. They gave her a $25,000 prize and promised to send her to Elite Model Management in New York along with the real winner, 17-year-old Amanda Ware.




Tuesday September 28, 2010

Hair Stylist Accused Of Raping Model At London Fashion Week


Hair stylist Shawn Mount, husband of top model Heidi Mount, is accused of sexually assaulting a 24-year-old model during London Fashion Week.

The alleged rape has taken place in a central London hotel room on September 20. New Yorker Shawn Mount has been with his wife in London to primp models for the runway shows. According to reports, the couple personally know the complaining model.

The case has now been held by Scotland Yard’s Sapphire Unit, which specializes in investigating allegations of sexual assault. A statement from the Scotland Yard has detailed:

“We received a complaint of a serious sexual assault at 1:30 a.m. on Sept. 20 at a central London hotel. The 24-year-old victim was referred to the Haven Centre (which helps alleged victims of sexual assaults.) A 30-year-old man was arrested on Sept. 21 on suspicion of rape and bailed to return to a London police station in November. He has not been charged and we are still investigating.”

Shawn Mount has denied the allegation while his wife has also declined to comment. A representative for the complaining model has also refused to talk to media over the issue.

Shawn Mount, 30, is a new York based hair stylist who has worked on Ralph Lauren campaigns and Vogue editorials. His wife Heidi Mount is Karl Lagerfeld’s muse and the face of Chanel who replaced Claudia Schiffer in 2009, and also models for Dolce & Gabbana, Michael Kors, Dior, Givenchy, Valentino, Marc Jacobs and the late Alexander McQueen.




Monday September 27, 2010

Beth Ditto Gets Tired Of Being “Fat And Proud”


Plus size singer-songwriter Beth Ditto is proud to be “fat” and is known for being an outspoken supporter of positive body image.

But she gets tired of defending her weight too. Through TV host Ferne Cotton, the lesbian artist voices out:

“I’m not an unhealthy person and I feel like one of the most tiring parts of being fat and being proud of it is… you do a lot of proving yourself all the time.

“It’s really interesting to me that people will look at a thin person and go, ‘That’s a healthy person.’ I want to go, ‘Come open my refrigerator and look and then let’s talk about what you think is so bad.’

“To be thin and to stay really thin, sometimes…  some people literally do coke all the time. Some people smoke cigarettes instead of eating. That’s crazy. But that’s ‘okay’ because you look healthier.”

Beth Ditto has been branded by critics as a bad role model of health. Her apparent “fatness” has earned negative comments from doctors who believe that she may be causing harm to public health by normalizing obesity.




Sunday September 26, 2010

Middle-Aged Models For Debenham’s “Forgotten Women” Campaign


Disabled models? Check! Un-airbrushed swimsuit models? Check! Live lingerie models? Check! Debenhams is really into casting unique models for its campaigns.

Now, the British retailer is again courting publicity with the launch of its “forgotten women” campaign, which has tapped the classic sophistication of middle-aged models Valerie Pain (66), Caroline Josling (52), and Maxine Smith (41).

Debenhams’ The Style List campaign is being run by 51-year-old Caryn Franklin and will feature three looks – power dressing, casual and party dresses.

Believing that the campaign is a business savvy move, the fashion commentator says It’s been really fulfilling to create shots that celebrate the wonder of getting older. It’s important to challenge what we see in our media with a broader reflection of beauty. Enjoy the magic of these women, their confidence, their attitudes and their allure. These wonderful faces express the joy of getting older – not something we see enough of.”

Later this autumn, Debenhams will launch a nationwide search to find the fourth middle-aged model who will join The Style List model line-up.




Thursday September 23, 2010

Angelina Jolie Casts Bosnian Actress For Directorial Debut


Known for her love of anything exotic, Angelina Jolie has promised to cast only actors from the region of Bosnia for her directorial debut. Now, she has fulfilled that promised as she chose young Bosnian actress Zana Marjanovic for lead role.

Angelina Jolie has been in Bosnia twice this year, apparently to visit the country as a UNHCR Goodwill Ambassador and discreetly to scout local actors in the region for her movie – a “wartime love story between a Bosnian woman and a Serbian man.”

The film will begin shooting later this year in Bosnia and Hungary.

Zana Marjanovic is a popular actress in Bosnia. She is known for playing the lead role in the award-winning film “Snow,” by director Aida Begic.

Full of excitement, the 27-year-old actress has already told the press that the screenplay for the film was “fabulous” and she could not wait to start shooting with such a “great actress and humanist” like Angelina Jolie.

Via The Associated Press, Zana Marjanovic has revealed that she is now on her way to Hungary to prepare for the film shoot.




Wednesday September 22, 2010

Legendary Veruschka Catwalks At Giles Deacon Runway


Veruschka returned to the runway for Giles Deacon Spring/Summer 2011 show. The 71-year-old model and actress walked the runway on Monday as part of London Fashion Week.

The German model shared the catwalk with today’s supermodels including Agyness Deyn, Stella Tennant, Jessica Stam, and a bikini-clad Alessandra Ambrosio. She closed the show in a floor-length gown and headdress.

Veruschka (Vera Gräfin von Lehndorff-Steinort) was a popular model in the 1960s. At 20, she became a full time model and was soon represented by Ford. She graced the covers of many Vogue magazines and earned as much as $10,000 a day during her peak. She worked with famous artist Salvador Dali. She also guest modeled in the Melbourne Fashion Festival in 2000.

Veruschka’s appearance at the London runway could be a part of the growing trend of using old models for runway shows. At the recent Madrid Fashion Week, designer Juan Duyos has also sent four women in their 60s down the runway, including renowned fashion collector Eloisa Bercero.

“I am fed up with seeing 20-year-old models advertise anti-wrinkle creams for women aged 60. Beauty does not end at 40 or 50,” said the Spanish designer.




Tuesday September 21, 2010

Wigs & Nudity On The High-Fashion Runway


Moving on to our newest topic: models’ nudity on the high-fashion runway. Do you think this model is embarrassed while catwalking on the Charlie Le Mindu show at London Fashion Week?

Judging by the look on her face, hell no! She is the perfect picture of the so-called “naked ambition.” But who are we to judge what the model is really feeling?

Designer Charlie Le Mindu is a young (24-year-old!) wigmaker whose creations are worn by Lady Gaga. When presenting at the London Fashion Week, he has to draw the audience’s attention to the wigs the models are wearing and not to their legs. His idea has been epic: He sends the models down the catwalk with their headwear on, but with their clothes off.

The show has apparently caused stir when female models presented Charlie Le Mindu’s wig creations matched with pink high-heeled boots, hats, bags, and nothing else.

We wonder if the purpose of drawing the audience’s attention to the models’ wigs is achieved. When one sees a naked model walking down the runway, its either the audience gets confused where to look… or they will mostly look “down there.”




Monday September 20, 2010

Models, Too, Are Embarassed By Nakedness


Photograph fashion models for nude shots and you think they are always born that way: ready to pose naked for the whole world to see. But believe it or not, they too get ashamed of nudity.

Anja Rubik, Polish supermodel and one of the highest-earning models in the industry today, voices her concern (through the “Picture Me” documentary) over the lack of privacy backstage at today’s fashion shows. Professional as she is, she believes that models should not be put into awkward situations like having to change clothes while around a thousand people:

“When we used to model, at least the changing rooms were way better for girls. Now, there’s no respect, we have to change with 1,000 other people around. So I think it’s even going backwards, it’s getting worse and worse. Now, we were at Rodarte  and everyone was backstage while we were changing so everyone could see us naked. Back in the days when I started, we had our separate room and there was some kind of wall that separated us. I don’t think it will ever change because everything is so hectic and last minute. There are too many girls who would do the job if you don’t do it, so I don’t think it’s possible to unite all of the girls say, ‘No, we want this and these conditions.’ I think that’s crazy, It’ll never happen. I think it’s mission impossible.”


Brad Goreski, style director and break-out star on “The Rachel Zoe Project,” shares another nudity concern. Despite the masculinity, the hunk has his share of embarrassment while posing topless during a photo shoot with Terry Richardson:

“I’m so embarrassed even talking about it. I have never, ever seen myself, and still don’t, as beefcake-y or anything like that. I was a heavy child, so I never saw myself in that way. And I would have never done that shoot with anyone but Terry… I’m glad I did it, because when I look back on them 40 years from now, I’ll think, that was a good moment, glad that was captured.”


The point is that despite the gorgeous bodies that models are flaunting naked on fashion shows and print, they are just like most of us who feel uncomfortable and awkward when naked. Why are they still doing it? Because there are many high-fashion campaigns and commercial modeling gigs that require them to be naked. You see, a multi-million dollar endorsement is way more important that shame.

With regards to the models’ lack of privacy backstage at fashion shows, that’s one issue that the industry should start analyzing.




Sunday September 19, 2010

Keep Away From The Shady Side Of Modeling, Know Your Agency!


Sena Cech is one of the fashion models who have experienced horror while working in the industry. She has been exploited as a young model and now, through the documentary film called Picture Me, she is sharing her experiences for the world to know.

She does not discouraged any woman who wants to follow the path of modeling. She only wants to share her story and remind girls to take care of their selves and “learn to say no” – especially to the questionable demands of the agency who represent them.

At a tender age of 17, Sena Cech took the path of modeling. It was not an easy road. She was drugged while attending a Christian Dior party in Paris. She was asked by a notoriously pervert photographer to handjob an assistant during a photo shoot. She was blinded on a photo shoot because the photographer was using a camera with UV flash (a fact that everybody on set knew except her). She was set up for dates to rich men with shady “business” of sleeping with young models.

To these experiences, one fact was obvious: Sena Cech’s agency was nowhere to protect her.

It was her agency that sent her as a replacement to work for the photographer who shoots on a camera with UV flash, without telling her that the previous model has already been hospitalized while doing the job. She could recall the statements of the crew on the photo shoot, saying “‘Do you have anybody you can call? The agency is closed. No one’s coming for you.’”

The agency has also been making unofficial appointments for her to meet men like a dating service. Once, the sleazy photographer who has asked her to handjob an assistant before has booked her for dinner through her agency. Instead of keeping her away from him, the agency’s booker has said “‘Oh this is your chance to make up. Can’t you go to dinner with him? Other girls from the agency will be there.’”

“They’d also sometimes say, ‘You need to get to this place (for a shoot). We know this guy with a private jet who would like to take you.’ They’d be flying you out, booking hotel rooms, booking you out for events. It was just rich guys with jets trying to get laid. The agency didn’t protect us at all,” Sena Cech has added.

Officially retired from modeling, Sena Cech is now residing in Oregon where she goes to school for naturopathic medicine, produce fashion shows, and develops her own clothing line. She’s doing all of these while also raising her young daughter Naia. Although modeling has been a thing of the past for her, she wants to leave an advice for young models:

“Only trust yourself. People who say they’ll take care of you are the very ones who will hurt you the most. Only trust yourself. Whatever the situation is, think for yourself.”

Sena Cech has taken the courage to share her experience for everyone to ponder. May she be braver enough to name the modeling agency, the booker who has been pimping the young models, and the pervert photographer whose monstrosity lurks beneath the glamour of fashion modeling. (On second thought, it seems like everyone already know who he is).




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