Le Rendez-Vous

 

Arise #11 (fall/Winter edition)

Styled by Sandra Henry

Photographed by John-Paul Pietrus
Models: Ajak & Ataui Deng

source

Arlenis Sosa

Harper Bazaar Febuary 2010
Model: Arlenis Sosa

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source: fashionbombdaily

Pretty young things

I'm sure most of you have seen the cover of I-D's Sept. issue starring Chanel Iman, Sessilee Lopez, Jourdan Dunn and Arlenis Sosa. But since we don't see covers featuring black models often, I wanted to post the cover here.

And WHAT a cover it is! i-D's covers are usually really saucy, with models winking and giving smoldering looks. This one is no exception.

The colours really catch my eye. I love the metallic makeup on the models' skin contrasted with the graffiti background. It's such a sexy cover.

I haven't bought the issue yet so I don't know what's inside or whether the girls give interviews (I hope they do) but the cover alone makes me want to buy it.

i-D usually has that effect on me; the covers always lure me in. Like this one. Models winking! They get me everytime!





So here is a behind-the-scenes video of the girls at the i-D shoot:

Body business

In the fashion biz, it's pretty rare to hear models talk. They're models for a reason, right?

I am of the view that models should talk more; about what their jobs are like, whether they are being treated fairly, whether they have body issues; hell, just talk to us about the fabulous clothes you get to wear!

And while we do sometimes get snippets backstage during Fashion Week, and we sometimes get a few well-known models on a cover of a magazine talking about their fabulous lives, it's still a rare thing when a model speaks out on her own accord, and in all honesty, about her life as a model.

Last year, Model.Live followed three wannabe models trying to make it during Fashion Week. It was a very honest look at the struggle of newbie models. A few weeks ago, Jezebel's resident brainiac model "Tatiana" revealed herself to be Jenna Sauers;

who eloquently wrote about the unglamorous life of modeling. Last year, model Ali Michael spoke out on national TV after she was sent home from Paris for aing "fat legs" even though she hovered around 105 pounds.

And now model Crystal Renn has penned a memoir called "Hungry," detailing her journey as a thin model, who had heart palpatations she was so skinny, to being a successful plus-sized model.

Renn says that when she was first scouted, at the age of 14, she was told to lose 55 pounds. She lost the weight but when her agent told her to lose more, she realized she couldn't diet anymore. That's when it was suggested she become a plus-sized model and it was when she became a healthy size 12 that her career took off.

She says:

"I got to my lowest point, when I couldn't go lower, and it was either, 'I'm going to die and not accomplish the dream,' or, 'I can become a plus-size model and keep the dream,"' she said in an interview. "I am healthy now, the healthiest I've ever been in my life - both physically and mentally."

I'm not going to wax on about how fuller figured models are practically ignored by the fashion industry; that's for another post when I can think of something new to add to that discussion; but I'm just impressed that Renn, who is still in the middle of an incredible career, is brave enough to call out the industry on his thin obsession. More models should take a cue from her.

Summer with Daria

French Vogue is my favourite fashion magazine of the moment. Not only does it give me an excuse to read French aloud (by myself of course) but the mag has what I consider one of the best Fashion editorials every issue.

The August 2009 issue is no exception.

Featuring one of my favourite models, Canadian Daria Werbowy, the editorial shows Daria channeling different eras of fashion from the 90s Gap look to 70s disco (and do I spy Brooke Shields?)

But really all August issues are just lead-ups for September. I cannot wait for the September issues!

Speaking of Canadian models, did anyone watch Canada's Next Top Model? What do you think about Meaghan winning? I think she was the best of the final three but I was secretly hoping that Maryam would win.





(Photos: The Fashion Spot)

The dark side of modeling

To the casual observer fashion and sex go hand-in-hand. The industry is built upon sexualized images to sell their product. And increasingly, the women selling fashion are getting younger and younger. Most of the time they aren't women at all but very young girls, as young as 13 years old.

The problem is that the sexual imagery in fashion photography has a lurid background behind the camera.

Sara Ziff, a model, has made a documentary called Picture Me about young models who will do anything to get to the top of the industry, and the price they pay for it.

This includes everything from respected photographers feeling up a model, to a 14-year-old model being asked to "twist" a photographer's penis, to 20-hour work days without any rest or food.

Here are some quotes from The Guardian's piece on the doc:

What alarms Ziff is that there's an expectation that models are comfortable using their sexuality. Often they can feel under pressure to conform, not least because they're being paid a great deal of money. On occasion, Ziff says, she has earned as much as $150,000 a day. "I've done shoots naked, totally naked. They sell it to you as: 'Here's this great artist and he wants to take your portrait.' I had to switch off the voice in my head that said: 'Do you really want to do this?' When you're being paid a lot of money and you want to appear cool you really don't want to show any resistance to going with it.
"But at the end of the day I used to wonder: what's the difference between doing a shoot in your underwear for Calvin Klein and being a stripper? Obviously you are compromising yourself. How far am I willing to go? How much am I willing to show for a big fat cheque?"


"We had to go in one by one. The photographer said he wanted to see me without my shirt on. Then he told me that it was still hard to imagine me for the story so could I take my trousers off. I was standing there in a pair of Mickey Mouse knickers and a sports bra. I didn't even have breasts yet. 'We might need to see you without your bra,' he told me. It was like he was a shark circling me, walking around and around, looking me up and down without saying anything. I did what he told me to. I was just eager to be liked and get the job. I didn't know any better."

"The images came out and they were practically pornographic. What the photographer saw was not what I felt. It had nothing to do with that 14-year-old and what she was feeling and everything to do with what the person behind the camera projected onto her."


The documentary also brings up the idea of creating a union for models, something which I've briefly talked about before. Modeling is a real job so why shouldn't they have a union with the chance to have days off, fair wages and most importantly, protection from abuse.

I'm glad to see that a working model is speaking out about the issue; there are so many faceless models out there too scared to talk about it.

Click here to watch the trailer.

Le smoking

There is something undeniably sexy about smoking. It's the moment between taking a drag and letting the smoke seep out. The cig resting lighting between your fingertips; your mouth parted just a little bit, and the ecstasy of feeling more relaxed; the world is right again.

Most people know that almost everyone involved in the fashion industry smokes. And I'm not talking about having a quick cig with champagne, I'm talking about all the time. In between shows, in between fittings, on photo shoot breaks, hell, on any kind of break. But hey, it's stressful job.

I'm talking about smoking because a friend of mine (same friend who went to the Ford Supermodel of the World open call last week) told me this weekend that she wants to try to quit the habit. She's not addicted to smoking but she likes the feeling she gets when she smokes. She told me that when she cosmetology in school, her teacher told the class to smoke with their left hands, so that when they were applying makeup to clients, they wouldn't be able to smell the smoke on their fingers. That's how much smoking is a part of the fashion culture.

Smoking in the media has been debated for a while now: Does seeing a celebrity or hot model smoking on TV or in magazines encourage people to smoke?
The media certainly glamourizes the act of smoking. There are countless famous movies where the protagonists are seen lighting up in a very sexy way. Does that make me want to smoke? No, but I do enjoy watching a person light up; especially if it's a sensual scene.

Fashion magazines are notorious for having photos of smoking models and there are two classic poses they use: Smoke floating out of a pouty, open mouth, or the cigarette is held like a cigar in an open, pouty mouth. It's hot, but is it wrong to promote smoking?

I don't have the answer to this, but please weigh in! Should fashion magazines be featuring models smoking?

And while you think about it, here are some hot photos of models smoking.

This is why she's one of the top models

I was recently asked who my favourite model is and I had no trouble answering. Natalia Vodianova. This editorial from June's British Vogue is a great reason why I love her and why she is considered one of the top models in the world.

Mode as muse and wannabe models

Today I went to the Eaton Centre to check out the Ford Supermodel of the World open call and to support my friend who was trying out. Unfortunately my camera died and I couldn't take photos so I will do my best to describe the scene.

We got there about 12:15 and there was already a pretty big lineup. There were girls of all sizes and heights. Some were typically pretty (what I call "mall pretty;") others had the model requirements (very tall, very thin;) some were too short but had pretty faces and were thin; and some had horrible style (one girl wore a bright pink shirt with holes along the arms and was so tight her belly fat was leaking out.)

Out of all of them (friend excluded) I only saw one girl who caught my eye; she wasn't typically pretty but she had an interesting face. I'll try to describe it from my memory. She had dark, full eyebrows, large wide-set brown eyes that were a bit too far away from her nose but it made her look elfin. She had a small, pouty mouth and a round-shaped face. She was very tall, I would say 6 feet and looked very young and shy. She captivated me and I'm really sad that I couldn't take any photos. I hope the Ford website puts up shots from the event.

Anyway, the line up grew pretty big and they had to start lining up girls outside the mall. There were lots of moms there. A Revlon hair guy went around to all the girls spraying their hair and pulling it back into a ponytail. When the girls got to the front they had their head shots taken and were asked a couple of questions about themselves.

I was standing beside a 16-year-old girl who seemed like she was at least 6 feet (although all of them were wearing super tall heels) and said that she already had an agent and had done some modeling. She told me a cute anecdote about her agent calling her while she was writing an exam and she had to refuse a modeling job because she obviously had to finish the test.

I talked to a few other girls there and asked them how much they knew about modeling and models. Most of them didn't know the names of contemporary models such as Daria Werbowy or Coco Rocha. They all think it's a glamorous job. A lot of them were trying out just for fun or because their friends or parents told them too. Some of them were interested in fashion but a lot of them weren't.

After my friend left, I headed over to the Indigo to find some good books and I came across The Model as Muse book that's part of the Met exhibition of the same name.
The Peter Lindbergh photograph of Kate Moss sold me.

The book and the Ford Supermodel open call got me thinking about what makes a good model.
Flipping through the photographs of the greats like Linda Evangelista, Veruschka, Jean Shrimpton, Lisa Fonssagrives, Naomi Campbell, Kate and others, I wondered how much of being a great model relies on the face, the body, the makeup artist, the hair stylist, the photographer and the numerous other people that help a girl become a model.

For me, it's about an interesting face; not necessarily beautiful, but a face that you can't help but notice and stare at. I think part of being a good model is knowing how to move your body in front of a camera and knowing your good angles. Being part actor and part chameleon is a model's job. I don't think you have to know a lot about fashion if you want to become a model, but it helps.
But really, I think it all comes down to that face. No makeup, no product in the hair, no fancy clothes on. If the face can inspire people then that's a good start for a girl to become a model.

Was there a potential muse in the line up I saw? I did see a lot of girls who came across as confident, who knew they were hot. But would they be able to inspire a designer, would they define an era, would they influence a photographer? I'm not so sure.

So you think you can be a model?

Tomorrow at the Eaton Centre in Toronto, Ford Models is holding an open call for the Supermodel of the World contest.

The open call is being held on level three of the Eaton Centre from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m.

Here is some background:

From the world’s best modelling agency comes Canada’s next face of beauty and fashion.

Ford Models is the world’s largest global fashion talent management company. Each year, Ford Models searches the globe for its next female Supermodel to join the Ford Models' prestigious Women's division.

Three Canadians have been crowned the Ford Models Supermodel of the World: Monica Schnare in 1986, Tricia Helfer in 1992, and Leanne Spencer in 1996. Who will be the Canadian finalist this year? Is it you?

Stay tuned as Ford Model Scouts visit Vancouver, Edmonton, Calgary, Toronto, and Montreal and select models from each region to participate in the finals.

Want to know the prize? The winner receives a $250,000 (US) modeling contract with Ford Models. 
The runners-up also receive modeling contracts with Ford Models for
$150,000 (US) or $100,000 (US). Sweet deal!

I will be there with a friend who is entering the contest, taking pics and asking model hopeful questions about why they think they have what it takes to be a supermodel.

Also check out teenflare.com editor Laura Lanktree's blog about the contest; if you have any questions, she is the one with the answers.

Here is a pic of last year's winner, Shelby Furber.



Good luck!

MET Costume Institute Gala 2009

MODELS:







































CELEBRITIES:















What is your take on the MET fashion? Do you see yourself wearing any of these outfit? If so, which one?


Sources, source