Metropolitan

Thursday Snack...Wild Things

This one is for the girlies...

In their September editorial "Wild Things", V Magazine features heavenly hunks bearing almost everything {even a bit of man bush}.

Female models Carmen Kass and Anne V are also in the shoot wearing lots of boho hippie inspired clothes, if you happen to take notice and are into that clothes-wearing thing.

No wonder women's fashion mags don't regularly feature men...we'd never notice the clothing they are trying to sell otherwise. Meow!

V Magazine, September 2009
Photography...Mario Testino
Styling...Beat Bolliger

Dirty Pretty Inspiration... Supreme Management Being

Paul Rowland founded Supreme Model Management to pursue his artistic vision of intelligent beauty. This specific beauty ideal includes qualities like androgyny, strength, vulnerability, youth, masculinity, individuality and honesty.

For a special edition of V Magazine that will be sold with V61 later this month, Mr. Rowland shot 19 girls from the "World of Women & Supreme" and we love the results.

Shown here, our favourites...

...Styling by Nicholas Grasa ...Makeup by Janeen Witherspoon...Hair by Rita Marmor, Leonardo Manetti for ION Studio & Franco Gobbi for Bumble & Bumble

Also, check out video of this fantastic shoot...

V61 Special Edition Covers by Paul Rowland on Vimeo.

Pretty Things...Maison Michel

For Fall 2009, milliner Maison Michel, had designer Karl Lagerfeld photograph their lookbook. Karl shot a plethora of models and other fashion favourites in black and white.

And, with pretties like these donning the latest in Maison Michel's headgear, your pretty pocketbooks are sure to open.

more lookbook images here...

Warning: Curves Ahead

We're happy to announce that curves are finally back...and it's about time!

After years and years of anorexic models gracing the editorial pages of magazines, it seems that editors are finally realising that not everyone respects and admires the stick thin, perfectly PhotoShopped {unrealistic} body type they've been spoon-feeding us.

Australian Harper's Bazaar features 'plus-sized' model Crystal Renn posing in sexy bustiers, strappy dresses, and sheer lingerie. The BEST part? Crystal used to be anorexic {!} and is living proof that being comfortable in your own skin is always more attractive than being PhotoShopped to perfection.

photos...Luis Sanchis

Britain's Missing Top Model... FOUND!

In case you missed it...we ran a post back on July 7th about the latest model reality show on Britain's BBC entitled "Britain's Missing Top Model".

The show featured eight beautiful women with disabilities {shown above}, competing to prove that they have what it takes to become a mainstream fashion model.

Just like America's Next Top Model, the girls moved into a London flat together where they ate, slept and breathed the modeling/fashion industry over a three-week period. They also went through a series of challenges and photo shoots to "prove" that they have what it takes to become a model. Then, they were eliminated one by one by a panel of "expert" judges. The prize: a fashion spread in the British Marie-Claire Magazine.

With this training and experience, the show claimed the aspiration for the winner to be a foot in the door of the fashion industry...and Danny Cohen, Controller for the BBC Three was quoted as saying...

"This series aims to challenge the artificial boundaries that seem to exist in the beauty and fashion industries. "It would be great if, in the future, we began to see more disabled models gracing the covers of the world's magazines."

Well, the show ended last night and the results are in...{whether we thought the show itself was a good idea or not}.

We congratulate Kelly Knox, 23, of England {shown}. Knox was named the winner last night, and scored a contract with Take 2 Model Management as well as a photo shoot with Marie Claire magazine.


If you remember, most of the comments on my previous post "A New Low or the Next Top Model" were NOT in favour of this show, with most thinking it was some sort of ploy to gain publicity or a segregation of people with disabilities.


Honestly, the show seemed to be a bit of both. But, only time will tell whether Kelly Knox was just amusement for the moment or really the next big thing in the modeling industry.

No matter what, we wish Kelly the very best.

A New Low or the Next Top Model?

The BBC's latest model reality show "Britain's Missing Top Model" premiered last Tuesday night, featuring eight beautiful women, who happen to have disabilities, competing to prove that they have what it takes to become a mainstream fashion model.
Just like America's Next Top Model, the girls move into a London flat together where they eat, sleep and breathe the modeling/fashion industry over a three-week period, go through a series of challenges and photo shoots to see if they have what it takes to become a model. Then, they get eliminated one by one by a panel of "expert" judges. The winner gets a fashion spread in the British Marie-Claire Magazine.

With this training and experience, the show says the aspiration for the winner is to give her a foot in the door of the fashion industry.

Danny Cohen, Controller for the BBC Three says...

"This series aims to challenge the artificial boundaries that seem to exist in the beauty and fashion industries. "It would be great if, in the future, we began to see more disabled models gracing the covers of the world's magazines."

{ Meet the Girls... }

Jessica Kellgren-Hayes: England, Hereditary disorder which makes one extremely susceptible to injury. Jessica has lost all sensation & movement in her arms. {right}

Debbie van der Putten: Nethlerlands, Arm amputee {left}

Kellie Moody: England, Born deaf {right}

Jenny Johnson: Seattle, USA, Left partially paralyzed from a car accident {left}

Kelly Knox: England, Born without a left forearm {right}

Rebecca Le'gon: England, Leg Amputee {left}

Sophie Morgan: England, Paraplegic, paralyzed form the waist down & confined to a wheel chair {right}

Lilli Risner: England, Born profoundly deaf {left}

Disabled models aren't necessarily a new thing...designers such as Alexander McQueen have used them on the runway in the past and the girls on the show seem to enjoy all the attention, makeovers and shoots. But, is this a new low for producers in a desperate attempt for ratings??

Or, is this actually a show that represents the disabled in a positive light and offers them an experience they might not have otherwise?

The jury is still out...

America's Next Top Model...Blonde Bombshell

After a marathon watch of America's Next Top Model 2008 last weekend when I wasn't feeling well, I saw every episode except the last for this past cycle....and desperately tried very hard to not have the ending spoiled by yesterday's media. I succeeded until last night at 11.59pm when I checked my email only to find the winner announced in the subject headline of someone's email.
Grrr...Well, I guess I can talk about it now too.

◦ ○◦○ ◦

The Finalists, just in case you haven't watched this cycle:

ANYA KOP, 19
Born in Russia and now residing in Hawai'i, Anya went from sultry brunette to blonde nymph during the competition.

WHITNEY THOMPSON, 20
A plus-sized { that's a size 10 in the modeling world } student from Atlantic Beach, FL who went from brunette to Anna Nicole-blonde during her ANTM makeover.
FATIMA SIAD, 22 { and my pick even if her walk and attitude needed an adjustment...}
Originally from Somalia and a survivor of female genital mutilation at age 7, this Iman look-a-like now resides in Boston, MA.

And,...the Winner is:


Whitney!

Even though she was never on top in the competition, her work was always steady and beautiful ...and her runway walk almost perfect.
On top of that, she's the first full-figured model to win the competition, which is a far cry from the toothpicks who have been banned from the runways recently.

Could this win possibly usher in a new era of blonde full-figured bombshells like we saw in the late 80's? We can only wait and see...

"People always say you have to be stick-skinny, emaciated and unhealthy and I've kind of stood up for [being full-figured] my whole life,...'I am a plus-size model and I am beautiful.'"

As the winner of "Top Model," Whitney, will have a fashion spread in Seventeen and an Elite modeling contract.