Jordan Richardson

Elite Model Management (New York)
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Weisz woman

Well hello there, Rachel Weisz. I hear you want to be a lesbian icon. Or, you want to continue being a lesbian icon. My Spanish is a little shaky, but that’s what I was able to glean from your Spanish Vogue cover story. In fact, it says you want to star in a lesbian “Brokeback Mountain.” This is all awesome, clearly. We would love to have you join the esteemed and beloved gay for pay ranks. For reference please see our undying adoration of Lucy Lawless, Lena Headey, and Jennifer Beals, among others.

Now, because you seem keen on maintaining and even improving your dykon status, I will happily pass along five very simple, very critical pointers. Any straight actress wishing to curry good favor with us will have no problems attracting gay ladies as long as they follow these basic guidelines.

1. Play Gay: So simple, but often overlooked. For instance, come on Cate Blanchett – we know you’ve got it in you.
2. Be Cool About It: Never, ever say you had to “get drunk” before a lesbian kissing scene. Instead, make no big deal about it and just compliment your co-star profusely. Admittedly, it helps with the fantasy if you’re holding hands in the interviews. Just a suggestion.
3. Don’t Bi-Bait: Don’t say you “once kissed a girl,” “think women are beautiful,” “could maybe see yourself with another woman” if you don’t mean it. We hate being teased, too. Phony is not hot.
4. Speak Out: Talk about your support of GLBT causes in public. Attend rallies. Better yet, speak at rallies. Make us swoon by saying you won’t get married until everyone can get married. Oh, Charlize Theron. You’re so dreamy.
5. Love Your Fans: Be nice to your lesbian fans. Pose in our dorky pictures and always be polite when we gush about how much we loved you as Xena/Luce/Bette/whathaveyou. We’re harmless and, if treated right, unshakable.
*Extra Credit*
6. Be Gay: Granted, this one isn’t always possible. You can’t help being born straight, poor thing. But if you are, by chance, inclined to love the ladies then say it loud and say it proud. Seriously, we’ll grovel at your feet forever.

So, there you have it. A fool-proof path to permanent lesbian icon status. You’re welcome, Rachel. If you’re thinking of ways to thank me, I’d be happy to stand in as your lady-kissing practice partner. Like I said, I’m a giver.

Super(gay)models

Because you asked and because I’m a giver: Look, it’s more Amanda Moore. Amanda Moore the out queer supermodel. Amanda Moore the androgynous hottie. Amanda Moore the possible former dater of girls who have been known to look very Shane today. But what else do we know about Amanda? Let’s let her tell us, shall we?

To recap: She grew up a military brat and went to high school in Florida. She was a basketball player who dreamed of going professional, but instead she got discovered at an open casting call. Also, she looks fucking hot with a boy’s haircut. I cannot stress that last bit enough.

As for this, well, you know – no comment.

But, just like with yesterday’s lesbothrobs and Lays potato chips, no one can have just one. Amanda follows a host of out and gorgeous supermodels down the catwalk. A look at a few of my favorite super gay models.

Jenny ShimizuAngelina has damn fine taste in women.

Eve SalvailEve and her tattoo were the best things about “Prêt-à-Porter.” Though too bad we didn’t get to see her do this with Lili Taylor.

Rachel Williams (right)I’m probably the only one who remembers her from the 80s. But this issue was one of the first fashion magazines I ever bought. And I did it all for Rachel’s eyes.

Kim StolzHands in pockets. Plaid shirt. Rolled up sleeves. Big Belt. Screw smiling with your eyes, this is gaying with your entire body.

Jessica Clark (right)Her fiancée is professional trainer Lacey Stone (left). A model and a trainer? I just went to a bendy, sweaty place in my head.

Nanna GrundfeldtWow, gay is spelled the same way in Finnish as it is English.

Gia CarangiThe one, the only, the original. Damn, really, damn.

Yeah, that crazy hot chain-link fence scene from the movie? Totally happened. [NSFW, naturally.]

Auguste Abeliunaite

Women Management (Milan)
Women Management (New York)
Place Models (Hamburg)
Vacatio Model Agency (Riga)
-> her tfs forum topic

Lesbothrobs

Oh, Rachel, Rachel. Suspenders. What are you doing to us? SUSPENDERS. You know what kind of tizzy this will put us gay ladies into. How could you not? In fact, I think secretly you enjoy it. Yep, for all the adorable self deprecation, there has to be a teeny-tiny part of that big, magnificent brain of yours that is loving this lesbian heartthrob status. But, why not? It’s fun to be a lesbian heartthrob. Still lest you think I have only one big gay pin-up inside my locker, let me remind you that there are plenty of lesbian heartthrobs to go around. And to think some girls go crazy over Zac Efron. Silly girls.

Ellen DeGeneresI think she’ll do great on Idol. I mean, it’s a fancy karaoke contest. Chill, people.

Jane Lynch“Yes. We. CANE!” But seriously, I would totally let Jane cane me. With a safety word. And a blindfold.

Tegan, Amanda Palmer, SaraGay hipster super powers – activate!

Wanda SykesBut a cap, tight T-shirt and leather jacket are decidedly not whack.

Amanda MooreTo keep from swallowing my tongue, I’ll take a cue from Amanda and hold on instead.

Leisha HaileyI miss Alice. Not enough to sit through “The Farm,” but enough to sit through the episode of “CSI” where Leisha was a wolfgirl.

Cherry JonesDid she not look fantastic at the Emmys? Also, I heard she broke up with Sarah Paulson. How sad. Hey Cherry, I like the theater. What? I’m just saying.

Jodie FosterThis is Jodie Foster on the streets of New York last month. This is what gay looks like.

Who is going in your locker, so to speak? And quit doodling Mrs. Rachel Maddow on your Trapper Keeper. What is this, junior high?

Anna Schilling

Beatrice Models (Milano)
Storm Models (London)
City Models (Paris)
Priscillas Model Management
Fusion Model Management (New York)
MD Management (Hamburg)
-> her tfs forum topic

MODEL PROFILES: DARIA WERBOWY

She is one of the most respected names in the modelling industry; but it is extraordinary to think how close Daria Werbowy came to never making it as a model at all.

Born in Poland in 1983, Daria moved to Canada with her family in 1987. Spotted by Toronto agency Susan J. Model and Talent Management in 1997, Daria’s first big break came when she was invited to sign with Elite Model Management in 2001.

Moving to New York, Werbowy began an exhausting round of go-sees with some of the biggest names in the fashion industry. Travelling across Europe, Daria did not find herself being welcomed with open arms. The response to her cool, feline features was lukewarm at best. Her Baltic-blue eyes and spare frame even provoked some to tell her that she would ‘never make it as a model.’

Left devastated by the experience, Daria decided to go home to Canada and rethink her entire career. Not only had the go-sees yielded nothing, but Daria’s first attempt at walking in a runway show came to an abrupt halt too. Her debut was scheduled to take place at New York Fashion Week, September 2001.

The effects of the terrorist attacks on the city are well-documented, and the fashion world was by no means immune. It was as if a switch had been flicked. The way fashion was viewed, and the way it viewed itself, changed overnight.

From that point onwards fashion became a little more considered. What was truly important? What really mattered? True, fashion would never move mountains politically speaking, but that is perhaps somewhat missing the point. Fashion may seem a frivolous exercise in vanity to some, but the importance in carrying on as normal cannot be overestimated. It sends out a message loud and clear: we are not that easily beaten.

Fashion became more balanced in its approach: a little nicer, a little kinder and very gradually, more inclusive. The boundaries of beauty, what was deemed beautiful, were re-classified.

Having just one type of model in favour seemed wasteful and short-sighted. The fashion world took stock: what else was out there? It was this change in thinking that would become crucial to the success of Daria Werbowy.

This willingness to embrace diversity was all Daria needed to succeed. After returning to Canada, Daria rethought her position on modelling. It was too early to throw in the towel. Making the decision to try again, Werbowy made a call to IMG and headed back to New York in 2003.

Three days later, she was walking in a Marc Jacobs show, and just a week after that, Daria found herself doing a shoot for Prada with photographer Steven Meisel. Daria’s moment had arrived. The following years were a whirlwind of runways, editorials, covers and campaigns. To list them all is a dizzying process. It is staggering to think that one person could achieve so much in such a short space of time, but Daria did.

In July, August and October 2003, Daria appeared on the cover of Italian Vogue. The most high-fashion of all the Vogues, landing the cover is the most coveted honour a model can hope for. To land three in one year is simply an extraordinary achievement.

In October 2003, Daria walked in runway shows for designers Jil Sander, Chloe and Alessandro dell’Acqua among others. After many false starts, Werbowy had finally found her stride. The success she encountered over the next few years was carried by its own momentum. In 2004, she renewed her contract with Prada, cementing a connection with the fashion brand that led to her becoming the face of its first ever fragrance.

Shot by Ridley Scott’s daughter Jordan, the television commercial for the fragrance was a landmark in how perfume was marketed. Painstakingly shot across several locations, the advert became a mini-film, watched by thousands on YouTube.

Daria was now the face of Prada perfume. One of the most anticipated beauty launches in modern history, fashion’s worst kept secret was finally out, with Daria’s face on billboards across Europe and America. In December 2004, Daria was put on the cover of ‘W’ magazine, heralded as ‘Fashion’s Newest It Girl’. This wasn’t exactly news for the fashion crowd, but this was Werbowy’s debut, introducing her to the public.

Any hopes of remaining anonymous were quashed in 2005 when Daria was named the face of Missoni and Chanel. Daria was also selected to appear in an YSL campaign, shot by Juergen Teller. These were all big names; any lingering doubts that Werbowy might not have the ‘right look’ for the major players of the fashion world were firmly kicked into touch.

In February 2005, Daria became a record-breaker, setting a new world record for opening and closing the most runway shows in one season. This was an incredible accomplishment. Daria’s ultra-blendable look, the thing that had refused her entry into the fashion just three years earlier, was now allowing her to set the standard for everyone else. Opening and closing 12 shows, Daria was now the face of the moment. Her delicate, Eastern-European face worked so well for any look a design house might require, she found herself in constant demand.

In November, she signed a contract with French beauty brand Lancome, an affiliation that continues to this day. In 2006, she renewed her contracts with Chanel and Missoni, and in 2007, became the face of Lancome’s fragrance ‘Hypnose’. All this work made Daria a very rich girl. In July 2007, she was named the 9th highest-earning model, with an estimated income of $3.5 million. In April 2008, that figure rose to $3.8 million.

In late 2007, Werbowy became the face for prestige labels Valentino and Hermes. With both labels possessing an extraordinary pedigree, this seal of approval from the more conservative end of the fashion spectrum meant a great deal. Daria was no longer just a fashion face. She was part of the establishment.

Nearly seven years into her career, Daria can still beat newcomers to those lucrative contracts and editorials, which pays testament to her enduring appeal. She is not a big name; ‘Werbowy’ lacks the instant kudos of a Deyn or a Moss. But that doesn’t matter. Every success she has attained, every editorial, cover and campaign, has been on the strength of her modelling alone.

That strikingly-original face has made her both rich and respected – not a bad combination. In the modelling world, her enviable career is the pinnacle every new model aspires to. For a girl who was once told she’d never make it in the industry, Daria has proven herself to be one of the most consistent talents working today.

What Daria’s incredible career tells us is the importance of timing. The rejection she experienced in 2001 was not wholly personal, but simply a reflection of what was happening at the time, both in fashion and the world beyond it.

By making the choice to give modelling another shot, Daria was returning to a very different fashion world than the one she left. Everything post 9/11 had changed, and priorities shifted. Fashion was opening up to the idea of new possibilities, and Daria was absolutely in the right place at the right time.

Hard work and persistence certainly play their part in making a great model, but where Daria succeeded was her realisation that while rejection is never easy, it is rarely personal. Daria wasn’t turned down because she wasn’t good enough (she has ample evidence to the contrary), but because the fashion world wasn’t ready for her yet.

Success is a thing that can be measured, but failure is more of a relative term. By that I mean that failure is only failing to the point where you allow it to defeat you. There is no shame in losing out – Daria’s career hit the skids in 2001 and by 2004, she had appeared on three Italian Vogue covers: in modelling terms, the very definition of success.

Her subtle, Polish features which were once so out of step are now a perfect fit. But Daria’s success can be pinned down to something more tangible than plain good luck. She is in fact a model who is solidly tutored in the basics of modelling. She has learned the hard way not to rely on her looks alone. Werbowy has cultivated a signature runway walk that is distinctive but not obtrusive. She has an instinctive empathy with designers, moulding herself to their vision.

She may no longer have to prove herself, but Daria is consistent in producing beautiful, striking images and a runway presence that doubles as a masterclass. She is more involved in being a model, than acting the part for the tabloids. For Daria, the work is the motivation. She came so close to not making it, that slacking simply isn’t her style.

Werbowy is the best kind of role model the modelling industry currently has. Focused, dependable and hard-working, these are not bad things to be. The cover tries, the unbroken runway record, the amazing rota of photographers Daria now counts as friends. None of this would have happened without Daria’s own determination to succeed. That drive to succeed and flourish, more than anything else, is the single most important attribute a model can possess. Forget the face, the body or the walk. Without self-belief, it all counts for nothing.

Sometimes the fashion industry does get it wrong. Daria didn’t experience immediate career gratification on her signing with Elite, and that failure is what has moulded her character on and off the runway. It was failure that sent her back to Canada, which compelled her to return to New York two years later, and it is that failure that has created one of the most successful and enduring careers in modelling history.

HELEN TOPE

Heloise Guerin

Women Management (New York)
Women Management (Paris)
Women Management (Milan)
Premier Model Management (London)
Eskimo Model Management (Paris)
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Daria Mikhaylova

IQ Models (Moscow)
Elite Model Management (Milan)
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My Weekend Crush

Of the many, many delicious things bout Eliza Dushku, I think the most delicious of all is her confidence. The girl has swagger – and I mean that in the best possible way. Confidence does not automatically equate cockiness. Instead, she seems completely comfortable in her own body. Of course, with a body like Eliza’s how could you not feel great? Having followed her for a while now on Twitter, I find her even more interesting for her lack of artifice. In real life she seems considerably girlier than her famous Faith alter ego, also less apt to knife play. She also appears to have a big heart and boundless enthusiasm for the world. And this age of cynicism, that stands out.

She is a person who uses “yo” unironically, jets off to Italy with her brother for a weekend and cheers unapologetically for all things Boston. And she does it all from a place of genuine enjoyment of her life. And why shouldn’t she enjoy her life? She is on one of the most intriguing new shows of the past few years. “Dollhouse” has grown into its potential after a tenuous start in its first, short season. With its second season premieres tonight, I can’t wait to see what Joss & Co. dream up for Echo. Because in a world where you can be anyone, who are you really? The implications on life, death, freewill and the soul are endless. And, even if none of life’s more profound questions interest you, there is always Eliza in leather pants. Now that, my friends, is just damn fine television. Happy weekend, all.

Renata Maciel Dos Santos

Next Model Management (Paris)
Mikas (Stockholm)
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Bregje Heinen

Micha Models (Amsterdam)
Uno (Barcelona)
Women Direct (New York)
Women Management (Milan)
Java Model Management (München)
Dominique Models (Brussels)
Place Model Management (Hamburg)
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Tell me, who are hot?

I know it’s not particularly cool to say, but I love “CSI.” The we are the original, accept no substitute, high stakes or go home “CSI.” The we don’t need a stinking city behind our initials because what happens here stays here “CSI.” The we aren’t about making bad puns while taking off our sunglasses or tinting everything in NYPD’s blue “CSI.” You know – Vegas, baby. It’s just solid TV. Is it groundbreaking? Not especially. But week after week it is well done, infrequently gimmicky and beautifully produced. Tell me some of the scenes, especially in the last few Grissom seasons, did not feel cinematic in scope.

What I have always particularly liked about crime show and procedurals is that the women in them are not superfluous. They work just as hard and are taken just as seriously as the men. And that’s important. They also aren’t constrained as tightly by the shackles of glamour. Are they glamorous and attractive? Duh, they’re actors. But they don’t need to show up in evening gowns or leather hot pants or six-inch heels. They can just show up and be competent. (Well, except when doing magazine photoshoots, but one victory at a time, people.) Which, in turn, leads me to the two founding females of CSI: Marg Helgenberger and Jorja Fox.

While there may not have been a lot of warmth between their characters when the show premiered 10 years ago, what has developed is an organic affection and genuine respect. Like something you might find at an actual workplace between colleagues who have known each other for a decade. And, in the naughty recesses of my brain, I like to think that it’s Sara and Catherine, not Sara and Grissom, that indulge in after-hours extracurriculars together. Now, I’m no GSR hater. I don’t necessarily want to watch them together in silk robes, but I’m happy their characters seem to have found a happily ever after – and even made it official. But, come on, look at the opportunity the producers are missing here. [Click any and all the enlarge.]

But now with Sara’s return for several episodes this season, they have can finally make amends. And the ladies are even teasing us about it via their new TV Guide cover story:

Would Catherine ever kiss Sara?
Jorja: We did today! At the TV Guide Magazine photo shoot.

Of course, the show already missed an equally golden opportunity when Det. Sofia Curtis (Louise Lombard, a.k.a. The Best-Strutting Butch With a Button-Down and a Badge Possibly Ever) mysteriously left the show. I mean, ohmygodhowfuckinghotaretheytogether?

And while I had hoped for some sort of Sara Sidle/Soup Chef chemistry this year, Lauren Lee Smith’s character Riley is gone before the season premieres tonight. Riley wasn’t my favorite anyway, not because of Lauren but because her character wasn’t given much to work with. So tonight, I’m going to celebrate the return of Sara, if only for a little while, to my favorite crime procedural. Plus, there has always been an unspoken agreement in the community that Jorja is one of ours.

So welcome back to my TV, homegirl. We’ve missed that gap-tooth grin. Now go get the bad guys.