Monday, 31 January 2011

BEAUTIES

Maison Michel Spring 2011 Lookbook
shot by Karl Lagerfeld

What is it about our childhoods? The holding on, the reaching back. I guess it’s because things were simpler, we were simpler. Nostalgia, on its own, is a powerful thing. But when coupled with other emotions – love, loss, regret, hope – it can comfort us better than any blanket. Over the weekend my mother’s best friend, a woman I’ve known since the fourth grade, died suddenly. Wife, mother, grandmother, friend. She was one of the most gracious, hard-working and thoughtful persons I’ve ever known. Our families were close. We spent almost every Christmas Eve together – including this past year – for decades. Yet there, on the other end of that phone call, I wished I was closer. But the 2,000 miles between us meant I could only offer condolences and platitudes. Once the call was over, I was left alone with just thoughts of her family and my mother and all those shared holidays and meals and laughs. So I sought out my own comforting nostalgia. And what I turned to for a surrogate hug was Pixar. It may seem silly to find solace in movies. But that, after all, is what they’re there for – entertainment, diversion, understanding, truth. This weekend I marathoned all the “Toy Story” movies. Can you believe I’d never seen them before – and I’m a Pixar fangirl. And then, when I had trouble sleeping that night, I pulled up “Finding Nemo” on my iPhone and let it help me drift off to slumber. Yes, I’m a childless adult with “Finding Nemo” and “WALL-E” on her phone. While they’re not a part of my childhood, they bring up the universal emotions from childhood. Regardless of age, they’re a reminder of what mattered then isn’t really so much different than what matters now. Love, laughter, loyalty and how lucky we are to have good friends pass through our lives.

Sunday, 30 January 2011

Sports Illustrated's High Fashion Spin

The Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue is about to get a decidedly high fashion spin. Fashion editorial models, Shannan Click, Izabel Goulart and Alyssa Miller will be making their debuts in the swimsuit issue this year. With the much anticipated edition due to hit news stands on the 15th of February, rumours are abuzz as to which models will make it into the issue, and more importantly onto the cover.

I can confirm that the rookie models will be joined by; Brooklyn Decker, Jessica Gomes, Julie Henderson, Irina Shayk, Jessica White, Anne Vyalitsyna, Hilary Rhoda, Cintia Dicker, Damaris Lewis, and Christine Teigen. With only a few spots left to round out this year's model selection, let's hope that Bar Refaeli and Dominique Piek will also make the final cut.

Twenty year old Alyssa Miller is an LA native of German, Irish and Native American extraction. Standing at 174 cm in height, Miller has shot high fashion editorials for Numero, Harper's Bazaar UK, French Elle, L'Officiel, Italian Flair, Vogue Italia, Vogue Russia, and has appeared on the covers of German and Italian Vogue, and French Revue de Modes. Miller is represented by Marilyn Agency in New York.

Italian Marie Claire - April 2009
Photographer - Jock Sturges

US Elle - March 2007
Photographer - Max Cardelli

Vogue Germany - February 2006
Photographer - Indelkofer & Knoeppel

Photographer - Unknown
Source - thefashionspot.com

French Revue de Modes - Unknown
Photographer - Thierry Le Goues

Vogue Italia Beauty Supplement - August 2005
Photographer - Alex Cayley

California girl, Shannan Click has been modelling since 2002 and got her big break when she was cast in the Guess Spring 2003 campaign. Click has since landed campaigns for Prada, Alberta Ferretti, Sport Max, Levi's, Pepe Jeans, the GAP, Tommy Hilfiger and Emporio Armani. Click is a runway veteran, having tread the catwalk for the likes of Gucci, DSquared, Alexander McQueen, Chanel, Balenciaga, Yves Saint Laurent, Valentino and most recently, Victoria's Secret. Represented by Women Model Management in New York, twenty seven year old Click has been featured in editorials for US Vogue, i-D Magazine, Numero, Vogue Italia, W Magazine, and Allure,

Prada - S/S 2005
Photographer - Steven Meisel

US Vogue - May 2008
Photographer - Raymond Meier

Muse Magazine - April 2008
Photographer - David Vasiljevic

Numero - October 2008
Photographer - Camilla Akrans

Shannan Click
Photographer - Tony Kim
Source - thefashionspot.com

Woman Magazine - May 2010
Photographer - Hunter & Gatti

Shannan & Max
Photographer - Hugh Lippe

Dolce & Gabbana SS07
Photographer - Steven Klein

Brazilian bombshell, Izabel Goulart has been modelling since 2004 and has appeared in fashion editorials for Marie Claire France, Vogue Italia, Vogue Paris, Vanity Fair, Love Magazine, V Magazine, Hercules, and Numero. Goulart is a seasoned fixture at the shows having walked for Oscar de la Renta, Bottega Veneta, Chanel, Balenciaga, Valentino, Diane Von Furstenburg and Alexander Wang. Goulart recently made a return to the catwalks of Milan and Paris when she walked for Givenchy and Dolce & Gabbana at the Spring/Summer 2011 shows. Goulart is known in the industry for her incredible physique and has been a Victoria's Secret Angel since 2006. Represented by Women Model Management, Goulart has appeared on the covers of French Marie Claire, Vogue Brazil, Esquire, GQ, Rolling Stone and Vogue Nippon.

Photographer - Unknown
Source - thefashionspot.com

Paris Vogue - September 2005
Photographer - David Sims

Numero - June 2006
Photographer - Unknown

Numero - October 2005
Photographer - Vincent Peters

Dolce & Gabbana SS11
Photographer - Steven Klein

DT Magazine
Photographer - Unknown
Source - thefashionspot.com

A/X Armani Exchange SS08
Photographer - Tom Munro

RAG&BONE

Abbey Lee Kershaw, Sasha Pivovarova, Lily & Edita V for Rag & Bone Spring 2011 Campaign

MODEL GROOMING: SKINCARE

In modelling, your skin can be your greatest asset. A great skin not only makes you eminently bookable when it comes to castings, but it can transform your career prospects. A skin that can handle the most demanding close-ups will always be needed by every facet of the industry, from fitness to commercial and high-fashion. Selling a product successfully often requires that one-to-one connection with the consumer and a model with a naturally glowing, healthy skin will appeal across the board.

Even with hi-tech solutions like airbrushing and post-production enhancements, the chief responsibility of the model is to be that perfect blank canvas. If you are a newer or less established model, don’t expect the post-production team to have your back – these tricks of the trade are often highly expensive and clients can be reluctant to shell out extra money on getting a model’s skin up to code. Minor blemishes can be erased with a click of the mouse, but long-term maintenance lies ultimately with the model.

Most people only think of good skin in terms of having a blemish-free appearance, but there are really 3 components for photo-ready skin: clarity, radiance and hydration. A skin that is well-balanced and hydrated will have that sought-after, lit-from-within glow. Likewise, a beautifully hydrated skin will have very low levels of toxins lurking in its pores, so will have a very low hit-rate when it comes to blemishes.

These 3 components rely on each other to get the best possible results, but what’s reassuring is that having a ‘good’ or ‘bad’ skin is not hereditary: you’re not stuck with a skin that could be better. There are things you can do yourself that will make a visible difference. The golden rule in getting good skin is to keep it simple.

The first trick has become a bit of a modelling cliché, but it’s stuck around because it works. Drinking lots of water really does help. If you suffer from occasional breakouts or patches of dry skin, water can do a terrific job in flushing out toxins that can cause problems and help soothe and regulate your skin. The occasional blemish is forgivable even in the modelling world, but a skin that flares up and changes from day to day can become a more serious issue.

Sensitivity, whether it’s a reaction or a breakout, should be treated the same way. A sensitive skin is treated gently with specialised products, and treating spot-prone skin should ideally be tackled by the same approach. If you do get breakouts that are more regular than occasional, it’s time to bring in the experts.

Resist the temptation to blast your skin into submission with harsh, chemical-laden products. These products may help in the short-term, but their ingredients have a tendency to strip the skin of its natural oils. An oil-free skin sounds like a good thing, but what then happens is your glands work overtime to replace the oil that has been lost and you end up with even more spots. Definitely not a good thing!

You can break this circle by going to professional products. If you know you have a skin that breaks out regularly, spending a little extra on salon-tested brands that specialise in treating in skin problems is worth the expense. Dermalogica, Alpha-H and Elemis are just a few examples. A good-quality product can make all the difference, and what you will notice about the pricier brands over those from a high-street chemist, is that their ranges for blemished skin concentrate on soothing the symptoms to create a skin that’s balanced, not stripped.

If your skin is not your red-button issue, a basic regime will work well for you. A decent cleanser is essential – studio make-up tends to be heavier than normal formulations, and getting off every scrap at the end of the day is essential. Find a cleanser targeted to your skin type, but a mild rinse-off gel cleanser is a good purchase for any skin. Also keep an eye out for professional make-up brands, such as MAC and Shu Uemura, as they have their own ranges of cleanser especially designed for removing make-up.

Spending big bucks on a moisturiser isn’t necessary: a mid-priced hydrating moisturiser with an SPF is more than adequate. If you’re drinking enough water throughout the day, your skin shouldn’t need that much help in the hydration department.

Another skincare must-have is a face scrub. Good for promoting fresh, young skin cells to the surface, regular use of a scrub prevents your skin from getting that grey, lived-in look – particularly handy if you’ve been working (or playing) too hard.

Pick a scrub that’s suitable for your skin type, but whatever you do, don’t work the product in too hard. Let the scrub do the work, and gently massage it onto a wet skin. It may seem like an optional extra, but a scrub can make a surprising difference when it comes to that most coveted of model attributes: luminosity.

If you want to take your skincare up a notch, you can also look into using a face mask. Ideal to use on a newly-scrubbed face, there is a mask out there for every skincare concern. If you’re using a mask designed to draw out impurities, don’t use it just before a shoot. The mask’s job is to pull toxins to the surface and you may end up with some very badly-timed blemishes. If possible, use this type of mask two or three times a month as a ‘deep-cleanse’ treatment. If your skin’s getting exposed to harsh studio lighting and long hours – a mask that revives tired skin is perfect. If dryness is your problem, a lightly moisturising mask is always a good standby.

The key to using products intelligently is to assess your skin to see what it really needs. If its feeling (and looking) sensitised, treat accordingly, and it’s worth bearing in mind that your skin’s needs can change from week to week, season to season. Don’t get stuck into thinking that you have one specific skin type all year round: your skin reacts to its environment. Adapt your routine to what’s happening in your life and watch your complexion flourish.

The investment in products may seem like an unnecessary expense, but the lot of a working model is such that spending on grooming is an unavoidable expenditure, and definitely something to be factored into earnings. Think of it this way: if your skin’s in peak condition, your earning potential is maximised too. Suddenly shelling out for a tube of moisturiser doesn’t sound so bad.

The final note about skincare is an obvious one, but does need stating. If you smoke, expect the success of these products to be limited. Your skin cells will be starved of oxygen, and will affect the way your skin looks both in person and on camera. A smoker’s skin tends to be easily recognisable by its grey-ish tinge: no matter how dedicated you may be to a skincare routine, even drinking plenty of water and eating well, nothing will do your skin a bigger favour than cutting out (or even cutting down) on cigarettes.

If that doesn’t sell you on whipping out the nicotine patches, think about where you want your career to be in 5 years’ time. If you smoke heavily, prepare for your modelling career to be cut short. The physical action of smoking creates tension lines around your eyes and mouth, which will rapidly turn into permanent lines because your skin’s support system won’t be up to the job of battling premature ageing.

If you plan to be in modelling for a few years, not smoking may be a sacrifice worth making. Your skin is an instant tell-all. It reveals everything you’re doing right in terms of health, and exposes anything that could stand to be improved. A lack of sleep, a dip in nutrition all show up on your face, and if your face is your fortune, that’s bad news.

The good news however is that skin responds quickly to changes, and a good diet (most of the time!), plenty of sleep and a smoke-free environment can make a huge difference to the way you look – not to mention the way you feel.

Think of skincare as being holistic: an inclusive approach will make for the best results. Taking care of yourself doesn’t require that much effort if done regularly and the pay-offs in modelling can be phenomenal.

HELEN TOPE

Friday, 28 January 2011

My Weekend Crush

I know I’ve talked about this before, and you know I’m going to talk about this again – but, goddamn, do I love having “Parks and Recreation” and “30 Rock” back-to-back. They are my favorite hilarious hour of television. They require no time shifting, no channel changing, no moving from the couch. Leslie Knope and Liz Lemon were meant to be together. They give us 60 non-stop minutes of fabulously funny female leads together. They give us a continuous stream of endearingly quirky cast members together. Together, they make my Thursday night the best night ever. They truly are my television OTP. The only way it could possibly be better is if they were in the same full hour block together (say, 9-10p.m. – hint, hint) and “Outsourced” didn’t exist at all. God, that show is terrible. It should be illegal for it to follow “Park and Recreation” and “30 Rock.” ILLEGAL. Nothing that unfunny should be allowed within 30 miles, let alone 30 minutes of Amy Poehler and Tina Fey’s brilliance. But I don’t let its presence harsh my buzz, because thanks to a tiny bit of time shifting afterward, I can end my night instead with a tall, cool Sarah Shahi nightcap on “Fairly Legal.” Damn Funny + Damn Pretty = Pretty Damn Funny. Thursday night, I love you. Happy weekend, all.

Parks & Recreation

30 Rock

Thursday, 27 January 2011

Sleeping Beauties

The February edition of Russh Magazine features Elite Model's Bambi Northwood-Blyth, Lisanne de Jong, and Hannah Holman in a series of languid bedside poses. The editorial shot by Benny Horne appears to be centred around a sleepover with the three besties decked out in ensembles by Preen, Missoni and Phillip Lim. The models look super comfortable and relaxed accompanied by styling which emphasises the youth and natural beauty of the trio. All three girls look like babes in the woods but it is Holman, sporting shoulder length golden locks, whose image leaps off the page.

Bambi Northwood-Blyth, Hannah Holman
& Lisanne de Jong

Left Image - Hannah Holman & Lisanne de Jong
Right Image - Bambi Northwood-Blyth & Hannah Holman

Hannah Holman & Bambi Northwood-Blyth

Lisanne de Jong & Bambi Northwood-Blyth

Lisanne de Jong & Hannah Holman

Bambi Northwood-Blyth

Bambi Northwood-Blyth, Lisanne de Jong,
& Hannah Holman, with Abbey & Meag.

Room for Two

Emerging models Anais Mali and Melodie Monrose are proving that there is room for more than one top black model at any given time, within the highest echelons of the modelling world. Both models have made significant headway since their impressive debuts at the Spring/Summer 2011 shows in September. Mali appeared in 22 shows, whilst Monrose logged a staggering 49 shows.

The exotic beauties are both French, with Mali hailing from Toulon, and Monrose from the French Caribbean island of Martinique. Mali's feline like features and impossibly high cheekbones are a product of her African and Polish heritage. Mali was scouted on the streets of Paris at the age of sixteen and has recently moved to New York where she is represented by Ford Models. Monrose was introduced to an agent by a friend, and was signed swiftly by Wilhelmina Models before being whisked off to New York for the SS11 shows.

Mali and Monrose were photographed by Solve Sundsbo for an editorial in Interview's December 2010 issue. The editorial entitled "Double Vision" captures Mali and Monrose entangled in a series of electrifying and sensual poses. Both models compliment and play off each other to best effect. Mali has since been photographed by Steven Meisel for Vogue Italia, and Mario Testino for US Vogue. Monrose's luminous beauty has been captured by the likes of Hugh Lippe for Dazed & Confused, Danielle Duella and Iango Henzi for V Magazine, and Emma Summerton for Vogue Italia.

I am so excited at the modelling prospects which await these two newcomers. Both models possess an innate love of fashion and exude an air of elegance and sophistication. I adore Monrose's melancholic eyes, which light up in an instant when she flashes her exuberant smile. Mali's look may be exotic but she is a versatile beauty with a runway swagger to rival the most seasoned veterans.