Mission Model Membership

Activate Yourself in 2012

(Challenge yourself to Mission 2012)

The Diva Model Guru

Make a decision to stop treating your career like it’s a hobby.  When you invest in yourself, things start to move forward.  Sometimes we have people that are close to us that don’t support our dreams.  This is when you must surround yourself with people and information to push you forward.  Change will only take place when you take a leap of faith to get serious about your career.  When challenges start popping up, you need to know what to do.  I can help you in that area.  Let me instruct you on what to do when the challenges start to overwhelm your life.  Give yourself permission to move forward in 2012 and I will help you step-by-step.

 Get your Mission Model Membership today!

CLICK HERE…   http://www.modelocityonline.com/shop

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Did a Surprise Revelation Change the Winner of 'America's Next Top Model'? (VIDEO)

The Branding of America’s Next Top Model  All-Stars

Laura Kirkpatrick

The Making of Southern Elegance

By Belinda Trotter-James

Modelocity Online.com

Hee Haw elegance is the first thing that comes to the mind of ANTM judge, Andre Leon Tally when he thinks of Laura Kirkpatrick.  We first met this Stanford, Kentucky, 19 year old in the cycle 13 petite competition.   She stood out because of her southern charm and her grandma’s outfits.  Yep!  Her grandma made all the outfits she wore on the show.   Now she is 22 years old living in Los Angeles, California pursuing her modeling career.  I caught up to her after her elimination from the cycle 17 All-Star competition to find out what she has been up to over the years… Read our exclusive interview in the 'Blog' section.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The Branding of America’s Next Top Model  All-Stars

KAYLA

Free At Last

Kayla is one of those past contestants who had to overcome a lot of issues in her personal and professional life when we first met her in cycle 15.   Has she overcome her issues?  Find out what she had to say in our exclusive interview in the 'blog' section.

_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

The Branding of America’s Next Top Model  All-Stars

BIANCA

Out Of Site But Still Signed

By Belinda Trotter-James

Modelocity Online.com

You first met Bianca Golden on ANTM in cycle 9 at the age of 18.  Now this 22 year old has been a working model since leaving the show. Bianca set the record straight on why she decided to do the show again.  Just click on our blog for all the juicy details.

Photo courtesy of CW11

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

America's Next Top Model Goes A-List

LaToya Jackson is guest judge and the Kardashian sisters show off their new line this week on the show.

 Guess which one of the All-Stars cracked while trying to join the Diva club?  Read Belinda's recap and review of the show with all the juicy details in the blog section!!!!

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

America’s Next Top Model All-Star Eliminee

CAMILLE McDONALD

The Successful Signature Walker

The Top Model Signature Walker tells everything Top Model does not want you to know.... Read all the juicy details in the Blog section...

 Photos courtesy of CW/MPRM

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

ALL-STAR BETRAYAL

Our editor Belinda said that Camille could not wait to spill everything that America's Next Top Model did to betray the All-Stars. The cycle is not even half way over. Stay tuned for our explosive interview!

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

America’s Next Top Model Branding Part 4

What The Heck Is Going On With Our All-Stars

ANTM Review/Recap by Belinda Trotter-James

Modelocity Online

Lisa was on celebrity rehab for drinking too much in cycle 5.  Camille signature walk is not making her enough money to pay her bills, Tyra called Bianca’s photos amateur and Kayla was rushed to the emergency room.  This is not what I want to see from our All Stars.  Sheesh!!  On with the show…  Read my entire review of the show in the blog section...

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

 STYLEPANTRY TALKS TO CHICTOPIA: RACISM IN FASHION

updated on Sep 19, 2011

Folake Huntoon of fashion blog Style Pantry talked to us about her thoughts on racism in fashion. A sweet woman with amazing hair who can wear kaftans and high waisted pants like no other, it’s no wonder that Folake is also in the running for Chictopia’s Influential Blogger of the Year Award. As one of the most prominent black bloggers in the Chictopia community, we thought it’d be great to share some of Folake’s feedback and concerns about race with Chictopia’s readers. Read on to see what Folake has to say about racism in fashion.

AMETHYST: Could you give us a short bio about yourself?

FOLAKE: My name is Folake Huntoon. I was born in Bronx, NY, and I’m Nigerian. I’m a wife and mother of three. I have worked in the fashion industry for 12 years and own a bohemian clothing line called WeWe Clothing. I am the owner and editor of online magazine Style Pantry.

AMETHYST: What’s the first thing that pops up into your mind when you read or hear about the topic of racism in fashion?

FOLAKE: It saddens me. Fashion is an outlet for many of us to express ourselves creatively. It’s meant to be fun and light hearted. This is when we get to embrace and celebrate our beautiful differences, so to have people of color frowned upon, degraded or condemned because they do not fit the industry’s definition of beauty can be deflating. I see fashion as a melting pot, and as such, all cultures, styles, ethnicities should be respected.

AMETHYST: Do you think fashion is racist?

FOLAKE: It would be nice to see more ethnic/minority faces and beauties in fashion. The Asian, Black, and Latino community is huge and filled with gorgeous people. So, yes, the disparity is a little alarming.

AMETHYST: Fashion is such a broad term, so I’d like to get down to one part of it which I’m sure you understand very well with your own website Style Pantry. Do you think there is racism in fashion blogging?

FOLAKE: Yes, I see racism, but do I think about it and does it affect my daily life? No. I rise above it. I know that hard work pays off, so I stay focused and concentrate on getting the job done. I have to say though, there are a ton of beautiful minority bloggers I have come across in my years online. Their styles are incredible and they have a pure heart to match. I think they deserve to be acknowledged with the same frequency and regularity.

AMETHYST: Who are these bloggers you’re talking about?

FOLAKE: Tosha Eason’s Bambi’s Armoire style site, Secret Garden by S, and Gina’s personal style and love for different types of beauties at Hairspiration.

AMETHYST: Awesome, thanks for the list—we’ll have to check those out! So, have you experienced racism as a fashion blogger?

FOLAKE: Fashion blogging in general has been a challenging road. It’s almost like high school, where it’s filled with cliques and if you are not up to a certain par, you can’t get into that circle. In that sense, it goes hand in hand with working with brands or getting featured in a magazines. It’s easy to associate rejections from brands with racism, but I like to think that it just wasn’t meant to be and the right opportunity will come along :)

AMETHYST: Are there any fashion muses (for example, super models, industry leaders) who you admire?

FOLAKE: I admire leading women who support other women: Oprah and Diane von Furstenberg are my idols.

AMETHYST: What feedback do you get from your site Style Pantry?

FOLAKE: I have been fortunate and blessed with fantastic and supportive readers. They really do keep Style Pantry going with their daily positive feed backs. It’s crazy because I have developed personal relationships with most of them – They are family :)

AMETHYST: If you could describe yourself in one word, what would it be?

FOLAKE: Free.

AMETHYST: What do you have planned in the future?

FOLAKE: I have a couple of projects I’m working on right now that I can’t really talk about. Everything I work on involves fashion. The goal is to continue to grow Style Pantry and my career as a Fashion Editor.

AMETHYST: Who are some of your favorite Chictopians?

FOLAKE: There are way too many to mention. All I can say is, I love my Chictopians and will always have a bond with them :)

AMETHYST: If you could only wear one outfit for the rest of your life, what would it be?

FOLAKE: A kaftan.

AMETHYST: What do you think is the most important trait for being a fashion blogger and an overall human being?

FOLAKE: The most important trait is to be kind. However it is also imperative to interact and connect with your readers and fans.

AMETHYST: Do you have any advice for other minority fashion bloggers who are trying to make a career for themselves in fashion, whether it be blogging or something else?

FOLAKE: As stated before, be kind to everyone. Be professional. Be very consistent with blogging. Be passionate and dedicated to your craft.

_________________________________________________________________________________

Thanks Folake for the interview! For more info on Folake, check out her:
Chictopia profile StylePantry
Fashion blog Style Pantry 
Shop WeWe Clothing.

Folake is also one of the nominees for the CHICTOPIA Influential Blogger of the Year Award! Vote here!

_________________________________________________________________________________

by Amethyst Wang

Image via Style Pantry

ISIS KING

America's Next Top Model Cycle 17 ALL-STAR!!!!

In an exclusive interview with Editor-in-Chief, Belinda Trotter-James, Isis reveals what the producers of America's Next Top Model told her about the theme of the show.  It turned out to be something totally different.  This should be an interesting mess of a cycle that should have been the best of all the cycles.  Read all the juicy interview details in the Blog section...

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Why Is Fashion Icon, Andre Leon Talley leaving America's Next Top Model???

I may have an answer. See if you agree with me.  Click the Blog section...

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

America’s Next Top Model Branding Part 3

Watch What You Say…

By Belinda Trotter-James

Modelocity Online.com

In this episode the girls are tested on their ability to answer the tough questions during interviews on the entertainment newsmagazine "EXTRA" to meet with host Mario Lopez.  Mario asked the girls a series of questions and according to top model judge Nigel, they were making amateur mistakes.  Lisa kept giving her group hi-fives and speaking over the other girls as they tried to answer questions.  Nigel told Angelea that she should show more of her personality.  According to Angelea she did not appreciate Nigel’s comments and chose to show her professional side instead of acting like a fool on national television.  I can see why Nigel would make that type of comment.  If you follow Atlanta Housewife, NeNe Leaks, she is loud on the show, however, when you see her on interviews she is not the NeNe we may want to see.  I guess Angelea did not understand what Nigel was trying to say about her interview.  Reality television star, Kristin Cavallari sat with the girls to tell them what it takes to be in front of millions of people and be able to know what to say in front of the camera.

When it comes to wacky photo challenges, the girls should be used to it and not be surprised when they find themselves on stilts.  I guess the challenging photo shoots makes for interesting television.  I’m not sure if the girls will ever again do a photo shoot wearing stilts. These photos should be conversation pieces that get them through industry doors.  Mr. Jay explains that fashion will push the boundaries to the extremes.  Photographer, Sarah Silver is a master at capturing extremes.  Bianca cried like a baby because she is afraid of everything including heights. I’m sure she cried off all her makeup.  Unbelievable!   As a professional model I cannot believe she let her fears get the best of her.  In the end she ended up having the second best photo.  She brought the fear in her face to the shoot and nailed it.  The lesson…. Whatever you are feeling before a shoot, use it in the shoot!  The best photo went to Allison.

At the elimination Tyra said the stilt photos are some of the best photos in top model history.  “That’s why you are all-stars,” says Tyra.  With that being said I cannot believe most of the girls did not take their 15 minutes of fame from their cycle to turn it into a career.  Isis said, “If I win this could help me launch my career and fashion line.”  Angelea said, “If I win it will mean a solid stable future.”  Kayla said, “I need this win because the other girls had their chance.”   These girls left their cycle with a professional portfolio that any aspiring and/or experience model would kill to have.  I bet their portfolios is sitting somewhere in their house like a trophy.  (What a waste. When I interview the girls, I will ask about their portfolio.)

At the elimination ceremony Isis and Angelea end up in the bottom two.  The judges felt Isis photos were not great and just got weaker and weaker.  Angelea is in the bottom because she asked Nigel to clarify the critique he gave her at the Extra television show challenge.  The judges felt she may not know the difference between showing a little of her personality and being professional and if she is able to make it balance.  (Translation:  Don’t embarrass the judges on national television by questioning their critiques.  That type of disrespect can send you home. ;))

Don’t assume that anyone taught the girls the rules.  It seems they must learn as they go along.  I did not expect to hear any negative critiques from the judges with the All-Stars.  The tone of this show is not showing us that this is the crème of the crop.  I only want to hear what’s right with the photo but I guess that would be a boring show.  In the end Isis was sent home again.

Who will be the next girl to be sent home again and lose the chance at becoming America’s Next Top Model All-Star???  Stay tuned for my exclusive interview with Isis King at www.ModelocityOnline.com/blog

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Lindsey Wixson Falls On Fashion For Relief Catwalk In Cannes

Lindsey Wixson is a 17-yearl old model who paid big dues on Monday night as she fell onstage in her gigantic bronze gown at the Naomi Campbell's Fashion For Relief runway, held as part of Cannes Film Festival.  She got up like a pro and gave the audience a thumbs up.  What would you do if you fell onstage at a major fashion show.  We have the answers in the latest issue of Modelocity Online.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Andre Leon Talley Out At 'America's Next Top Model,' Kelly Cutrone In?

The Huffington Post Ellie Krupnick

With Tyra Banks on screen, "America's Next Top Model" will never lack for outsized personalities. But the modeling show may be losing one of its biggest personalities yet.

Page Six reports that Andre Leon Talley, Vogueeditor-at-large and judge on "ANTM," will be leaving after the show's seventeen "cycle."

The change would come after four seasons for Talley, who carved out a space on the show with his extravagant muumuus, distinctive lingo ("dreckitude," anyone?) and generally larger-than-life presence (the man is six-foot-seven, after all).

So who could fill those shoes? Why, Kelly Cutrone, of course. The People's Revolution PR maven and reality TV vet is rumored to be Talley's replacement,writes Page Six.

While Cutrone does have plenty of experience dishing out harsh on-camera sound bytes (you don't get starring roles on two MTV reality shows and your own Bravo show without an acid tongue), we wonder if Cutrone's got the right fashion cred to be critiquing high-fashion editorial spreads.

What do you think: would Cutrone be an improvement for "America's Next Top Model" or a step in the wrong direction?

Read more at NYPost.com.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Kelly Cutrone Deals Blunt Advice In 'If You Have To Cry, Go Outside'

The Huffington Post ALICIA RANCILIO 

"If You Have to Cry, Go Outside: And Other Things Your Mother Never Told You" (HarperCollins, 197 pages, $22.99.), by Kelly Cutrone, with Meredith Bryan: Publicist Kelly Cutrone is mentor, big sister and life coach in her new book, "If You Have to Cry, Go Outside: And Other Things Your Mother Never Told You."

Cutrone is known to people in the fashion and entertainment industry as the founder of People's Revolution, a publicity, marketing and branding firm. To others, she's a blunt former boss and mentor to Lauren Conrad and Whitney Port, who were both filmed working at People's Revolution on MTV reality shows "The Hills" and "The City."

Cutrone is a scene-stealer on those shows, one highlight being when she ordered Conrad to fire a friend she had recommended to work at the company. Now Cutrone has her own reality show on Bravo, "Kell on Earth."

In her book, Cutrone shares anecdotes from her personal and professional life to show not only how she has succeeded in business but also as a single mom.

Cutrone works in an industry that is superficial and fickle, but she's the real deal. Her advice rings true no matter what field you're in.

She offers useful tips for employees: Phone calls are better than e-mails, don't blog about your job and, like the title of the book, if you have to cry, go outside.

Her story is inspiring, and her journey could never be described as boring.

Cutrone's first husband was a protege to Andy Warhol. She worked as a tarot-card reader, kicked a drug habit, traveled the world and even landed a record deal. The book makes readers wish they could read more of her adventures – and experience some of their own.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Attention:  Aspiring Models!!!  Finally, walking through a modeling career made simple...

CLICK HERE:  http://www.magcloud.com/browse/issue/226061

Modelocity Online is your modeling resource magazine for all aspiring models who desire to pursue the glamourous career of modeling. Each issue is jammed with timeless tips, techniques and information to help you ‘turn your look into career gold.’ You will definitely want to collect all issues and refer to them as needed. Real transformation and success starts with knowing how to brand yourself. If you truly desire to live a fabulous model life, you’ll want to start here. Editor-in-Chief, Belinda Trotter-James is a beauty author, creator of national entertainment/ beauty magazines, model and actress who has produced modeling competitions, worked with celebrities and the average woman to prepare them for life’s spotlight. She’s been privy to the beauty and style secrets that create superstars. Each cycle, America’s Next Top Model contestants receive Belinda’s ‘what to do next’ expertise to keep their career on fire! Now you can experience the Royal Life of a Model in each issue of Modelocity Online.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Brad Pitt had a career dilemma. Does your man have one. 

Career Move Question:  Should  you put your career on hold for your boyfriend or significant other?

By Belinda Trotter-James for Modelocity Online

When you’re in a relationship, you hope this is the person you will be with forever.  Some women give up their careers to be with the man of their dreams.   However, some women who give up everything find themselves in a  nightmare when the boyfriend decides that you are not the woman of his dreams and leaves for another life.  Some who sacrificed careers now find themselves  feeling lost and starting over.

I was reading the story about Brad Pitt talking about his life, which included ex-wife Jennifer Aniston.  The magazine article portrayed Brad as a person who was not fulfilled in his marriage to Jennifer.  On the other hand, Jennifer probably thought she had the perfect marriage.  There were rumors that Brad wanted to start a family but Jennifer was busy with her career and wanted to hold off having children for the moment.   Brad tried to explain how he was feeling in his marriage to Jennifer but instead the magazine article made it seem like it was an unhappy time in his life.  He clears the statements up by saying, “The point I was trying to make is not that Jen was dull, but that I was becoming dull to myself – and that, I am responsible for.”

This is why it’s so important to talk to your boyfriend, spouse or significant other to see if you are on the same page regarding the future of the relationship.  If you’re not on the same page now, what makes you think you will be on the same page later?  Too many women give up everything and end up screaming…, “I gave up everything for you!!!”  Oh well.  Men will usually respond, “I did not ask you to give up everything for me.”  He probably didn’t but you ignored the signs.

In Brad’s case he wanted children and as soon as he got with Angelina Jolie, he got his wish and within a blind of an eye there were children running around his house.  Angelina gives Brad adventure.  He is having the time of his life.

At the end of the day you should take care of your needs while incorporating someone into your life.  If it was meant for you to be together, your career will be flexible enough to keep him happy and most of all allow you to stay true to yourself in keeping your inner spirit happy. 

Make it the life you want.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

America’s Next Top Model All-Stars Are Back!!!

By Belinda Trotter-James

Modelocity Online.com

Here we go again with another cycle of America’s Next Top Model.  Fourteen fan favorites were selected from past cycles to battle for the ultimate All Star Top Model.  This cycle is not just about modeling, but branding.  Who has star power to be a major brand?  As far as I’m concerned there should be no excuses this time from the girls at their photo shoots.  

The photographer to shoot the girls called Bianca’s poses amateur.  This is one word I cannot tolerate this cycle.  I’m looking for no excuses.  Mistakes, maybe, but ‘no excuses’ from this caliber of professionals.  Some of the fan favorites have been working models and some have done little to nothing with their 15 minutes of fame. 

1. Isis King has been touring as a motivational speaker.  She said she did not want to sign with an agency.  Hmmm… (Could it be the other way around?  Who turns down being signed with an agency?  It cuts out half your stress level.  Sheesh!  Who does that??)  She did get best photo.  (I don’t know why she got best photo. Maybe second but first…Hmmm)  It looks like a lot of things and comments will be made this cycle that will not make sense.
2. Lisa D’Amato has been recording an album; not really modeling.  I would guess that modeling opened the door for her to sing and she looks great.

1. Bianca Golden from cycle 9 is signed with Ford modeling agency and has been seen in print ads around the country.  She has already started acting like a diva when the hair stylist put red extensions in her hair.  Bianca was not happy.  At this stage of her career, she should know better than to dictate how she will look for a shoot.
2. Dominique Reighard concentrated on family and just had a baby.  This means she did not get signed with an agent or maintained her modeling career.
3. Allison Harvard is a freelance art director.  She said that she is so used to being an art director behind the camera that she forgot what to do in front of the camera.  (Oh brother.)  We know that was just a cover up in case her photo was blah!
4. Shannon Stewart is glad to be back in the spotlight as a role model for girls who don’t pose nude.  She bitched about wearing something that looked like lingerie/underwear but was okay with wearing a eeny, weeny bikini bathing suit. She said she does not wear anything that looks like underwear out in public.  (Oh brother.)  Then she starts crying and says, “My agents in Chicago respect me and I don’t want to feel uncomfortable.  It that’s the case, I rather go home and do something else.  I would wear a bikini to the beach but not underwear.  Mr. Jay thinks she is confused.  What do you think?  What is the difference between a bikini 2-piece bathing suit vs. bra and panties?  Guest judge Nicki Minaj asked her the fans if her bikini looked like panties and the crowd agreed.  Shannon just stood there looking stupid.
5. Brittany Brower has been hosting and runs her own company. She said, “When this show is over, your career begins.”  Really!?  Brittany is from cycle 4.  This is cycle 17.  According to her statement, her career should be top notch.  She is the first one to leave the show because not enough fans remembered or cared enough to comment on her.  If this is a fan favorite cycle, where were Brittany’s fans?  Maybe all the girls from past cycles were booked and the only one available was Brittany.  Hmmm…
6. Kayla Ferrel’s hair is not flaming red anymore.
7. Sheena Sakai has been seen in national commercials.  She did not stand out as a fan favorite.  Other fan favorites must have been booked.

10. Alexandria Everett is back from cycle 16.  I guess she did not have time to make her mark on the fashion scene for an update at this time.

11. Angelea Preston is very, very happy to be back on the show.

12. Laura Kirkpatrick’s grandma made her a dress for the show.  Maybe her grandma will have her own clothing line soon.

13. Bre Scullark has been modeling for almost six years and can be seen in national and international ads.  There’s no pressure for her to produce #1 shots. She’s a working model who is happy to be back on the show.  She seems calm and reserved.

14. Camille McDonald signed with an agency in Milan and has walked for top designers.  She kept her signature walk and looks great.

All aspiring models should keep a pen and paper handy when watching the show.  I will be watching for tips, techniques and strategies on the show and share them with you each week.  I will also be interviewing all the contestants.  If you have any questions for the contestants, let me know and I will ask them. BelindaJames@modelocityonline.com

Who will be the next girl to be sent home again and lose the chance at becoming America’s Next Top Model All-Star???  Stay Tuned!

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The 5 Stages of Procrastination (Where Do You Fall In?)

by Dot Com Diva on September 8, 2011

When it comes to your modeling career, do you procrastinate? I think it’s a trap we all fall into from time to time, especially when we’re faced with a task that we’re… well, let’s just say less than excited to work on. Here’s a funny little comic strip on the stages of procrastination from Pete.com. Enjoy!

 Donald Glover on Why Rapping Beats Modeling for Picking Up Girls

Rapper / Actor / Model Donald GloverPhoto: Craig Barritt/Getty Images for GQ, Report by The Cut

We found Donald Glover at Bloomingdale’s during Fashion’s Night Out, playing host at GQ’s Dockers launch event. And yes, the Community star told us, he was wearing the new Dockers designed by Alexander Wang, but he wasn’t doing much shopping at the store. “I would have been buying these, but I think I’m getting them for free,” he said.

Glover, who has modeled for Band of Outsiders and Gap, said that his modeling tip is to “exude comfort.” “Like, the Gap ad was taped on the hottest day, literally, in July, and it was: Pretend to be Christmas. They were like, be comfortable, pretend it’s Christmas; enjoy it. And I was, like, I’m sweating bullets. Band of Outsiders was a little easier because everything is cut super short, so you’re wearing shorts and stuff when it’s super hot,” he explained. “But no one, like, ever wants to see how the hot dogs are made; everybody just wants to eat the hot dog. So don’t make it look like it’s work, make it look fun and comfortable.”

He does not, however, have a Zoolander-style model strut. “I’ve never had to walk a runway; I just do stills,” he said. “Do those models have, like, a beef with each other at all, still models and runway models?”

Still, while Glover says he models because it’s fun and people ask him to do it, rapping is much more effective in attracting women. “Rapping, for some reason, has gotten me way more girls, ‘cause, I guess, like, the bravado that’s there is attractive,” the NYU alum said. “Even though, like, I fake that, too. It’s totally fake. I’m not the kind of guy to be, like, ‘Yeah, what’s going on? My penis is huge!’ Like, I’m not that type of dude. But, you know, when I rap it’s kind of fun to do that and the girls like it. A certain type of girl; not all girls.”

But back to fashion: Glover updated us on that little contretemps last Fashion Week when heswitched seats at a show, forcing blogger Tavi to sit next to Anna Wintour. “I heard Tavi wrote a blog post about it and said she was angry at me and was going to boycottCommunity because — I mean, as a joke — because I switched seats with her and made her sit [next to Wintour,]” he said, laughing. “Which I was like, haven’t you guys already met? I was sure they had already met.”

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Diane Von Furstenberg Encourages Designers to Card Models at Their Shows

By: The Cut

Hailey Clauson.Photo: Marc Stamas/Getty Images

By: Amy OdellFor The Cut

Booking models for Fashion Week is hard enough when no one's worried about them being too thin or too young. Now that designers and casting agents worry a bit more about that stuff, models have, Michael Kors implied, started lying about being 16 when they're actually younger. Fibbing about age, height, and measurements isn't uncommon for agencies, who will do whatever they can to get a girl into a casting. Last season, CFDA president Diane Von Furstenberg was embarrassed to discover that, after encouraging designers to cast healthy models of a certain age — 16 and older — the then-15-year-old Hailey Clauson walked in her show for some seasons. Yesterday, she and CFDA chief executive officer Steven Kolb sent a letter to designers, urging them to ask models for a valid ID on show day to prove that they are 16, which may be the legal working age but is hardly adult-age anyway.

“The casting agents for the Diane von Furstenberg show will be doing this and we encourage others to do the same,” the letter stated, adding that all top model agencies pledged not to send models under 16 for shows.

Uh oh, all the 14- and 15-year-old girls will have to find something less glamorous to do, like ... go back to school.

CFDA Asks Models to Show ID

From the WWD Issue 08/31/2011

GETTING CARDED: Last season, Diane von Furstenberg — herself a passionate advocate of health guidelines for models — got herself into a sticky situation when she learned that one of her runway models, Hailey Clauson, was only 15. The mishap must have inspired the president of the Council of Fashion Designers of America to introduce new guidelines. On Tuesday, she and CFDA chief executive officer Steven Kolb sent out a letter reinforcing the Health as Beauty and Diversity campaign and recommending that models are asked to produce a valid ID on the show day to ensure the minimum age of 16.“The casting agents for the Diane von Furstenberg show will be doing this and we encourage others to do the same,” the letter stated, adding that all top model agencies pledged not to send models under 16 for shows. Additionally, models Sara Ziff from Marilyn and Lily Aldridge from IMG are confirmed to take part in this season’s CFDA Ambassador Program. They will speak to up-and-coming models at their respective agencies Thursday to provide support and advice.

--------------------------------------------------

How to Properly Size Your Bra From Home!! 

by Kamar Adour 

We all want to be beautiful and feel great about how we see ourselves but, make-up and clothing are only part of the equation. The foundation to every women’s wardrobe starts with lingerie. All women should have a basic lingerie wardrobe that includes things that look great on and you can feel comfortable in. Its great to have fun, flirty, sexy pieces of lingerie but that shouldn’t mean that they aren’t comfortable or can’t be worn on any given day. One of the most common reasons why some women don’t like or are intimidated by lingerie is because of comfort.. I am often asked things like: “How can you wear a thong to work and be comfortable?” or “How can anyone wear designer lingerie outside of the bedroom?” Now, although lingerie is always fun in the bedroom almost all lingerie is actually designed with comforting benefits so that it can worn through out the day. 

All women can wear lingerie all day any day! The biggest and most important step to being comfortable in any lingerie is buying the correct size! So many women don’t truly know their bra size. The wrong size bra can cause so much discomfort on your back, shoulders and posture. Buying the correct size is just as important as picking the right style. Besides the fact that you won't feel good in your lingerie, you probably won't look good either. In order for a bra to support you in the way it was designed to, it must fit properly.

I also used to think the only way to properly determine your bra size was to go into a lingerie store and have a stranger fit you for a bra.... To most people this is an awkward and some times embarrassing experience. The truth is you can easily and accurately figure out your bra size from the comfort of your own home. You’ll be surprised what you find out when you follow the steps I’ve listed below to fit yourself for a bra.  

STEP 1: Measure for band size

• Keeping the measuring tape parallel with the ground, measure around your bra directly under your bust after expelling all air from your lungs. (You want this measurement to be as small as possible.) Round all fractional measurements to the nearest whole number.

If the measurement is even, add 4"

If the measurement is odd, add 5"

Step 2: Measure for cup size

• Standing straight, with your arms at your side, measure at the fullest part of your bust (while wearing a non-padded bra) making sure the measuring tape is parallel with the ground and not binding. 

Round all fractional measurements to the nearest whole number

Step 3: Calculate your cup size

Subtract your band measurement (step 1) from your cup measurement (step 2). Generally, for each inch in difference, the cup goes up by one size. See the cup size conversion chart here.

Example: 

Step 1: 34" under measurement +4" = 38" band

Step 2: 40" over measurement

Step 3: 40" - 38" = 2" or Cup "B"

Your size would be 38B

*Important Note: This measuring system tends to become less accurate as the cup sizes go above a D. Additionally, some manufacturers name larger cup sizes differently. 

Tags: @Adourme, @Adourscloset, Adour, Adour's,Closet, Kamar, www.adourscloset.com

MINI COMP CARD

Models Never Leave Home Without Them

It’s a mini comp/business card in one.  Take them to parties, give them out to potential clients and post them on bulletin boards.  Your photo, name, email address and/or phone number is all that is needed.  A model’s comp card is expensive and you don’t want to hand them out to just anyone.   Mini Comp Cards are an inexpensive way to leave your mark everywhere.  Select a black or white background. Order your set of 250 cards today. CLICK THE 'SHOP' TAB

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Helena Christensen on Why Supermodels Became a Phenomenon

Helena ChristensenPhoto: BEN STANSALL/AFP/Getty Images

If you're the type of fashion-hungry person who laments the era of celebrities landing covers to promote their movies, and longs for another era of supermodels but can't put your finger on why, Helena Christensen explains her view on the matter to Elle. She and her fellow top models who ruled covers in the nineties, like Cindy Crawford and Naomi Campbell, were able to do so, she believes, because they were allowed to be themselves rather than monotonous-looking, personality-less stick figures forced to conform to someone else's extreme idea of beauty.

Why do you think supermodels became such a phenomenon when they did?

Sometimes, moments just happen to coordinate and work out. But I do think that if I was to say anything, we were allowed to just be ourselves. Each one of us had a very unique look in the sense that we looked different. There was no conformity about our look—and our personalities too, we had very different personalities, and emotionally and mentally we were different—but I think that that put together created this strong force of women. And no one told us to be any different. No one ever came up to me and said, “you need to reshape your body, to lose weight, or to be more outgoing, or less outgoing”. We were just allowed to be us, and I think at the end of the day, isn’t that the whole point of being a human being? To be allowed to be yourself, to be accepted the way you are? Ironically enough, in a business where a lot of styles and looks are dictated in some way, from the point of view of the media onto the audience, I think it’s so great that we got to just remain our quirky selves and have the body shapes that we had without anyone ever pointing a finger at anything. Maybe that’s what gave our careers longevity.

Fashion should be about celebrating somebody’s individual style, personality and look. That’s what’s unique about a person. If you’re going to go and say, you need to look like this, you need to weigh this—what is the point of that, then? It’s so simple, really, and so complicated. It’s always about dictating, it’s always about pointing fingers. Everybody is so busy pointing fingers at someone else that they forget that what we actually need to celebrate is the individuality.

THE SUPER MODEL EXPERIENCE

Experience a VIP Day or two at our luxurious New York City midtown Manhattan location to prepare for your power session with The Diva Model Guru, Belinda Trotter-James.  "My job is to assist you in mapping out your majestic journey to turn you into a superstar MODEL... (or at least look like one.)  It's totally up to you."     

CLICK HERE FOR DETAILS

• THE MONEY SHOT STRATEGY SESSION -- $297 (PHONE SESSION. SKYPE ALSO AVAILABLE)
• VIP DAY MODEL INTENSIVE SESSION -- $1,697 (1-DAY)
• THE MONEY SHOT PHOTO SESSION -- $2,497 (2-DAY)

“When you invest big, you take big action and get big results.”

Nicolas Ghesquière Made Flats for a Balenciaga Show Because Gisele Wouldn’t Walk in His Heels

Gisele closing the spring 2011 Balenciaga show.Photo: Imaxtree

Gisele's been down many runways, appeared in many campaigns, made many millions of dollars. She can afford to be choosy. She can afford to say, "You want me in your runway show,Balenciaga designer Nicolas Ghesquière? My feet better be comfortable." And so Ghesquière tellsWWD about the flats in his spring 2011 show:

The idea was to have this crazy casting with Gisele [Bündchen] and Amber Valletta and Carolyn [Murphy], and they said no for high heels. They were not used to walking with heels anymore. Gisele was worried; she would not walk with my heels.

Shala Monroque arrives at a restaurant in Soho for lunch on a steaming summer day, her arms brimming with packages from the Prada store on Broadway. As a street-style icon and fashion demi-celebrity who has the distinction of being a central inspiration for two of this era’s most powerful visual tastemakers, Monroque, 32, is impeccably dressed, of course, in a sleeveless denim shirt paired with a knee-length denim skirt. She’s a friend of Miuccia Prada, for whom she functions as a kind of muse and unofficial ambassador, hosting a salon called Miu Miu Musings at the stores around the world. And she’s the girlfriend of art-world impresario Larry Gagosian, the foremost gallerist on the planet. In her bag are Prada’s crazy Minimal Baroque sunglasses, ­embellished with bawdy scrolled lines like a violin’s carved neck, in the same color as her denim. “I’m in my blue period right now,” she says, with a bit of a wink.

Monroque orders tuna tartare, then gives a nervous laugh. She’s a shy woman, slightly formal and sphinx-like. She abhors talking about her life, unspooling stories reluctantly. Monroque was brought up near the beach in St. Lucia, where her family still lives, and didn’t leave the island ­until after she graduated from high school. “I always knew as a kid that I wanted to live in America,” she says, choosing her words carefully. “We always got all of the American TV shows late, and I grew up watchingLeave It to ­Beaver and other shows from the fifties. Life here just seemed better, and freer. I couldn’t believe that on TV, kids would just open the fridge, pull out a box of orange juice, and drink from it.”

Monroque’s mother ran a gift shop at a hotel, and she brought her daughter copies of theVogue and Tatler magazines that the shop couldn’t sell, usually tearing off the front covers so that they could be sent back to the publishers for reimbursement. She was also close with her aunt, who made trips to New York’s garment district every few months to buy copies of high-fashion American clothes for Trendy’s, a boutique she ran on the island. “I always loved dressing and had the newest things, but I always had the fifties ideas,” says Monroque. “Once, my mom bought me a dress with a tie around the waist, trying to tie it in my front, but I wanted to tie it in the back.”

As a teenager, Monroque was a track star, wrote poetry, and entered beauty contests, coming in second in a St. ­Lucia carnival-queen pageant. The prize was a ticket to ­Miami. “There wasn’t anything to do in Miami, though,” she says. “I had always had this romantic idea about taking a Greyhound bus, so I thought I’d take the 30-hour trip to New York.” She met a guy who tried to sell her a phone that she could use anywhere in the world by satellite (“I didn’t quite understand what he was saying, but this was twelve years ago, so I guess it was a mobile phone and legit”) and another one who told her, when she said she was going to New York, “I can see you’d love it there. You’d fit right in.” She stayed with her uncle in Rosedale, Queens, and was initially unimpressed by the stink and sloppiness of the city—until she visited another aunt, a dresser at fashion shows. “The moment I knew I wanted to live here is when I got to go to a Jean Paul Gaultier party,” she says, smiling, “and there were red knee-high feathers throughout the whole floor.”

Baby-sitting was the most obvious job for a woman from the islands, but her uncle dissuaded her, because “he thought it was ­demeaning for me to look after another woman’s kids.” She started working at a photo studio for $200 a week. Then she figured out that unemployed actors and models (she tried to model herself, but she couldn’t get traction) were making a lot more in restaurants downtown. Monroque began hostessing at Man Ray, and then Nobu, which provided enough liquidity for her to secure a kitchenette with a shared bathroom in Harlem. For clothes, she mostly shopped at Daffy’s on 34th Street (“If you look for the right fabrics, you can find good things”) and made her first purchase of a luxury item: dark wraparound glasses with little gold screws. “Very intense, like something guys from St. Lucia would wear,” she says. “They cost me a fortune, more than I was making in a week.” And her next purchase? Monroque pauses. “I’d say there was a big gap after that.”

The gap, though she may not want to say so, may have had something to do with her relationship with Gagosian, which has catapulted her into the upper­most reaches of fashion, art, and society. “I’d prefer not to talk about him,” she demurs, when I ask how they met. “I will say that he has been a great mentor. He’s one of the most stylish people I know, not necessarily in terms of fashion, though I think his fashion sense is interesting, but in terms of art and the way he deals with things. Hopefully a little bit of that has rubbed off.”

These days, Monroque, who says her favorite artists are Richard Prince and Damien Hirst—“the gallery artists, essentially”—hopscotches around the world with Gagosian to his eleven galleries, from London to ­Athens to Hong Kong (“The sun never sets on my gallery,” he recently said). Monroque has established her own identity within this Valhalla, turning heads with a turban paired with a Jason Wu dress at the CFDA awards, animal prints, and her impeccable fifties fashion by Prada and Chanel (she’s also trying to incorporate some fashion at Gagosian, where she will soon introduce bangles by Delfina Delettrez, of the Fendi family, into the gallery store). “Now when I go to a show, the photographers ask me to stop, and 30 of them start snapping,” she says, covering her face. “It’s a little embarrassing, honestly.” Until recently, she was also editing Pop, an edgy fashion magazine, with Dasha Zhukova, the girlfriend of Russian oligarch Roman Abramovitch; in ­September, they are launching a new magazine, Garage, named after Zhukova’s gallery in Moscow. She’s thought about college. “James Frey told me I should forget it, though, and just go out into the world,” she says.

Monroque finishes her lunch and steps onto the burning pavement, loading her Prada packages onto a blue cruiser bike locked to a lamppost. She’s just returned from a safari to Botswana and Namibia, and next week, she’ll be back in St. Lucia, on a shoot for JapaneseVogue. Later today, she’s driving to Amagansett, since Gagosian is due back there ­after a trip. “I love the dogs we have out there, these two big poodles that we got after Larry’s old dogs, a present from Richard Serra, passed away,” she says. “I like to walk them on the ocean, though I don’t always go in the sea.” She smiles. “When everyone in the Hamptons says, ‘The water’s so warm today,’ it’s still too cold for me.”