50 posts tagged "Karlie Kloss"
The Weight Debate
From Kate Upton’s curves (left), which are flaunted and lauded on the cover of British Vogue this month, to the controversy surrounding Karlie Kloss’s photoshopped ribs in the October 2012 issue of Numero, models’ weight is once again (or should that be “as always”?) a hot topic. Today’s Wall Street Journal features a story about Israel’s new law, which will both ban models with a BMI of less than 18.5 and require magazines to reveal whether models have been photoshopped to look thinner. The story also notes that the CFDA has not tried to implement such regulations, although they did create a health initiative in 2007 and, according to CEO Steven Kolb, continue to promote education and awareness about eating disorders. Fashion shows in Madrid and Milan have, like Israel, imposed a ban on models with BMIs under 18 and 18.5, respectively. But these guidelines are difficult to adhere to and gray areas exist even within the hard-and-fast measurements. In the same vein, Refinery 29 reported today, with some optimism, that a Plus-Size Fashion Weekend will take place in London during the upcoming women’s collections. However, the piece also recalls when, during his Spring ’09 and Fall ’10 shows, Mark Fast put plus-size models (like Crystal Renn, who, by human standards, is hardly plus size at all) in ill-fitting garments on his runway. With the exception of a guest appearance from Laura Catterall during his Fall ’11 show, curvy catwalkers haven’t been featured on Fast’s runway since.
Been There, Dunn That
“Everybody, including myself, thought it was a bit random,” said Jourdan Dunn of her new cooking show, Well Dunn With Jourdan Dunn, which debuted on Jay-Z’s Life + Times YouTube channel last week. “But that’s what I liked about the project to begin with. Nobody saw it coming.”
After the first episode, 60,000 viewers (and counting) immediately understood that the show was less about Dunn’s culinary skills and more about showcasing the 22-year-old model’s feisty, laugh-a-minute personality. While preparing a jerk pork belly dish inspired by her Jamaican roots, Dunn had garlic cloves flying around the kitchen. Her hair was in her face, and she even sliced one of her nails. “Before signing on to do [the show], my mom was like, ‘Are you ready for the whole world to know that you’re basically an idiot?’ And I thought, ‘Well yeah, I am ready,” she laughed. “The show was a way to share myself with my fans while doing something that I love: cooking.”
Dunn explained that the series will feature meals she regularly serves at home. Sweet and sour spare ribs, buffalo wings, a spicy Thai beef salad, and baked fish with Indian spices and tomatoes will all make appearances. The model, however, is hesitant to reveal the recipe for her 3-year-old son Riley’s favorite dish: macaroni and cheese. “My mac and cheese is kind of special and I wasn’t sure that I wanted everybody to know how to make it. We’re talking about a second season of Well Dunn [which would potentially include model friends like Karlie Kloss and Cara Delevingne], and maybe I’ll let the secret out then.” She did give us one hint: “Most people only use one kind of cheese but I make it with about five different ones, so it’s really cheesy.”
All in all, it’s been an even busier year than usual for Dunn, who recently made her Victoria’s Secret debut and shot the ad campaign for Rihanna’s forthcoming River Island clothing line. “Rihanna was really cool. During the shoot, she said, ‘Oh my God, I can’t believe you have a son.’ I was thinking, ‘Oh my God, I can’t believe you know that I have a son or even know who I am!’ ” Between cooking on Jay-Z’s channel and modeling for Rihanna, we’d say Dunn is officially part of the Def Jam family. So what’s next? “I was thinking about rapping,” Dunn mused. While you’re waiting for her potential lyrical debut, you can catch the second episode of Well Dunn With Jourdan Dunn on Life + Times on Monday.
Dear Santa, Please Bring Me…A Very Long Letter?
Last night’s annual tree-lighting at Rockefeller Center was a mob scene, but it wasn’t the evening’s only throng. Just down the street, shoppers, designers, and fashion fixtures like Kate Bosworth, Prabal Gurung and Karlie Kloss came together to toast the launch of Target, Neiman Marcus, and the CFDA’s collaborative holiday collection—and to do a little pre-shopping. A set of highball glasses designed by Joseph Altuzarra, and Christmas ornaments by Jason Wu seemed to be particularly hot-ticket items, and some designers appeared to have had their own lists in mind when creating their items: Both the duos behind Marchesa and Rag & Bone made outfits for their children. But what were they hoping for themselves? Click here for a slideshow of shoppers roaming the racks, and read on below to find out who’s stockpiling Jet-Set Travel and Peruvian liquor, and who’s hoping to find a Ferrari parked under their tree. Continue Reading “Dear Santa, Please Bring Me…A Very Long Letter?” »
New York Is Burning
Anyone who has seen the seminal documentary Paris Is Burning or tried to “strike a pose” like Madonna is familiar with voguing—the gender-bending posing that flourished during the late eighties and early nineties with New York’s “ball culture.” Last night, W Hotels paid tribute to the “legendary” underground movement by putting on its own Love Hangover Ball—a voguing competition—in support of amfAR and World AIDS Day on December 1. Hosted by Kelly Osbourne, the walk-off drew a crowd of club kids and fashion fixtures, including models Karlie Kloss, Anja Rubik, Anne Vyalitsyna, and Lily Donaldson, and designers like Richard Chai, Zac Posen, and Prabal Gurung.
“I used to go to all the voguing balls back in the day,” said Simon Doonan, who judged the event alongside a panel that included Fergie, Mickey Boardman, and Jason Wu. Wearing a fur coat and a necklace constructed out of Liberace charm bracelets, Doonan reminisced about the old days. “I knew all those people and houses: the Xtravaganzas, the House of Dorian Corey, the Mizrahis. The level of style and preparation that went into the balls is beyond description. Drag queens would still be painting on their lashes at 10 p.m., and the balls would take hours and hours, going until 3 or 4 in the morning. Hopefully that won’t be the case tonight.” W‘s style director Edward Enninful was also a judge and voguing veteran. “I’m a huge fan of voguing. Growing up, it was a very important part of all our lives,” he said. “It’s a great art form. It’s glamorous. It’s fashion. I think the new generation is really inspired by what it represents.”
Speaking of the new generation, Donaldson and Kloss were just babies during the fad’s heyday, but were quickly swept up. By the end of the performance, both girls were pounding their fists on the makeshift runway, finger-wagging, and yelling, “Work!” When asked to compare her posing abilities to the divas onstage, Donaldson enthused, “These girls are on a completely different level. I wouldn’t stand a chance against them.” Perhaps Pat McGrath summed up the evening best: “Drama, drama, drama. Fierce, fierce, fierce. Realness.” Amen.
Now Visiting: Brazil
Ah, travel. That magical pursuit wherein one experiences the culture of another land, samples exotic delicacies, and, if traveling via Pirelli Calendar, sees a variety of top models in states of undress. At least, that’s the business as usual. But the Pirelli company unveiled its 2013 calendar in Brazil today, and while it stars a cast of beauties—Brazilians Isabeli Fontana and Adriana Lima, as well as Elisa Sednaoui, Hanaa Ben Abdesslem, Liya Kebede, Karlie Kloss, and Kyleigh Kuhn, among others—this year’s photographer, Steve McCurry, promises less cheesecake. “You can photograph nudes anywhere,” McCurry said at a press conference in Rio this morning. “But these models are clothed, and each of them has her own charity. They are purposeful and idealistic people. So I wanted to photograph them in a special place, and Rio was perfect for this.” (It’s a very different Brazil than was captured in Patrick Demarchelier’s 2005 calendar, also shot in the country, or Terry Richardson’s 2010 take.) Portraits of the models, as well as of Brazilian actress Sônia Braga and singer Marisa Monte, alternate with those of everyday life in the city.