'Nista

Bonjour, Mademoiselle! Cover Shoot

Source: Heather Waraksa for Doucette Duvall

So many things inspire me when brainstorming a concept for a magazine cover. It's amazing the path that you take, from start to finish, and how the idea morphs and comes into its own. I'll see a dress pattern, or a damask wallpaper, and that will begin the journey of coming up with a concept. The magazine I work for, Nailpro, is quite unique in that the fingernails are the main focus, so the concept must be fleshed out from the nails. It's more difficult than you'd think.

Anyway, I was invited to cover Profound Beauty during Fall 08 Fashion Week, and the company was creating the hairstyles for rising-star label Doucette Duvall. The show wasn't a traditional runway show; rather, it was an intimate presentation held in a sprawling suite at the Ritz Carlton on Central Park. From the makeup to the hair to the styling to the clothing—everything was perfect. After chatting with the young designers and learning that their inspiration was 60s Paris, I was completely hooked on the collection.

Months later, after much cajoling on my part to one of my editors, I was able to convince her to come out to Manhattan and shoot some covers here. (Our magazines are based in California. And I really didn't need to convince her. She was jonesing to come back to NYC, where she had recently lived.) For one cover, I thought we could tap the Doucette Duvall girls and recreate their Parisian beauty. The designers were more than happy to oblige, lending us clothing (which ultimately didn't make the final cover pick, but these things do happen).

Here's a look behind the scenes...

It all starts with the nails...CND tech Roxanne Valinoti created some ultra-slim clear enhancements that we decided to paint bright white, leaving the free edge clear. Because we wanted to use gold in the shot, she overlayed the clear edge with gold leafing for a vintage, worn feel. Roxanne creates several nail looks for the runways in NY, Paris, Milan and London. She's an extremely talented lady.

I hardly ever do this, but I asked Roxanne to do a set of enhancements for me: bright pink nails with a thin black tip. They were hot.

The navy blue palette. The middle shirt is by BIBA...god, it was gorgeous. The dress to the right is Doucette Duvall...very Jackie O. with the coolest orange buttons. Loves it!

The makeup was absolutely lovely...Michelle drew on lower lashes a la Twiggy.

The hair was a source of issues, but eventually the style came together...nice and asymmetrical!

I hate putting in earrings. I always feel like I'm hurting the girl.

Touching up...

Ready to go...

Source: Sonja Pacho for Nailpro

The finished result! Bonjour, Mademoiselle!

London Bans Size-0 Ban...Shocking!

Via: Modeling-blog.modeling.net

And the battle of the bulge (or lack thereof, rather) wages on...

In less than a month, Fashion Week descends upon New York, and I'll be backstage jockeying with all of the other journalists to get an interview with top beauty makers. Also backstage: Those gorgeous models that seem to illicit both admiration and disgust from a world confused over weight issues.

The latest controversy to be stirred up on behalf of said models: It was announced today that London Fashion Week will NOT be upholding the proposed "size-0 ban" that would require all models to submit a "health certificate," proclaiming they are psychologically fit and healthy enough to hit the runways running. The idea is to keep too-skinny models from gracing the catwalks. Seems like a step in the right direction, correct? Well—not if you're a fashion industry insider! Those on the inside just can't seem to get it in their heads that robust, curvy models could help shape the minds of young women everywhere—they don't understand that the fashion world needs to project a healthier ideal.

The reasoning for London's refusal? Cost, of course! Hilary Riva of the British Fashion Council posted an open letter on the council's website (via msnbc.com) stating that because Milan, NY and Paris wouldn't be imposing such a ban, London shouldn't have to either. Milan, NY and Paris all said that forcing models to undergo medical exams was both costly and intrusive, and Riva says, "From our conversations with our international counterparts in New York, Milan and Paris, it has become clear that they do not recognize the need for an international health certificate." Which is all quite peculiar, seeing that only a few short weeks ago, the Council of Fashion Designers of America held a much lauded meeting regarding weight issues for models and the impact that being too thin has had on the industry. But, here's the reality: The Council of Fashion Designers of America has said it did not believe medical exams benefits models. In 2007, it adopted a voluntary health policy, recommending that models under 16 not be used in runway shows, educating the industry about the early signs of eating disorders and having models get professional help if needed. The key word there is "voluntary." And we all know that if you have an eating disorder, you ain't going to volunteer that information any time soon. It's like a cursed little secret. And if you're a designer that doesn't give a hoot about the models' health and only about how great your clothes look on a human hanger, you're not going to impose this "voluntary" health policy. So, really, the CFDA is just blowing smoke up everyone's behind. Let's be honest.

I am of the mind that some models who are size 0s are naturally skinny—you have to remember, some of these girls are 13 to 17 years of age and have yet to fill out. Look at Gerren Taylor. Who's Gerren Taylor, you may ask? Well, she was a top model at age 12—I saw her backstage with her mom at one of the first fashion shows I ever attended. People magazine just profiled her meteoric rise to catwalk fame at 12, and her eventual demise at 15—all because somebody told her she was too big. At 12, she was what the industry deemed a perfect size. In the just-released documentary, America the Beautiful, Taylor is followed over the course of five years. Caught on film: At age 14, Taylor sprouted. Suddenly, she was 6 feet tall and a size 4. The story quotes the documentarian who filmed her, Darryl Roberts, as saying, "In Paris, they told her she was 2.8 inches too big in her hips." The People story also reports that a French agent sucks in her cheeks and chides Gerren to be "more like zhis!" Word spread that Taylor had a "fit problem." Her career ended. No more jobs.

Let's reflect: She was 6 feet tall and a size 4. By no means did she have a fit problem. BUT...she had a fit problem for the fashion industry, because as model Coco Rocha notes, the fit models used to make the clothes are size 0s, so the models feel like they need to be a size 0 as well. Rocha relates that it is embarrassing for a model when she is being fitted for a show and the zipper won't budge shut. This happens all too often. And that's what leads already-skinny models to resort to drastic measures, such as purging, laxatives, in Rocha's case diuretics, and starvation.

So, yes, there are naturally skinny models, but there are also those models who feel the unending pressure to be ever more thinner. Model agents constantly tell their girls to lose weight—after all, it's the skinny girls that get the jobs (open any magazine, and  you'll see that advertisements very rarely feature a size 4 gal). And some of these girls take the unhealthily route because, well, it's the quickest route.

The weight debate will continue to wage on. I doubt many strides will be made any time soon. After all, the fashion industry is about smoke and mirrors, for the most part. Holding meetings that purport to make changes regarding weight issues is really just a facade. It's just too look like progress is being made, when, in reality, everything stays the same.

Tyra Goes Transgender

Source: The CW

Oh, that Tyra! She certainly knows how to stir up some controversy! This season's America's Next Top Model (one of my guilty pleasures) will be featuring Isis, a 22-year-old transgender who I'm certain will be as fierce as they come. Us Weekly scored an interview with the leggy wannabe model, and reports that Isis isn't necessarily looking to be a role model—just a "model" model. "I like to help people," she tells Us, "but I'm here to follow my dreams."

Already, much kudos is going to Tyra for being "brave" in casting young Isis. GLAAD president Neil. G. Giuliano told Access Hollywood, "The inclusion of Isis on ANTM offers an unprecedented opportunity for a community that is underrepresented on the television. We applaud Tyra Banks and The CW for making this historic visibility of transgender people possible."

OK. Here's the thing: I have been watching ANTM since it's inception, and one thing that I know about the show is that it loves to exploit people's personal problems. Actually, let me re-phrase that: Tyra likes to exploit people's personal problems/weaknesses. Such as Fatima, the beautiful Somalian girl who suffered genital mutilation as a young child—Tyra couldn't get enough of that. Or if someone is raped, has an eating disorder, etc: Tyra looks at it as good fodder for entertaining TV. How do I know? You can see it in her face: She thrives on it. So, while I certainly applaud The CW for being progressive and featuring a transgender person on ANTM, I don't applaud Tyra. It's all about ratings to that woman. I just hope she doesn't exploit Isis.