Celebrity agent Max Markson has the Australian media leaping from the water like unfed sharks.
The slow build-up of Australia’s own WAG scandal starring leggy blonde model-celeb Lara Bingle and the vice-captain of Australia’s cricket team has left the media wired beyond wired. The slick Markson is reported demanding $1million for an interview with Bingle, who is yet to confirm she and Michael ‘Pup’ Clarke are kaput.
Bingle, 22, got herself in a spot of bother over a nude photo scandal involving a married football star with whom she had an affair before she got together with Clarke. She hired Markson just before Clarke made the controversial decision to leave the New Zealand cricket tour to fly home this week and deal with the crisis enfolding Bingle.
The news that the couple, who were engaged for two years, has split is all but official but the protagonists – which now include Markson – are all staying mum. The pair both spent last night away from their $6million penthouse in Bondi in Sydney’s Eastern suburbs, staying at the homes of friends instead.
Now Markson has likened Bingle – who made her name in a tourism ad – to Kate Moss as a shy celebrity who rarely gives interviews. He reportedly today denied the $1million price tag, saying it was tied to an earlier pitch.
‘Lara Bingle will not be commenting on her personal life,’ he said. A Current Affair reporter Ben Fordham who broke the story of the break-up last night – and has waited 24 hours for a confirmation – meanwhile said Markson was demanding the $1million and his network was not paying a single, bingle dollar.
Read more: monstersandcritics.com
March 12th, 2010
It looks like Glamour is making good on its word — made last year — to feature women of diverse sizes in the magazine.
According to WWD, the June cover of Glamour will star a delectable threesome of Victoria’s Secret stunner Alessandra Ambrosio, Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Edition cover girl Brooklyn Decker and “plus-size” model Crystal Renn, whose career has been soaring of late.
Renn recently appeared in back-to-back issues of V Magazine, including the provocative “Size Issue,” which was inclusive of some super-curvy women including performer Miss Dirty Martini, shot by Karl Lagerfeld.
Perfect for a summer-themed issue, WWD reports that the three luscious ladies were photographed in St. Barths by Matthias Vriens-McGrath this past weekend. And, judging by pictures posted on Ambrosio’s Twitter, it looks like bathing suits were involved, as was star hairstylist Ted Gibson.
The June cover not only sets a benchmark for featuring women of varying body types, but it also marks a return of using models (instead of celebrities). Ironically, the last time a model was featured (in May 2006), it was Ambrosio.
Renn’s relationship with Glamour started with a fashion story in May 2009, then continued last fall when she appeared naked with a bevy of other “plus-sized” models in the November issue, also shot by Vriens-McGrath.
Most recently Renn ditched the runway for a front row seat at the shows in New York, working as a guest blogger for Glamour.com. Then she returned to the catwalk for the London and Milan shows, strutting her stuff for Mark Fast and Elena Miro, respectively.
When StyleList spoke with Renn last month, the model had some very exciting upcoming projects that she had to stay mum about. We’re guessing this Glamour cover shoot might have been one of them.
Can a major ad campaign be far behind? We think not!
March 11th, 2010
He banned celebrities from his own label show in New York last month, but for his Louis Vuitton catwalk show yesterday, Marc Jacobs welcomed stars with open arms.
And there were familiar faces both on and off the catwalk, as bright young Brits Alexa Chung, Daisy Lowe and Pixie Geldof watched supermodels Laetitia Casta and Rosie Huntington-Whiteley walk the runway.
David Walliams’ fiancée Lara Stone was also on the catwalk, but it was 46-year-old Elle Macpherson who made a rare appearance by way of finale, stealing the show in a rose-coloured crinoline gown.
She joined some of the industry’s biggest names including Leonardo Dicaprio’s on-off girlfriend Bar Refaeli, M&S face Noemie Lenoir, Coco Rocha, Jessica Stam and Lily Donaldson.
The setting was no less impressive: Models strode around the 16-jet fountain in the courtyard of The Louvre, to the theme music from the Fifties French film And God Created Woman.
And Bardot-esque curves were the order of the day. While there was nary a skirt above the knee, corsets and nip-waisted jackets gave way to womanly hips and breasts for a refined sexiness.
All ladylike elegance, models with hair pulled back in girlish ponytails wore elbow-length leather gloves, and kitten heels adorned with bows.
And while the full-length gowns might be more appropriate for an A-list awards ceremony than your average party, next season’s accessories promise to fill Louis Vuitton’s coffers nicely, as almost every model carried a piece from the latest range of handbags – most notably the Speedy, a Thirties design that had been reinvented in myriad ways.
The designer explained how his aim had been to create a collection that appealed to a wider market.
‘Designers are always saying they’re going to do a collection for women, but then every girl on the runway is under twenty,’ he said.
‘I wanted a variety of ages and sizes. We set out to cast gorgeous women – women who feel happy to put their make-up on, get dressed up, get all their accessories.
‘It’s a bit old-fashioned, I know, but I think it’s nice for a change.’
Indeed the halterneck and strapless bustier shapes that he showed would be flattering on any woman, as would his palette of dusty pinks and greys – a feature that was not missed by the critics in the front row.
Vogue’s Dolly Jones called the show ‘ravishing’. She said: ‘Truly a celebration of womanhood, the full skirts were caught into a triple pleat over the back to make even [model Karolina] Kurkova look buxom, while breasts were spilling over the top of dresses that, but for that unmissable detail, were demure, with high beribboned waists.’
Avril Mair at Elle UK added: ‘Miuccia Prada embraced the curve back in Milan, but this was a more French affair: the girls walking round the Louvre’s dancing fountains, ponytails bouncing, each decorated with bows and velvet ribbon belts… It was a seductive performance.’
source: dailymail.co.uk
March 11th, 2010
Liya Kebede has become an expert in Somalian regional dialects.
During filming on her new movie, “Desert Flower,” which opened Wednesday in France, the Ethiopian actress and model spent hours working with coaches on her lines, but quickly discovered each area had a different take on the language.
“Depending on which city we were in, we had different people coaching me and every time there was a different person, they were telling me different things,” she recounts. “In the end, I was so confused!”
No matter: to foreign ears, Kebede comes across as utterly credible in the role of Waris Dirie, the goatherd from Somalia who rose to fame as an international model and activist in the fight against female genital mutilation.
The movie, an adaptation of Dirie’s autobiography, is directed by Sherry Hormann and co-stars British actors Timothy Spall and Juliet Stevenson. It is Kebede’s first leading role, following small parts in “Lord of War” and “The Good Shepherd.”
“When I found out that I had the role, I felt excitement mixed with ‘Oh my God, what am I going to do?’” Kebede recounts between nibbles on a macaroon in a Paris hotel suite. But she rapidly settled into the part. “It was intimate and we all really connected, especially around a story like this, that was so precious to all of us.”
Kebede only met Dirie on the last day of shooting. “Even though there is this huge responsibility when you’re playing someone who’s alive, it was nice of her to give us the freedom to interpret the story,” she says.
From neighboring countries, the two women share similar cultures, although female circumcision was something Kebede had only heard about. “I grew up in the city, so it’s something that I knew happened, but I guess it never really touched me that much,” she confesses.
Female genital mutilation is only one of the issues that she tackles as World Health Organization (WHO) goodwill ambassador for maternal, newborn and child health. “Maternal mortality is really second only to HIV as a killer of women in Third World countries, which I don’t think anybody knows,” she says. “Women who are circumcised actually also have a higher risk of death in childbirth.”
Kebede campaigns for health care through her own foundation, while the film is being supported by PPR’s Foundation for Women’s Dignity and Rights, which hosted a screening of the movie during Paris Fashion Week to raise money for charity projects in Mali. Kebede is working on a number of new film projects, and says she was even ready to learn another foreign language, if required.
“I would love to spend six months learning martial arts, flying through the sky — in Chinese!” she says with a laugh.
source: wwd.com
March 11th, 2010
Supermodel Elle Macpherson proved she is the queen of curves during her surprise return to the catwalk in Paris.
The 46-year-old was joined by fellow Aussie beauties Catherine McNeil and rising star Julia Nobis in the Louis Vuitton autumn 2010 show on Wednesday night.
With Macpherson and McNeil’s curves on full display in retro inspired garments, their appearances cemented the return of the body beautiful after years of androgynous looks.
By jettisoning Macpherson – famously dubbed The Body since her megastar modelling days of the 1980s – into the closing day of Paris Fashion Week, Vuitton has scored a major coup for a season of runway surprises.
Suddenly, iconic designers, including Marc Jacobs for Vuitton and Miuccia Prada, have turned to casting Australian models to emphasise the point that womanly curves are the new height of fashion.
“Physically, Australia really is an incredible place and I find the women here very gutsy, strong and athletic,” Jillian Davidson, the fashion director of Australian Harper’s Bazaar magazine, told AAP about why Australian supermodels are all the rage.
“I think there’s a very strong, athletic and very confident woman here and the rest of the world wants our lifestyle.”
And it seems they want Australians’ curves too.
Only two weeks earlier, Miranda Kerr made a surprise appearance at the Prada winter collection with Abbey Lee Kershaw and McNeil.
Oozing 1950s femininity but with all the sex appeal of a Victoria’s Secret angel, Kerr’s shock inclusion in the show highlighted a new sexual style revolution was occurring before the world’s most powerful fashion media.
Not to be trumped, Jacobs turned to the ultimate womanly body, Macpherson, to prove Vuitton could also create a few runway shocks of its own.
The fact that at close to 50 Macpherson is fashion’s newest muse shows that luxury labels are reaching out to a bigger and older consumer base with more spending power than the under-20s market the industry has traditionally courted.
“Designers are always talking about how they design for women, and then you look at our runways and there are no girls over 20,” Jacobs, the American designer of Louis Vuitton, said backstage after his blockbuster catwalk show in Paris.
“This time, I set out to cast a variety of sexy women – younger, older, thin, voluptuous, from every ethnic background.”
In previous advertising campaigns the powerful luxury brand has cast 40-plus celebrities famous for their sex appeal, including Madonna and Jennifer Lopez.
Industry rumours are now flying that Macpherson, who is a business woman in her own right with the successful lingerie line Elle Macpherson Intimates and a global brand ambassador for Revlon cosmetics, may continue her runway success by starring in Vuitton’s next campaign.
source: news.ninemsn.com.au
March 11th, 2010
It could be good genes or merely the years spent refining her trim figure for her many modeling assignments but, whatever it is, there’s no doubting that Claudia Schiffer carries off pregnancy with ease.
While some expectant mothers struggle with pregnancy weight others, like the German supermodel, only seem to show in the stomach area while the rest of them remains as normal.
The 39-year-old is due to give birth in May and was pictured dropping off her first two children, son Caspar, 7, and daughter Clementine, 5, on a school run in London, where she’s currently living.
Wearing a loose-fitting grey dress over a black v-neck jumper she accentuated her ever-growing bump with a rope-tie belt.
The model accessorised her outfit with a pair of dary grey ankle boots, sunglasses and an oversized leather patchwork bag.
Schiffer announced she was pregnant with husband Matthew Vaughan’s child in January this year, earlier this month she revealed her tips for keeping trim while pregnant.
She said: ‘Anything I do, I do it with the mind set of “is this healthy for me?”.’
And she explained that is especially conscious of staying positive during pregnancy, adding: ‘Definitely in pregnancy the number one important factor is happiness, surround yourself with positiveness.’
But she was quick to add that positive thinking alone is not enough to maintain a slim figure: ‘You do need to work out and you do need to watch what you eat.’
Asked about her beauty regime while pregnant, she told People’s Celebrity Baby Blog: ‘I do like to put a lot of cream on my tummy, as long [as] it’s natural.
‘I think it really works to help stretch marks and make the skin really nice and soft.’
Of course, having such extensive experience in the world of fashion has informed her wardrobe choices when pregnant.
She said: ‘I’m not the sort of person who likes to wear tight clothes when I’m pregnant, but I’m not a fan of maternity dresses either, so my advice would be to get things a few sizes bigger and have them tailored to fit.’
Read more: dailymail.co.uk
March 10th, 2010
Amber Le Bon tries out a range of hair-raising styles as she fronts a new campaign for shampoo brand Pantene.
The 20-year-old model is given an Eighties makeover for the ads, which promote the new Pro-V Volume and Body collection.
And her voluminous locks even given rival Cheryl Cole a run for her money, who is the face of rival brand L’Oreal.
Standing tall at 5ft 10in, Amber is the daughter of model Yasmin and Duran Duran singer Simon.
After graduating from Heathfield St Mary’s School two years ago with A-levels in music, history of art and photography, the pretty brunette is now carving out a career as a model.
Amber has signed to Models 1 – the agency that has represented her mother for 19 years.
While she is taller than her mother, both women share the same hip and cup size.
Her modelling portfolio says Amber has a 32-25-37 figure, while mum Yasmin has 34-26-37.
Despite having only recent signed with Models 1, Amber is already making quite a name for herself in the fashion industry.
She has appeared in advertisements for High Street chain River Island and is the face of luxury lingerie range Myla.
Amber first experienced the modelling industry at an early age after Yasmin brought her as a 20-month-old toddler on to the catwalk at a Chanel show.
In this latest campaign for Pantene, Sam McKnight transformed Amber’s hair into a range of Eighties styles using products from the new range.
In a signature shot, she is dressed in a pink neon dress with gold cuff bracelets and wavy bouffant hair.
Read more: dailymail.co.uk
March 10th, 2010
She’s fast made it into of-the-moment status has Abbey Lee Kershaw; seriously in demand for all manner of campaigns. But this model does things a bit differently, and she’s not afraid to say what she thinks.
She’s tattooed, she’s pierced and, seemingly, she’s rather fearless too, claiming naked horse-riding and rock climbing as just a two of her more daring past-times. But that, she says, is thanks to her experimental nature – the very same nature that sparked furore across fashion when she starred in a sex-inspired shoot with Freja Behar in Purple magazine.
Abbey hasn’t commented on the rumours that followed, which suggested a sexual relationship between the pair, but she did tell the Timesonline that she “didn’t have to act that much”, and defended photographer Terry Richardson of the shoot he led.
“Terry doesn’t force girls to do anything they don’t want to,” said Abbey, who famouslyrefused to walk in McQueen’s armadillo hooves. “He puts you in a G-string in a pile of mud because you want to do it. You touch yourself because you want to. For me, that shoot was the truth about how things were between us both, and I felt good doing it. I’m not ashamed of it — why should I be?”
Does that mean she’s a woman’s woman? “Well, I’ve always swung both ways,” she admitted. “I don’t call myself bisexual: I’m just experimental.”
source: myfashionlife.com
March 9th, 2010
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