As I walked into work this morning, I was confronted by a strange, strange sight. In my post-commute, pre-coffee stupor, I almost ran into someone, and it took me a minute to figure out what was going on. Why was I eye level with a shoulder blade? Why was I surrounded by resort wear on a 45 degree day? Why did I see miles and miles of legs? Being the shortest one in the room I’m used to, but having to drop my head all the way back to look at a dozen designer sunglass-ed faces I am not.

The fog lifted, and it dawned on me. Models. It was a parade of models.

In all fairness, The Today Show is filmed outside my office building on a daily basis. I have seen all manner of odd things, from circus performers to weddings to Beyonce (who, coincidentally, I also almost ran into. What is wrong with me?!). But this one, for some reason, was more jarring than most.

My height, my weight, my decidedly half-assed business-casual attire and half-heartedly blow-dried hair were all thrown into sharp relief. How did these alien people, who have done nothing but exist in the same air space as me, make me feel like a lesser person than when I entered the building? Read More »

For all of the times we hoped and dreamed way-too-gorgeous runway models would just…get axed up and trot around on stage flashing war wounds on their not-so-perfect-anymore bodies, John Galliano, a seemingly post-apocalypse obsessed fashion designer, has just made those dreams come true in Paris.

The only problem with the execution of this odd fantasy is that the models were all male. Apparently, looking like you just got your ass kicked by whatever doom 2012 holds for the world isn’t a very IN look for the gals.

Some of Galliano’s designs were undeniably costumes–not anything any guy would ever wear…unless he’s battling something awful in Lord of The Rings. However, surprisingly, some of the jeans, shirts, and sweaters were actually not just OK, but pretty badass. Read More »

The tensions are as high as their heels this week, with four models left competing for the title of America’s Next Top Model.

The girls arrive home to find a note from Tyra telling them that she is sending them to “the great mall of China.” C’mon, that’s pretty clever!

The girls head to the mall in the morning in search of an outfit to recreate the look of one of the four beauties they heard stories about—and this is where some eyebrow-raising model sabotage begins. After wasting time wandering off on the other side of the mall, Bianca runs into Jenah—and gleefully tells her that she just has to check out that area, knowing full well she won’t find much.

Jenah gets back in time to show off her outfit in a casual runway show and gets her sweet revenge by winning the challenge. In addition to getting a dress made especially for her and a friend (Chantal), she also gets one-on-one runway lessons from Miss Jay. We’ll see how those help her if she makes it to the final two!

The next morning, the models head to the Great Wall to be made over into warriors. And their photographer is, drumroll please—Tyra! Is there anything she can’t do? (Oh right: sing, act, make music videos…) Both Chantal and Jenah do well, though Tyra takes issue with Jenah not knowing who she is. “She’s a good model, but who is she?” asks Tyra.

Right, let’s pretend this is a soul searching competition. It’s barely even a modeling competition! Read More »

This week, the girls go on go-sees, which made me hate Saleisha for the first time. She did some major ass-kissing and and just came off really fake. It doesn’t seem like any of the girls do particularly well, and only Bianca and Saleisha make it back from the go-sees on time.

The rest of the girls are disqualified from the challenge for arriving late, so the competition isn’t too tough, but it’s Bianca that wins the challenge.The next morning, the models head over to their photoshoot, where they’re greeted by Mr. Jay, sexy Nigel, and (fake) lions and dragons. The goal is to stand out in a crowd. Is Nigel eligible to win? He’s clearly the prettiest.

Jenah is up first and doesn’t impress me much. Does anyone else think she looked like she looked like an awkward teenager playing dress-up with all that makeup? Saleisha does a decent job, as does Bianca once she finds her groove. Chantal is critiqued for looking like a showgirl, and Heather falls flat as well. Read More »

There are a few pick-me-ups I rely on to get me through a rough week of classes and work—beer, Red Bull, my weekly belly dancing class, and of course…Tyra Banks! In case you missed your hump-day dose of impossibly thin and tall women participating in totally unrealistic but nonetheless enthralling photo shoots, I’m here to catch you up.

This week on America’s Next Top Model, things get yummy when model Tyson Beckford comes to the house and has the girls act as spokeswomen for items in their kitchen. The word “moist” is thrown around a lot, thanks at least in part to Tyson Beckford’s presence, I’m sure.

I’m glad to see Tyra’s whole awareness and environment crusade goes further than the first episode, with both the challenge and the photo shoot spreading a good message. First, for their challenge, the girls film a public service announcement for Keep A Child Alive (they’re the ones behind the “I Am African” campaign) in teams of three. No one does particularly well, but Jenah, Ambreal, and Heather win.

Heather gets a photo shoot with Mary J. Blige, while the other two get gift baskets, which, uh, sucks. Read More »

10 models left and a whole lot of drama to look forward to. That’s right, it’s time for your America’s Next Top Model recap!

And who knew a bunch of girls could make a house look like the aftermath of a week-long frat party? Words are exchanged about “respect” and such, which inevitably means a huge blow-out fight is brewing about who left their cereal bowl in the sink or pubes in the shower.

Looks like the overall theme for this week is “try not to die,” with Tyra serving up one death-defying stunt after another. Is she PMSing? The girls start off this week learning to pose during movement—specifically, jumping on a trampoline and striking a pose, which proves to be difficult and mildly dangerous for some. And as if that wasn’t awkward enough, the second-hand embarrassment continues the next day, with the challenge being to pose in the air. On an ice-skating rink. I’m sorry, but if you’re having trouble jumping on a bouncy trampoline, I’m afraid that ice won’t help matters. Read More »

Although old enough to be my grandfather, Rolling Stone Magazine continues to maintain it’s finger on the pulse of everything hip and now. From the hottest bands to the sickest trends, RS has known what’s up for 40 years… and 2007 is no different. Check out Rolling Stone’s 2007 Hot List after the jump. Read More »

Everyone knows that the fashion industry can be bitchy, but now there are reports that it actually might be racist.

UK magazine The Independent recently ran an article about the lack of black and minority models on the runway.

Dee Doocey, a former fashion manager who’s currently campaigning for diversity on the catwalk says she can’t remember “being sent a model who wasn’t white,” during her days in the field “I don’t know if it’s racism, or just the fashion industry languishing in the doldrums”, Doocey continues, “but it needs to change. Agencies only seem interested in leggy white blonde girls.”

While none-white people make up about “30 percent” of London’s population, they “don’t even make up 1 percent of the models”, a ratio that sounds like it might have a reflection in America as well.

One managing director at a London agency that specializes in ethnically diverse models illustrated the crux of the problem by explaining her difficulty in getting work for her black models.

“The racism you come across is not underlying, it’s blatant” she reveals, going on to say that “People will say things like ‘Don’t send any more black models’, and one designer even said black people didn’t suit his clothes. And we’re not talking about small designers here; it’s all the big ones.” Read More »