[Above l-r: Tyra Banks on the cover of the 1997 Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Edition / Tyra Banks at NYC's 'Time 100' Party in April 2012]
Tyra Banks has lashed out at the modelling industry and is taking a stand against the pressures of the industry.
In a piece for The Daily Beast titled, "Tyra Banks’s Open Letter to Models: ‘Vogue’ to Ban Images of Anorexia", the 38-year-old former supermodel applauds Vogue's new Health Initiative. Earlier this month, all 19 international editors of the fashion magazine pledged to stop featuring models who are "under the age of 16 or who appear to have an eating disorder." Tyra also admits that if she were to pursue the business today, she may not have made it.
Tyra writes:
"To models around the world, I want to celebrate Vogue’s recent groundbreaking announcement. The editors of Vogue’s 19 international editions have pledged to ban models from their pages who “appear to have an eating disorder,” to create healthy backstage working conditions, as well as several other revolutionary initiatives. This calls for a toast over some barbecue and burgers!
When I started modeling, I used to see models who seemed unhealthy backstage at fashion shows. They appeared to be abusing their bodies to maintain a certain weight. These girls were booked over and over again for countless fashion shows and photo shoots. I’m sure many of you today have witnessed this, or even live it. Now, real progress is finally on the horizon. Vogue is stepping up, doing the right thing, and protecting that girl. Perhaps that girl is you!
People get upset with you if you’re a very thin model. What many don’t know is that a certain sample size has been set by the industry, and you’re doing everything in your power to keep working. At times, I feel there’s an unspoken rule that says, 'there’s no such thing as being too thin, as long as you don’t pass out.'
In my early 20s I was a size four. But then I started to get curvy. My agency gave my mom a list of designers that didn’t want to book me in their fashion shows anymore. In order to continue working, I would’ve had to fight Mother Nature and get used to depriving myself of nutrition. As my mom wiped the tears from my face, she said, 'Tyra, you know what we’re going to do about this? We’re going to go eat pizza.' We sat in a tiny pizzeria in Milan and strategized about how to turn my curves into a curveball. In a way, it was my decision not to starve myself that turned me into a supermodel, and later on, a businesswoman.
On America’s Next Top Model, I mentor girls on television. When that TV goes off, I actually mentor other girls in the modeling industry—girls that have not been on Top Model, but who appear in Vogue worldwide. On late night calls, I console them as they confide in me about their bodies maturing, and not being able to fit into sample sizes anymore. Now I know you all will still call me for advice, but I don’t think there will be as much of: 'I’m hungry, Tyra, and I’m tired. But I still want to do runway and high-fashion work. I want to stay on top.” With Vogue’s new mandates, things, I hope, will now change for the better.'"
Recently the Toronto Fashion Incubator held the finale of it's annual New Labels Fashion Design competition at the Royal Ontario Museum, part of the Toronto Fashion Incubator's 25th anniversary gala. Up-and-coming designer Sid Neigum was awarded the honour along with a $25,000 cash prize.
In addition to the monetary prize, (donated by philanthropist and honorary gala chair Suzanne Rogers) the 23-year-old Edmonton native will receive a design studio at the TFI and a spread in an upcoming issue of Flare Magazine.
The TFI's nationwide competition pits emerging designers against one another for a six-month long design competition. After months of consultation at the award-winning non-profit organization, Sid Neigum presented a cohesive collection of 12 edgy separates at the Royal Ontario Museum gala. Unconventionally altered pieces in silk, linen and lamb leather dominated the runway in a palette of white, beige, grey and black.
"We were blown away by this year's design talent and couldn't be more proud of the four finalists. Sid Neigum showed phenomenal design prowess and we look forward to watching him flourish and succeed in the Canadian fashion industry with continuing help from TFI." - Susan Langdon, Executive Director of Toronto Fashion Incubator
The Bay has announced that it will open two new Topshop and Topman locations in Vancouver and Toronto this fall.
The 33,000-square-foot Topshop/Topman store-within-a-store in Vancouver, which will be located at 674 Granville Street, will be the largest location for the retailer outside of the U.K., while a smaller, 19,000-square-foot location is set to open at The Bay's historic Queen Street store in Toronto.
"After a wildly successful launch at our Yorkdale Mall location in Toronto, we can't wait to open Topshop Topman in Vancouver and downtown Toronto. The Topshop Topman expansion is another step in our continued commitment to making The Bay a world-class department store that delivers the ultimate in fashion and accessories." - Bonnie Brooks, President, The Bay
The Bay also announced that Topshop and Topman capsule shops would open this fall in Montreal at The Bay's Ste. Catherine Street location. The capsules will offer shoppers a curated selection of fashions to prime Montrealers for the full store-within-a-store scheduled to open in 2013.
The two new Topshop and Topman locations will open in October.
H&M has issued an apology after a swimwear ad campaign featuring a deeply tanned model wearing brightly coloured swimwear sparked outrage among cancer groups.
H&M's current "Beach Sensation" ad campaign features Brazilian model Isabeli Fontana wearing tropical prints and skin-baring styles accentuated by her deep tan. It’s not clear how the 28-year-old model achieved the dark tan, but the images have been slammed for promoting unhealthy tanning habits. One of the biggest criticisms came just days ago when the Swedish Cancer Society wrote an opinion piece in Sweden's Dagens Nyheter newspaper and blasted the sexy summer ads:
"The clothing giant is creating, not least among young people, a beauty ideal that is deadly. Every year, more people die in Sweden of (skin cancer) than in traffic accidents, and the main cause is too much sunning. Regardless of how the H&M model got her tan, through sunning or a computer program, the effect is the same: H&M tells us we should be very tan on the beach. It is sad to write this, but H&M will through its latest advertising campaign not only sell more bathing suits but also contribute to more people dying from skin cancer."
H&M quickly responded to critics of their “Beach Sensation" ad campaign via the AFP:
"We are sorry if we have upset anyone with our latest swimwear campaign. It was not our intention to show off a specific ideal or to encourage dangerous behavior, but was instead to show off our latest summer collection. We have taken note of the views and will continue to discuss this internally ahead of future campaigns."
What do you think of the criticism H&M's swimwear ad campaign has received and how the brand responded?
Androgynous male model Andrej Pejic stunned audiences at Barcelona's 22nd annual Bridal Week, by walking the runway wearing bridal creations by Spanish designer Rosa Clara.
Andrej opened up the bridal runway show wearing a white gown with a flowing skirt and a pair of platform heels. The 20-year-old Australian model then strutted the runway wearing a floor-length textured dress with a matching cap-sleeve jacket and posed for photographers following the show wearing another delicate bridal confection.
Of course this isn't the first time the male model has walked the runway wearing bridal creations. Andrej Pejic wore a Jean Paul Gaultier wedding dress for the designer's couture show in Paris in January 2011.
Just in time for summer, Victoria's Secret is revealing the 2012 "What Is Sexy" list. Victoria's Secret Angels-In-Residence Candice Swanepoel, Erin Heatherton, Lindsay Ellingson and Toni Garrn all make an appearance in a cute VS video to announce the lingerie label's 7th annual roundup of the sexiest celebrities.
From the sexiest legs to the sexiest tweeter here's a look at who made the 2012 Victoria's Secret "What Is Sexy" list.
Sexiest Actress: Charlize Theron
Sexiest Legs: Stacy Keibler
Sexiest Bikini Body: Annalynne McCord
Sexiest Summer Style: Blake Lively
Sexiest Summer Hair: Ashley Benson
Sexiest Smile: Jessica Chastain
Sexiest Eyes: Jennifer Lawrence
Sexiest Lips: Amanda Seyfried
Sexiest Curves: Amber Heard
Sexiest Sense of Humour: Emma Stone
Sexiest TV Cast: Pretty Little Liars
Sexiest Mom: Beyonce Knowles
Sexiest Songstress: Britney Spears
Sexiest International Import: Diane Kruger
Sexiest Summer Glow: Olivia Wilde
Sexiest Cyber Star: Elin Kling
Sexiest Tweeter: Kristen Bell
Sexiest Up and Coming Knockout: Elizabeth Olsen
Last week the Marc Jacobs boutique in SoHo, NYC was hit by graffiti artist Kidult, who took a fire extinguisher filled with pink paint, and sprayed the word ART across the front of the store (seen above left). In retaliation, the designer is now selling at T-shirt printed with a picture of the crime scene (seen above right).
The notorious French graffiti artist, who has previously vandalized Celine, Hermes and Louis Vuitton, proudly tweeted "I think I did some ART?" last week along with a picture of his hot pink crime while employees at the Soho shop scrubbed down the storefront.
Not to be outdone, Marc Jacobs and his quick thinking team decided to capitalize on Kidult's (illegal) artwork. The label is now selling hot pink "Art by Art Jacobs" T-shirts emblazoned with a photo of the graffiti'd Soho shop for $689.
Of course Kidult is now furious that his work is being used to make money. After the label announced that the limited edition "signed by the artist" tops were for sale, he tweeted: "@MarcJacobsIntl ... ??? LET'S PLAY, but we don't play the same rules!" and later referred to the designer as a "capitalist thieve [sic]" via a retweet from another Twitter user.
I say Marc Jacobs clearly won this round, but what do you think of the designer’s fashionable retaliation?
Dolce & Gabbana broke out in Italy in 1986 and quickly became known for their sophisticated sexuality. In 1989 the duo set off for New York (for the first time in their lives) and brought along the entire "The Forties" fall/winter 1989 collection stuffed in their bags.
Photographer Steven Meisel captured actress/model Isabella Rossellini crying and laughing in the streets of New York City for the first Dolce & Gabbana ad campaign. The iconic black and white ads helped the duo become internationally recognized.
[Above l-r: Giuliana Rancic wearing a floor-length grey and black Monique Collignon gown at the 2012 Golden Globes and wearing a glamorously retro Tony Ward gown at the 2012 Oscars]
Ready for the next celebrity clothing line? Fashionable TV personality Giuliana Rancic is designing a collection for the Home Shopping Network south of the border.
The accessible and "chic" collection will be called G by Giuliana and will be available on HSN, HSN.com and HSN Mobile. Full details on what type of styles will be available are under wraps, but the E! red carpet host and Fashion Police's resident sartorialist will hype the upcoming fashion line on the May 29th episode of E!'s Giuliana & Bill.
"I'm beyond excited. All the time I've spent on Fashion Police, E! News and Live From the Red Carpet puts me on the front line of style. Viewers are always asking for style advice so it inspired me to start my own line. My priority was to make clothes that were very affordable and very chic. I definitely kept Joan Rivers in mind while designing the line, I want to make sure I am on her best dressed list!" - Giuliana Rancic
