Fashionista

Tuesday January 3rd, 2012

From Moss to Kloss: The Most Buzzed About Models of 2011
Models

From Moss to Kloss: The Most Buzzed About Models of 2011

2011 was definitely the year of the model. Models gained influence in pop culture, with new TV shows, documentaries, and larger features in magazines. It looks like editors will have to fight for their right to call themselves the “new models.”

And there were certainly enough big news stories to keep models in the headlines. From Kate Moss’ wedding to Jamie Hince, to a crop of new girls who instantly zoomed to the top, to both Karlie Kloss’ and Andrej Pejic’ topless photos that caused minor scandals, there’s been a lot to talk about in modeling.

We’ve collected the models that created the most industry buzz in 2011, from Moss to Muse. Click through to find out which models created the most buzz in 2011!

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Published at 6:34 PM

Thursday August 18th, 2011

Exclusive: Jours Après Lunes Designer Sophie Morin Responds To the Controversy Surrounding Her Lingerie Line for Girls

Exclusive: Jours Après Lunes Designer Sophie Morin Responds To the Controversy Surrounding Her Lingerie Line for Girls

PARIS–Our article, published earlier this week, about French children’s underwear line ‘Jour après Lunes’–a line comprised of lingerie–inspired pieces meant to be worn indoors and out, over and under clothes–led to far more reactions than we had imagined–including stories in major outlets like the New York Daily News, the UK’s Daily Mail, and TODAY.com.

The brand’s founder and designer Sophie Morin wrote a letter to Fashionista explaining why she doesn’t think her brand promotes anything dodgy or creepy.

Her main points:

The “ worn dessus-dessous” (i.e. underwear worn as outerwear) that has raised an upheaval, is in fact just another way of saying that, for example, an undershirt, worn under a sweater to be warm in the winter, can be worn with jeans in the summer; or bodysuits, often worn by babies, can become an outfit–like mothers often do with their babies when it is hot…Triangle bras–and there are only two models in the collection–are worn as swimwear for youngest clients; these can be worn as a first brassiere for girls and even young women who aren’t looking for real support, since these don’t have underwire. There are no real bras in my collection. The transgenerational mother/daughter aspect of my brand doesn’t offer anything new and is identical to what lots of ready to wear brands offer.

And about the photos of my brand, I’d like to specify that the articles in which they appeared were taken out of their context and were laid out to imply a sexy dimension that didn’t originally exist. All the photos show children playing children’s games, as we’ve all done.

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Published at 3:51 PM

Monday August 8th, 2011

Why the French Aren’t Outraged About Those Photos of 10-year-old Model Thylane Blondeau
Rants

Why the French Aren’t Outraged About Those Photos of 10-year-old Model Thylane Blondeau

PARIS–No need to remind you of the ongoing scandal around Thylane Loubry-Blondeau, daughter of French TV celebrity(ish), and her borderline erotic shoot for Vogue Paris. So does it merit the outrage? Or is it merely the continuation of a long French tradition?

Although I live in Paris and Blondeau is of French descent, I heard of the outrage through the US media. The French press had either brushed it off, or reported on “the Americans going hysterical.”

If you contrast the coverage of the same story in the US and in France, it’s almost as if outlets are talking about different photos. Here are excerpts of the same story, one in the New York Daily News, the other in the French equivalent, the Nouvel Observateur:

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Published at 5:45 PM

Friday August 5th, 2011

Thylane Blondeau’s Mother Responds to Controversy About Her Daughter, Shuts Down Her Facebook Page and Tumblr

Thylane Blondeau’s Mother Responds to Controversy About Her Daughter, Shuts Down Her Facebook Page and Tumblr

Last week, we told you about Thylane Blondeau, the gorgeous 10-year-old French model who starred in, among other spreads, a mature French Vogue editorial that depicted her suggestive, adult poses. Thylane and this particular editorial have since spurred a media frenzy.

Many news outlets and blogs (and their commenters) are outraged–calling it “creepy” and “exploitation” and blaming everyone from the magazine to the fashion industry as a whole to Thylane’s parents. Good Morning America even aired a piece yesterday about Thylane and the sexualization of young girls, bringing up, yet again, teen campaign stars Elle Fanning (13) and Hailee Steinfeld (14).

Thylane’s mother, French TV host and fashion designer Veronika Loubry, who has herself been criticized for allowing her daughter to be photographed in this way, has responded to her detractors both in the French press and on Facebook.

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Published at 1:52 PM

Friday July 29th, 2011

Is This Gorgeous 10-year-old French Model the Next Big Thing, or is it Just Creepy?
Models

Is This Gorgeous 10-year-old French Model the Next Big Thing, or is it Just Creepy?

I’m starting to feel a little creepy writing about children all the time, but this girl has an epic beauty, an effortless chicness and an impressive modeling portfolio that is far beyond her ten years. According to Facebook, Thylane Lena-Rose Blondeau is from the Ivory coast and was born in 2001. She’s not only adorable, but stunning, with a face that reminds us of Brigitte Bardot in a way that no one has besides Lara Stone; and that perfectly messy Lou Doillon-esque hair that only the French seem to be able to attain. It’s a tad disconcerting how much she just looks like a model (I guess she is only a few years shy of real working model age), but not as disconcerting as one of the editorials she was put in.

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Published at 4:10 PM