January 15, 2010 – 5:20 pm
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Refaeli: Hell no, she won’t go.
Bar Refaeli, the model most well known for her attachment to Leonardo DiCaprio and her work in the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue, may be headed into a world of tsoris, as she’s been accused of getting married for the sole purpose of avoiding compulsory service in the Israeli Defense Force. Seems the Sabra married a family friend (under Israeli law, married women do not have to submit to two years of military training and deployment) and then quickly divorced once the government gave her absolution. Seems Refaeli has been playing games with the tax code as well, by attempting to establish herself as a non-resident. Now, it’s a fact that constructing methods for avoiding military service is something of a pastime among a certain sector of Israel’s youth, so members of the IDF are coming down on Refaeli in much the same way that a drill sergeant makes an example of his least responsive cadet. “We are a society that has an army, and Bar Refaeli doesn’t have to participate in ads for Fox and, if she advertises Fox, then you shouldn’t buy their products,” said IDF Major General Avi Zamir, making history by being the first military leader in history to order an embargo of a swimsuit model. He continues, “At the end of the day, she is the one who has to look at herself in the mirror.” Perhaps the general may not have figured out that what this particular draft dodger sees in the mirror is a face that nets six-figure contracts. As you were.
Bar Refaeli Dodged Army Duty, Israeli General Claims [NYP]
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Filed Under: not so model behavior, bar refaeli, israel, models
January 15, 2010 – 4:30 pm
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Gaultier for Target: The price is right.
Well, it’s been a busy day for fans of big-box designer collaborations, as this morning’s release of images from Zac Posen’s Target collection were quickly followed by pics of Jean Paul Gaultier’s work for the megastore. Interestingly, Refinery29 got their hands on the images after they posted a somewhat misleading, definitely blurry shot from a forthcoming edition of Elle. Seems corporate didn’t like those initial leaks and thus plugged the hole by offering the blog a full look book. The line itself is immediately identifiable as Gaultier’s work — massive collars on high-waisted jackets, tattoo prints, naval embellishments, and a certain hard-edged European drama are all apparent. The printed tights, floral-print A-line dress, and simple red dress with ruching at the front are all particularly wearable and, at just under $200, the leather jackets are eminently buyable.
First Look! Jean Paul Gaultier For Target’s (Not-Blurry-At-All!) Lookbook [Refinery29]
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Filed Under: collab allert!, collabs, jean paul gaultier, target, zac posen
January 15, 2010 – 3:40 pm
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Schiffer: Currently gestating.
It’s been a pretty big year for model pregnancies — Heidi Klum, Gisele Bündchen, and Adriana Lima have all recently given birth. Well, the gene pool’s about to get even richer, as veteran “supe” Claudia Schiffer has another bun in the oven — this time at the age of 39. The child, whose gender is not public knowledge at this time, will be the third for semi-retired Schiffer and her husband, producer Matthew Vaughn, since they married in 2002.
Claudia Schiffer Is Pregnant! [Grazia UK]
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Filed Under: breeding models, claudia schiffer, models, models who have given birth
January 15, 2010 – 2:30 pm
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Beyoncé: “Play my game, play my game.”
As mentioned before, the video-game industry has finally realized how much time women and girls spend shopping for, researching, and dreaming about clothes, and are responding with a series of fashion-focused titles available for multiple platforms both now and over the coming months. As if to show the industry’s commitment to turning style followers into gamers, Nintendo is shelling out top dollar to have diva Beyoncé advertise their successful fashion title Style Savvy in a series of ads airing on Nickelodeon and other networks. The game offers users the chance to experience running their own virtual boutiques, where they can order and restock clothes and play other gamers in wireless “runway contests” without having to deal with real-world bummers like shoplifters or meeting OSHA standards. But, says the fiercely compensated spokeswoman, Style Savvy is more than just an amusing collection of digital, fashionable bleeps and boops made to help while away the minutes during your commute. According to Ms. Knowles, it’s practically educational software. “It can teach young girls a sense of business and of responsibility. You have to be a good listener and pay attention to what the customers want. It also teaches you about fashion, using terms that fashion people use, like ‘asymmetrical.’”
Nintendo Helps Savvy Singer Beyoncé Step Up Her Style Game [USAT]
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Filed Under: game on!, beyonce, nintendo, style savvy, video games
January 15, 2010 – 12:00 pm
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Lowe: “No ticket, no laundry.”
You’d think if anyone would be comfortable in their own skin, it would be Daisy Lowe, the British “It” girl and model who’s flaunted her luscious figure in lingerie ads and in Terry Richardson’s recent, revealing Pirelli calendar. But, as British Elle found out at the premiere party for Lowe’s new collaboration with Swarovski Crystallized, even the apple-bottomed daughter of Gavin Rossdale — who’s known for being just a bit shorter and a bit more curvy than your average runway walker but still sizes away from the “average” body type — is not immune to the pressures of the industry standard. “I’m just as self-conscious as any one else, I always feel like I’m too big but then I have a reality check and think, actually, it’s ok.” Well, it’s really more than okay — but you get it. Lowe, who began modeling at the age of 2, continues, giving fair shake to beanpoles and more bodacious women at the same time. “I think that we should be excited about female form because a woman’s body is a beautiful thing, and yes skinny girls are really beautiful too, but so are girls that have a bit more weight on them. I love curvy girls!” More interesting than all that is the insights she offered about growing up as the child of rocker and designer Pearl Lowe. “My mum used to hang out in the dry cleaning shop and when I was little I thought it was cool. And I really like cleanliness.” The rich and famous really are different, aren’t they?
When Elle Met Daisy Lowe [Elle UK]
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Filed Under: model behavior, daisy lowe, elle, models, swarovski
January 15, 2010 – 11:10 am
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Feel the burn!
At some point, every halfway-decent shopper has had to take a moment or two out of a wild buying spree to kick off her heels and rub her calves for a moment. It’s why there’s a Mrs. Field’s at every mall. Well, a new study commissioned by Debenhams (sort of the Macy’s of England) demonstrates that, just like an offensive lineman heading to the bench for some Gatorade, you’re taking a minute out in Pinkberry because you’ve been burning calories like a furnace. More rigorous than normal activity (or browsing Gilt), shopping eats up five calories every minute you rifle through the discount bin — for the average woman, that’s 48,000 calories a year. To put that in more visceral terms, that’s over 260 Luna Bars for every year you spend trudging from store to store, sharp-cornered boutique bags bumping into your legs. Kind of makes you wonder whether you should take the cash you spent on your Crunch membership and invest it in sample sales.
Shop Till You Drop! How The Average Woman Burns 48,000 Calories a Year [Daily Mail UK]
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Filed Under: shoppercize!,
January 15, 2010 – 10:40 am
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Moss: from waif to bag lady.
Indeed, did you know that Kate Moss had a secret affair with the son of the heir to Italy’s throne and that the prince was so enamored with her that he wrote a song about all the ways they made love? So says the prince. Even so, it’s not the juiciest bit of news about the English supermodel hitting the web this morning. Moss, who has been steering the course of her own casuals collection at Topshop for some years now, has just inked a deal to design bags for luxury leather-goods purveyor Longchamp — a brand that she, until recently, represented in advertising campaigns. While details and images of the accessories line are scarce (WWD couldn’t even get representatives for the French company on the phone), we do know the pieces will start appearing in stores in early February. Looks like we’ll have to wait just a little longer to see what the edgy, rock-and-roll waif, who has enjoyed solid sales of her very basic, slightly edgy Topshop line, will bring to the 60-year-old, often restrained, and almost always elegant brand.
Kate Moss to Design for Longchamp [WWD]
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Filed Under: collab alert, kate moss, longchamp, models
January 15, 2010 – 8:55 am
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Posen for Target
With memories of Rodarte’s recent stand at Target still fresh in our heads, we were happy to see that Fashionista had posted an early look at Zac Posen’s Go International collection for the megaretailer late last night. Not afraid to be floral, girlish, and just a bit boho, the line features a selection of simply constructed dresses, shirts, jackets, and skirts that seem pulled from a John Hughes film (the use of Liberty-like prints, simple buttons on the bibs, and the color palette have a certain eighties sexy-babysitter quality to them). Though we could do without the red-and-fuchsia zebra-stripe dress and the floral gown, there were some standouts. The swimsuits are classic, chic, and sexy, and a pair of simple, black pleated slacks are a winner. The real gets here, though, are the cocktail dresses, which, given their low prices and somewhat ironic high-school prom aesthetic, look ideal for bringing an extra charge to late-night cheap thrills about town. Expect long lines when the collection bows in late April.
FIRST LOOK: Zac Posen for Target Lookbook [Fashionista]
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Filed Under: zac attack, target, zac posen
January 14, 2010 – 5:45 pm
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Garcia: Do you trust her judgement?
If you hadn’t noticed from all the television commercials, officially recognized city celebrations, and the banner ads coating this very website, Project Runway is hurtling back to a television near you. As part of the publicity groundswell for Project’s return to the airwaves (and premiere on Lifetime), Betty Confidential spoke to judge and Marie Claire fashion director Nina Garcia, who offered previews of the new contestants and snippets from her off-camera life, including some chestnuts about her young son. One point of concern, though: When asked what was the “must-have” for this coming season, Garcia said, “a pair of camouflage cargo pants. Camo is back in a big way.” Oh, no. Not again.
The Betty Interview: Nina Garcia [Betty Confidential]
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Filed Under: make it stop, nina garcia, project runway
January 14, 2010 – 3:45 pm
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The fashion world may be a judgmental community, but let it never be said that it is an uncaring one. Fashion Delivers, the four-year-old relief charitable foundation that distributes excess clothing to needy individuals and families all around the globe, is issuing a massive open call to designers and stores to donate “lightweight apparel” for men, women, and children in response to the epic catastrophe still unfolding in Haiti. The group is also calling for “underwear, socks, sheets (all sizes) and throws or lightweight blankets as well as baseball caps, sneakers, sandals, and sleepwear” — basically anything and everything the people of the island nation will need over the coming days, weeks, and years to stay clothed. Already Brooklyn-based retailer Bird has pledged to donate clothes on sale and 10 percent of all its sales this weekend to the cause. While the team is still working on other arrangements with boutiques and producers, with people like Sean Combs, Russell Simmons, and others on their board of directors, more high-profile campaigns should be coming soon.
For more information or to donate, visit www.fashiondelivers.org.
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Filed Under: helping hands, chairity, fashion delivers, haiti
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