President Barack Obama knows how to throw a good party and deliver a good red carpet and the White House Correspondents' Dinner, which took place over the weekend was no different. Along with the usual mix of politicians came fashion folk like Tory Burch and Rachel Zoe, models like Kate Upton and Irina Shayk and major actresses like Kerry Washington and Claire Danes. As you know, Kim Kardashian never misses a photo-op was made an appearance with mother Kris Jenner making Obama joke, 'Why is she famous anyway?' during his speech.
Since 'The City' was dropped from MTV, we haven't seen much of Whitney Port on the small screen but that's all about to change. This week Port confirmed that she will join Elle Macpherson and Julien Macdonald on the judging panel of Britain & Ireland's Next Top Model.
"I'm thrilled about this new opportunity in my career and I am honored to have been asked to work alongside industry icons who I truly respect and admire," she wrote on her blog on Monday. But she isn't the only American joining the panel this year as Tyson Beckford has also been brought on board as the two replace Grace Woodward and Charley Speed who were on the panel last year.
With fashion week only days away, people have already began discussing what - or more interestingly who - we can expect to walk in the shows. Last season saw a movement away from the clone-look that we've been experiencing for the last few seasons and instead, gave way to curvy (but of course still thin) models taking to the runway.
At Louis Vuitton models like Elle Macpherson and Lara Stone appeared while Miuccia Prada booked Victoria's Secret models Miranda Kerr and Alessandra Ambriosio to walk for Prada. British designer Maria Grachovgel also revealed in an interview with us that she too has been considering using plus size models alongside conventional models in her shows to show a more representative view of women. The biggest question on everyone's minds is whether this was merely a fad that worked with this season's 50s trend or whether this was a move set to stay. Recently, top casting agents spoke to Cathy Horyn and make it clear that we can still expect to see curvier girls on the runway this season but the blank-faced androgynous girls aren't going anywhere.
'Ms. Brokaw and Ms. Gregori-Boina say that clients want models with sensuality plus personality. “I think people are looking for muses, for more than a face and a body,” Ms. Brokaw said. Recalling a meeting recently with the Proenza designers Jack McCollough and Lazaro Hernandez, she said they told her they wanted to see girls with some life experience; maybe they’ve had a boyfriend or traveled a bit. “Things are steering away from the army casting we’ve seen in recent years.”'
Popular television series Britain's Next Top Model might look a little unrecognisable this coming season, and we won't lie, the changes are making us very, very excited. First off, a complete overhaul of the judging panel - with Elle Macpherson as presenter, judging alongside male model Charley Speed, stylist Grace Woodward and Welsh designer Julien Macdonald - and at the 10th birthday celebrations for Net-a-Porter last Wednesday, Julien revealed a little more about the show.
"It's like a tale of the unexpected - you never know who is going to stay and who will go," he admitted, and adding to the changes, it will be the viewers that decide this year's winner, "...just like X Factor - so we have no control over who wins." Teasingly revealing a little more about the series, Julien cites episode four as the point where the competition gets hotter, "Elle says, that's when the fun really starts."
Britain's Next Top Model has no doubt had a somewhat needed high-fashion makeover by the looks of things, as not only has Lisa Snowdon been replaced by Elle 'The Body' Macpherson, but Julien MacDonald has taken a place on the judging panel. Confirming the change in direction for the show, MacDonald has declared that there is to be no plus-size models in the latest series - "This is a serious show," he proclaimed, adding "You can't have a plus-size girl winning - it makes it a joke."
Despite Tyra Banks, founder of the television series allowing plus-size Whitney Thompson to win sister show ANTM, Julien announced that he thinks adding them into the competition is unfair. "It's not fair on them - you're setting them up for a fall - I know what would happen to them afterwards" the Welsh designer said, adding. "They are looked down on, they're frowned upon. A catwalk model is a size six to eight. If you're a size fourteen in a room full of size eights - you're in the wrong room."
The last seasons saw Lara Stone dominate the leading ad campaigns. After replacing Madonna at Louis Vuitton, Stone went on to replace Sasha Pivovarova at both Prada and Armani. But it looks liker her campaign zeal is slowing down. This week, word broke that Natalia Vodianova and Christy Turlington are set to repace the Dutch model.
Many are surprised by the rumour after we all expected Adriana Lima, Elle Macpherson or Bar Refaeli - who all walked in the Spring/Summer 2010 show - to appear in the campaign.
Last season we sawMark Fast use plus-size models to showcase his SS10 collection, thus attracting a flurry of media attention and even allegedly causing his stylist to walk out. Whilst this kind of positive runway publicity surrounding the size debate is obviously a positive one in the way of a healthier lineup on the catwalk, there's been an absence of acknowledgement from the big names in fashion, particularly with the likes of Karl Lagerfeld being so pro-size zero. After mixing up the model lineup by using street casting and members of his staff for his AW10 Marc Jacobs show, the influential American designer chose to take his stance on the use of 'real women' one step further, by casting a range of ages, shapes and ethnic backgrounds for the Fall Louis Vuitton show at Paris Fashion Week.
Amongst the range of models were Laetitia Casta, Elle Macpherson, Lara Stone, Coco Rochaand Noémie Lenoir, though in keeping with fairness to all sizes and shapes, Victoria's Secret Angels Alessandro Ambrosio and Adriana Lima also walked - with this being Lima's return to the runway prior to giving birth. "Designers are always talking about how they design for women, and then you look at our runways and there no girls over 20," Jacobs told The Guardianbackstage at the show. "This time, I set out to cast a variety of sexy women - younger, older, thin, voluptuous, from every ethnic background." They might have been from different walks of life, but each Louis Vuitton model was undoubtedly beautiful in her own right, and Jacobs succeeded in doing a fantastic job of showing the industry that differentiation on the runway doesn't mean sacrificing a stunning show.
