Fur, fur, fur—it was everywhere at Fashion Week. Is the dream of a fur-free Fashion Week an impossible one?

Fashion Week Fur Frenzy, Fall 2014

The Pros & Cons of Posing in Fur

Models have always been on both sides of the fur debate. There are those who pose in fur and walk the runways donning dead (often tortured) animals—either because they don’t have an issue with it or they need the money (or will take any modeling gig they can get). Then there are the model activists who have refused to wear fur and campaigned for organizations like PETA. Their ubiquitous ads of supermodels, like Naomi Campbell and Tatjana Patitz, modeling in the buff, declaring “I’d rather go naked than wear fur,” certainly made an impact. But it’s still not enough.

Supermodels pose in the buff for PETA

PETA and International Animal Rescue

There’s been a lot of press about abuse of young models lately, but animals are the most helpless fashion victims of all. As PETA describes in their ads: “Animals killed for their fur are electrocuted, drowned, beaten, and often skinned alive.” My close friend, former model Sophie Patitz (Tatjana’s sister), now works for International Animal Rescue and confirms that this is not sensationalism. There is nothing humane about the way animals are turned into fur coats.

Think twice about modeling fur and buying fur.

Comment and let us know what you think about this issue.

My son just recorded a re-mix of “Funky Town” (oh the roller skating memories!). Stayed tuned for recording studio tips for singers and voice-over actors!

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French Fashion Flair

There is nothing like the flair of the French. Whenever I took a flight in Europe and landed at Charles de Gaulle, I instantly would be hit with a case of style envy. From toddlers to grandparents, everyone dresses with panache. They never look like they stepped out of a catalog but always out of a spread in Vogue. How do they do it?

Ultra Stylish Brigitte Bardot

A recent  article in the NY Times about the new book The Killer Detail, by French journalists Francois Armanet and Elisabeth Quin, outlined the easy recipe for achieving that certain je ne sais quoi:

The secret is balance and detail.

“Wear a vintage Chanel jacket — with jeans. Wear a little black dress — with flaming red stilettos. Never dress yourself from head to toe in one designer; never wear everything new.”

Models absolutely should follow these rules. Vintage clothes, a fantastic pair of jeans, the little black dress, the surprising detail that makes you stand out from the cattle-call mass—these are your best friends.

Model Audi Martel at Fashion Week

Read the whole article: In the Book “The Killer Detail,” Considering the Essence of Chic

Stay tuned to “Meet the Judges” of the Modeling Mentor Model Search next week! Don’t forget to like your favorite Model of the Month.

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The Best Model & Style Reports from New York Fashion Week

There’s so much great material out there during New York Fashion Week, that coming up with an original blog post would be like Zara wasting time developing a signature collection when knock-offs are so easy and marketable.

Some of my favorite articles/pictorials:

Male Model Conrad Bromfield

Walk Like a Man in the New York Times

Read the truth about bodies per square-foot in a New York model apartment and get inside the minds of men you formerly may have perceived as mindless.

Model Morphosis (also NY Times)

See models before and after hair and make-up. If you have a big nose, shaggy brows, teeny eyes, or resemble an alien—and really never thought you could model—these images will give you hope.

Model Nova Malanova transformed for Thakoon

The Best Beauty Looks from New York Fashion Week, Spring 2014, Harper’s Bazaar

Undone updos (super sexy), blue eyeliner (but so not your junior high style), blue eye shadow (knew I saved it for a reason), and easy, natural, low-key looks like this at Alexander Wang:

Cool Beauty at Alexander Wang

Fashion Report, Harper’s Bazaar

And, last but not least, read The Fashion Infomer‘s NYFW Spring 2014 Diary

You will feel like you are there and you are almost as cool as TFI. (You are a little cooler than you were before you were in on TFI.)

Don’t forget to subscribe to my free Modeling Mentor Newsletter for a monthly update on model news and advice and a sneak peek at the Model of the Month!

Fashion Week is here for Spring 2014! Let’s start with this Fashion Week for Dummies Tip: Next season’s fashions are shown about six months ahead of when they will appear in stores, i.e. Spring 2014 collections appear on catwalks now, and Fall 2014 will debut in February.

The models who walk in the most shows during Fashion Week often are the same models who will garner the most tear sheets in fashion spreads this fall. The editors who go to the shows are reviewing the clothes and looking for the season’s hottest models.

The most renowned Fashion Weeks occur in New York, Paris, and Milan, but London has been a contender for decades and every other city from here to Tokyo seems to have launched their own version (Miami, Los Angeles, Scottsdale, Toronto, Montreal, Madrid, Barcelona, Berlin, Florence, Rome, Amsterdam, Stockholm, Moscow, Jakarta, Tokyo, Perth… The list goes on and on).

The Model Strut

The style may be a tad different from season to season, era to era (the sexy strut of larger-than-life supermodels, the trudge of the heroine chic girls…), but some things haven’t changed since China Machado walked for Givenchy and Balenciaga in Paris in the ’50s. Runway models must:

1. Exude confidence

2. Stand tall (and have long slender legs)

3. Put one foot in front of the other (literally)

4. Not hunch their shoulders

5. Make whatever they are modeling look fabulous

Model Money

Linda Evangelista once famously said that she did not get out of bed for less than $10,000. Those were the days. Few models make what the supermodels did doing runway shows. That’s because they were a select posse of girls (about 10 to 15, with Linda, Christy, and Naomi leading the way), whom every designer wanted. The masses knew their names, they had big personalities, their agents kept upping their rates, and designers paid, and paid, and paid, until… until, well, enough was enough. And celebrities started stealing some of the limelight on fashion magazines, weakening models’ clout.

These days models turn over faster, so few have bargaining power to demand huge rates. A small show may pay $200, or, more likely, pay in trade, i.e. clothing (probably an item or two, not a whole wardrobe). A big-name show may pay $1,000. Back when I did Fashion Week (a few years ago…ha), I made about $500 a show, or, in one case, nothing, as the designer just never paid. Who was it? Hint: A photo from that show is in this collage and it is NOT Alberta Ferretti …

Sign up for my free monthly Modeling Mentor Newsletter. I’m announcing September Model of the Month there tomorrow!

I am always amazed at how little effort some aspiring models will put into getting informed about how the business works. They crave instant gratification, expecting to be discovered and shoot to stardom without doing any legwork. Even before pursuing agents, you should be reading everything you can about modeling—easy to do in the blogosphere. You should ask any models and photographers you meet for advice.

If you live in the NY-CT area, former model and photographer/scout Debra Somerville (Images Workshop) is doing a workshop on April 28. This will be a great way to get informed, dip your toes into the fashion scene, and have a great time:

If you live in the area and are at least 12 years old, attend! Debra is so easy-going, genuine, and talented—just the kind of mentor you need. I also will be there, doing a Q&A with the models and joining in the fun.   SIGN UP

If you don’t live in the area, would you be interested in a podcast of an event like this? Let me know!

Look for an interview with Debra Somerville coming soon.

Also, stay tuned for April Modeling Mentor Model of the Month, to be announced this week!

Winter White at its Most Magnificent

I did the writing for this project; look for the giant video wall in the store and learn about the inspiration for “The Great Bears” (or “Ursa Major”), how they were created, and how many Swarovski crystals are incorporated into the sculpture.

The Beauty, Wonder, and Whimsy of the Holiday Season at Joe Fresh

Aerial View of the Majestic Bears in the Spectacular Joe Fresh NY Flagship Store

Watch “The Making of the Great Bears” video:

The Great Bears: Winter white at its most magnificent from Joe Fresh on Vimeo.

Enter the Modeling Mentor Model Search! The December Model of the Month will be announced first in the Modeling Mentor Monthly Newsletter—subscribe now to receive it.

72-year-old Liu Xianping models for his granddaughter’s line, Yuekou

So, grandparents, don’t hesitate to submit your photos to the Modeling Mentor Model Search!

Woohoo, I’m officially a “Stylemama”! Fortunately the people over at rebelmom.com do not have spies catching me working in my PJs (ratty, unstylish ones) at my kitchen table right now. They think I dress like this all of the time:

“Stylemama” Jill Johnson on Rebelmom.com

See how I’m leaning on that wall? Hmm, is that a pose or a way of taking the pressure off feet that are used to ballet flats and sneakers? I do actually admit in the interview that if I’m wearing heels, I have ballet flats in my bag. Maybe I don’t come completely clean about how often flip-flops round out my beach chic look. OK, maybe “chic” is a stretch. I better be careful. They might slap up another Stylemama in my place.

The bottom line, my fellow Stylemama wannabes out there, as long as you can clean up nice when you need to and find an outfit that’s free of spit-up and dried Cheerios, you’re doing alright

For tips on juggling work and motherhood plus thoughts on the most age-inappropriate clothing item I own, read the Rebelmom Interview.

Thanks again to my fashionista friends and entrepreneurs, Maria Casabianca at Soma Boutique and Jennifer Lau at Genevievelau.com;  photographer Mindy Veissid; and Joe Fresh for the Ralph Pucci job that brought me into the city at the right time for this shoot.

Next up: J’s Broadway audition for Matilda. Was it like an episode of Dance Moms?…

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When my three-year-old was watching this video of the Carolina Herrera show with me today (see below), she kept asking which one of the models is my friend. True, Audi is a model—Carolina Herrera’s house model, no less. BUT having your songs played in a show is such a promotion from walking the runway.

Le Blonde’s Audi Martel at Fashion Week, Italian Vogue

This pic Italian Vogue snapped of Audi during New York Fashion Week proves the Le Blonde lead singer still can strike a pose. She just may not have much time to do so once the world hears her band…

Look for my Rebelmom.com feature next week. Hopefully I’ll be channeling a little Audi!

I’d never thought that much about mannequins, those lifeless model wannabes, posing in store windows and inviting us to buy outfits inside. They can be a little spooky, especially if naked and missing limbs, piled in the back of a dressing room, in mannequin purgatory or awaiting the next season’s looks.

Then I got an assignment to write the copy for a Ralph Pucci installation at Joe Fresh’s ultra cool flagship store at 510 Fifth Avenue in New York and saw how archaic my viewpoint on mannequins is. Let me plagiarize myself, with the overview of the exhibit that launched on Fashion’s Night Out last week:

In an era when models went from clothes hangers to supermodels, designer Ralph Pucci transformed the mannequin from clotheshorse to art form. In collaboration with artists, designers, and models (Patrick Naggar, Ruben Toledo, Anna Sui, Veruschka, Christy Turlington…), Pucci gave mannequins character, verve, and versatility, changing the way fashion is displayed and viewed. As a brand that values art and innovation, Joe Fresh is thrilled to share this exclusive installation in our New York flagship store. 

“The range of work that Ralph Pucci has created is so impressive, and the design flare he has brought to mannequins is brilliant,” says Joe Mimran, Creative Director of Joe Fresh. “I have known Ralph for many years and when I saw these amazing mannequins, they reminded me of works of art. I knew we had to find a way to show them to the public in our Joe Fresh runway clothes.”

“BIrdie,” by Ruben Toledo

Patrick Naggar Mannequin

That’s exactly what Joe Mimran did, featuring 18 of Ralph Pucci’s immortal models, posing in looks from the Spring 2013 collection in Joe Fresh’s huge midtown store. While they don’t offer autographs, I think “Birdie” and crew are as striking as any of the live models strutting the catwalks over at Lincoln Center.

Writer Robin Grearson, posing with “Veruschka”

Visit the store this month to see these gorgeous creatures. AND definitely watch this video I took of the fascinating presentation shown on the giant video wall at the entrance on Fashion’s Night Out. I’m just responsible for the text; shout out to the talented people at Joe Fresh who did the rest!

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