Caption this

(At the Prada S/S 09 show)

"The model, fed up with being taller than all the others, decided to crouch down the runway, with the help of her army of pink-shirted men."

Would this be considered torture?

The VIP members only Pirelli Calendar has just come out and it features old pros like Daria Werbowy and Isabeli Fontana posing nude and smoking cigarettes alongside wild animals. As if posing with potentially dangerous animals who could trample your head at any second isn't scary enough, the girls had to pose with humongous scary bugs on their face.
See here:
That's Isabeli Fontana, one of the world's top models, crying. Now this made me think, what if, at your job, the boss told you to put a potentially harmful bug on your face or dance around with mammoth-sized, head-crushing elephants? You would say no, right? Ok, I know that that probably wouldn't happen in the office, but you get the idea: Sometimes you get asked to do ridiculous things at work that could be borderline illegal/inhumane.

But models have to put up with a lot of crazy requests and can't really say no because they need to make money or be in a "prestigious" calendar. Where is the models union when they need one? Should there be a limit on what models can be asked to do? Who's standing up for their rights?
The thing about models is that if they get really hurt, their modeling career could be over. Or if they take a long time to heal, they could miss fashion weeks, ad campaigns, editorials; opportunities for their face to be seen. If they are out of circulation, they might not be in demand next season.

"Tatiana the anonymous model" over at Jezebel wrote a great piece (which I can't find anymore) about models' rights (or lack of.) She says that sometimes models go through excruciating pain just so that photographers can get a pretty photo. Her example is her model roommate who had to put shards of glass on her eyelids and eat sand for a photoshoot and ended up vomiting the whole night. If one of us non-models were vomiting from work, I think we would do something about it. But models can't.

Here's a behind-the-scenes video of the making of the calendar where you can see Isabeli crying and the fear in the models' eyes as they frolic with elephants and dead birds.

Want to go to a Chanel show?

The Chanel 08/09 Cruise Collection will be showing at the Exhibition Place in Toronto this Thursday in support of Healthy Kids International.

I emailed the publicist to see how much tickets were selling for and I choked when she told me. A hefty $1000 a ticket. Still, if I had that money lying around I think I would use it to see a Chanel show. But I don't. So I won't get to see it.

But if any of you are willing to fork over the cash to see beautiful clothes, call 416 813-6166 ext 2026.

And if you have an extra $1000 take me with you!

The girls in glasses

I want to buy this print. I came across the art of Danny Roberts through Fashion Toast and I'm now obsessed with this painting of his. Can you tell they're wearing Chanel?

Here is some more of his beautiful artwork:

Falling down at Prada

Remember at the Prada S/S 09 show the big kafuffle over the models falling down in those impossibly high and impractical shoes?

Here's a great Fashion Television clip that shows the models tripping and falling. I wonder how many careers were ruined that night?

The reactions to the show are really funny and varied from "I felt sorry for the models" to "that's the price you pay for being a supermodel."

Addicted to LV

A couple weeks ago, a group of us who are members of The Purse Forum decided to meet in Toronto for brunch and shopping. Here we are in front of the Louis Vuitton boutique on Bloor St.
That's me second to the right leaning to the side with a big grin on my face.
I had such a fun time with them and I can't wait till we meet again. And yes, I did buy a bag.

Cuff finds on EBay

I've been obsessing over cuffs and I can't get them out of my head. While flipping through the new issue of Elle I saw a beautiful gold plated cuff with a pearl embellishment by Ann Taylor Loft.
I really want to wear a gold cuff somewhere. Anywhere. Maybe at the office holiday party to go with my black dress.

The Ann Taylor cuff wasn't on the website so I decided to troll EBay to see if anything appealed to me. A few did!

Sterling silver cuff

It's simple and classic. I would pair it with a graphic t-shirt or even a plain one. It's casual but elegant.


Vintage gargoyle cuff
I love this cuff but the bidding just ended and I lost! It was made in the 1950s and has pictures of gargoyles and griffins on it. Beautiful.


Multi-chain cuff

I like that it has all those chains because it gives it a little glamour and can really spice up an outfit.

Indian cuff
The detailing and design are very beautiful.The pops of red go really well with the gold. It's definitely a more formal cuff but I would still wear it with a casual neutral-coloured outfit.

Hammered cuff
A cuff staple. You can't go wrong with one of these.

Black resin cuff
I really like the leaf embellishments and the black and red stones. It's very pretty and festive.


Animal cuff
Rowr!

Anna Wintour leaving Vogue?

Say it ain't so! What will we do without the Queen B? Page Six is reporting that the Devil herself may be on the outs as her contract expires soon. Their source says:

"Her contract is up soon," an insider said. "She's thinking of retiring. She feels she's done it all and had enough. She has been putting out feelers to intimate friends recommending a possible replacement to S.I. Newhouse. She's so tired out, she just let Men's Vogue close instead of fighting for it."

Vogue will never be the same. But I do see why a change in the magazine would be good.
Consider:

- The horrible cover choices this year (ie. Nicole Kidman, Gwyneth Paltrow, Keira Knightley, Gisele and LeBron)

- Ad pages are down

- Anna passed on Project Runway which ended up partnering with Elle magazine whose ad pages are up.

- Men's Vogue has downsized to a point of near death

- Vogue's late-in-the-game reality show, Model.Live wasn't even conceived by Anna.

Rumours have been going around for months that her successor may be a certain European editor but it really could be anybody. I wonder if they will keep it in the Condé Nast family.

My dream coats

Every Winter I always dream about coats. It's that time of the year when I have to pack away my lightweight trenches and bust out the wool. Over the years I've collected a few coats; I usually get a new one every year. Last year it was a white wool long coat with buttons down to the navel. I liked how it floated to my side whenever I walked in the wind. This year I bought a fur coat on a whim but there are many other coats that beg to be bought and worn this winter.

I had a conversation with my co-workers today about the value of getting a quality coat. Sure they may be expensive, but in the long run it's better to have one quality coat then a dozen shitty ones, right?

Enter Smythe, a Canadian label that specializes in beautiful coats and jackets. This past summer I interviewed the co-founders and designers of the label when I was lusting after their stunning blazers. Now I'm crazy about their coats.

Here are my favourites:

Boyfriend Blazer
Ok it's not a coat but it would look great in the office or with a sparkly dress, non?

Equestrian Jacket
The patchwork elbows are what make the jacket. I can picture myself hunting in England in this jacket. If I were into hunting.

Equestrian Herringbone Jacket
Again; the patches.

Leather Bomber Jacket
I have just started obsessing over leather jackets. This one is so classic but sexy and a bit rock n rock.

Peacoat in blue
I really like the cut of this jacket, especially at the neck. But really it's that gorgeous tiffany blue that makes it stand out. And I love those big buttons. Just add a dark scarf and you're good to brave the winter.

Peacoat in jade
How many people do you see wearing a coat in jade? Or any clothes in jade for that matter? Such a beautiful colour.

Pinafore Coat
Everyone needs a black, long wool coat in Canada. This one is perfect because it's warm, stylish and comes with a detachable collar.

Waist Coat in teal
Another beautiful colour. I love the cinched waist and the little collar.

Good reading: Kate Moss Style

I just finished reading Kate Moss Style today and I have to say that I now realize what a huge influence Kate has been on the fashion world. The read itself is kind of boring; it's like a really long article with interviews with Kate's friends, stylists and vintage dealers. They keep repeating that Kate has great style and how she is a style icon. The real treat is the photos of all of Kate's looks from when she was a teenager, to her days with Johnny and Pete to today as a TopShop business queen. Her transformation is amazing to watch. It's so much fun to see the vintage clothes she picks out; from a goth Victorian ruffled cape to a Swarovski crystal beaded flapper dress. Her choices are always unconventional, forward-looking and un-trendy.
It's amazing to see how her choices, whether it be skinny jeans, moccasin boots and fur jackets, have become popular trends as soon as she is photographer wearing them.
I love her rock-chic I-don't-give-a-shit attitude.

Here are pics of some great Kate Moss moments:


Leave it to Kate to dress the complete opposite of everyone else. While all the other actresses at the Cannes Film Festival were dressed in flouncy ballgowns; Kate went with a simple grey dress and stood out. This woman really takes chances. I miss the Johnny Depp days...

Leopard on leopard. Love it.





Probably my favourite Kate Moss dress is this customized Swarovski flapper dress. And I love how she paired it with Mary Janes.

Valentino: Themes and Variations book

I was at Nicholas Hoare a few weeks ago and went on a mad book shopping spree; I ended up buying more than $400 worth of books. Most of them were Christmas presents but I picked up a couple for myself. One is this gorgeous hardcover coffee table book called Valentino: Themes and Variations. It lists the designer's most beautiful looks from all the way back to the 60s, to his last collection in 2007. I thought the photos were so beautiful that I had to share them here.
Since most people aren't able to see haute couture in real life, this book makes us feel as if we are with the garments. You can see all the beautiful details that make up the dresses and appreciate all the hard work and endless hours that went into making them.
There isn't that much text; Valentino writes a short introduction and there is a biography of him at the back of the book, followed by photos of the designer's numerous campaigns.
But it's basically a catalogue of his most beautiful and famous dresses. There are some great backstage shots with models like Natalia Vodianova and Sasha P as well as shots of seamstresses putting together the clothes. Some sketches of the dresses and the finished products are shown side-by-side.
It's a beautiful book for anyone who loves Valentino or for anyone who appreciates haute couture.