International Fashions | USA Fashions

The Original Supermodels

The term supermodel is generally used to describe a model who has achieved a high level of international fame and fortune. Such models are generally only referred to with his or her first name, as that is all is required to know who the person is on the fashion scene. The term supermodel wasn’t a popular term until what are now known as the original supermodels hit the fashion scene in the early 90s.

So who are the original supermodels? The group of original supermodels consists of Naomi Campbell, Christy Turlington, Cindy Crawford, Linda Evangelista, and the lesser known Tatjana Patitz. These five women gained fame and notoriety when they all appeared in the film clip for the George Michael song Freedom. In the film clip they walked the runway, creating an image surpassing the “top model” image they already had. This, couple with Evangelista’s famous quote, ”we don’t wake up for less than $10,000 a day” fuelled the worlds interest in what we now know as the supermodel.

The original five supermodels were quickly joined by several other well-known top models that were as equally beautiful and famous. Claudia Schiffer and Kate moss became just as well known as the original five. As the years went by and the original supermodels started to age gracefully, a new wave of supermodels gradually started to drift in. Faces such as Eva Herzigova, and Helena Christensen progressed the brand of the supermodel forward into the 2000s.

These days the supermodel click consists of names such as Heidi Klum, Tyra Banks, Giselle Bundchen, and the many beautiful girls of Victoria’s Secret.

Filed Under: Fashion, International Fashions Tagged With: Cindy Crawford, Linda Evangelista, Naomi Campbell

Celebrities & Fashion: Making a Statement in Two Ways

Cover of Destiny's Child

In a world obsessed with looking good and sporting the hottest fashions when each new season rolls around, celebrities are breaking into yet another arena — fashion, of course! Serena Williams has her own line of fashionable athletic wear, as does her sister Venus. Jay-Z is known for his line called Rocawear, which has various fashions for men, women, and children. Sarah Jessica Parker had her own clothing line called “Bitten,” which sold at Steve & Barry’s chains before they became defunct. It’s hard to look around and not see a clothing line developed by a celebrity.

Fashions in the United States have changed vastly over the years, with some of them making reappearances in recent years. Celebrity fashion trends, though, have always remained popular, no matter what they consist of.

Everyone knows Beyoncé Knowles. She’s famous for being a member of Destiny’s Child, and her extremely successful solo career, with number one hits such as “Irreplaceable,” “Beautiful Liar,” and of course, “Put A Ring On It,” a song parodied in a classic skit with Justin Timberlake on Saturday Night Live. Beyoncé has her own perfume and is also part of the force behind Dereon clothing, established in the fall of 2004.

The clothing line has grown in popularity over the last few years, especially with teenagers and the younger crowds. Dereon clothing offers something for every female body shape and is one of the most popular fashion lines in the United States. From tops and bottoms, jumpsuits and sets, and jewelry and other accessories, women would be hard pressed to find something that doesn’t fit her unique sense of style.

Filed Under: Fashion, General, International Fashions Tagged With: Beyonce Knowles, Sarah Jessica Parker, United States

Reality TV – Spin Offs From Prime Time Shows

Reality television shows have taken the world by storm over the last few years, and they are just gaining momentum and popularity as time goes on. There are so many different types of reality tv shows today that it can be difficult to say what the most popular or best out there today.

It seems like every time there is something new going on in the world, television producers are making a new reality television show about it. Every time a regular tv show becomes extremely popular, there has to be a reality spin off of it. Take Desperate Housewives, for example. This show became very popular, partially because of the catty behavior of the women, and the crazy situations that their relationships put them in. After the initial popularity of the show, we started to see a new phenomena. The Real Housewives series. Each new season has a new city in the spotlight, with new women showing off their lifestyles. These are always higher class, women who, realistically, have more money than most of us could ever dream of. Many of them are not even housewives! This show has gained so much popularity that there is no end in sight.

The spin off of reality television after the popularity of a show does not stop here. Oxygen has recently announced that it will be having a reality show, similar to American Idol, for those that consider themselves “Gleeks”. This comes from the popularity of the show Glee. The winner of this new reality show will, supposedly, then win themselves a spot on the show itself. This is just the newest way to spin a popular show into a reality tv show. Though this may actually get more people watching the original show, it may also make the show much less popular, because the reality tv version becomes “more interesting” to people.

Filed Under: International Fashions Tagged With: American Idol, Real Housewives, Reality television

Fashion Models Over 35 — She’s Got the Look

In the fashion industry being over the age of 35 usually means you are retired. However, there is a relatively new reality television show featuring women over the age of 35 who are competing to become the next supermodel 35 or older. This show’s title is She’s Got the Look, and originally aired in 2008 on TV Land network. This show has already run three successful seasons and is scheduled to run a fourth season in 2011.

Throughout the season celebrity judges narrow down the cast from an original 20 until they find the one with just the right look. After the initial interviews of the 20 semi-finalists, which included displaying the contestant’s fashion knowledge and presenting oneself well, the cast is narrowed down to a final ten contestants.

Once the final ten contestants are chosen they then live in a loft together and compete in challenges. These challenges include tests of their fashion sense, photo shoots, and runway competitions. Contestants are then eliminated as time goes on. The final episode leaves two contestants remaining. In the end, one woman is the winner and goes on to become the next supermodel 35 or older.

Some of the past winners have included average women from average lives. The things that set them apart are their beauty and confidence. The first winner in 2008 was 45-year-old married mother of five from Orange County, California. During the second season the winner was 39-year-old Cindy Cohen. Cindy lives in Calabasas, California. With her son heading off to college she decided to give modeling a try and auditioned for the show, and the rest is history! The 2010 third season winner was a 38-year-old bus mechanic and married mother of two from Los Angeles, Marlin Archie.

The winners earn a modeling contract, $100,000, and a photo spread in Self magazine. The goal of this show is to prove that women over 35 are still confident, beautiful, and definitely model material!

Filed Under: Fashion, International Fashions Tagged With: Fashion, Los Angeles, Reality television

Fashion-Themed Reality Television

Reality television has become a rage over the past few decades. It continues to be strong today. The fashion industry is no exception. There are many reality television shows featuring one aspect or another of the fashion industry. Some have stuck around for many, many years, while others have only managed a year or two. Some of the most popular reality television shows include fashion-based shows.

Project Runway, which is a show where designers meet several challenges throughout the season to design clothing. The show usually starts with 12 would-be designers who compete for the top design. As they participate in the challenges each week, one designer is eliminated until only three designers remain for the final runway show. This show has had eight successful seasons thus far.

America’s Next Top Model, is as you guessed it, a show featuring contestants hoping to become the next top model. This show was created and hosted by supermodel, Tyra Banks. In the first episode of each season the show begins with ten to fourteen aspiring models. Each contestant has to meet challenges along the way or be eliminated. The challenges each wanna-be model faces deals with some aspect of modeling. The models then go out on photo shoots, with the resulting photos determining who will be eliminated and who will go on.

A relatively new reality show, The Fashion Show, which airs on the Bravo network, features designers who compete against each other to create designs with limited materials and limited time. The designs are judged each week and one or more designers are eliminated. In this show, America is the judge and participates in the elimination of designers. The winner receives $125,000 and a chance for their fashion designs to be sold retail.

This is just a small sampling of the reality television shows featuring fashion. If fashion design or modeling interests you, you might find fashion-based reality television fascinating. Each of these shows offer insights and fashion tips that the general public can use as well.

Filed Under: International Fashions, Trends Tagged With: Fashion design, Project Runway, Reality television, Tyra Banks

Being a Model in Your 30s, 40s, 50s and Beyond

When people think of models they think of very young, thin, almost anorexic women. However, the trend has been changing. In an industry where you used to be done with your modeling career in your 20s many top models are now in their 30s, 40s, 50s, or some even older!

At 47 years old Sharon Stone became the face for Christian Dior’s “Capture” skincare line. Angie Hill was 42 when she became the face of Garnier Ultralift. In her 50s supermodel Christie Brinkley was a CoverGirl model. Linda Evangelista was the face of L’Oreal Paris in her 40s. Cindy Crawford has been working hard in the modeling industry well into her 40s with her own home furnishings line, the face for Omega watches, and even appearing on the cover of French Vogue. Another famous model is Daphne Selfe who was still a runway model in Brittain in her 80s after a 60-year modeling career.

Women are coming to understand that having children and going through the natural process of aging is not the end of the world anymore for those who have a desire to be models. Many women are even entering the world of modeling later in life. In fact there are now reality television shows featuring older models such as She’s Got the Look featuring models over the age of 35 competing for the top modeling position.

Although the types of modeling work available to models as they age changes, there is still plenty of work out there for beautiful women no matter what their age! These women and others like them have shown the world that you can be beautiful and sexy at any age. Many top modeling agencies are looking for more mature women to represent. Cosmetic companies and even clothing companies prefer women who are “real” and who can realistically represent their products. Let’s face reality, who wants to see an anti-aging cream ad featuring a 20-year-old model?

Filed Under: Designers, International Fashions Tagged With: Business, Christian Dior, Christie Brinkley, CoverGirl, Models, Sharon Stone

TV Fashion Shows Teach the Clueless

With the amazing increase in television shows due to cable and satellite, TV fashion shows are in abundance. For those who live in isolated areas, these TV fashion shows help the clueless get the guidance they need to look great.

One of the most fun TV fashion shows to hit the airwaves was “What Not to Wear.” People could nominate their friends to be on the show. It had to be a friend who was a fashion disaster. If they were chosen, the show’s team of fashion experts would take on a new client and show them the how to dress, wear their hair and do their make-up. It was often a battle of wills as the contestants tried to keep some of their old styles. However, the fashion team was expert at blending some of the old with the new to start to change the contestant’s personal vision. Ultimately, their self esteem was boosted as they saw themselves transform into a fashionable, attractive individual.

The changes were rarely extreme. The TV fashion show team knew they had to make the changes pretty subtle to get the contestant to agree to them. In some cases, the make-over had to be radical, but those were rare. Always, the friends who contacted the show were wowed and very complementary to their friend’s new look.

Other TV fashion shows that started the programming rage are “Queer Eye for the Straight Guy,” and “Say Yes to the Dress.” Since these shows took off, TV fashion shows are on just about every channel. Even entertainment shows make sure they have a fashion segment. This makes sense because it’s the stars that everyone wants to look like.

Stars may set the trends, but it’s the shows that feature everyday people that viewers really seem to enjoy watching the most.

Filed Under: International Fashions, US Fashions Tagged With: Arts, Fashion, Fashion show, Television

Breaking Into the New York Fashion Scene

The New York Fashion scene is hardly more than a dream to most of us. If you’re hoping to become the next Marc Jacobs, you’re going to need some tips for breaking into the New York Fashion scene. Not everybody is allowed into the major fashion shows in the city. It’s highly unlikely any of the power hitters will give you the time of day just because you think you’ll design the next fashion rage.

If you’ve got the creative ability to crash a party, then go for it. Just know it’s uncool to show up without something to offer. In other words, you really better have a good reason to be there. Gawkers are not allowed. Will you be wearing your latest creation? Will it really catch the power players’ eyes? Just serving yourself is not good enough. You need to really have something to offer the industry.

That’s pretty hard to pull off. The New York Fashion scene isn’t about luck. It’s about hard work, so try to get a job in the fashion industry. Try to get on with a company that is up and coming. Even an entry level job can lead to big things if the company you work for is getting some notice. A talented designer who empties the trash at a major fashion magazine is more likely to get noticed than a party crasher.

Mostly, it’s about networking. Go to the right clubs, the right restaurants. If you get that job, try to get invitations to the right parties. Become a part of the scene. Just remember that you have to have something to offer. A freeloader will not be welcomed in the New York Fashion scene. When that random meeting with someone really important happens, you need to impress them with real knowledge and vision. Do your homework and get ready to work hard. No one got there over night.

Filed Under: International Fashions, US Fashions Tagged With: Fashion, Fashion show, Marc Jacobs, New York

How to Get On a TV Fashion Show

If you’re an aspiring fashion designer, you probably want to know how to get on a TV fashion show. Even though some of these reality contestants seem a little kooky, there are actually some pretty tough requirements for getting chosen. Like any program, TV fashion shows are looking for talent and skill.

When auditions are held for a TV fashion show, the casting director will likely ask for the following items. They’ll want to see at least 3 of your creations. They’ll want to see a portfolio, a resume, some form of proof that you’re in the country legally, and if an application to audition is required, they’ll need that, too.

Just claiming to be talented isn’t enough. These TV fashion shows are looking for real talent and skill. That means you need to be enrolled in a reputable fashion design school or have a work history to support being self-taught. Either way, you’ll have to demonstrate your ability to sketch your designs and actually sew them. Basically, you have to back up that creative vision you’re hoping to share with the world.

Don’t expect the experience to be as party. These shows are watched by millions of people. Of course, that’s why you want to be on a TV fashion show in the first place. You want people to see your designs and eventually buy your creations. TV seems goofy and fun, but in reality it is highly professional work. These casting directors are experts. They’ll call your bluff fast.

Most importantly, be realistic about your chances. When a reality show has a casting call, they usually do it in many cities. Not only are you competing with the people at your audition, your competing with people at other auditions. It might be best to go into it thinking of it as a learning experience instead of your ticket to stardom.

Filed Under: International Fashions, US Fashions Tagged With: Casting (performing arts), Fashion, Fashion show, Television

How to Get On Say Yes to the Dress

One of the top TV fashion shows is Say Yes to the Dress. It will begin its sixth season this year. Certainly, there are many brides who would love to be on the show. It provides plenty of drama and entertainment, so it seems like a great way to get a little fashion exposure. If it’s something you want to do, there is an application that the producers of Say Yes to the Dress need you to fill out.

Before you start pursuing your dream to be a TV reality star, it’s important to know that Say Yes to the Dress does not pay it’s participants. They do not pay for travel, accommodations or the wedding dress either. They are simply looking for people who want to buy a wedding dress at Kleinfeld in New York, and they want to film the entire experience. There is no obligation to buy a dress, but you have to be serious about it. That means you really have to be getting married.

Here are few of the things the application asks for.
You’ll need to provide your name, address, date of birth and occupation. You’ll need to provide this for your fiance, too. They want to know who will be buying the dress, and what kind of budget you have. You’ll also have to attach a personal photo. They’ll ask you how your fiance proposed to you. They want to know if he’s coming with you to Say Yes to the Dress, and you need to give them a wedding date.

Then the questions get a little deeper. They want to know what has been the most stressful part of the wedding plans, who will come with you, and also something about you they can’t see from the picture and application. Finally, you have to be fun to watch on TV.

Don’t forget. Say Yes to the Dress has to be entertaining.

Filed Under: International Fashions, US Fashions Tagged With: New York, Relationships, Wedding, Wedding dress, Weddings