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by The Backseat Stylers | March 17th, 2010 
Vogue.com
I’ ve been guilty, lately, of not reading the fashion magazines that arrive in my mailbox. What I mean is, I pour over the ads, the editorials and the “5/10/50/100 must-haves for Spring/Summer/Fall/Winter” type spreads, but I flip right past the articles. I tell myself I’ll come back another day to read them, but the truth of the matter is that I have yet to do so. When there’s little time in my day to devote to enjoying my monthly fashion magazines, it’s unfortunately the articles that are sacrificed. Call me superficial, call me shallow, but that’s just all I have time for right now. I like to think that I reserve my time for articles that will truly touch or inspire me, rather than merely inform me of the same old top 10 beauty tricks of celebrity makeup artists that I’ve been reading since forever.
Once in a while, an article will stand out among the rest, grab my attention and refuse to be left unread. When this happens, I’m rarely left disappointed. One recent article that comes to mind was a fascinating profile on Blumarine founder Anna Molinari. Another is model Kim Noorda’s story in the April 2010 edition of US Vogue. The article features excerpts from Kim’s diary, which chronicle her struggle to overcome the industry’s pressures to be model thin and to build a happy, healthy life outside of the modelling world.
She told me that five pounds is not that much, and probably no one would even see it. I told her that people in the fashion industry see every gram of fat. . . .
Today a woman brought something up: “How do you interpret remarks from other people about your appearance?” For instance, you could misunderstand “My, you look healthy” as “You’re fat.” In me, it means the same, due to my job, I reckon. During a show season, when a model is not slim enough, people tell her, “Oh, you look so good, so healthy!” whereas the agencies recommend she lose weight. . . .
At Alberta Ferretti I can’t help noticing or imagining that they think I’m too big. Not what they wanted. I just try to do my best. At Lanvin I get canceled on the second day; they want a blonder girl. Next is Givenchy, with two models who are a lot skinnier. I try, but the shoot does not seem to work.
The other model has some difficulty with weight as well. She seems not really happy and at one point asks me if I am happier “like this.” When I try to speak with her more directly about it, she stops the conversation. I got kind of sad about that.
At work I am very sensitive, and when at Bottega I am offered the choice at seven in the morning to bleach my eyebrows or leave, I just want to go. I am crying: What am I doing? . . .
I was in doubt whether to write this article, thinking it should be a success story. The success is not that food and weight are never on my mind anymore, but that the influence of these thoughts has become a lot less. I watch my weight, but I do not want to compromise my health, or my happiness.
It really feels like my life is getting some more shape.
Reading this article right after Fashion Month and four weeks of admiring the tall and thin glamazons that walked the runways was very impactful. When I look at photos of these models on the catwalk or in their off-duty ensembles, I’m often envious of their glamorous lifestyles. The story of Kim’s journey serves as a reminder not only that models are human too but that, not only for Kim but for all of us, there is life to be lived outside of that which keeps us occupied from 9 to 5, Monday to Friday; we shouldn’t sell ourselves short. The weather in Toronto has been beautiful this week – I can’t wait to get outside and enjoy it. I suggest you do the same!
xx, S
by The Backseat Stylers | December 29th, 2009 With the end of a decade drawing close, an inordinate number of “best of” lists have been popping up and joining the usual year-end lists, and the fun will surely continue until the clock strikes midnight this upcoming New Year’s Eve. I’m a fan of lists that remind me of the highs and lows and shockers of the last 365 days – or, in this case, 3,653 days – so I’m not complaining. Vogue Paris decided to get it on the action and compiled a list of the top 30 models of the decade. ‘Compiled’ is a gross understatement of the impossibility of such a task, I’m sure, but I can’t seem to think of a better one at this moment in time. Regardless, the results are in and Canadian models took up 4 out of 30 spots – not so shabby! Here’s the list, in no particular order:
1. Gemma Ward
2. Agyness Deyn
3. Daria Werbowy
4. Lara Stone
5. Lily Donaldson
6. Natalia Vodianova
7. Natasha Poly
8. Doutzen Kroes
9. Anja Rubik
10. Freja Beha Erichsen
11. Chanel Iman
12. Iris Strubegger
13. Anna Selezneva
14. Irina Lazareanu
15. Karen Elson
16. Karlie Kloss
17. Kasia Struss
18. Kim Noorda
19. Catherine McNeil
20. Coco Rocha
21. Isabeli Fontana
22. Sasha Pivovarova
23. Vlada Roslyakova
24. Magdalena Frackowiak
25. Gisele Bündchen
26. Jessica Stam
27. Raquel Zimmermann
28. Lily Cole
29. Mariacarla Boscono
30. Maryna Linchuk
Kate Moss, by the way, is notably absent from the list. Not to fret, however, as she was honoured with her own list documenting a decade of covers for Vogue Paris. Very fitting.
xx, S
Photo Credits: Models.com, Vogue.fr
by The Backseat Stylers | October 16th, 2009 The controversy first started with the posting of this ad with a ridiculously altered model on Photoshop Disasters, was blown up by Ralph Lauren when the company issued a DMCA takedown notice to the blog, and then worsened still when it was revealed that the model in the ad, Philippa Hamilton, had recently been fired from her contract with the design house for being “too fat” after 8 years of service. Oh, the irony.
boingboing
Now another Ralph Lauren photoshop disaster has popped up depicting yet another model with hips practically the same width as her head.
Photoshop Disasters
While photoshopping is a given in fashion ads, has a line been crossed here? Do you lose respect for Ralph Lauren as a design house as a result of these disastrously fictitious depictions of otherwise gorgeous models? I personally can’t imagine that either of these ads is impacting any woman’s self-image when the level of fakeness is so high that if the models really looked the way they were portrayed than there probably wouldn’t be enough room for all the necessary internal organs. But what concerns me is if ads like this can somehow make it through several levels of approval for release, what other catastrophes are happening behind the scenes at Ralph Lauren that have yet to surface? If these ads are falling through the cracks, what else is? Could low quality artwork be an indicator for declining quality in cashmere sweaters and leather riding boots?
xx, S
by The Backseat Stylers | October 15th, 2009 
Models.com reports that, according to calculations by the Fashion Spot‘s community, Constance Jablonski walked 72 runways during the Spring 2010 shows in New York, London, Milan and Paris, making her the busiest model of the season. The following models round out the top 10, with several ties:
I expected Karlie Kloss to be higher up on the list, since it seemed she was fiercely stomping all over all of the runways, but really 56 shows is nothing to scoff at.
Congrats to Constance…hopefully she’s getting some well-deserved rest.
xx, S
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THE BACKSEAT STYLERS BY T & S
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