My Favorite Great Supermodels Of All Time – ROSHUMBA

A timeless Chicago beauty who has transcended from muse to mentor, Roshumba Williams is another product of fashion visionary Yves Saint Laurent. As aforementioned in my article on Martinique-born supermodel Mounia, Saint Laurent was known to many as one of the designers who pushed the use of black models in the fashion industry. Roshumba was one of those lucky models he worked with closely. The 6-foot-tall model was discovered in 1987, as a teenager in Paris. She had moved to Paris with nothing but $150 in her purse, but after attending many go-sees she was quickly signed. She became a hit on the runways of the world & one of the most sought after models of the 90s. After booking her first haute couture show with YSL, the exposure led her to be remarked by other designers & fashion editors. That quickly led to being booked by the likes of Chanel, Gianfranco Ferré, Christian Dior, Versace, Chantal Thomass, Victoria’s Secret, Giorgio Armani & Michael Kors.

Her fame grew through her many features in magazines such as Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Edition, Glamour, Harper’s Bazaar, Cosmopolitan & Vogue. As well as her many ad campaigns with Covergirl Cosmetics, Maybelline, Clairol & Hanes Hoisery. She has even appeared in feature films such as Woody Allen’s ‘Celebrity’, Robert Altman’s ‘Pret-a-Porter’ & the popular comedy film ‘Beauty Shop’. Roshumba is also the author of the popular first & second editions of ‘The Complete Idiot’s Guide To Being A Model’, a deal she made with Penguin Publishing USA. In 2004 Roshumba became quite the TV personality by hosting several lifestyle & make-over shows, including Beautiful Homes, Amazing Homes & Fabulous Bathrooms for HGTV; Fox’s make-over show, Live Like a Star; WE’s Swimsuit Secrets Revealed & Travel Channel’s Beach Week; and was a correspondent for Mercedes Benz Fashion Week in 2008. She is currently a judge on Oxygen Network’s biweekly hair-styling competition reality series, ‘Tease’, since 2007 & in 2010 she famously became judge & mentor on the reality tv competition series ‘She’s Got The Look’, where women 35 years & older compete to be the next supermodel.

Roshumba has been an inspiration to black women everywhere, including in the fashion industry. Pushing the envelope on racial issues. Most black models have admitted to being under the pressure of having to alter their appearance with long flowing hair that emulates that of the white models. Roshumba has had a seemingly fairytale-like career. But in an interview for The Ugly Side Of The Modeling Business by Essence Magazine, Roshumba says, “I think it’s really sad that time and time again I’m asked to adhere to a certain look or value that is justifiable only to certain people.” She added, “I’m constantly arriving at a photographer’s studio and being told that I have to wear a wig.” Roshumba is one of the few black models who still got a lot of work while sporting her short natural hair, refusing to alter her ethnic appearance too much. This was unheard of in the fashion & beauty industry at that time because black models were expected to wear wigs & hair pieces in order to emulate caucasian models. Designers respected her for her work ethic & individualism.

My Favorite Great Supermodels Of All Time – MOUNIA

My readers, who are largely from the Caribbean, must have been wondering when I would mention a black or Caribbean supermodel on my list. Well, the moment is here! The first black muse of Yves Saint Laurent, fashion pioneer, the incomparable 1970s supermodel, Mounia!

Born Monique-Antoine, Mounia is a native to the beautiful French Caribbean island of Martinique where she worked at the airport in Fort-de-France as an announcer & she was also an on-ground hostess at Orly airport in Paris. After being hired by Givenchy as a model, in 1976 an important American client walked out of Givenchy because Mounia modeled a suit in front of her. One of the many racist moments she will experience. After that incident, Mounia began to work with other designers such as Emanuel Ungaro & Karl Lagerfeld. Lagerfeld hired her to do Chloe & his own line. When he took over Chanel, he hired Mounia for that house as well. She became the first black model to present the Chanel collection.

She was then chosen by YSL for her exotic features, flawless complexion & poise. She was also the first black model Yves Saint Laurent used in his haute couture shows, & was considered his favorite model. In fact, Laurent had an extreme liking for black models. He was one of the first designers to employ them, giving opportunities to other black models such as Iman & Naomi Campbell who both would also become icons in their own right.

In a 2008 article in W Magazine, Mounia recalls, “I was his first black muse…He helped open the door for black models. Sometimes I was his confidante, and I would sometimes inspire his creativity. He called me Moumounn. The collection that made me a celebrity was the one inspired by Porgy and Bess. I wore a pink pantsuit and a boater hat. I walked to ‘Summertime’ and really took on the character of Bess. Catherine Deneuve stood up and started clapping. The everyone stood up and called out ‘Bravo!’ Yves Saint Laurent peered around the curtain – a thing that he had never done before – to see what all of the commotion was about. The people were shouting ‘Bravo, Yves Saint Laurent!’ and ‘Brava, Mounia!’ He took me in his arms, and we kissed. This for me was history.”

After that, Mounia booked her first cover with WWD (Women’s Wear Daily). She would continue to book 14 other magazine covers & 27 pages in French Vogue. This was unheard of for a black model at that time! She was even a favorite with Versace, but Mounia would be YSL‘s muse for almost a decade & working almost exclusively with him. She retired from modeling in the 80s & became an acclaimed artist, having had her works displayed in galleries across France, the Ivory Coast, Monaco, Japan, Guyana & her homeland of Martinique. Mounia also became the first black model to write a book about modeling, entitled ‘Princesse Mounia’.

Mounia getting ready backstage with Yves Saint Laurent

An ad campaign Mounia did in 1979 for YSL

My Favorite Great Supermodels Of All Time – NADJA AUERMANN

A platinum blonde, blue-eyed beauty with legs for miles! This German stunner is one of the most successful models of all time. And you won’t believe her secret!

Born to two successful bankers in West Berlin, Nadja Auermann never actually thought of becoming a model. In fact, her original desire was to be an architect or to pursue a career in politics. However, after leaving school with the equivalent of a high school diploma, she had decided to be a waitress until she made up her mind on what path she should take. A woman suggested she try modeling, & as fate would have it, she was discovered by a scout while sitting in a coffee shop in 1989. Her first gig? Posing for a travel catalogue. Not very glamorous, but unknowingly to her, she would go on to work for the most elite of fashion & become one of the highest paid model ever.

In 1990, she signed with Karin’s Models in Paris. Unfortunately, that agreement did not work out to her expectations so she left Karin’s Models & signed with Elite Model Management (Paris). She immediately started working for French Vogue & got her first ad campaign with Benneton. But Auermann wasn’t really being noticed nor causing any kind of buzz in the industry. So when it was time for the upcoming ready-to-wear shows, guess what she did?? Her secret? She went PLATINUM BLONDE! That’s right! This supermodel known for her gorgeous platinum blonde tresses is NOT a natural blonde. (However, she has gone to brunette in most recent times.)

It worked! Since her new do, everyone from Prada, Dolce & Gabbana, Christian Dior, Yves Saint Laurent, Giorgio Armani & Hermès came knocking! Fashion designer Valentino once commented on her physical resemblance to Marlene Dietrich. She would also go on to appear iconic Versace campaigns shot by Richard Avedon which shows her with Kristen McMenamy, Christy Turlington, Claudia Schiffer, Cindy Crawford, Naomi Campbell & Stephanie Seymour in different shots modeling mini skirts. She has also appeared on countless covers & editorials of different fashion magazines, such as American, British, French, Italian & German editions of Vogue, W, V, Harper’s Bazaar & i-D. Just to name a few.

Kristen McMenamy & Nadja (right)by Richard Avedon for Versace’s campaign Spring 1995

Nadja on Harper’s Bazaar September 1994

One of the many Versace campaigns Nadja (first from left) was featured in

My Favorite Great Supermodels Of All Time – MARISA BERENSON!

Dubbed ‘the girl of the 70s’ by Yves Saint Laurent himself & being the granddaughter of one of the most iconic fashion designers to ever live, Elsa Schiaparelli, Marisa Berenson was destined to become one of fashion’s favorite darlings. Also, her maternal grandfather was Count Wilhelm de Wendt de Kerlor, a Theosophist & psychic medium.

The New York native was known for leading an extremely extravagant lifestyle, which came to no surprise as her parents’ extraordinary friends included iconic stars such as Dirk Bogarde, Greta Garbo & Audrey Hepburn, who were guests at the family’s lavish Christmas parties. Diana Vreeland, the legendary editor-in-chief of American Vogue was also another regular at her parents’ soirees. And being the granddaughter of a Count probably also gave her severe social leverage.

Berenson’s signature wide eyes & spiky eyelashes rose to popularity in the 60s but she later landed the July 1970 issue of Vogue. Since then, she appeared in numerous fashion layouts in Vogue in the early 1970s & her sister Berry was a photographer for the magazine as well! She was often called ‘The Queen of the Scene’ due to her frequent appearances at nightclubs & many social events in the 70s, & was another close friend of the famous artist Andy Warhol. (Warhol liked to surround himself with the most beautiful & influential of characters, usually models & actresses. He too was a very prominent socialite.)

The spectacular beauty of Lithuanian, Italian, Swiss, French & Egyptian ancestry, later became an acclaimed actress with many prominent film roles in movies such as Death In Venice, Barry Lyndon, Praying For Time & Cabaret (for which she received two Golden Globe nominations, a BAFTA nomination & an award from the National Board of Review).

My Favorite Great Supermodels Of All Time – CHINA MACHADO!

This next supermodel is a living legend. Inspiring. Revolutionary. Game-changer. She embodies those very words.

China Machado was born Noelie Dasouza Machado in Shanghai, where she grew up until moving to South America, then finally to Paris where she met Hubert de Givenchy. Machado was a singer at a nightclub in Paris when she met Givenchy & immediately became a model for his atelier. She then quickly became one of the most requested runway models in the 50′s & the highest paid model in Europe at that time. She would work with a designer for three months, as they would create dresses specifically for her. That’s how the industry worked at the time, and China got the most work.

In September 1958, she arrived in New York. She instantly met with the then-editor of Harper’s Bazaar, the influential Diana Vreeland, who put her in a fashion show right away. Machado opened the show & was spotted by legendary photographer/artist Richard Avedon, who she would go on to work with exclusively for three years as one of his models for Harper’s Bazaar. She gave up modeling & became one of Harper’s Bazaar senior fashion editors & styled many of Avedon’s ads including the Revlon ‘Unforgettable Women’ campaigns. Machado made an appearance in the revolutionary fashion show of Palace de Versailles in 1973. This show revolutionized the outlook of runway fashion. But it wasn’t until 2011, when she was offered the opportunity to return to the spotlight by signing with IMG Models at 81 years old! Making her the oldest signed AND working model in history. Since then she has been photographed many times over for magazines such as New York Magazine, Vogue & Harper’s Bazaar.

Now, this isn’t the first time Machado has broken the mold. She was also the first non caucasian model to grace the cover of a fashion magazine, gracing the front of Harper’s Bazaar in an image shot by Avedon in 1959. Machado is also internationally recognized as the world’s first Asian supermodel! THUS, making her more than worthy of making my list of great supermodels of ALL TIME!!

Bow to the legend that is China Machado.

How she looks nowadays. NO PLASTIC SURGERY

from a spread she did for FASHION Magazine in 2012

One of Avedon’s shots of Machado

The game-changing cover of Harper’s Bazaar(1959)featuring Machado as first non caucasian cover model

Harper’s Bazaar June 1961

Met Gala Fashion 2013: Best & Worst Dressed

This year’s Met Gala was all about opulence, as this year’s theme took the punk route. If only Rihanna was able to make an appearance, we all know she would have stolen the spotlight & the top spot on every best dressed list. Nonetheless, The stars stepped out & some embraced this theme like never before. Some soaring & some crashing & burning. Let’s take a look at some of the best & worst looks out that night. Please keep in mind that these are MY opinions & may not be the desired results of others.

BEST DRESSED: Cameron Diaz in Stella McCartney. Not punk, but still rocking it.

BEST DRESSED: Nicole Richie in Topshop

BEST DRESSED: Supermodel Anja Rubik

BEST DRESSED: Miley Cyrus in Marc Jacobs

BEST DRESSED: Anne Hathaway in Valentino Couture

WORST DRESSED: Beyonce

WORST DRESSED: Kim Kardashian

WORST DRESSED: Madonna

WORST DRESSED: Sarah Jessica Parker

My Favorite Great Supermodels Of ALL TIME- Bianca Jagger!

I was sitting at home one day, going through various fashion magazines as I usually do & I came up with the idea for this list. To list great supermodels that I feel have passed through the industry & left something unforgettable.

Inspiring, legendary, revolutionary, muses, glamazons & game-changers. All of these are words used to describe the following models who have graced the most prestigious runways & magazine covers, inspired top photographers or have made monumental changes within the industry over the years. Please keep in mind that this list has been listed at random & not numerically judged. Each model will have her own individual post.

Let’s start with BIANCA JAGGER!

Bianca was mostly known as a style icon & for her marriage to legendary rock star & frontman of The Rolling Stones, Mick Jagger. Bianca was also a prominent jet-set celebrity of the 1970s, known particularly as a close friend of famous artist Andy Warhol & one of the most frequent patrons of the famed Manhattan nightclub Studio 54 which has been a hub for fashion’s elite social scene.

The Nicaragua native who stands only at 5ft 6in, also starred in films/tv shows such as Flesh Colour, All You Need Is Cash
(also known as The Rutles), Miami Vice, Street Hawk, Hotel, The Colbys & Success.

Bianca is now a Council of Europe Goodwill Ambassador, Founder & Chair of the Bianca Jagger Human Rights Foundation, Member of the Executive Director’s Leadership Council of Amnesty International USA & a Trustee of the Amazon Charitable Trust. She has touched on controversial topics such as genocide, the war in Iraq, the war in Afghanistan, the war on terror, war crimes against humanity, crimes against future generations, the former Yugoslavia, Sri Lanka, Central America, Iran, Iraq, India, children and women’s rights, the rights of indigenous peoples, climate change, the rainforest, renewable energy, corporate social responsibility, the ensuing erosion of civil liberties and human rights & the death penalty.

Bianca on the cover of Vogue, March 1974

Bianca at nightclub Studio 54

Bianca on the cover of Vanity Fair, November 1986

Bianca in British Vogue, December 1974

MISS BARBADOS WORLD 2013: The ‘Tale of A Swan’ Masquerade Ball!

It’s that time again! Time to welcome back the Miss Barbados World Pageant! This year’s proceedings will kick off with the Capita Financial ‘Tale Of A Swan’ Miss Barbados World Masquerade Ball on Saturday, 27th April at the Barbados Concorde Experience. The official unveiling & presentation of this year’s delegates will the event’s main attraction.

Entertainment will be provided by Barbadian artist, NIKITA, who will give the audience a cabaret-style performance. Guests will be able to enjoy the cool sounds of R&B/Pop vibes, while enjoying the evening’s cocktails & hors d’oeuvres.



To join this night of fun & flair, PRE-ORDER YOUR TICKETS at admin@missbarbadosworldonline.com!

Please provide:

1. Name 

2. Number of Tickets

3. Contact Number

DRESS CODE: BLACK TIE (STRICT) – THE MASQUERADE MASKS WILL BE PROVIDED ON ENTRY.

Bajan Model/Singer Nikita ‘Akasha’ Kunar Makes Song Debut!!

Bajan model & singer Nikita ‘Akasha’ Kunar has made her music debut with her track ‘So Right’. You may remember this pretty face from posts of BB Fashion Week last year & my posts of Bajan designer Kesia Estwick’s collection campaigns. The Honey Jam Barbados alum is one of the faces of Kesia’s KISS+Girl collection, and has become quite the ‘it girl’ for Kesia Estwick (see photo above).

Dominica Fashion Week

Going by her middle name ‘Akasha’ to start off her music career, this Bajan talent will prove that she is NOT just another pretty face. In fact, music was her main objective before even venturing onto the fashion scene.

LISTEN TO HER DEBUT TRACK  ’So Right’ HERE - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TQS0RKVyGx0

Bajan Model Christopher Murrell – Models.com’s Model Of The Week & Daily Duo – New Faces

 

Bajan model Christopher Murrell has been featured on the revered Models.com as a new face!!!! Christopher is signed with local agency GADAL MODEL MANAGEMENT INC. , South African agency Base Models & in Milan with Fashion Model Management, where he is expected to make his big runway debut this June.

 

 
Flying that Barbados flag high. 246!

 

CHECK OUT THE FEATURE HERE - http://models.com/newfaces/dailyduo/26264

Paris Fashion Week _ Spring Couture 2013

Reblogged from Radical Trendsettters:

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Not even the cold weather of snow-covered Paris could damper the display of the designers from Paris Spring Couture Week. It was a week filled of great imagination and craftsmanship as the fashion houses out did themselves with over the top elegant, one-of-a-kind looks. Paris Spring Couture was like an enchanted wonderland as there was what felt like a non stop parade of head-turning creations and it surely did not disappoint. 

Read more… 241 more words

The Ready-To-Wear Fall Fashions I Love! – Victoria Beckham

VICTORIA BECKHAM

Never failing to deliver, Victoria Beckham served a very appetizing platter of fabulous at London Fashion Week. She went with feminine looks with a boyish charm. The best kind. I’m a sucker for a fabulous turtle neck & mandarin collar on a woman’s dress or top. The mandarin collar just gives that preppy/boyish look that’s so chic!

Everything from the knit hats to the leather boots is to die for!

What do YOU think?? Check out the rest of the collection here

Bajan Model Sedia Jackman Competes In Caribbean’s Next Top Model

Sedia is no stranger to modeling & the public eye. She has made a significant impact on the local Barbados fashion scene, making many appearances on runways & ad campaigns. She even followed in her mother’s footsteps in becoming a Banks Calender Girl! One of the most publicized & renowned beauty titles in Barbados. She also competed in 2011′s Miss Barbados World where she placed second!

Now, Sedia has successfully entered the first official Caribbean installment of the famed America’s Next Top Model franchise. She will be competing against many other beauties from around the region to be the first winner of Caribbean’s Next Top Model. The program is hosted by the fabulous former Miss Universe 1998 Wendy Fitzwilliam (from Trinidad & Tobago), who I think is the ideal choice for such a job.

Host of Caribbean’s Next Top Model & Miss Universe 1998 Wendy Fitzwilliam

Sedia is the only contestant from Barbados. So, I trust that all my fellow Bajans/Barbadians will be full throttle behind her!

Sedia has also recently become one of the new faces of popular Barbadian clothing line Kiss+Girl by Kesia Estwick.

Here’s a look at Sedia’s body of work:

Shows:
• Absolute Caribbean Fashion Weekend 2008 (Barbados)
• Fashion Meets Polo 2008 (Barbados)
• Simon Peter Show 2009 (Barbados)
• ACF Fashion Weekend 2009 (Barbados)
• Youth Foundation’s Charity Event 2009 (Barbados)
• Islands of The World Fashion Week 2009 (Nassau, Bahamas)
• Barbados Under the Water Festival 2010 (Toronto, Canada)
• Baje Free To Fly Media Launch 2010 (Barbados)
• BB Fashion Week 2010 (Barbados)
• Emilio Pucci Eyewear Launch 2011 (Barbados)

Magazines:
• Island Life Magazine Issue No. 38
• Nu Woman Magazine 2009

Campaigns:
• Face of Waterhall Polo Barbados January 2008
• South Central Album 2010 – Swimmin’ In Soca
• Digicel Barbados –Digicel Christmas Campaign 2010
• Banks Breweries – Banks Calendar 2011

SUPPORT SEDIA & WATCH THE SHOW ON CCN TV, ONE CARIBBEAN TELEVISION &CARIBVISION!!! IF YOU ARE IN BARBADOS THAT MEANS YOU CAN CATCH IT ON CBC TV8, ON CARIBVISION ON LIME TV(channel 3), MULTICHOICE TV (channel 109) & KARIB CABLE (channel 44)

Kesia Estwick: KISS+Girl 2013

 

Barbadian fashion designer Kesia Estwick does it again!! She’s whipped up another fab collection of KISS+Girl!

I don’t need to tell you who Kesia is if you frequent my blog & keep track of the local fashion scene. If you don’t know who she is, you better get with it. Kesia is the biggest thing when it comes to fashion of the youth in Barbados, with her edgy sexy looks & that Caribbean bad gyal attitude. Her ‘KISS Girls’ bring it right!! ALL are models from Barbados.

 

For all posts on Kesia, click http://dredecarlo.wordpress.com/tag/kesia-estwick/

Check out the new stuff. Here’s the link so you may view more of Kesia’s work - http://www.facebook.com/wearKISSGIRL

 

See anything you like? DON’T FORGET TO CHECK OUT THE FACEBOOK PAGE TO SHOP! http://www.facebook.com/wearKISSGIRL

Leah Marville Interview!!!!!

Reblogged from Dre DeCarlo:

Leah Marville, known to put the ‘marvel’ in marvellous, has represented Barbados well by making significant strides in the international modeling industry. Marville, who was first noticed by Saint International Modeling Agency in Jamaica, has made her mark in ad campaigns such as Dunhill cigarettes and American Swiss. However, do not be mistaken and assume that she’s just all looks. This double threat has a law degree under her belt.

Read more… 889 more words

Supermodel Joan Smalls Impresses In Prabal Gurung Campaign!

The Puerto Rican native supermodel, whose full name is Joan Smalls Rodriguez, continues to prove that she is not just a flash in the pan. Joan copped the campaign for Prabal Gurung Spring/Summer 2013, which comes as no surprise as the pair seem to be quite close friends.

Joan was also the model who opened the Prabal Gurung Spring/Summer 2013 collection runway show, so it was definitely no surprise that she was chosen to be the face of this campaign. Joan has become somewhat of a muse for the Nepalese American fashion designer.

Joan is ranked the #1 model in the world, since September 2012, on the revered Models.com.

Joan with fashion designer Prabal Gurung

My Newest Fashion Obsession & Women’s Fashion Must-Have: Jason Wu Resort 2013 Bags!

The Jason Wu Resort 2013 Karlie Clutch

Some say that Jason Wu’s Resort 2013 collection is altogether softer and more fluid than fall’s militia chic, and they are so right! This collection is richly filled with bold color choices, sophistication & flawless femininity, and though this collection is breathtaking in it’s entirety, the handbags are the standouts for me. Hence why I’ve chosen them as my women’s fashion accessory must-haves!

It is reported that Wu’s resort look was sparked by coming across some taxidermy bugs with bodies made of watch parts! Yeah, believe it or not! Artist Mike Libby’s machine-like beetles, wasps, butterflies & scorpions have most certainly left Wu with such a lasting impression that it inspired him to create these beautiful bags. Wu’s three bag shapes include the Daphne, the Karlie clutch & the Jourdan! Each are designed in a variety of bold, eye-catching color combinations. There’s no way you can miss these bags!

I’m ridiculously obsessed with these bags. So much so that I’m jealous that I’m not a woman so I can rock these fabulous fashion statements. But the best part about these bags is that any kind of woman can rock them! You don’t even have to dress up. Going to lunch with a friend, going shopping, going on a date or to a cocktail party, these bags can be your statement piece for any occasion. The Karlie clutch is a bit more elegant & fancier than the Daphne & the Jourdan which are more casual, but as I said, all these bags can be worn no matter the occasion because they are all bold but not overbearing & can alternate with different outfits.

Enough from me, I’ve proven how much I love these bags. What do YOU ladies think??

Jason Wu Resort 2013 Jourdan Bag

Jason Wu Resort 2013 Jourdan Bag

Jason Wu Resort 2013 Jourdan

Jason Wu Resort 2013 Daphne

Jason Wu Resort 2013 Daphne

Interview: Model & Former Miss Barbados World Contestant, Paige Warren

On the runway at BB Fashion Week 2012

I’ve had my eye on this new Bajan it-girl for quite a while now. She first caught my attention when she was a contestant in 2011′s Miss Barbados World Pageant. She may not have placed in the final placements but this bombshell did make a huge impression on not just me but the rest of the fashion industry in Barbados.

Since then, Paige has been a regular on the fashion scene, but made her big debut at BB Fashion Week 2012 & was a definite favorite among designers as well as the press. She even managed to continuously wow the crowd with her stunning looks, composed demeanor & subtle sex appeal. I just had to interview this rising star!

So, here we go!!

1. How would you say being in Miss Barbados World has changed you?
Being in Miss Barbados World has made me more poised, confident and focused, it was a great experience for me and the training helped me a lot.

2. Were you as mentally prepared for it (Miss Barbados World) as you thought you were?
I was definitely not mentally prepared for Miss Barbados World as it was my first pageant experience ever and it was more challenging than I had envisioned.
 

3. What is your fondest memory of the pageant?
My fondest memory of the pageant was the group dinner we had a couple weeks away from the crowning night. We generally spent a lot of time together but at dinner we finally got to relax and bond as a family.

4. You’ve become quite a regular face in the fashion industry since the pageant. Would you say the pageant has helped propel you into that spotlight?
Miss Barbados World gave me visibility which I’m grateful for but after the show I got my portfolio in place to further my modeling career.

5. You were a definite favorite at this year’s BB Fashion Week. What was that experience like for you?
As it was my first time at BB Fashion Week, I really enjoyed it because I love the runway and it was a chance for me to model for international designers so I can’t wait for future opportunities.
 

6. Who was your favorite designer at BB Fashion Week, and why?
I loved all the designers but one of my favorite designers at BB Fashion Week was Charles Dieujuste from the USA, his line of clothes were so modern and the colors were so feminine and fluid. I loved it.

7. Do you plan on taking modeling to the next level & aim for an international career?
Yes I do plan on taking modeling to the next level; in 2013 I aim to be an international model and to be signed by an international agency.
 

8. Anything coming up that we should be expecting to see you in?
Let’s just say you should be seeing lots more of me in 2013!
 

9. Let’s talk fashion. How would you describe your personal style?
My personal style is very funky fresh chic.
 

10. Do you have a favorite trend/look right now?
My favorite look now is studded clothing, high waist pants, skirts and boots, anything hardcore but still very chic.

11. What’s the one thing you can’t do without when it comes to your wardrobe?
The one thing I can’t do without when it comes to my wardrobe is high waist short jeans! I’m so in love with these!
 

12. Any guilty pleasures?
My guilty pleasure is I snack way too much!

Swimsuit competition, Miss Barbados World 2011

Jamaican Top Model Jeneil Williams Lands Jean Paul Gaultier Campaign

International top model Jeneil Williams is no stranger to receiving coveted jobs in the fashion industry, but the Jamaican stunner has possibly landed her most memorable gig yet! Fashion giant Jean Paul Gaultier chose Williams to star in his latest campaign alongside Ginta Lapina, Hannelore Knuts & Maria Kashleva.

The Spring/Summer 2013 campaign, shot by Sebastian Kim, showcases the models portraying some of Gaultier’s most groundbreaking pop culture muses, Madonna, Boy George, David Bowie & Grace Jones. Jeneil was chosen to portray the edgy, androgynous Grace Jones. Lapina wears a rendition of the iconic conical bra designed by Gaultier that Madonna made famous during her 1990 Blonde Ambition World Tour, Williams sports an androgynous black suit which is reminiscent that of one Jones had worn, Kashleva goes for the New Romantics look Boy George made famous, while Knuts evokes Bowie during his Ziggy Stardust years.

BREAKING FASHION NEWS!: Model Fei Fei Sun Makes History With Vogue Cover!

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

We’re starting the new year with a bang!

Chinese model Fei Fei Sun creates a groundbreaking model moment as she becomes the first Asian model to land a solo cover for Italian Vogue!

Shot by Steven Meisel, many thought the momentous January issue cover would have gone to the popular Liu Wen, but Fei Fei proved she’s got the goods as well.

The shoot even pays tribute to the legendary ’60s model China Machado, with Fei Fei posing for the cover in retro winged eyeliner, a polished beehive and a classic Chanel tweed jacket. Influenced by Richard Avedon’s signature ’60s studio shots, the Chinese beauty appears elegant and well-styled in looks by Yves Saint Laurent, Louis Vuitton & Ralph Lauren.

Many see this as proof, among many other feats reached by Asian models recently, that Asian girls are on the rise in the fashion industry & proving they can be just as diverse & eclectic.

Prada employed Kim Sung Hee to be one of the many faces of their new Spring/Summer 2013 campaign, Tian Yi & Park Ji-Hye both star in Louis Vuitton’s Spring/Summer 2013 campaign while Liu Wen is one of the three female faces of Boss Black for this season & Sui He became the first Asian girl to represent beauty giant Shiseido!