Designing Woman

For my last Model Musing column with Look Books I had the opportunity to speak to one of China's rising stars, Tian Yi. A smart girl, Tian studied fashion and hopes to take full advantage of her modeling career to eventually go into creating designs of her own.

Have a read and enjoy getting to know this lovely girl by clicking HERE or simply read below.

Model Musing: Tian Yi

  Tian Yi is one of those girls who seem to have luck on her side. She was discovered by her agency on the modeling website models.com by pictures she submitted. Since then her career path was paved with bookings for top fashion magazines and designers. 

From the established brand names, Vogue and Bazaar to the edgy i-D and 10 magazine; the editorial goes hand in hand with the work Tian has been showing on the runway. Valentino, Yves Saint Laurent, Prada and Marc by Marc Jacobs are counterbalanced by rising stars like Alexis Mabille, Phillip Lim, Dries Van Noten and Rad Hourani. Graced this season with the campaigns for Vera Wang and Sephora, Tian’s path in this industry seems to be heading in the right direction and one that will keep her in the center of what she loves the most: fashion. 

Tian has been given the opportunity to see from the inside how it is to create an entire collection and bring it to the runway, an experience that will surely be helpful since she would like to soon start focusing on launching a collection of her own.

Here Tian picks her favorite modeling image and tells us why it’s so special.

Why do you love this picture?

Because I was happy to be able to work with a great team and these fabulous girls!

Who were the other models in this shoot?

It was me and five other girls: Liu Wen, Xiao Wen, Lindsey, Marie and Daria. They were so nice to me and I has really happy to be able to work with them.

Who took it? Were you excited to work with this photographer?

Inez and Vinoodh . Of course, so excited and I had the opportunity to learn a lot from this shoot!

How long was this shoot?

A day and a half, because i had to leave early on the second day to finish my school exams.

What direction did the photographer give you?

They just let me be myself and were very nice.

What was it for?

It was for the cover of Vogue China’s September issue.

What were you wearing?

I was wearing Louis Vuitton and a huge hat on the cover. I also wore a beautiful skirt for the editorial inside the magazine, I loved it!

What about this profession makes you the happiest?

The opportunity to travel around world and see a lots of different cities and also I really enjoy the opportunities to make new friends, eat some delicious food that I never tried before, that’s the most fun and cool part!

What have you learned from your career that you consider truly valuable?

I learned to be patient. Sometimes you have to wait a long time for things to happen, but you have to be patient and you will have an opportunity to show yourself. You have to be patient about your career.

What advice would you give to aspiring models?

I would tell them to just be themselves and be confident, that is it; and welcome to fashion!

Do you see yourself doing something else in the future?

I love dressing up for the big fashion houses and I love fashion; in the future I would love to be a designer for one of those great brands. 

What were some of the challenges you conquered as a model? 

I’m more confident when I talk to people, I’ve also learned to be comfortable outside of my comfort zone. I actually love when I have challenges to face.

Tian Yi is represented by Fusion Model Management

From Tunisia, with Love.

This week find out more about the Tunisian model who is planning on turning the tables for some Tunisian artists in the New York art scene.

Follow the link or read below.

Model Musing: Kenza Fourati

A product of the world famous Elite Model Look competition, Kenza Fourati was the first Tunisian to enter the competition. Even though she comes from a very progressive family, Kenza’s parents had a hard time understanding how modeling could be an actual job and were afraid of what the future of her daughter could turn out like being in such a different cultural environment. After long hours of discussion it was finally agreed that Kenza would go to Paris to give it a try. 

From fashion publications like Vogue, L’Officiel, Elle and GQ to the top selling pages of Sports Illustrated, Kenza has climbed to the top echelons of the industry and has embraced the world with an open mind.

Currently living in New York city, Kenza is working on launching her own fashion label while working on her most bold and heartwarming project; an online community to bridge the cultural gap between the Middle East and the Western world through art.

Was modeling a dream for you or did it just happened by chance?

Well, it was so uncommon (in Tunisia) that I really never thought of it for half a second, it was all a happy accident.

What were your most remarkable experiences as a model?

All my “first times”; my first show, my first fashion week, my first casting, my first time in front of the camera, with the responsibility of a crew working around you. Then you understand it’s more than fun, it’s a job and you have to be the best you can.

Is there anything that bothers you in this business?

The lack of control; I’m a control freak, but this job is really like George Berkeley’s quote, “To be is to be perceived”, and that s very frustrating!

What have you learned from your career that you consider truly valuable?

At a young age I understood you have to be your very own knight in shining armor. I can be in an alien place alone and I can handle it with no fear. Thanks to modeling, I know now that I am a capable person.

What advice would you give to aspiring models?

Don’t loose sight of who you are. You will meet tons of people who will judge you and project all kinds of fantasies on you but at the end, you are the only one who truly knows who you are.

What were your biggest challenges as a model?

Coming from an Arab Muslim country with no real visibility of the future and as a model to keep it true to who I am.

What is you favorite modeling image?

A portrait taken by Cedric Buchet for Vogue Paris, I find it to be very powerful.

Were you excited to work with him?

I have always loved his work and I loved how he perceived me. Not only is he an awesome photographer but he is also a great guy.

Where was it taken?

We shot in the middle of the road in Chinatown in New York. I’m 5’11 and was wearing sky-high heels and a see-through top; let me tell you, there was a lot of staring happening!

Who was the stylist?

Julia Von Boehm. I work very often with her, she has the most incredible energy and speaks (what seems to be) two thousands languages.

Any wardrobe malfunctions in that shoot?

I was freezing, so that’s a malfunction to me!!

What was the theme of the shoot?

The diversity of faces in France: Black, White, Beur (North African origins), ...

Biologic Clock

Who could ever imagine that the same model who was once featured on more than 40 covers of Cosmopolitan magazine would turn into a biologist? I certainly couldn't, but in this week's Model Musing I had the opportunity to chat with the stunning Fabiana Tambosi to find out what's so attractive about genes and cells.

Follow the link for the original post or simply read below.

Model Musing: Fabiana Tambosi

Born and raised in a small town in the countryside of Brazil, Fabiana Tambosi wanted to go to school to study biology. While going to etiquette classes when she was fourteen, Fabiana was spotted by the same scouter who discovered Gisele Bundchen and Alessandra Ambrosio, so the outcome could only be one.

With a modeling career that spans more than 12 years, she has become one of the most sought after beauty models in the industry, signing contracts with every major brand in the world: L’Oreal Paris, Elizabeth Arden, Clarins, Garnier, Revlon, Almay and Clairol, to name a few.

Her Brazilian beauty caught the eye of great photography masters like Mario Testino Raphael Mazucco and Ellen Von Unwerth who have shot her for prestigious jobs such as the Victoria’s Secret catalog and campaigns for Tommy Hilfiger, Guess by Marciano and Alfred Dunhill Fragrance. Tambosi has graced the covers of top selling magazines such as Vogue, Elle and Marie Claire in several different countries, but probably one of her most remarkable achievements is having appeared on more Cosmopolitan magazine covers than any other model.

Today, Fabiana pursues her dream of becoming a biologist and proves through very hard work, that it is possible to hold the highest grades in her class and still maintain a successful and fruitful career as one of the world’s top models.

So modeling wasn’t really in your radar?

Not at all, I wanted to be a biologist, but my sisters kept telling me that it would be a great opportunity to travel the world and get to know other cultures and learn other languages as well as making money and becoming a more responsible and independent person, because I was very over protected at home.

How did your parents react when you told them about the opportunity to model?

They didn’t want me to do it at all, but my older sisters reminded them that if I were to go to school for biology I would have to leave home anyway. They gave me a year to try modeling and I started working from the moment I stepped into Sao Paulo.

What have you learned since you embraced your modeling career?

I’ve learned that I have to be in charge of my own life. You have to pick goals and work very hard towards achieving them without ever losing sight of what you want. I love the person I have become, I had financial freedom from a young age and became very responsible early on. Traveling the world has taught me a lot, but above all, it has taught me to be disciplined  because without discipline things don’t always work out. 

Is there a job you absolutely would not do?

I would not be photographed naked, I would feel weird about my family seeing it.

What advice would you give to aspiring models?

I would tell them they should know what they want, they need to be disciplined and have a lot of patience to achieve it.

What is your favorite image from your modeling career?

The cover of Vogue Greece, shot in Rio de Janeiro in 2001.

Why do you love it?

Because it was shot in Rio, with beautiful natural light and no retouching.

Who took it?

Thanassis Kaloyannis 

What were you thinking when the picture was taken? 

I was thinking I wanted to look gorgeous for the magazine to sell a lot! (laughs)

Fabiana is represented by Elite Model Management in the United States and Ten Model Management in Brazil.

Full Frontal

This week, Model Musing would be giving full frontal if the website wasn't G-rated. I took the liberty of posting the actual picture which Samuel de Cubber was talking about, here in my blog. He is really proud of it and I didn't want to keep any of you from seeing why.

Follow the link for the original interview on Look Books or read below.

Model Musing: Samuel de Cubber

Nudity in the modeling industry has always been a big topic for discussion, but for Samuel de Cubber, it is nothing but his proudest moment. His big career break came in the form of a campaign for an Yves Saint Laurent fragrance, in which he was asked to pose wearing nothing but fragrance. 

Samuel knows the ins and outs of the modeling career and believes it’s a blessed one; “If you are a very successful male model you work three to four times a week at the most, so there’s plenty of time to enjoy life!” says de Cubber.

The top male model, who has traveled the world shooting with some of the most beautiful girls in paradisiac locations now takes from all the experience and networking he gathered through the years  and is applying it to another end of the industry.  Today Samuel works as a model scout for one of France’s leading modeling agencies, New Madison. Looking ahead, Samuel contemplates the possibility of working in the health and fitness industry: “I want to open up gyms, promoting boxing and Taekwondo as the best way to lead a healthy and happy life.” - And if he continues to take advantage of his body like he did in his modeling career, we don’t see any reason why his gyms wouldn’t be packed.

Once you were discovered, did you have support from your family?

I didn't need anyone’ s approval or support, growing up in Marseille you take every opportunity  you get to improve your life.

Was modeling a dream for you or did it just happened by chance?

I had no idea  guys could be models, I got lucky. 

What have you learned from your career that you consider truly valuable?

I learned that I am my own business, therefore I became the greatest sales person ever! (laughs) In that respect I am the product and this not only can be applied to modeling but also to my every day life. I have also  learned a great deal about myself, I  learned to recognize my good and bad sides, and that ability, I owe to the modeling business.

What advice would you give to aspiring models?

Don’t believe everything people say, learn to listen and make your own opinion, be patient and organized  and also, save money when you are lucky enough to make some!

Do you love fashion?

Not really, I wear T-shirts and jeans all the time, nothing else. 

What was your biggest challenge as a model? 

Not much of a challenge there, I always get very upset when I hear models complaining about their job; no one is forcing them to do this and if they had any other job in their life before modeling they would realize how easy they got it compared to anyone else.  

Why do you love that fragrance campaign?

Because I’m naked on it, and there’s nothing better than being naked (laughs)! No, seriously, it profoundly changed my life, I don't know of many pictures that were able to change someone’s life so much, I had no idea what I was stepping into when I took that job. 

Who took it? Were you excited to work with that photographer?

Solve Sundsbo took it, but I had no idea who he was.

Who else was in the crew?

From what I recall it was Tom Ford , Solve and his assistants, Sam McKnight and Thomas Lenthal on the set. 

What direction did the photographer give you?

Solve is really cool, we spoke a lot the day before the shoot and he showed me pictures of Greek statues and similar references, so once we were on the shoot we just went with the flow and tried a few different things, until Tom, Solve and Thomas where happy with it. 

What was it for?

The fragrance M7 by Yves Saint Laurent.

Supermodel of the World

This week's Model Musing column on Look Books features the Brazilian stunner Liliane Ferrarezi.

Check it out by clicking here.

Model Musing: Liliane Ferrarezi

At the young age of fourteen, Liliane was instantly catapulted to fame in her native Brazil when she won (over 350,000 other contestants) her country’s round of the Ford Supermodel of the World contest in a televised event that aired on MTV. A position as the second runner up, out of 45 finalists, in the world’s final in Punta Cana followed, as well as an immediate contract with Ford Models worldwide. Talk about starting off with a bang. 

In the Big Apple, Liliane’s career rocketed to the top. Campaigns for Hermes, Calvin Klein, Burberry, Miu Miu and Michael Kors, among others followed; along with covers and editorials for some of the world’s most celebrated magazines like Vogue, W, L’Officiel, Allure, Elle, I-D and V - all shot by the industry’s top photographers. Liliane reached a top position in models.com’s coveted top 50 - place in which she stayed for more than three years in a row. 

Now married and back to the arms of her native Brazil, Liliane only comes out of her beach front home in Florianópolis for very special bookings. Macy’s was the most recent, in which she is the leading lady in an all things Brazil commercial that is an homage to the beauty of her native country. For this one, she didn’t have to go too far; the location was an iconic house designed by Brazil’s most renowned architect, Oscar Niemeyer, in Rio de Janeiro.

Here Liliane picks one among so many memorable images from her career and tells us why this one is particularly important to her.

Why do you love this picture?

This was one of my first bookings, I had to make different faces and poses and that was all new and challenging at the same time. I didn’t know how to model and I was surrounded by so many influential people in the fashion industry.

Who took it?

It was David Sims, he always asks us to make so many different poses and faces. (laughs)

What was it for?

W Magazine

Was this a long shoot given your level of experience?

I’m not sure how long, but it was a long, long shoot. I didn’t know how to model properly and having to pose in so many different ways was a little complicated at the time 

Was anyone else with you?

My mom; I was so embarrassed to shoot in front of her! (laughs) But she was always with me in the beginning, she gave me so much support in my career, and I was so young.

Was modeling always a dream of yours?

I wanted to be a model, but I wasn’t desperate about it.

What was your most remarkable experience as a model?

Winning the Supermodel of the World contest in Brazil, because in my head I never thought I would win, it really was a surprise!

What are some of the most valuable lessons you learned from being a model?

Giving value to my family, my country and learning different cultures from different countries are some important ones. I also learned to be more patient, because one of the qualities we have to exercise the most in this profession is patience 

What about this profession makes you happy?

Getting to know different people from different parts of the world. It made me grow up really fast, faster than all the other girls my age.

What’s your biggest challenge as a model?

I really wish a could live in Brazil full time and still get to work in the US and in Europe as much as I always did. This is my current challenge. I suppose this is what makes life fun and interesting, always having new challenges to conquer; I am sure pretty soon I will have a brand new one!

Can you give an advice to the young girls out there who dream of becoming models?

Trust your dream and pursue it. Never think it will be easy, because it really isn’t, but don’t give up, because it’s all worth it.

Liliane Ferrarezi is represented by IMG Models.

Thank You Palm Springs

Dan Murphy is a bright young fella. A model, entrepreneur and hockey instructor, he is the kind of guy you can sit next to and have a chat about nothing for hours. It doesn't hurt he's good looking too.

I featured Dan in the latest Model Musing column for Look Books, and you can have a look at it here or read below.

Enjoy!

Model Musing: Dan Murphy

Dan Murphy is not your guy if you’re looking for a fairy tale story of the boy that was found by an agent and turned into a superstar. After a short-lived career playing hockey in Canada, Dan decided he wanted to go where the sun and the palm trees were. Palm Beach seemed to be the right choice to study business management. While in school his friends encouraged him to take a drive down to Miami and try his chances with the modeling agencies to make some extra money.  After being turned down by nearly every agency, he found a ‘yes’ in the last call he made. 

With a manager by his side, Dan started a career that led him to the four corners of the world. Working for the best magazines in the industry and designers like Abercrombie & Fitch and Armani, Dan has enough experiences to fill a book. From hanging out on a beach with Kate Moss while eating ice cream, to spending time at Bruce Weber’s home in Montauk, it all adds to the incredible journey that has taught Dan some of his most important life lessons.

With great support from his family, whether financial or emotional, Dan has successfully established himself in an industry that is fickle and looks to the future with excitement.  At the moment this male model is working on combining some of his passions, which include hockey and flying airplanes, with the knowledge from business school to put together a charity yet to be named. 

Why do you love this picture?

This was taken on a really emotional day for me not long ago - a pivotal moment in my life and career. Of course, the depth of the black and white that Tony (Duran) is known for is incredible. At the same time however, I look at this photo and I am immediately feeling what I felt that day.

Were you excited to work with this photographer?

I had been talking to Tony Duran for over two years while I was on the road; discussing everything from fashion to childhood memories of Minnesota winters. By the time I found myself in LA working with him on this shoot we were great friends, so I was extremely thrilled to be working with him.

What direction did Tony give you?

He kept making me do less: “Stop thinking, just be.”.

Was this a long shoot?

By the time we were done taking photos and discussing how to solve all of the world’s problems it was 7pm!

What do you think is the biggest challenge in the modeling career?

Becoming / staying relevant in such a high turnover industry. 

Do you think modeling is perceived by society in a different way for men than it is for women? 

For women, perhaps fashion is seen as an exclusive glamorous feminine profession and means to express their creativity and beauty. For men however it can be perceived as “un-manly”, for the lack of of physical labor or corporate structure, almost as if being a model required a zoolander-esque mental capacity. I think of what I do as an intricate part of the sales process, whether it is an advertising campaign for a fashion brand or a catalog for a department store. It has become essential to me to be conscious of the type of fabric or shape of the garment for example, and how I can show these attributes best to make the consumer understand what it is and want to purchase it.

Do you think that it is more difficult for men than it is for women in modeling?

One of the biggest differences between men and women in this industry is that there are less jobs overall for men and that we work for a much lower rate than our female colleagues. Sure, some would argue that there are more girls than boys in the industry, but proportionally, it’s hardly equal. That’s not exactly an apples to apples comparison though.

What have you learned from your experiences in the fashion industry?

I think it is clear that we all need to count our blessings and appreciate what we have in our own way, we need to give back in whatever way feels right. We weren’t doomed to go through life being stressed out.

What has made you the happiest in being a model?

You must be very clear on why you want to be a model. When I first started I thought I was going to make a ton of money immediately; it didn’t happen. Then I wanted to use modeling as a tool to travel, so I packed up and lived out of a suitcase around the world for a few years straight; but that gets mentally exhausting. So I moved back to New York, and just wanted to stay put for a while and enjoy being in my country. My reasons for why I model have changed a bunch of times, and each time I’ve been able to use modeling as vehicle to do something I really wanted and in turn bring me happiness. If my reason from day one never changed from “make money immediately”, I would have never been able to experience the world and make the friends that I have. Not to mention you kinda have to enjoy the creative process and being in front of the camera,  which I love.

Follow Dan Murphy on twitter at @DanMurphy30

Dan is represented by Ford Models and Nous.

More than Followers

Who knew male models could be so smart and interesting? I did!

For many years I've had to defend my male model friends, as people see the profession in a very dumb and marginalized way. The same doesn't happen with female models. But why?

In an effort to show the true beauty of men, I have now started to include them in my bi-weekly Model Musing columns on Look Books. My goal is to show the beauty that these men carry inside them, and to show that being a model is not only about looking good in the picture or having perfect abs.

Enjoy.

Model Musing: Fabio Nunes

It was when Fabio found himself in front of a camera and had the photographer ask him to “smile with the eyes” that he realized what it was like to be a model. Fabio’s career didn’t start by chance, his sister always said he would be a model. The minute the boy turned 16 years old, she took him to an agency near their small home town, in Porto Alegre, Brazil, for a test shoot. From that first shoot on, Fabio has accumulated trips around the world, jobs with renowned photographers and designers and a smoking hot girlfriend that would not have been possible if it wasn’t for his job.

The owner of his own business alongside his loved one, the model Carolina Fontaneti, Fabio took some time from his busy schedule to tell us why this picture means so much to him.

Why do you love this picture?

Because it’s me and my girlfriend, working together for Vogue Brazil. I really admire my girlfriend’s career as a model, she is a constant source of inspiration. It was a great pleasure working with her.

Who took it? Were you excited to work with this photographer?

It was Renne Castrucci, who along with Fabio Delai also created a video editorial. I really admire their work, they are great in what they do. These two do their job from their hearts, and you can see it in the images.

What was the location for this shoot?

It was a 500 year old coffee farm from Brazil’s colonial times; it was a truly beautiful and inspiring setting.

Who was the stylist?

Giovanni Frasson, the fashion director of Vogue Brazil.

What were you wearing?

Calvin Klein underwear.

What was the direction given to you by the photographer?

“Act natural! Think that you are in your honeymoon with your wife!” - and that was easy, is there anything better than that?

Do you see yourself doing anything else besides modeling?

I do;  in fact I do several different things at the same time. I know that most people who like to cook seem to think they are great at it, and I also believe I am. I believe I am a great cook and I would love to have my own restaurant when I reach my 40’s. I have also been contemplating doing something in real estate as an investment, but currently I am invested in this clothing store that I have opened with my girlfriend back home and in which I sell exclusive products with the help from my close friends who are a part of my sales team.

Do you love fashion?

I do, and I respect it a lot too.

And what have you learned from your career as a model?

I’ve learned that life is what you make of it. You can’t separate your personal life from work but you can’t also make of this connection something bad, you have to find balance so that with each moment you can become better as a person and as a professional. I love  the chance to meet new people through work and with that to see the difference between the good and the bad ones and to learn to differentiate what I  want to be from what I shouldn’t be. I learned that having a friend is more important than having a thousand followers.

Fabio Nunes is represented by Way Model and you can follow him on twitter@F1Nunes

Van Hoorn

In my Model Musing column two weeks ago, an interview with the Australian bombshell and musician Cheyenne Tozzi who is finalizing her first album to be released at the end of 2012.

Have a look and enjoy!

click here!

Model Musing: Cheyenne Tozzi

After releasing the musical collaboration with top DJ Carl Kennedy “Once Upon a Time”, Australian model Cheyenne Tozzi is excited for the next step: launching her first solo album, which she describes as a more soulful and heartfelt collection of songs she has written on her piano over the last five years. 

Cheyenne was born into a family in which modeling was just as normal as making tea; her mother and aunt were both very known faces in the modeling industry in Australia and by the time Cheyenne was fourteen years old she was already making her first moves into the same industry, when her big break came via the cover of Harper’s Bazaar Australia. 

Since then this blonde bombshell has graced the covers of publications likeCosmopolitan, Vogue and Grazia and traveled the four corners of the world a few times, but always escaping back to the loving arms of her family.

Now at the young age of 23 and more than a decade into her career, Cheyenne gives us the scoop on why this image is so special to her.

Why do you love this picture? 

It is very raw and innocent.

Who took it? 

Brook Coffey. Brooke is beautiful and so amazing to work with.

How long did this shoot last? 

20 minutes since it was really cold. 

Anything curious to report about this shoot?

It was almost snowing in Central Park and having this innocent girl with antlers like a newborn I think contrasts with the whole grown woman in a tuxedo.

What were you thinking when it was taken?

Where are my UGG boots?

What direction did the photographer give you?

It was very candid so it was almost as if she wasn't there.

What was it for?

My album, entitled Van Hoorn

What were you wearing?

Dolce & Gabbana men’s tuxedo jacket (a tux includes pants), American Apparel suede bow-tie, vintage snake skin pants, white reindeer antlers and minimal makeup.

Do you love fashion or not necessarily?

I’m pretty simple but I appreciate how much work goes into it. 

What about this profession makes you the happiest?

Seeing the world and meeting new people puts a smile on my face.

And the most disappointed?

Being away from my loved ones, my home and missing out on my childhood.

What were your most remarkable experiences as a model?

Starting off with a Bazaar cover gave me the confidence to take on my modeling career. I love that I get to experience the greatest and most beautiful places in the world along with seeing the newest fashion before it hits the market as well as meeting wonderful people.

What advice would you give to aspiring models?

Stay in school, enjoy your childhood and let it come find you….

Do you see yourself doing something else?

Yes, I’ve performed my music all over the world with some of my favorite artists and am getting ready to release my first album this year.

What's your biggest challenge as a model? 

Staying in shape when there is so much good food around the world.

Is there anything about the modeling career that you would change if you could? 

I wish everyone could see the beauty that is inside everyone.

You can follow Cheyenne on twitter at @CheyCheyTozzi

Cheyenne is represented by Priscilla's