Fashion Models [Search results for CLICK Models] 

New Face to Watch: Erjona Ala (FORD, NY) exits Costume National

A lot of modeling agencies are stuck in the Print Era Paradigm--pre-internet thinking in which the Old School hierarchy of exclusivity dominated the management of models visibility. While this system may still warrant merit, the general lack of adaptability with regards to original content via the internet is appalling. Some agencies are kidding themselves if they think republishing editorial, campaign, or runway shots online will generate a sustainable presence. The editors of today may visit an agency site to get a models stats, but the editors of tomorrow will have grown up learning models names through tumblr, blogspot, and other social media. Modeling Agencies that fail to adapt now to the Internet Era Paradigm and it's vast plethora of opportunity will be still be riding horse and buggy while their competitors speed it out in Maybachs. The internet revolution is here and it's happening in Real Time.

I can't think of single better agency to team up with for the fashion season besides FORD models. Have a click on the previous link to see what I've been up to. They get it. In the same way Henry Ford said he'd belt the earth with his cars before the highways and roads for the cars even existed, FORD models is doing the same online. They dare to venture where other agencies fail to tread. They understand the Bookings Editor's of tomorrow are the teens of today on tumblr and iphones. Agencies which reproduce Print Era thinking online as their sole source of internet presence may as well have a horse tug a Model-T chained to it's back when they could just make their own car to begin with.

Even the fashion industry which for so long tried to protect it's exclusivity has gone on the record about the power of the internet many times. In her Interview Magazine article with Joseph Altuzarra, Anna Dello Russo remarked:

ANNA DELLO RUSSO: You’ve only done four collections and already you’re more popular than Tom Ford. How do you think that happened?

JOSEPH ALTUZARRA: [laughs] I think it’s because of the Internet. You can build a brand very fast now, especially with bloggers and how fast images can get out—the message just goes out faster and stronger than ever before.

And in similar fashion at the IFB Conference in 2011, Jack McCollough of Proenza Schouler remarked, "Blogs posting things about us, going viral, spreading throughout the interent...it has an extraordinary impact on the business"

With the speed at which images travel online now, a models off duty image is half the battle. Her sense of style and fashion can rapidly propel her press image online. Some within the modeling industry "get it" like Casting Director Jennifer Starr who was quoted by New York Magazine recently:

"Model street style has blown up significantly in the past few years, what do you make of it?

There is no doubt in my mind that if you have authentic personal style, it will help you as a model. Look at models like Erin Wasson, Abbey Lee, Freja Beha, and Daria Webowy, all of whom have great style. Personal style indicates to me that you have a great sense of self. The key is having authentic style. You must feel comfortable with the image you're projecting; otherwise, it's obvious you're trying too hard."

"Craig: Can a models sense of style positively impact her career?

Sarah: I definitely think it can positively impact her career. It's got to be simple but the point about that question is, that if they have absolutely no style and they go out just not looking great, they're wearing very unflattering clothes and things like that, then it's definitely going to have a negative impact."

she likes to take walks along the Williamsburg waterfront

she likes to read

She likes nature and plants

her personal art work. Vintage photos collected in Williamsburg

Skirt -- picked out by her dad and brother in Vietnam
Shirt -- Viva Diva boutique, in her hometown in the Bay Area, CA
Turquoise squash-blossom necklace -- grandfather bought it for her mom and she lent it to me
Rings -- Grandmother's opal birthstone ring, Great Grandma's wedding ring, and mother's turquoise ring
Sandals -- Lucky Brand

Kyleigh! When talking to her, you can't help but notice her down to earthness, her sweetness, and her authentic concern for those in the world less fortunate than her. She founded the non-profit Roots for Peace Penny Campaign in 2003 which has since helped build 6 schools and provide first time access to high school for over 600 young women in Afghanistan.

With a college degree from the University of California, Berkeley in Peace and Conflict Studies and recent shoots in the July issue of Italian Vogue and Abercrombie both photographed by the legendary Bruce Weber, she is sure to continue her philanthropic contributions to better the world.

Click HERE to read more on Vogue Italy. If you are inspired and would like to learn more about the Roots of Peace Penny Campaign, click HERE

Photo by me, Craig Arend

Paul Rowland. A name that strikes reverence from anyone within the modeling industry. Paul is the founder of Women Model Management and Supreme Models, a visionaire extraordinaire, who can single handedly turn the course of the modeling industry at will.

His story is as interesting as are his accomplishments. Having managed some of the biggest names in modeling from Kate Moss to Iris Strubegger his success didn't come by accident, nor did it happen overnight.

Modeling found Paul. Over 20 years ago.

Originally, he came from Arkansas to New York City with the dream to be a painter. He had no close friends, no family, and no job when he arrived to New York. Working part time as a waiter, he was spotted by Click Models, the leading male modeling agency at the time.

In a common move, his agent left Click to start her own agency and Paul left with her. Then one fateful day, the birth of an empire began.

Paul's agent had to leave for Europe and she asked if he would be willing to man the phone. He said yes. Soon, he realized he was good at booking appointments. The businessman in Paul wanted to go where the money was at and when his booker came back from Europe, he asked if he and his partner John Gnerre could start up a womens division for the agency.

She said yes and in an unoccupied corner of the apartment, Paul made a desk from a piece of wood and set it on two sawhorses, set up a phone (there was no call waiting at the time) and got to work. It was 1988.

Two people, two phones, tons of passion and two decades later Paul's empire includes offices in New York, Paris, Milan and hundreds of people on his payroll.

Paul made it clear to me that he really doesn't care what other people think. He must've said this at least two or three times during the course of our brief conversation. While many will claim they don't care what others think, few will actually live it. From the art direction of his personal photography to the girls they choose to bring into their New York office, he will not compromise his artistic integrity for the sake of winning the approval of another.

It's a life lesson we all need to be reminded of from time to time. In an industry where outer beauty is common, people with a great passion like Paul, who have the courage to live life by their own convictions and who live with a sincerity to themself are a rare breed and worth working to follow.

I know I'm following, how about you?

p.s. one question I did ask Paul was, "With print media struggling like it is right now in terms of getting advertising and pages being cut across the board among some of the finest magazines, what impact do you see blogs and the internet having on the modeling industry in the future?" He answered, "….the internet will definitely have a huge impact on magazine sales…but there will always be a place for publishing."

Maja Ekberg (pronounced Maya) very recently appeared in Esprit Campaigns.

boots -- Frye
cardigan -- Marc by Marc Jacobs
mini dress -- Top Shop

Dandy Model Management entrance. Riga, Latvia is full of so many different types of architectural references as you can see from the rooftop of this building, which is Parisian in reference.

During the Soviet Era, all the designers were based out the building that Dandy Model Management is currently headquartered in.

Nils Raumanis, founder of Dandy Model Management. Nils discovered Ginta Lapina and Ieva Laguna among other top models.

THEN: Dmitrijis Kopeikins as a model

NOW: Dmitrijis is now the Director of Dandy Models, while Nils focuses on the scouting end of the business.

Dandy Models is a boutique high fashion modeling agency run in Riga. It's run like a true New York agency, profiting from campaigns and bookings, as opposed to model training schools, a common approach in the Baltics. Dandy is #1 in the Baltics for male model representation.

Ginta Lapina

Dandy's Dog

A motorcycle motif theme runs throughout the offices.

I just got back to New York from a Baltic State tour including Lithuania, Latvia, and Estonia. While in Riga, I had the opportunity to visit with the Dandy Model Management Team, the mother agency to Ginta Lapina and Ieva Laguna.

The one thing that impressed me most about Dandy Model Management beyond the fact that their founder Nils discovered Ginta Lapina and Ieva Laguna, was how their agency plans to integrate the internet with it's agency goals. Click for a LIVE STREAM of their agency office as a case in point or have a visit to their web site HERE.

I'll be shooting more behind the scenes action including tonights Victoria's Secret show, so stay tuned for fresh updates!

This is Song Kyunga of One Models in New York. She was on the May 2008 cover of Vogue Korea.

blazer -- Costume National Men's
hat -- Japan
bag -- Chanel
boots -- Miu Miu, if you click or double click the picture, you can more clearly see that they are over the knee boots.

Click here to see the interview if you are interested. China has over 1 billion people, very few of which have access to blogspot.

Many thanks to the team of editors at Vogue China for helping establish my presence in Asia.
That makes the sixth Vogue globally my work for Models Off Duty has been featured via interview format in (Vogue Paris.com, Vogue Italia.com, Vogue Mexico print, Vogue Latino America print, and Teen Vogue print/.com) and 10th Vogue my work has appeared in.

If you've seen the Dec/Jan issue of Teen Vogue, you might have seen 2 pages of my Models Off Duty photos in it (p. 58,60). Big thanks to team Teen Vogue for that.

Also, have a click over to my Kenneth Cole Holiday Wish List, compiled alongside the lists of Kelly Rowland and Kenneth Cole himself.

To get the latest news on what the models are wearing off duty, be sure to click the banner above to take you to new photos of Hyoni Kang, who was in the November 2008 Teen Vogue Fashion At Work special (page 116, 117) and is a past FORD Super Model of the World winner.

So I did a bit of research on the Alexander Wang runway:

--11 seasons total available online
--906 total looks
--back to the SS17 shows, September 2007

And with this data, I was able to count which models have walked the Alexander Wang runway the most frequently. With the above data, you can click on any model's name and instantly see which seasons and which slots in the Alexander Wang show she walked. It's an easy way to see how popular she is with the Alexander Wang casting team.

1. Hanne Gaby Odiele (11)
2. Kasia Struss (9)
3. Karmen Pedaru (8)
4. Magdalena Frackowiak (8)
5. Liu Wen (8)
6. Jac (7)
7. Abbey Lee Kershaw (7)
8. Freja (7)

Do you see a correlation between the Model Off Duty street style of these girls and how often they appear on the Alexander Wang runway?

Click the pic to enlarge the image. :)

This is Rachel Clark of Supreme Models. Her boots are from Prada...digging the details on the vamp. Be sure to click the picture to enlarge the details on her dress and see some details of the Manhattan background.

Hannah Holman (Ford, NY) today just two blocks South of Union Square. For the record, Hannah is one cool moderfugger (sp). Click HERE if you want to see her official Ford Models portfolio.

top - Isabel Marant
pants - BDG for Urban Outfitters

And stay tuned for coverage from the CFDA red carpet as well as Official After Party on June 4th.

Laura Kampan (New York Model Management). How often is it one crosses paths with the face of Balenciaga and the solo cover model to the Feb. issue of Italian Vogue? And couple that with the beautiful cobblestone streets of Soho? Well, with due regard that happened with Laura outside of Starbucks on Crosby Street. And if you want to see a delightfully airborne image (that’s Jump Shot) of Laura, have a visit to my Instagram account @WhatShaunaThinks. Click HERE to see her work as officially recognized by New York Models.

Exclusive pictures of one of the SS17's most successful runway models, Tilda Lindstam. Not only does Tilda dominate on the runway with shows like Alexander Wang in NY to Chanel in Paris, but she has amazing style as well. Click HERE to see her official IMG NY Portfolio.

Work it Audra, Work it!

ballet flats -- Lanvin
jeans -- Cheap Monday
blazer -- The Row by Mary Kate and Ashley
bag -- Miu Miu

Audra Callo represented by New York Model Management as discovered on Mercer Street today. On her blog I learned that her name Audra means "storm" in Lithuanian which is relevant since she came from a Lithuanian family.

Check out the Alexander Wang dress she wore on her birthday over at Model Feed.com

p.s. if you haven't visited the site in a while, have a click over to style.com and check out my High Line Street Style slideshow.

Go check out the photos I took of one of Marilyn's Top Models Liu Wen yesterday:

Click HERE

For more photos of Models Off Duty (M.O.D.) be sure to click the following Teen Vogue.com link!

As I write this, my hands are actually a bit sweaty. Maybe it's the old fight or flight response mechanism inside of me, knowing that some of the country's top editors will be watching my work. Frankly, I think it's the excitement of knowing that I'll be the first photographer to be hired by Teen Vogue.com for New York, London, and Paris Fashion Week to capture models street style and "it" girls street style--close up shots might be included too. An endeavor to be taken seriously, no doubt.
So for future reference, I'm going to ask that you click on the Teen Vogue.com banner links inside my posts and check out their new street style section for fashion week. The photos will be exclusive for use by Teen Vogue, so you won't be able to see them here. So go check out what's probably the first street style shot EVER, of FORD Supermodel of the World 2009 Winner, 14 year old modeling sensation Tayane Leao at Teen Vogue.com!.