Fashion Models [Search results for New York Times] 

Celebrate good times! My first photo assignment for the New York Times ran last week while I was away in Brussels. It contains 3 images of mine from London and Soho, NYC and is about round sunglasses for men. More models shots coming tomorrow :)

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."

Joanne Sprouse, Stephen Sprouse's mother, Debbie Harry, and Brad Sprouse

Debbie Harry contributed to the book and Mauricio Padilha co-authored the book with his brother Roger.

Teri Toye, contributor to the book Sprouse and Karlo Steel, owner of Atelier the location of the party

Tama Janowitz, novelist, wrote forward to the Padilha's book Sprouse

Marc Jacobs on right with Lorenzo Martone, his boyfriend

Fred Schneider, lead singer B52's on right and Johnny Dynell DJ on left

Fern Mallis, founder and creator of New York Fashion Week

Jeffrey Deitch, founder of Deitch Projects art gallery which is currently hosting an exhibtion: Stephen Sprouse: Rock on Mars

André Balazs, hotelier, owner of The Mercer

Patrick McDonald, writer and journalist

Team Vogue: Mimi Vu from Copy Editing and Brian Fee from Vogue Art

Edwige on Left was an inspiration to Madonna in the early 80's

Larissa, early 80's New York Party Scenester

famed Polaroid artist Jeremy Kost on left and Jun Nakayama

Bill Cunningham, New York Times street fashion photographer since the late 70's

On Tuesday night I had the pleasure of going to the Stephen Sprouse book launch party at Atelier at Hudson and Spring. Style.com did an interview with Mauricio and Roger Padilha who authored the book in homage to Stephen Sprouse, famous for his neon hued marks on Louis Vuitton. The party was amazing and above are a few shots from the evening.

Who will be the next big face of the SS17 season? Above you will see a google table from the SS 11 New York Fashion Week shows which I designed in an effort to answer that question for the SS17 season. This was a personal project of mine I coordinated with the help of about 6 other people. The objective was to provide an easy drop down menu to track the shows the girls walked and thus recognize the best new faces to watch as well as predict which models were being favored by designers and/or casting directors.

Since history often has a tendency to repeat itself, I thought the information from the SS17 shows might help predict the coming SS17 shows. Not all shows are included though, just the more influential ones.

So for a change of pace on the blog, I thought I'd plug in some quick analysis of the past in order to help foresee the future. What are the most directional shows for a model to walk at New York Fashion Week (and fashion month in general) and what makes those shows valuable for a model? Let's start with Calvin Klein, the legacy of campaigns which helped launch Kate Moss into stardom.

Calvin Klein SS17 basic break down as a predictor of the SS17 show:

21 different models/34 different looks.
2 models walked 3 different looks each
9 models walked 2 different looks each10 models walked 1 different look

Easy Facial Recognition--the girls wear little make historically, so a place in the Calvin Klein lineup will improve the booking chances for the SS17 campaign/editorial season.

2 different shows--There are 2 showings of the Calvin Klein show, so all key editors, stylists, and photographers usually attend. This quantity of attendees improves the chances that the models will be recalled for future bookings.

good model to look ratio/only 21 models for 34 looks--unlike other shows which have 1 model per look. The limited number of models improves the chances their face will be recognized for future bookings.

conclusions: repetition, key attendees, and proven track record make Calvin Klein a key show for models to walk

32% chance a model will walk the runway more than once. A repeat walk is worth more than a single walk because the repetition gives the editors another chance to recall the face. It's like a 2d go see.

two different shows reduces chances that a possible influential attendee does not get to see a key face.

Somebody behind the scenes at Calvin Klein chose Daphne Groeneveld to walk the runway 3 times. Look how well she fared afterward in the editorial/campaign season. Basically, if you see a girl walk Calvin Klein 3 times this SS17 season, the odds are good she will be a big name to follow.

Back to regular scheduled street style shots soon!

This is a Tibi dress as seen outside of the New York Times building in Midtown West.

This is Florencia wearing a vintage coat as seen downtown on 14th Street.

Nina Garcia, Fashion Director at Marie Claire applies her advice about wearing a men's dress shirt.

Peter Hale Cooney III in Marc by Marc Jacobs

Tomoko Yokoyama wearing a dress by Heimstone and oxford lace ups by Church

my friend Yumi, doing work for Vogue Japan

Since 1978 Bill Cunningham, the photographer for the Sunday "On the Street" Section of the New York Times has been changing rolls of film..he shoots with at least one film camera.

Jessica Stam (Canada/IMG) relaxing before having to spend 30 minutes dealing with the Craigster (my nickname) looking for New York's next "Gazelle, legs on the loose"

It took some smooth talking and about 30 minutes to find someone whose legs qualified for what we were looking for. Here, Piper McEndarffer (L), Elaine Welteroth (middle), Jessica Stam (R) talk out the details

Stam's country girl from Canada charm "sealed the deal" and Elaine Welteroth (L) agreed to be photographed for our project

Good Times: Laughing alongside Jessica with the Mercedes Benz 2012 SUV in background

shoes -- Proenza Schouler
dress -- Versace
sunglasses -- shop in New Hampshire


At 4 o'clock today I met up with Jessica Stam and rode at light speed around the Lincoln Center area looking for New York's newest Gazelle "legs on the loose". We were commissioned by Mercedes to find someone with legs literally like a Gazelle. It all kind of fit with the nature of my blog and Jessica Stam. After some small talk and about 30 minutes of driving around, we spotted our first "victim" walking into the back stage area at Lincoln Center.

Without hesitation, Jessica jumped out of the car faster than any Mercedes can go 0-60mph and told Elaine Welteroth (current Beauty Editor at Ebony) to "stop!". Mind you, at that point Elaine was still a complete stranger to either me or Jessica. Bold move Jessica.

After a couple of minutes Elaine agreed to let us take her picture with Jessica. Good times were had as you can see by the laughs above. I learned a couple of things about Jessica: most notably she doesn't take herself too seriously and she likes to cook. I love the genuineness of people when they can laugh at themself. Especially someone who by our cultures standard, has justifiable reason to take themselves super seriously.

Thanks to Mercedes-Benz Fashion Ranger program for sponsoring our ride together! High five to everyone involved for a successful mission accomplished.

Anne Christensen on Sixth Avenue outside of the tents during fashion week. The movement of the person in the background suggests how challening it was to weave through people at New York Fashion Week, let alone get a clear picture.

I found Carine Roitfeld fun and really cooperative with my requests. Instead of shooting a full body picture of her, this close-up picture of her wearing a hoodie with the wind blowing her hair was captivating. Notice the cab driver in the background.

This is Brian Ermanski and this is not his kid, nor is it mine. This little boy curiously walked in on the photo wanting to see what was going on. A delightful moment in time caught on camera for years to come.

The editorial style pose in this picture still rivets my attention. You might be able to notice the guy in background looking back, wondering what was going on.

I was walking across Lafayette Street when I heard the putter coming from the engine on this man's moped. Not only are the different historical references in his outfit mesmerizing, but the fact that the foreground is juxtaposed against a background of people and buildings from 2007, give this photo a paradoxical feel.

This is Sato. I like his absolutely couture approach to avant-garde style.

This is one of the first photos I took at London Fashion Week. Not only did I think her outfit was superb, but I deliberately left the street sign in the composition in the background for added visual impact.

Androgyny fascinates me when it is artfully expressed. The perfect hairline on this girl, her still facial expression, and the curved lines which lead to the dual decker bus in London in the background made for an intersting shot.

I always admire people who defy modern fashion in favor of retro-style couture. Notice the leading lines of the row of homes, leading off into the far distance, where you can see Londoners going about their daily business.

The outfit is inspiring and so is the fact that you can see the words "London Fashion Week" on the car doors in the background.

At the end of the Donna Karen show at New York Fashion Week, the fire department showed up. I'm guessing there was a report that the building had violated some fire code and the excess crowd was causing street congestion. While the lights from the F.D.N.Y. truck in the background were going off, I was able to snap this shot of well know model Irina Kulikova.

Diesel leather side bag

Yulia walked 49 shows from New York, Milan, and Paris over the Spring/Summer 2018 runways which is quite an accomplishment considering she skipped the London shows. Of those 49, she closed 4.

Of the 55 different looks that went down the Jil Sander runway, ONLY 4 girls walked the runway 3 times. One was Yulia and she CLOSED it.

Of the 42 different looks that went down the YSL runway, 42 DIFFERENT girls walked the runway 1 time. Yulia CLOSED that show too.

She's already been on the cover of V's special edition 19 covers. I'm curious and hopeful to see what her future holds for her.

With fashion month soon to be upon us, models will be attending casting calls in between fittings, shows, and visits to their agencies. If you haven't seen what a casting call for a runway show is like, it can be quite anxiety driven. Girls are literally lined up by the 10's and 20's outside in hallways. Some Casting Directors have pre-casting castings, in which they will see hundreds of girls in just 2 days time, so they can edit down their choices for runway shows accordingly. Just try mentioning the name Russell Marsh to a model and watch her reaction. Because of the timing, I thought it was appropriate to republish an interview I did with Sarah Doukas, the founder of Storm Model Management and the one who discovered Kate Moss at JFK airport. In it, we talked about the impact of style on a models career.

We sat down for a chat at her agency in South Kensington and what follows is a brief glimpse of the modeling world, distilled ultimately into two major categories: how a models personal style can help create more opportunities for them and how press (think my blog here) can help create more opportunities for models as well.

I must add that everyone at Storm Models from their Press Officer Paula Karaiskos to their entire New Faces Division was a pleasure to work with. Many thanks to everyone at Storm who helped me along the way and especially to Sarah for breaking from her hectic schedule for the interview.

THE IMPACT OF PERSONAL STYLE ON THE SUCCESS OF A MODELS CAREER

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.

Craig: really?

Sarah: Oh god yes, there's no question. I'm obsessed with finding British girls. It's my big thing....and it's hard to get them to the point of going out to do shows...I know that once they hit that international circuit, and they're sitting in a Paris agency and seeing those Parisian clients, if they don't look the part...you know they're wearing some kind of scraggy old t-shirt...(sighs)..they don't have to go and spend a great deal of money, but style is really important, very simple. So I think it is important.

Craig: so the lack of style can definitely negatively impact

Sarah: Impact. There's no doubt that lack of style can negatively impact. I'm not talking about wearing Balenciaga, but very simple High Street stuff. That elongates your legs and is just flattering.

STORM AGENCY TAKES ACTIONS TO IMPROVE A MODELS STYLE

Craig: do you guys tell models how to dress here?

Sarah: yeah

Craig: for castings?

Sarah: yes

Craig: So if you don't mind me asking in what? just jeans...stuff that shows their body?....is that what they're supposed to wear?

Sarah: I think if they walked around in a great big smock it would be a bit a problem for a client and I'm not suggesting that they look provocatively, you know wearing sexy stuff but certainly stuff that shows the length of their body and that they're slim. You can get somebody with the most fantastic figure and they come in here and may be in a dress like this (motions wide with hands) the client would say, "well I wonder what's going on there....have you put on weight?"...They can look at their book but they don't really know...so it's advisable to dress in something that can really see, you know show your shape. That's what I think.

Craig: so the key for style...there's not many options if you're having to wear skinny jeans and t-shirts??

Sarah: well you can wear leggings, they are back in fashion. You can still layer up. You can wear a really nice cardi with a longer tightish dress with leggings. There are lots of options. You can wear a short skirt with leggings. With boots. Again with layers. But just not, you can't walk around in sort of voluminous clothes as the clients are going to say "Hey whats going on under there? Maybe she's pregnant?"

Craig: So you do intervene then? On occasion, when it comes to a girl's style?

Sarah: Well I sit at the booking table. I do all the time. I like everybody to be autonomous in their job here and do their thing. I don't want to look over peoples shoulder. I hate that kind of thing because I work at the booking table with everybody and I don't have an office. You know, I'm just one of them, I'm not the boss or any such thing.

But yeah I do because I know its going to have a negative impact if they go out looking like that. And they appreciate it. You can say it in a really nice way. You don't have to say, "listen you have terrible style. We need to completely change you." You just have to say, "now listen, when you go out I want you to look great."

GREAT PERSONAL STYLE CREATES MORE SALES VALUE FOR BOOKING AGENTS

Sarah: You know they go into a French agency or a New York agency, the bookers are looking at them for the first time and at the end of the day we have to be realistic about this job: they are selling a product, those booking agents. So they have to believe in it when they see it. So they have to see somebody looking -- great. The book can look fantastic. But you know what? You need to believe to sell something, of course you do. You can't make any bones about it. It's a human business. And I really like these girls or I wouldn't do it. But we are selling something. So you must look good.

THE IMPACT OF PRESS ON A MODELS BOOKING VALUE

Craig: regarding press as opposed to runway shows, advertising campaigns and editorials, press like a girl gets her photo taken and she's in the New York Times...or interviews...like this is a form of press (I pointed to 1 of 4 of my Teen Vogue solo pages)

Sarah: does it have their names?

Craig: it does

Sarah: Exactly, that's very important. Years ago nobody knew who models were. Apart from those famous models, they were never given credit in a magazine or anything so there were was no credits given. So that was one thing that people were quite anonymous. And i think press is huge and I think it's really important.

We started with PR in 89 or 90. Because I just thought it was hugely important and Richard Branson was my partner for many years and he was like, "Sarah" we know he likes the press...he was like "it's really important"

I think it's important. Kate Moss is the first one that we did it with. And I build press books and I've done it on all my models. Whether it be Sophie Dahl, Lily Cole, Devon Aoki, Jourdan Dunn, Behati Prinsloo, Liberty Ross....

Craig: one thing that really gets me about press is, yeah it's cool because the model gets her name circulated in the public, but how does that impact the booking value of a model?

Sarah: Huge, because you know you've got a model "Ann Smith" who doesn't get any press, who is a great looking girl, and works alot. And you've got somebody else, say "Paula Reed" who gets press, is out in the public domain, if you went and asked somebody in the street do you know who this is? They'd say yes. Well that's what market research is. So then you get a big company going, "I want a name." So you put this beautiful girl up who hasn't got press and you put this one up who has got press. Who are they going to choose? Does the general public know this person? So they sell masses and her value is much higher than this one's is. Way higher.

ALL THINGS EQUAL, THE MODEL WITH MORE PRESS GETS MORE OPPORTUNITIES

Craig: so everything else being equal, they both walked the same amount of runway shows, they both did the same advertising campaigns and editorials, but one just got the press, that one is going to be the more valuable one then?

Sarah: yes, much more. Look at our magazines. Look at the campaigns. They're all celebrities. Actresses. Somebody well known, they take up what, 80-90% of fabulous campaigns. You know that's because that's the power of somebody whose got a name....

But if you're in the business. If you see your chance that somebody can go that route and if they want to, you've got to take it because it's going to be a huge benefit financially to them and it's going to be a benefit to the agency...it feeds on itself. As soon as you do some press, it's unbelievable. You get so many opportunities open. People are calling. It opens doors.

Craig: so being that press is so important, do you train models in self-publicizing?

Sarah: There are definite pitfalls. Of course you say to them "look, don't open up too much about your private life, or things you don't want to say." You have to learn how to talk to press, but you need to keep it professional but you still need to keep it real. They need to be interested in you as a person. At the end of the day you've got to understand that you can just chat away and end up saying something that you wish you hadn't said. So you do have to be guarded. Open but guarded...Paula would sit in if it was somebody young. Like when Jourdan had done press. She would sit in....

PRESS MUST INCLUDE A MODELS NAME TO BE IMPACTFUL

Craig: Regarding press, it's valuable as long as it includes the models name?

Sarah: Oh it has to. It has to be all about her.

Craig: So just a photo without the name isn't necessarily valuable?

Sarah: nobody would know who you were....if they don't have the name, then the general public just don't know. It's interesting now when people ring and they say they, "Ah, I want somebody well known." Well it's not easy. Not that many models are well known anymore. They're just not -- for the general public. For our world, we know who they are, but the man walking down the street doesn't. They have to constantly see the image of a person and interviews on her, with her name, with her name, constantly for it to get into their head and they suddenly say, "Oh I know who this person is"

WORDS OF WISDOM TO THE COMMERCIAL MODEL

Craig:....commercial versus high fashion...who makes more money in the short-term?

Sarah: the commercial girls make a fortune

Craig: they make tons

Sarah: they make tons!

Craig: why is it then that every girl aspires to the high fashion?

Sarah: because we all want to be driving a Ferrari don't we?

Craig: but you don't necessarily make as much money do you if you go the high fashion route?

Sarah: no, You know you always get these girls that make a load of money. You know they're fantastic looking girls and they're doing brilliantly. And they're like, "you know what, I'm going to cut all my hair off. I'm going to go seriously edgy. I want you to get me into...." And I'm like "You're taking a massive risk. You're going to ruin your market in the short-term" And it happens. It does happen. I can mention lots of girls who it has happened....I always think, "You should be glad for what you've got. I understand wanting to aspire to better and greater things. But, you could in the short term lose your whole market "

Craig: so a girl can start off as a commercial model and then go the high fashion route?

Sarah: it happens

Craig: does it really?

Sarah: yeah

THE MONETARY VALUE OF OPENING AND CLOSING A SHOW

Craig: when a model opens and closes a show, do they get paid extra?

Sarah: well I don't know that they get paid extra per se, but if a model is good enough to open and close, she may well be on a much higher rate than somebody else. I mean it's negotiated. It's all negotiated.

NEW MAGAZINES NEED GREAT PHOTOGRAPHERS WITH A GREAT TEAM TO BOOK TOP MODELS

Craig: I've got another question for you. A new magazine, a start up magazine in London calls you up and they say "we want your top girl" What are the credentials that someone has to bring for a new magazine?

Sarah: They'd have to bring an amazing photographer, stylist, hair and make up...all the jazz.

Craig: What if they don't have a famous photographer?

Sarah: You would have to be very careful with the top talent. Because you don't really know what it's going to look like. You'd ask for a dummy copy. And this that and the other but you wouldn't give top talent.

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."

With the new fashion season about to hit, you know you can count on some serious Models Off Duty coverage from all 4 major fashion weeks to come. From Lincoln Center in New York, to Somerset House in London, to the Duomo in Milano and finally the Tuileries in Paris. I'll be there.

Often these girls are in a serious hurry between shows, fittings, and castings. A model can have as many as 17 appointments in one day during the middle of fashion week. Fashion season for a model is kind of like a hurricane of professional obligations to tend to: designers, casting agents, PR people, hair and make up, mother agents, drivers to find, taxi's to hail. A model is not contractually required to stop for me for a picture and by no means, required to stop and let me take detail shots, full body shots, and carefully execute a photo shoot. Let alone when she's fatigued, jet lagged, or hating the make up they just applied to her skin. To those girls that do stop for me, I am grateful for their time and patience.

Because of this, I've decided to add in the off season, some work of mine that better represents the current state of my creative photography. Sometimes that will include models from agencies like Marilyn (look out for a coming series) and Women, and other times, that will include photos from DBA girls, like Lindsey above.

Hope you enjoy the shots!

This is Bonnie Calean an actress and a model. Bonnie has appeared in editorials in the New York Times and Oprah magazine, which you can see by clicking her name above.

hat -- H & M
coat -- GTG
skirt -- wool, Highland
sweater, stockings -- Forever 21
shoes -- vintage

JeanPaul Paula on left was recently written about in the New York Times for his avante garde androgyny. And Ellen von Unwerth on the right? Her accomplishments in the world of fashion photography speak for themselves.

random passerby taking photo of Mercedes Fashion Force squad car

Karolina stops twins on the street to ask for a photo

Ornela and Odelia Samuels get snapped

Karolina also chose a 3 month old puppy, Daphne.

Edward Barsanian of the New York Times - T Magazine.

Of this gentleman, Karolina said, "I like his little Russian hat. It's smart and he's staying warm, which is very important. It's different. You know I don't see a lot of men wearing those kinds of hats and he's owning it. I like that"

Tuesday afternoon as part of the Mercedes Benz Fashion Force program, I was offered a car ride with Karolina Kurkova (discovered by Miuccia Prada at age 15 and later a Victoria's Secret Angel). We weren't exactly police men in that black and white car though, more like street style bounty hunters as Karolina kept a keen eye for stylish peeps on the street--from twins, to a T Magazine editor, to a 3 month old puppy....And not only did Karolina act as the street style hunter de jour, but I also got to ask her a few questions while we drove:Craig: When you were a little girl, what did you dream of being when you grew up?

Karolina: I wanted to be a princess. I wanted to have super long hair. When i was a little girl I had short hair. ... I was like a little tomboy. And I'd walk around and put a tiara on and I'd put a duvet [editors note: duvet = bed sheet] on my head like I'd have super long hair to the floor and I'd wear my mom's high heels and walk around.

Craig: If you could wake up anywhere in the world tomorrow, where would it be?

Karolina: Somewhere on the beach. This beautiful beach. Sun is shining...(pause)...sun of the ocean...it could be anywhere. I just love the beach. I love the sunset and watching the ocean and hearing the sound.

Craig: so what are you wearing today?

Karolina: I'm wearing a J. Mendel coat, nice and warm. And then I'm wearing Hervé Léger--let me show you. I'm wearing a dress and over the dress I'm wearing an Hervé Léger skirt. So I'm kind of layering and playing with his clothes to make my own. And make it so I feel comfortable, yet stylish but at the same time comfortable and me. And then I'm wearing Brian Atwood beautiful patent leather shiny boots....

Liu Wen (Marilyn, NY).

Did you ever hear of the phrase "growing pains" with regards to a business? More updates should be coming soon as I've been recovering from an onslaught of paid gigs. It's amazing the amount of organized work I've done this spring/summer as a result of the blog. 4 years ago, I never would have imagined shooting organized gigs with Conde Nast Russia to an organized shoot with Conde Nast Japan this week, to first exclusive photo "dibs" on a special Victoria's Secret Angels event, to signing on with the Official Freelancer database for the New York Times. It's exhilirating to compare where I was at then to where I am at now, yet challenging to go "back to my roots"--to comb the streets of NYC for a day in search of the elusive Model Off Duty ready to be photographed. That time is near. That time is now.

Generally, one area of New York I stay away from anymore is Times Square. It's busy and congested with distractions as I think the unblurred background in this photo communicates. So finding the appeal in this outfit amidst the congested background, colors, and cars is a bit like a real life experience of finding a needle in a haystack--a walk through Times Square if you will.

And doing it in amazing personal style too...if you can't see the details on her top, make sure you click the image to enlarge it!

p.s. do you see the guy in the blue coat in the background? That's Bill Cunningham from the New York Times.

Flashback to some street style photos I took from Mercedes Benz Fashion Week Russia for the New York Times.

Shooting for The New York Times again

Espresso House? Cure for jet lag!

Suite hotel courtesy of Mercedes Benz Fashion Week Russia

Quaint Rooftop in Moscow.

Back in Moscow, courtesy of Mercedes Benz Fashion Week Russia and looking forward to another #MFFWRussia!