Moral Fervor

It's been ages since I've posted anything... I don't think I've ever let a whole month go by before without at least posting something.

Time to rectify that I guess. I was rather mindlessly surfing the internet (and by mindlessly surfing the internet I mean googling names of people from various business cards I've acquired through the years) and found this video from 2007 when I modeled some clothes for some gals who had started their own label. The brand was called Moral Fervor, and their goal was to make "sustainable fashion". Great clothes as I recall, which was a good thing, since that's how I got paid (which, by the way, isn't very sustainable).

I wish it were better quality, but hey, it's better than nuttin'.

Recent-ish Work

Hia Magazine

Throwback Thursday

I found this old picture of me while trying to clean up the files on my laptop.  It's a fun photo because it hearkens back to the days when I was a teenager.  I'm guessing I was probably sixteen in this picture, and behind me is the wall of models (and the odd celebrity) that I had painstakingly assembled.  I had decided that I wanted to model when I was about ten years old, a dream that was encouraged when I was scouted on the street at the age of 12.  My parents were not supportive of that dream so it wouldn't be until a decade later that I would get to move to New York City and give it a go.  Lucky for my ten-year-old self that I actually grew up to be pretty tall and fairly thin-- two requirements for the job.

You can also see in the background a page from a coloring book that a friend had gifted me with (I wish I could remember which friend!), an Abbey Road poster (I was obsessed with the Beatles), my Cabbage Patch Kid's birth certificate (Fredrika Henrietta Winnie-- that's the name she came with-- not mine), and a high school poster with the dates of the football games. (I was never into football, but as a member of the marching band colorguard, I was required to attend all of the games.)  The dress was purchased at a thrift store, and if memory serves me correctly, about three sizes too big.  One of my then favorite models, Niki Taylor, whose smiling visage looms over mine in the photo, I got to meet and work with a few years later when I won a modeling contest on MTV.  She was the first celebrity I'd ever seen in real life, and a personal hero of mine, and I remember being so excited about seeing her and getting to talk to her.

Wham! Pop! Boom!

Here's another photoshoot I did in Dubai for Sephora for MBC Haya Magazine.  The photographer is Tina Patni.

Say Cheese

Instagram shot from yesterday's shoot for Friday Magazine.  It comes out Friday, June 28th.

U Magazine

These are from a shoot I did last month in Amman, Jordan.  I'm sort of so-so about them, but thought I'd share them with you.  The hair, by the way, because you probably can't tell from the photos, was styled into fun 1940's-era victory rolls.

New Do

I emerged from the hair salon today with a new hairstyle.  The most notable difference is that I'm now sporting a fringe!

Te gusta?

Ahlan!

These came out this week for Ahlan!  Shot in the neighborhood of Satwa by Murrindie Frew, with styling by Sam Kientsch, and makeup by Zahra Kadom.

I'm in Vogue!

I've been meaning to post this for a while, but time seems to have gotten away from me.

If you happened to pick up the March issue of American Vogue, you might have seen me in an advertisement for QVC and Mally Cosmetics.


Of course, you might not have seen me either, as I'm not really the focus of the photo.  But, yep, that's me...  The behind-the-scene shots from the December shoot can be seen here.

Quick New York Trip and Photo Shoot

I just got back from New York where I was shooting something very special with makeup artist superstar, Mally Roncal, and her fabulous team at Mally Beauty.  I've been working with Mally on QVC since back in June and I can say that I'm a HUGE fan of her makeup line and love the whole Mally family.


Here's a few backstage pics from our shoot yesterday:

Stay tuned for more... The rest of the Mally models and I will be on QVC working with the Mally team on New Year's Eve.

Cover Girl

One of my favorite clients to work for is the McCall Pattern Company, who also owns Butterick and Vogue Patterns.  Everyone there is wonderful, and I have been working for them for a while, so they feel like family.  I also always thought it was a perfect fit-- I love sewing, and buy their patterns frequently.  Moreover, my great grandfather, who died in 1933, worked at McCall's as a printer.  It feels like things have come full circle!

If you happen to be in a fabric store anytime soon, you can see me on the back cover of the Fall 2010 Butterick catalogue.  I am on several of the patterns inside the book as well.

In sewing-related news, yesterday after dropping my parents off at the Philadelphia Airport (they're off to Italy for vacation!), I took advantage of my proximity to the city to go to one of my favorite fabric stores.  After being relegated to the fabric-cum-craft stores in Delaware, it is indeed a divine experience to browse through the bolts of cloth in a real fabric store.  It is a strange thing indeed, but I derive true joy from examining and petting all of the different textiles and trims that they had on offer.

Just a peek in my buggy (that's the southern term for shopping cart, y'all) reveals some of the tempting delights that I treated myself to.  My modus operandi was to walk around and put everything in my cart that caught my eye.  Most of the fabrics I chose were wool, although I had a few satins as well.  I didn't purposely choose colors in the same colorways (the blues and the salmons), so I guess that is just what I am being drawn to these days.  I do have some projects in mind-- here's hoping that I'll be able to follow through.

XOXO,

Please Vote For Me-- Madmen Casting Call

My sixteen-year-old niece, Morgan, is something of a triple threat. She's spunky, beautiful, and incredibly talented. A few years ago she got her hands on a camera, and within no time, was producing incredible photographs.


I've long said that I wanted her to shoot me, and yesterday we finally collaborated. I wanted something fifties-inspired, and she was able to indulge me. I provided the dress (a gold lamé dress that I picked up at Goodwill last year for a few bucks), did my hair, makeup and nails, and she did the photography and photo editing.


I LOVE the results. Just take a look and see:

Morgan hand-selected these photos herself, then used the online editing software, Picnik, to adjust the colors so that the pictures look like they're from another era.

This one (above) reminds me of a photobooth picture. The one on the left could be from the late fifties or early sixties, whereas the one on the right reminds me of a headshot of an actress from the silver screen. We had an inspired moment when I lay down on the ground and flipped the lace of the skirt behind my head. It adds such a nice texture to the photo.

This one has that same 1950's feel. I LOVE it!


So, I really need your help. I'm entering the Madmen casting contest for a chance to win a walk-on role on AMC's Madmen. PLEASE VOTE FOR ME HERE BY CLICKING ON THIS LINK.


Below is the picture I chose to use for the contest. I like some of the above pictures better, but this one has the most sixties feel, I think. The current season of the show is set in 1964, so I thought some of the black and white photos looked too old.

XOXO,

My New Business Card

I just had these made a few weeks ago.  They are called comp cards in the biz, and they are the modeling world's version of the business card.  I'm taking a little time off of my world travels, so while I'm back at my parent's place trying to figure out what is next for me, I thought I would try to get some work out of Philadelphia.


The comp card looks quite different from the ones I use in other cities like Cape Town or New York, and that's because Philadelphia is a very commercial market.  You won't be shooting any high fashion magazines there, if you catch my drift!  For comparison, look at my old New York card here.

XOXO,

If You See Something, Say Something

My English friend, Laura, emailed me a few weeks back to report that while in London she had seen me on the cover of a magazine. I am so thankful that she alerted me, as I had no idea. As a model, I'm constantly shooting, and my images tend to pop up in the most unexpected places. That's why I am so thankful when my friends recognize me in a picture and hasten to let me know. In some cases, the pictures have been used without clearance, which means my agency has to track them down and make sure I get paid for it. At other times, I have been paid for the usage, but it's still nice to see the finished product, as usually all I see is what is on the computer monitor on the day of the shoot.

The magazine: July 2010 issue of UK magazine Prima.

The shoot: A half-day booking in Yzerfontein, South Africa in March. Fellow cover girl Nicole Lupton (Prima, June 2010) and I carpooled together, leaving Cape Town in the early morning hours. We arrived at the beautiful coastal town and managed to disturb a family enjoying their breakfast when we knocked on the wrong door. We eventually found the correct address, and the shoot took place in and around a lovely beach house. Most of the crew were English, and had flown down for the week. South Africa is a popular destination for photo shoots because it is summer there in January, when Europe is laden in snow. The summer issues of magazines are shot several months in advance, which means shoots flooded with greenery and sunlight need to be shot in a summery location rather than the dreary European countryside during winter.

Inside my head: Longtime friends reading this will roll their eyes, but I felt completely incompetent the day of the shoot. I enjoyed my ride up to Yzerfontein with the other model (she's a sweetheart!), but once there, couldn't help comparing myself to her. She was stunning, knew how to move in front of the camera, and was super skinny to boot. Next to her, I felt oafish (commence eye-rolling), and amateurish. Thankfully, the crew didn't seem to notice my insecurities.


What you probably don't know: Cover shoots are often referred to as a cover try. It is a try because when you are shooting it, you have no idea if that picture will ever see the light of day, let alone the cover of a magazine. Until it comes out in print, there is no guarantee that it will ever run, and it is the powers that be back at the magazine office that determine what photos end up on the cover and inside each issue. When we were shooting this, I did shots in several locations in probably four or five different outfits. Also, contrary to popular belief, cover models do not get paid a lot of money to be on the cover of an issue. We get paid for one day of work, and the rates for magazines are very low. The typical day rate for a magazine shoot (whether appearing on the cover or inside) is between $150 (€123) and $250 (€205). As you can see, that's not exactly breaking the bank!


Some pictures from the day of the shoot:

XOXO,