I LIKE HER FACE

Nationality: Zimbabwean
Height: 5'11"
Bust: 31
Waist: 25
Hips: 35.5
Shoe Size: 9
Hair Color: Dark Brown
Eye Color: Brown

With a nickname like Mukwasi, which means long elegant bird, are we at all surprised that Nyasha Matonhodze is the new face of Louis Vuitton? At only 16 years old, this African beauty's visage bespeaks a sophistication that is only acquired after the passage of a considerable amount of time. Nyasha was raised in North London and has walked the runway for Louis Vuitton, Michael Kors, Elie Tahari, Sass & Bide, L'Wren Scott, Erdem, Jonathan Saunders, Emanuel Ungaro, Roksanda IIincic, J. Crew, and the long list goes on and on. This radiant star has a bright future ahead!

Click on the link below for vintage Faces of Fashion posts!

MOON WALK

The Louis Vuitton Icare travel bag in monogram canvas with astronauts Sally Ride, Jim Lovell and Buzz Aldrin.

Louis Vuitton celebrates the 40th anniversary of man's historic journey to the moon! The latest ad campaign is shot by Annie Leibovitz and features Astronauts Buzz Aldrin of the July 1969 Apollo 11 mission, Jim Lovell commander of the failed Apollo 13 mission of 1970 and the first woman in space, Sally Ride, of the 1983 Space Shuttle Challenger. Today we celebrate man's voyage to the moon; let us be reminded to always reach for the stars. Visit Louis Vuitton's interactive site: louisvuittonjourneys.com to hear the astronauts discuss the experience and to view Annie Leibovitz's prints. Click on the label below for vintage Fashion Photography posts!

I LIKE HER FACE

Nationality: Brazilian
Height: 5'8 1/2
Bust: 32
Waist: 24
Hips: 34 1/2
Shoe Size: 6 1/2
Hair Color: Black
Eye Color: Dark Brown

The newest model on the block is Afro Brazilian beauty Gracie Carvalho. Signed with the Marilyn agency, home of Adriana Lima and Arlenis Sosa, the 18 year old has already walked in 35 of 39 Brazilian Fall Fashion Week shows and will be featured in Victoria's Secret, Gap, BCBG Max Azria, DKNY Jeans and Express ad campaigns. She has also walked for 3.1 Phillip Lim, Carolina Herrera, Ralph Lauren, Vera Wang, BCBG Max Azria, Giambattista Valli, Stella McCartney, Miu Miu, Diane Von Furstenberg and Jason Wu. Gracie is definitely one to watch and you'll be seeing much more of her! Check out more pics of Gracie here, and view her Marilyn page here. Click on the label below for vintage Faces of Fashion posts!

FACES OF FASHION: SHANA JACKSON FOR LIZ CLAIBORNE

Have you seen the new Liz Claiborne ads? Better yet, have you seen the new Liz Claiborne? As discussed previously, Isaac Mizrahi is the new creative director and he has completely overhauled the brand . . . and has spearheaded a new ad campaign as well. The colorful advertisements feature real women of all ages, races, shapes and sizes, and a "disguised" Isaac makes a cameo appearance in most. I would like to call your attention to the woman featured in the orange dress above left: Shana Jackson, proprietor of Collecther vintage boutique.

Shana graciously posed for a pic at the Brooklyn Flea. I can see why she was chosen for the ad campaign!

I ran into Shana recently at the Brooklyn Flea. You can run into Shana at Collecther --306 Franklin Avenue in Brooklyn, New York. Tell her I sent ya! For more pics of Shana and for behind the scenes pics of the Liz Claiborne photo shoot, check out Isaac Mizrahi's blog.

Click on the label below for vintage Faces of Fashion posts!

I LIKE HER FACE

Name: Arlenis Sosa Peña

Nationality: Dominican

Height: 5 ft 11 in

Measurements: 32-24.5-35

Agency: Marilyn - New York City

Featured in runway shows for Bottega Veneta, Oscar de la Renta, Christian Dior, Hermes, John Galliano, Zac Posen and many others. Arlenis is the new face of Lancôme, is in the campaigns for H&M, Gap and Victoria's Secret. For more pictures of Arlenis, click here and here.

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I LIKE HER FACE

Nationality: South African

Hair: Brown

Eye Color: Brown/Green

Place of Birth: Cape Town, South Africa

Height: 5'6"; 168 cm

Measurements: (US) 32-26-35; (EU) 81-66-89Dress Size: (US) 6; (EU) 36
Shoe Size: 38.5 (EU) - 7.5 (US) - 5.5 (UK)
Mother Agency: Boss Models - South Africa

Wow. I am blown away by her features. What do you think? She looks a bit like Jurnee Smollet, no? For more on Carmen Solomons click here and here.

NAOMI CAMPBELL GOES BALLISTIC FOR BLACK MODELS

Naomi channels her rage in this poignant ad which addresses the discussion of diversity, or the lack thereof, in the modeling industy. The ad was produced by fashion photographer Nick Knight. The silence is deafening...

Click on the link to see Naomi Goes Ballistic for Black Models!

...But, due in large part to the efforts of Bethann Hardison--agent, former model, mother of actor Kadeem Hardison and the person who discovered Tyson Beckford--that silence is being broken. It's encouraging to see so many industry titans protest the dearth of black models. The all-Black Vogue Italia issues and discussions lead by Iman and many others is heartening, but it will be even more interesting to see what happens on the runways this fall! I can't wait!

P.S. - Naomi's wearing Rodarte (both dresses)!

PRADA'S POP PRINCESSES!

"Heaven forswear!" "Get thee to a nunn'ry." I think those were both by Shakespeare, but the images below are by Sebastian Faena for Pop magazine.* Check out Agyness Deyn, Amber Valletta, Jourdan Dunn, Natalia Vodianova, Naomi Campbell and Oluchi Onweagba on the cover of Pop's Fall 2008 covers.

Agyness Deyn is racy in lace; Jourdan Dunn channels Frida.

Each of the six models (3 black and 3 white) gets some face time on the cover; tip of the hat to the discussion of diversity in the modeling business?

Naomi looks penitent and Amber just treacherous...

The photographs are entitled: "Hot Nuns", with each nun donning outfits from Prada's Fall 2008 line. The issue is all about eighties excess!

Natalia's look is severe, must be that hair. Nigerian beauty, Oluchi.

*Pop is a British magazine founded by Katie Grand and began publishing in 2000. Click on the label below for vintage Faces of Fashion and CoverStyle posts!

COVER STYLE/THINGS THAT MAKE YOU SAY HMMM: VOGUE INDIA

What's wrong with this picture? Keep in mind that this pic was on the inaugural Vogue India cover. I love Vogue...Love India! Kudos to Vogue for launching a mag catering to the Indian demographic. Two steps forward, two steps back. Some things are better left unsaid...Sad.

Bipasha Basu, Gemma Ward (geez, didn't realize she was Indian), Priyanka Chopra, Monikangana, Preity Zinta and Laxmi Menon

I'd like to think that the the folks at Vogue meant well. But seriously, who are their advisors? This is not the first time either. See their launch for Vogue China in 2005, a few beautiful Asian models and homegirl, Gemma Ward --depicted above, was on that cover as well! Highly irresponsible journalism (and frankly, inappropriate, gratuitous, insulting, insensitive, laughable, but still, not surprising!), somehow I suspect that they don't really care. C'est la vie. But seriously folks, it's 2008...we must do better.

Click below for vintage Cover Style, Faces of Fashion and Things That Make You Say Hmmm posts!

FACES OF FASHION: CHANEL IMAN, GAYE MCDONALD, TATYANA USOVA FOR BENETTON

Who would have thought this Faces of Fashion post would come so quickly?! Certainly not me...check out Chanel Iman, previously mentioned here, Gaye McDonald, Tatyana Usova et al. in the Spring '08 Benetton ads!

I was so pleasantly surprised to come across these pics. Benetton ads are, if nothing else, evocative! They do such a great job of pushing the envelope. The ads, more like social commentary, always make me pause and think.

Check out vintage Benetton ads and campaign history here and here. Click on the label below for vintage Faces of Fashion posts!

FACES OF FASHION: NAOMI CAMPBELL & PHARRELL WILLIAMS FOR LOUIS VUITTON

The iconic Naomi Campbell and recording artist Pharrell Williams are two of the new faces of Louis Vuitton! Look out for these two to accompany Kate Moss and Daria Werbowy in the Spring 2008 campaigns.

“We brought to this campaign a touch of the street, elevated to a rich, modern chic that embodies the message of our ready-to-wear accessories and bags. Working with beautiful, iconic, and powerful faces, we created compositions that boldly display Vuitton's exquisite, super-luxe style."- Marc Jacobs, Louis Vuitton's artistic director.

Naomi, is well, Naomi...simply fab, with minor behavioral problems! Pharrell Willims aka Skateboard P will represent a line of suitcases and bags and is collaborating with Jacobs and Bathing Ape founder, Nigo aka Tomoaki Nagao, to create "bling bling" eyewear! Rumor has it, that he is also designing a line of jewelry for the brand. I couldn't have said it better than this: "So freakin' clever of LV to embrace the conspicuous consumption of hip-hop and use one of its leading artists to front their new collection."- Rodonline

So frickin' clever indeed. Stay tuned for forthcoming Faces of Fashion posts!

THINGS THAT MAKE YOU GO HMMM: MOSCHINO

I've got no words...

What's wrong with this picture? How do you spell exotification?

...well actually, I do. There's so much right and wrong with these pictures! While I appreciate the effort of depicting more women of color in high fashion ads and magazines, these Moschino Ads (appearing in Vanity Fair), smacks of something icky!

Why are the asian models wearing yellow? Am I trippin'?

I've got more questions than answers! Is it gimmicky? Racist? Why are they segregated into groups like that? And lastly, why, oh why is that dark skinned beauty stark naked?!?! Thoughts?

Finally, here are our caucasion models...nothing strange about this pic. 'Tis normal!

Was I the only one that was more than a little peeved that Chanel Iman was on the inside flap of this Vogue cover? I mean, some had to go on the fold-over, but were you surprised that she was one of the ill fated?

Photo Credit: Fashionista and Femme Noir