Polish Model Anja Rubik Relaunches Erotica Magazine 25

Unveiled at the ongoing Cannes Film Festival which ends Sunday, May 27, 2012, Polish model Anja Rubik has relaunched erotica magazine, 25, and the debut issue will feature mostly nude photos shot by entirely female photographers. Included are Ethiopian fashion model Liya Kebede, Arizona Muse, Abbie Lee Kershaw and several others shot by celebrity female photographers Annie Leibovitz, Inezi Lamsweerde and Ellen von Unwerth. The new issue will feature 300 pages of glossy photographs with no ads. “I wanted the magazine to be about very ambitious, very strong women and so I started looking at people in my field — especially the photographers who are so incredible — but I started thinking that there are so few female photographers; so I worked with many female photographers,” Rubik said in her interview.

2010 Time's 100 Most Influential People

It's no surprise that the leader of the free world, my man, President Barack Obama was the opening shot of Time's 2010 100 most influential people in what dramatically is changing the world and how close, as the world becomes smaller and smaller with a fast-paced technology. Clearly, David Remnick, editor of the New Yorker and author of The Bridge: The Life and Rise of Barack Obama points it out simply about the man who made history and have influenced us that "we can" under any circumstances. Remnick writes;

"When Barack Obama was still in his 20s and ran for the presidency of the Harvard Law Review, he won not least because he was able to attract conservatives as well as liberals. His capacity to project a receptive political personality attracted students who, although they saw themselves as ideological opponents, thought they could get a fair hearing from him. That habit of mind, which Obama made so conspicuous in the 2008 campaign, came up hard against the realities of U.S. politics as they are lived in the furious here and the partisan now."

Time's 100 list in "the people who most affect our world" has people from all walks of life which is quite fascinating. The list includes "Bad Boy" Bill Clinton, J.T. Wang, Don Bloom, Didier Drogba, my girl Liya Kebede, Prince, Lady Gaga, Oprah Winfrey, Lea Michele, Elton John, David Chang, James Cameron, Zaha Hadid, Atul Gamande, Victor Pinchuk, Lee Kuan Yew, Deborah Gist, Lisa Jackson, Sonia Sotomayor; among others. Interestingly, social networking made the list which brings to the fore the powerful effect of Facebook, Twitter, Yahoo and all the numerous networking families.



David Remnick on President Barack Obama


Humanitarian and Rock icon Bono on Bad Boy Bill


Tom Ford on My girl, Liya Kebede


Phil Donahue on Oprah Winfrey


Ebel Harrell on soccer maestro Didier Drogba


Jeff Koons on Steve Jobs


Nate Silver on "Social Networking Influence Index"


Billie Jean King on Serena Williams


Robert De Niro on Ben Stiller's amazing charity work in Haiti


Tom Dascchle on Atul Gawande

The CFDA/Vogue Fashion Fund Awards Gala

On Monday night in New York, the CFDA/Vogue Fashion Fund had it's fifth annual gala, designer Alexander Wang took top honors (winning $200,000 and a year's worth of mentoring), and the fashionistas were out to celebrate it all.

Charlize Theron is definitely deserving of my top honors for the night, after making a chic arrival in black strapless Christian Dior Fall 2008 Couture with sequin draping and a sheer skirt. Loving the studded sandals too!

I almost spit out my Hot Toddy when I came across this picture. One moment I'm enjoying the lusciousness of Charlize in this dress and all of a sudden a mystery elf appears. So jarring! But no worries, punkins, it's just John Galliano (of Dior, darling) who was there as the keynote speaker of the event. Yes, he dresses like this all the time and no, that's no excuse.

Everyone's model of the moment, Agyness Deyn, showed up in a suit, hat, bra and ferocious red platforms by Alejandro Ingelmo.

Hot girl Chanel Iman chose a more masculine tailored suit from the Daughters by Obedient Sons Fall 2008 Collection. The black fur stole nicely completes her look.

Tennis goddess Maria Sharapova rocked a chocolate brown mini dress (that almost looks like a tennis dress) and strappy sandals.

Juliette Lewis shined in a belted, silver-sequined 3.1 Phillip Lim jumpsuit, which I would totally love to own. I'd wear it everywhere until it fell apart at the seams and then I'd turn it into the gayest throw pillow ever.

Jennifer Morrison (I don't know who she is either) chose a black and white Giambattista Valli Spring 2009 princess dress. Cute.

Aha! Blake Lively! I know her! But what praytell is she wearing? I'm disappointed. All the fabulous fashion at her fingertips and she chooses an unflattering Vena Cava Fall 2007 maxi dress. You live, you learn.



Fashion designer Tory Burch posed in a gold and black velvet YSL Fall 2008 dress and grey clutch. Hmmm, something here is not quite right. And I think it's the dress. It seems to be overshadowing her. Darling, never let a dress wear you!

Erin Fetherson wore a floral maxi dress from her own Fall 2008 collection. The boots are not working for me. Matter of fact, neither is the dress.

Hey Vera! Ms. Wang wore her signature bare face, a beautifully detailed dress and navy shrug. I like.


The loveable Diane von Furstenberg wore a sequined original from her own Fall 2008 collection, featuring a fun feathered hem.

Model Coco Rocha made her black Gucci Resort 2009 dress look even more ethnic by accessorizing with a gold turban.



Anna, Anna, Fabulous Anna, Anna Wintour, she's so outrageous! Here she is wearing a printed top and skirt from the Marni Spring 2009 collection. Nice tights. Her daughter, Bee Schaffer looks young and fresh in a Thakoon Spring 2009 frock and nude sandals.


Mr. Vogue himself, Andre Leon Talley, arrived in his signature ALT style. Would you expect anything less?

Model Doutzen Kroes wore one of Herve Leger's practically legendary banded dresses with a stunning necklace.

Liya Kebede looks beat. Yikes, what happened, boo?

Thanks RCFA for pics and links!

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PHOTO OP: Ethiopian Supermodel Liya Kebede

Ethiopia's supermodel Liya Kebede will be joining my girl Oluchi Onweagba, Naomi Campbell and Tyson Beckford in This Day's Africa Rising Festival on October 14, 2008 at the Royal Albert Hall in London. The show will feature a cast of models, designers and actors.

Luxe Links

Monica's back! With a one-hour reality special. Question: does anyone care? - The Maven Report

The rise of the fashion blogger: everyone's a critic - Harper's Bazaar

Kanye spotlights Russian model, Irina Sheik - Kanye West Blog

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Shop vintage eyewear at Nasty Gal - NastyGal

34 (more) reasons to wipe someone down tonight - AOL

Has Gossip Girl become Sex and the City for teens? - TVNZ

Gerren from Baldwin Hills reveals the ugly truth behind the obsession with beauty - MSNBC

Someone call Maury! Is Chris Brown the father? - Black Celeb Kids

Liya Kebede for Lanvin Fall/Winter 08 - Make Fetch Happen

Bianca "Check your thighs in the mirror. And I'm done!" Golden of ANTM is still causing drama. An airport brawl with Nikki Blonsky??? Just wow. - E Online!

Keri Hilson's new promo pics...hot - Concrete Loop

First Look! The Vogue Italia "Black Issue"

Excitement! The first photos from the upcoming "Black Issue" of Vogue Italia have arrived! The cover is actually a four-photo foldout, featuring model pros Liya Kebede and Naomi Campbell along with newbies Jourdan Dunn and Sessilee Lopez. Fire! The issue boasts 100 pages of brown beauty, including Alek Wek (hell yes), Alva Chin (classic), Gail O'Neil (oh so 80's), Iman (but of course, darling), Kiara Kabukuru (love her for Covergirl), Karen Alexander (yup gorgeous), Tyra Banks (duh), Veronica Webb (yay), Yasmin Warsame (sure why not), Pat Cleveland (legendary), Arlenis Sosa Pena (if you read the blog, you already knew), Chanel Iman (fierce) and Toccara Jones (woo hoo! score one for the full size models! you better work Toccara!). Hmm...where's Beverly Peele? Or Beverly Johnson? Let's hope they show up in there somewhere!

Sessilee Lopez

Chanel Iman

Liya Kebede

Naomi Campbell (I thought that was Kerry Washington for a moment!)

Sessilee Lopez

Tyra Banks

Okay, Steven Meisel is a genius. And Sessilee Lopez very clearly killed this shoot. She is absolutely stunning! No wonder she landed one of the coveted covers. The issue hits European newsstands next Thursday and will land in the U.S. very soon after. I'll let you know more details as they come in...can't wait!

Check out the N.Y. Times article on the much anticipated issue, here.

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Black is beautiful...

...but does it sell ad space? Vogue Italia will soon find out when it goes to print with its groundbreaking July 2008 issue, which was shot using all black models (read: Zero white models. In a fashion magazine. Yes, this is hard to grasp). Steven Meisel shot the entire issue, in hopes the move will encourage other magazines and designers to diversify. The main argument from designers who request "no ethnics" for runway shows and magazines who feature white models almost exclusively is that "black models don't sell."

So when asked why she decided to do this, editor-in-chief Franca Sozzani, said: "Because nobody is using black girls. I see so many beautiful girls and they were complaining that they are not used enough." Interestingly, Italian Vogue hasn't had a black model on its cover since 2002.

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Well, change is coming! Seventeen year old British ingenue, Jourdan Dunn, has landed the coveted coverspot. Somewhere Chanel Iman is crying bitter tears into her silk pillow. Don't fret my pet, you're still fab to me! Chanel will be featured inside along with Iman, Naomi, Liya and many other less well known models.

Iman had this to say about the issue: "I still don't like us (black models) to be a caricature. They'll think, 'Okay, we did it.' And then they're done with it, and we'll have to wait till next year." She added that in 2007 black models were "nonexistent" and she felt the fashion and beauty industries are out of touch. "When you see commercials and movies and every other form of art in terms of entertainment, you never have this conversation," she said. "So it is so outdated." She continued, "I can only say that one of the reasons is that models have never had unions, so there is no one to say, 'This isn't right.'"

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I'm all for this issue and will be eagerly scouring my local Borders for my copy, but it does feel a bit like stunt casting. Will Vogue Italia now feature black models on a more regular basis? Will this be the kick in the bum that the fashion world needs to get real diversity on the runways? I suppose only time will tell.

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