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Meeting Lisa Haydon and Sonny Caberwel two Indian top models at DLD Conference

The world is getting bigger and more global thanks to Burda Publishing and the stylish DLD Conference. This year they invited two top models from India to speak about the ever changing and emerging fashion market. Sonny has started a purely western India based online ecommerce store for his brand SherSing with massive success as is only possible in countries such as India, China, Russia, and maybe the USA because of the size of the markets populations. Sonny has teamed up with Lisa for the women's line and both are catering to the new Indian international customers. They say they are able to compete on price and quality by harnessing India's manufacturing market plus the insight into their own international experiences. Being an Internet company in an emerging market is not easy as they need triple protection (T1 line, cable, dual up, and 3G) just in case someone plows into one of their connection as they can't afford to wait two weeks for someone to come and fix it. Being in a market such as India requires hands on micromanagement so the two stay rooted in Bombay and Mumbai with only short trips to NYC. They will keep their international style for the brand but always have a twist to on the inside of Indian culture to remind them of their roots as they jet into the global future. Go model power!

Modaface and other makeup iPhone apps

Amsterdam, The netherlands -- I have recently been experimenting and looking into women focused apps of which there are not many. The modaface apps, although the best I have tried for putting on makeup, was difficult to use and after several times trying. I can not say that it is something I would use on a regular basis. However, not because they don't build great apps, as I said, they were the best I tried so far, but because I don't think the augmented reality is yet there from a technical point of view.

For example, the base (foundation) that made my skin look better, was a lighter color than I could ever wear in real life, however from a photoshop perspective it made me look better in the photo. Also, there was no concealer to hit my spots (yes too many dairy products and Beijing pollution). However, in the make up app and the beauty app were nice to use for the eye shadow trials. This was the best feature of the app and the blush. The eyeliner was a disaster and the mascara did not match up very well. I thought the positioning poi's worked best, because with the makeup app by modaface, I had to hold my iPad too close and at a downward angle to have my eyes line up in the eye circles. Also, the most impressionable eye makeup was the darker colors. What made it interesting was to see WHERE to place the makeup colors. This was really the point that gave me value that could teach me how to do it on my own.

The hair trials were a total disaster as you can see because they kept the face shape of the superstar (and I question if they have permission to use those superstar photos) and of course there was no short red hair or long for me!

Overall I think virtual makeup and clothes have a long way to go, but for sure modaface is the best app I've seen so far keep my attention.

Look #1 of the Outlet App by Net-a-Porter

As we lean into 2012, with savings on our minds, I turn my thoughts more and more into the Chinese way of sharing and making money circulate, I see more and more places where brands could reward their fans with points through promoting the products that they love and stand behind to others who can use them. In China, affiliate word of mouth promotion is a great business model that keeps the money circulating. As my company business manager said to me, "I don't mind to make a little money but from many sources." The same principal was presented to me by my social media partner regarding blogging in China, when he said, "We have an automated tool that spits out a lot of blog posts across many blogs returning a few clicks from every page."

My plan for 2012 is to focus on affiliate fees as I have seen this working very well in China on sites like Douban. It is my recommendation to Sina Weibo and RenRen to charge a small percentage on each transactions for ecommerce but let the setup integration be seemless and free for verified users to connect their online stores to their Weibo (Chinese twitter) accounts. I suggest Twitter to copy cat China with photo montage and ecommerce, along with allowing me to become voluntarily verified.

I plan to bring greater connectivity between content and ecommerce and help influence marketing flourish in the growing age of the economics of free that we are moving into in 2012. I am preparing a manifesto on what needs to be done for women in tech.

Yes, it's happening again, I'm testing another Net-a-porte app. This one is cool too if it can be posted to my blog and have the items be connected to the real items and I could earn an affiliate fee as a promoter.

I've been Karlified in 2011

I've been Karlified. I admit it, after meeting with the digital girls from Net-a-Porter in London, I have to admit I was curious enough on my iPad to try out the Karl app. On the second day of Christmas I donned my shades and put on a Chrisp Karl shirt to wish you a Happy Holiday season.

Karl by Karl Lagerfeld is available exclusively at NET-A-PORTER.COM from January 25. Prepare for the release by Karlifying yourself.

Girls in TechCrunch

Beijing, China - TechCrunch Disrupt Beijing Event - Women in Tech Coverage
I recently had the pleasure of being invited to the TechCrunch Beijing event on October 31-November 1st. It was quite epic as the French decided to participate in their favorite pastime and strike at the airport. I waited a lovely 8 hours until my flight, having woken up at 5am with no alert that there was a strike. I arrived half way through with a big luggage to the event. Trying to hide it behind the reception, I quickly made my way into the hall to listen to the presentations half asleep.

I quickly woke up as I saw a stunningly beautiful woman on the stage interviewing one of the speakers named Sarah Lacy. Confident, savvy, and with a dark red lipstick with long hair, she announced that she had just had a baby and had none the less left her family to attend to the TechCrunch Disrupt event.

During the break, I went to say "Hi" to some of the speakers and as I was over in the press section I started to see other beautiful, savvy, women walking around with clipboards and official TechCrunch badges. I approached one of them only to find she was not at all fierce and intimidating but rather lovely, kind, and helpful. As I thanked her for their invitation, I also mentioned how excited I was to have so many fashion focused topics to write about for 360Fashion Network's tech section. It was a surprize as 360Fashion Network has been so long the lone duck in that sector. She smiled at me and said that I should talk to another beautiful, sexy, woman typing furriously at her laptop who manned the fashion news on TechCrunch.

My head started spinning, asking what was going on here--there seemed to be no men heading up the TechCrunch Beijing event--I was finally surrounded by beautiful, smart, techy women! So hats off to Mr. Arrington, who as baggy-eyed as he is from lack of sleep, bad diet, and surely the attacks he's gotten recently from the industry, for hiring such accomplished, successful, beautiful, smart, women to man up his portal and work within his organization. For this, he's done an great job--I can even find it in my heart to forgive him for calling me a clown on TechCrunch reviewing my Anina Dress Up Game and insulting my CMO for wearing an above the knee skirt (Go Arrington for painting a positive image for women and supporting them in such a crude way--sarcasm). So how does it come that he has had such a change of perspective, a revelation to hire so many wiked girls?

I'm really happy not to be alone and wish those beautiful women to come again soon to Beijing and meet the fantastic techy Chinese CEO's and entrepreneurs over here. I hope they will also be at Le Web this year to meet again. Thank you also for having so much great food for our tech portal with all the fashion focused start-ups! Bravo! Keep going!

Read the reviews of the event here.

Le Web Dec. 7-9th, 2011 SoLoMo Theme

This year has already proven to be a big year in Fashion and Technology, with all the young women pitchers at 500 Startups this year, TechCrunch Beijing featuring fashion apps and companies, I am excited to see what Le Web will present this year for fashion, women, and technology services. Not to be missed, get your ticket now.

A Model's Plight: Chasing Down Tearsheets

Getting new photos in a models' book is one of the most important things to the career and evolution of the fashion model. The book is like a CV, showing all the work experience and "level" of the model. Clients looking at the model's book can understand if this model is a working model, if she/he has enough experience to handle the job, and of course, what they look like on camera. 

Many times models travel to a country and stay for 3 months, and then return to their hometown or move on to another market, leaving their past agents to collect any photos/tearsheets that they maybe have done, but had not published during their time in that country. This can often be a nightmare as agents have a new batch of girls coming into the country and have already forgotten about the last model. As their business is on turnover, they are not concerned with "the last batch", unlike in markets such as Europe, where the models may return periodically, Asian markets often have the models leaving and not returning again. So the question is, how does the model manage to collect their tearsheets?

First, as a model, try to get as much information about the client, the name of the client, or photostudio as possible. We all know it's not professional to take the contact information of the client, photographer, etc and may make your agent mad if you do so--they may think that you will work with them directly. However, in markets such as Asia, I would recommend most definitly to get the telephone number/email of the assistant, photographer, or the photostudio, and then if your agent doesn't follow up, I most certainly contact them. For example, I have been chasing these photos here for 6 months because I knew the shooting was so successful and great photos. Asking my agent repeatedly, he got no results for whatever reason. I finally asked him to give me the contact of the client so that I could try. The client finally gave me 3 photos from the shooting for my book.

Persistance. The only way is to keep asking your agent. Keep it in their mind--they have so many girls to take care of you will need to send them a reminder. If this is not successful, then go for the client and write them a sweet note thanking them for the job and asking if you could receive any beautiful photos from the shooting. If they were to ever ask you to work with them directly, you can simply refer them back to your agent for any job booking. This way you avoid any conflicts and return the client to your agent for work matters and you still get the photos for your book.

Models Should Support Young Designers

(Models viewing the ESMOD Beijing Mobile Event Guide sponsored by 360Fashion at the Fitting)

Many times in my career when I started, I worked for free for this exhibition of that upcoming designer, or this editorial for that big photographer. As I progressed in my career I had less time due to bookings, and passed through a period where I was no longer doing free things for anything, that's called the money making period: when you are hot, you have to grab it all. Then you come to the top of the piramid and you are financially stable, with your clients, and booking less but for more money. This is the stage where it's time to start your next life projects and thinking, and to give back. Never forget the exposure that xyz designer/event/magazine/photographer gave to you when you started, and now it's time to lend your name to support with attention, contacts, and notoriety the next generation.

I know some models just want to go to they gym or laze around in the sunshine (never!) all day dreaming lazy dreams of beauty, but it is in these moment that I promise you we are actually thinking, planning, diving deep into the soul to know what we are to be doing. 

So it is with great pleasure and honor that I participated in the ESMOD Beijing graduate class of 2011 fashion show. Let me tell you! The quality of the designs were stunning. I have a few pieces that I would love to buy and I like all my outfits (of course since I"m the princiapal model I got my pick). The whole fitting was so super professional and many of my model friends from the New Silk Road Modelling School greeted me with "Anina!!!" and we instantly hugged (even though we cant really talk to eachother there's that model-bond). Sitting on my friend's lap I show her my photos I'd been snapping during the fitting of her and the other models. We laugh and she QQ Weibo's me and another girl Sina Weibo's me (there are so many social networks in China). I still cant write in Chinese....at least they can read my English.

It's fun the imagination of the graduating class's imagination. Some highlights to entice you to stay tuned. You can see the article written, but it's in Chinese. The fashion show was covered by the whole Chinese media as ESMOD is a very prestegious school from France. 360Fashion are the proud sponsor, with the ESMOD EVENT GUIDE MobileMags fashion app you can download from the gallery and check out all the designers directly in your mobile phone!

CREATE & INSPIRE at Lane Crawford Beijing

Attending events is an important part of modelling--being seen and seeing who's who. Yesterday in Beijing there was a big event for the launch of the new Bazaar ART magazine and everyone was there. Lane Crawford events are like going to a fashion, luxury Disney Land, where everything you want to dream up is possible. Even if you are not booked for the fashion shows it's great to find out what parties and events are happening because people from all over the country attend and you never know what interesting people you are going to meet. Open your mind, put on your heels, and have a reason to dress up! Don't stay too late otherwise you can't get up for your castings the next day, but do stick around to make some new friends. If you don't know who to talk to, just pick out the most fashionable bright people in the crowd and pay them a compliment on their outfit--ask them who is the designer, what they do, and how they like the event. You'll be snapping photos and making friends in no time!

Model Tip: Strutt your Stuff, Getting Ready for Fashion Week

It's getting to be fashion week in China and soon there will be so many casting and fittings and big competition between the Chinese models, the western models, and everyone else. Body size will be a major issue along with height and makeup. How to know what the designers want and how to get that job?

First, you need the perfect Casting Dress. It should be black and slim. If you hips are a bit bigger, wear a bra to increase your bust size and choose something with a slight A-Line.

Second, your makeup should emphasize your eyes but not be too heavy. Shadow with some brown or line it with some black, but make sure your features stand out with any spots covered up, dark circles whited out, and some gloss on your lips. If you have a round face, contour under your cheekbones with a slightly darker base or powder, if you have a long face soften it with some rose on your apple cheeks.

Third, she shoe is so important. It must be high high high. It must be black. It must be comfortable to walk in, it must give you support, and it must be fashion. No exceptions to the rule, you must make sure your shoe fits you Cinderella.

Fourth, cream for your hands, cream for your legs, cream for your hair, you should sparcle and shine. Don't forget to moisturize your feet, hands, lower legs, and thighs the night before your castings so that the skin is popping and smooth. Get a petticure, a manicure, and make sure you have rubbed off all that dead skin from your heels.

Fifth, relax and do some walking at home. If you have a mirror, great, if not get a friend to come and watch eachother. Feel what it feels to walk down the runway. When you are in the casting pretend you are on stage at the Chanel show in Paris. Cop an attitude they want to see power down the runway.

How technology can improve your wardrobe

How technology can improve your wardrobe.

"In 2005, when I introduced mobile blogging to the fashion industry, no one knew what I was talking about," says Beijing-based catwalk model, tech entrepreneur and founder of 360Fashion Network, Anina, who is known professionally only by her first name. "I was lucky to find people like [photographer] Sonny Vandevelde, [blogger] Diane Pernet and [designer company] Eley Kishimoto to agree to let me build them a blog and then convince them to blog from their mobile phones. Today, 13-year-old bloggers sit in the front rows and are the most influential people in fashion."

Anina and Zanita shooting for M/P Magazine in Sydney

I was so thrilled when I finally got to shoot with my blogger and model soulsister, Zanita. After following her for many months she finally had a moment to shoot with me and the photos turned out so magical. Here is my backstage story with videos where I share with you the full scenario, and here is the post about the shooting on Zanita's blog.

Model Tip: Take Advantage of Travel and Culture

It's really important when you are traveling as a model that you take
advantage on your time off of the local customs. Try to find out the
local free paper for expats where they show what's happening in and
around the city where you are working for the next 3 months. A lot of
models fall into the trap of partying all the time, because usually a
local club hosts a "model night" to attract wealthy business men and
fashion-wannabes to a club. They are making money off you at the same
time as giving you free drinks. I know it's fun and a way to socialize
with the other models who are on-stay. It's a common meeting point,
but it can also get you into trouble: drinking too much can lead you
to do things you regret the next day and can damage your reputation.
Along with smelling like alcohol and not feeling good on your castings
the next day. Try to keep it to a minimum. You have a great
opportunity to make money in that city--and you can party later or
when you are back at home.

Instead grab some of your roommates and get out to see the cultural
places where you are. Take advantage of the agency paying your ticket
and the fact you have a place to stay to experience something other
than the bottom of a glass of vodka and the inside of a club. Learn
something about the customs of the people and the culture where you
are staying.

It is now the end of the Chinese New Year and they always end it with
a Lantern festival at the Tienamen square. Should be great with
beautiful lanterns like these ones. There is also a Lantern exhibition
in the SanLiTun Village. I want to go to see the lanterns in the
square and experience for a minute what it feels like to be in the
minority and have another language. Try it! You will bring home some
special memories instead of just the normal stories that everyone can
tell you about models and modelling.

Model Fitting: How to fit it all in!

 

When you are on a fitting, it's the final frontiere: if the shoe fits, so to speak, you got the job. If it doesnt fit, you are not invited to the ball, Cinderella, and there are no mice or fairy godmother gonna wave you a pumpkin or dress in this case. So how to conduct yourself?

The fitting is when they are making the lineup and outfit choices, so fit is what is most important. Suck in that gut, tighten those buttocks, make sure you can walk smoothly in those heels because this is the last "casting" before you are confirmed. Make the dress fit. You know you can do it.

If the bust is too big, and the dress if falling off, INHAIL. Try to hold your breath and keep the dress up.First impressions last. If they like it, the dresser will come and make it tigher and pin you up, but make sure when you walk out, it looks like it fits for a few minutes until they decide they like you.

If the skirt is too tight, cross your legs when you stand so that the hip area is smaller and you dont have that vertical wrincle. Tighten your bum as much as you can, as this will lift your butt and make your legs slimmer. Hold in your stomach (if you have one).

When the designer is tugging at you, lift your arms out of the way so that he / she can pin you without problems. If they ask you any questions about the fit, answer them truethfully but size up the situation and feel the vibe of the designer.

A lot of a fitting is also the designer checking out if you match his style and vibe, so pay attention to the personality. If they are quiet, be quiet. If they are chatty, chat and be friendly.

Smile. You cant imagine how far a smile from a model who likes their job can get you. It brightens anyone's day during the fitting. When you are walking, wipe that smile off your face and be graceful.

Its a great relievf when you see them write your name on the posters that the designers put up with the collection order. It generally means you got the job! Even if the model is not yme ou in the photos because it's the fit model, I like to see my name written...anyway...If this girl had red hair she could almost be me! See more photos from the show on my Anina China blog.

Model Controll: What to do when they are going to destroy your body?

Your body is your way of making money and you have to keep your hair, nails, face, skin, shape in top condition if you want to be paid the big bucks. Destroy your hair? No hair jobs (and they pay those box covers!). Destroy your nails and forget about that editorial beauty shooting or that potential watch campaign! Get fat and forget about walking for any fashion shows, you've just upgraded to catalog model only--in the USA! Yes, your body is your temple, so what to do when you are on a fashion show and they are threatening to destroy your livelyhood with fake nails.

It recently happened to me that I was on a makeup artists fashion show and they had a nail artist there who proceeded to GLUE with superglue, the fake nails to every girls hands. I dont speak Chinese but I could tell from the supermodels faces and their tone of voice that they were all pissed off about it, so what to do in this situation? Be the sacrificial lamb or raise your voice?

Normally, the nail artist would do the following:

1. Use adhesive tape to stick down the nail. This is the normal, professional way to do it. And put them on after all the girls have dressed so that they do not fall off while getting changed.

2. Drop ONE small drop of glue on your nail and then press it down--this is not optimal but minimizes the damange. What the nail artist here was doing was FULLY COVERING the back of the fake nail and fully covering the real nail with a TON of glue as if they were going to stay on until the next milllenium. NO WAY.

Why was the glue method not good? Because it will be very hard to get off--you have to soak your nails in acetone for over an hour, and it will strip off the top layer of your nail leaving your nail looking uneaven and weakend to crack and break--not good for beauty shootings.

Model Goal: Getting into Photographer's Printed Books (Zack Image)

Photographers need to print books--I dont know why but believe me there's some editor somewhere who has their coffee table book on their coffee table. Some art directors somewhere have a bookshelf full of photographer's "portfolio's in print". I think it is because with a book photographers have the ultimate controll on the color saturations of their photos and can also go down in history and prove their manhood/womanhood or show to the world--I dont know--but they are nice to look at while you are waiting for the castings. For a model, you can believe me, you have just made history if you have the honor of getting your photo selected to be in a top photographer's book. They really only select the best of their best photos, so if it's you, girl you are boomin' and can show it to your children when you have them and say to yourself, "I have arrived to be timeless."

I am really honored to be included in Zack Image's book. He's one of Beijing's top photographers and it's really hard to get to shoot with him as he's really picky. I've only shot with him three times! Why? Because he only likes long hair. I managed in this photo to get away with being shot with my short hair, otherwise he always puts the long hair on me. I love going down in history and he even gave me a copy for my nostagic records.

Essential Model Gear: The Tall Tight Boots

Essential Model Gear: Suede Tall Tight Boot with rubber flat soles for walking and keeping your legs warm and fashionable.

So you are supposed to wear the shortest of black mini skirts and you are supposed to show your legs on the castings. You are supposed to wear the thinest stockings so as not to add any extra inch to your microscopic stick figure legs and you are supposed to walk around in sub-zero temperatures on casting--Riiiight! What planet do those bookers live on?

Your cold weather weapon is a very tight black over the knee (keep those joints warm for when you mature) boot with rubber soles having grip (dont slip on the ice for fashion sake). This will keep at least half of your legs warm, are easy to remove when you get to the casting place, have soles so you dont slip and break an ancle while rushing around town, and are slim--so if you do meet that famous photographer, casting director, magazine editor on the street you will keep your twiggie figure and they will be green with envey.

Model Tip: Dressing Up for Fashion Week 2011

These days you cant walk out of the Louvre or Sommerset House, or the Fiera without being snapped up by photographer--if you are lucky and if you have style. It used to be that models dressed all grunge to the backstage area and were quite anti-fashion. These days you almost have to look like you just walked off the catwalk in a couture dress. That's why I recommend wearing some type of hat if you dont want to freeze to death in a mini skirt or wear something with too many colors and layers. A sparkly hat can really make your whole low-key and functional backstage look spice up enough for the bloggers and the street-fashion backstage Japanese and Chinese photographers snap you up and put you on the web!

 

Bas Kosters Studio and Social Media

It's not every day that you get to work with an excellent, new, and upcoming designer like Bas Kosters. I'm really proud that he has trusted in the 360Fashion Network technologies and dived in to open his blog on 360Fashion, he LIVE!Streamed the backstage of his fashion show during the Amsterdam Fashion Week, he used our 360Fashion MobileMags technology during his Bijenkorf popup store on hang-tags with the QR code, and he is implementing the 360Fashion Facebook E-commerce solution. Bas Kosters has exploded onto the social and mobile scene with support for all these activities from Syntens.

You maybe wondering what it has done for him, all these new technologies?

First, none of these innovations were promoted by his PR agency. No press release, no traditional support from SpicePR at all. Actually, they were really quite in the dark about mobile, social, and skeptical about it--even going so far as to advise against it to him saying that he had to be careful about his branding. For an advanced PR company, they didn't really see the value in social media, mobile, or why Bas would want to be part of a network. Traditional company. So the numbers and figures that I will quote to you are really on their own merit.

The 360Fashion MobileMag was used by Bas Kosters Studio during his Bijenkorf popup store, where he printed on his hang-tags the QR code. The mag consisted of the PAR TEA collection overview with photos from the collection, his bio, and an overview, along with links to his website and a map where the Bijenkorf was located. They posted a notice on facebook and on their blog too. On the day of the opening of the pop up store, Bas Kosters Studio got 500 downloads. During the fashion week, when his show was broadcasting, Bas Kosters' 360Fashion MobileMag was listed on the LIVE!Streaming page and I also tweeted it. His total downloads are 1228 from 4 tweets #baskosters and linked on the LIVE!Streaming page.

About the LIVE!Streaming, 360Fashion created a branded page on our Facebook LIVE!Streaming application, where Bas Kosters could tag people, send out invitations, link to his twitter, sell items directly under the stream, and also people watching the stream could chat in real time. His facebook page Bas Kosters Studio, had only 72 people Liking it before the streaming started. The day before the show Bas Kosters guest were sent a notification that there would be the LIVE!Streaming. Again, with no communication other than his blog, twitter, a newsletter, and posting on his facebook page, 30 people watched the stream live, with a total of 405 people joining the page in less than 24 hours.

Facebook E-commerce is next so we are excited to launch that soon for him in the next days! All in all, for a medium small end brand to gain such traction in less than at 24 hour period shows potential in using these new interactive ways to engage customers in their handsets and online. It would be interesting to see what the numbers would be if his PR agency had been able to communicate to a larger audience and also international press. We will have to wait and see!

What is Chinese Luxury? Jade

Chinese luxury is really a big question at the moment, so I was surprised to go to Nanjing and find the largest selection of Jade owned by a brand named TRESOR. To the Chinese, Jade is as precious to the east as Diamonds are to the west. Although the ornate designs may be too complicated to the foreign taste, and the price high for them to understand because they do not have the history and emotional attachment around the stone that the Chinese have. It was explained to me that they have an attachment to it like Catholics have to the cross. It protects them and keeps them safe. Read more here and see some fab photos: http://china.360fashion.net/2011/01/10/what-is-chinese-luxury-jade/