I used to feel that photoshop was not good in photos, but recently I've changed my tune slightly. You see, often these days photographers don't know how to really make light, so photoshop is their lighting tool. Who wants bad light? It would make anyone look ugly. Light is the key in a great photo to evoke emotions and paint the beauty of a person on film (or digital film). Just like Polaroid film or today's Instagram app, it softens the harsh lack of good light meters in mobile camera's. I think in some cases it makes the photo as we see it with our eye. Not in all cases of course, a lot of it is like oil painting to bring out the fantasy. Yet thank gosh for that magic photoshop cream--it certainly makes me feel beautiful and good about myself image....or that fabulous Instagram app.
It's always a great feeling when a client contacts you saying that you have been recommended for the job. Meili recently has put together a team of people who are performing top level work. Finding a stylist in Beijing is a challenge with an international eye so it was a great pleasure to work with Meili (http://www.meilistyle.com) and see her bring up the brand to a new level. It was also great to finally work with Chique. It's also great when a client tells you that they will be happy to use you again. All in all a perfect day!
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!
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.
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!
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.
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.
So what I tried to do was show BOTH perspectives LIVE!Streming on our facebook application and it turned out pretty well I have to say, Thank you to Yun Chen who is long time 360FAshion members and helped out the cause.
Hempworks Fashion shows are always crazy and for a good cause. Makes sense because they are an eco fashion company producing eco clothing--and their hemp farm is in rural China where they farm the hemp, process it, and manufacture the clothing on an organic farm. Amazing isn't it?
Sea Shepherd is a group of x-Greenpeace activists who became too extreme for the organization and were kicked out because they took a more "active" approach to stopping the destruction of the planet. Now they have their own television show on a Animal Planet TV Channel called, "Whale Wars". What they do is go to the Arctic circuit with huge ships and try to stop the Japanese whale harpooning that is going on illegally. The Japanese kill about 10-30 whales per year by harpooning them to death, and then they put them on a processing ship and take the whale oil and toss the rest in the ocean--such a waste and as you know, whales are endangered species.
Little did I know when I said "Yes, count me in!" to the Hempworks team as they are 360Fashion members since a long time, how famous this organization was and how well known. Before I left for China, my new roomate happens to mention that his favorite show is Sea Shepherd, and then proceeded to show me how they use naval tactics to disturb the Japanese harpooner. their idea is to run them out of business and bankrupt them by keeping them from doing the farming of the whales.
I certainly didn't mind hanging out with the Sea Shepherd Captain, Paul Watson, and the rest of the crew for a good cause. Not to mention the Sea Shepherd / Hempworks clothing is really top quality and so hot!
What I love about working with Hempworks is that they totally GET my Anina.net story. They specifically REQUEST me to walk down the runway with my phone and film and live stream. It means a lot to me, and no wonder they are members of 360Fashion since a long time. Check out the HoodlambMobile Catalog here and the rest of the footage of the show on their blog.
There is a final story to this whole post, which is that 2 Sea Shepherd jackets would not arrive in time, so as they are made in China from their organic farm, they had them sent to my office. The jackets were so heavy that I would have had to pay insane amount in overweight! So I had to take them out of my luggage, put one inside the other and wear them sweltering to death the whole Beijing, Moscow, Amsterdam flight. Only on the Moscow to Amsterdam was I glad I had them cuz the heating didn't work so I was all snuggly warm for some hours. But MAN to 2 jackets weigh a TON!
Many thanks to my friend Alec who got me to the venue on time cuz boy was I tired!
ps he's a world renowned photographer in the "hemp" world.
Before Shooting Frankie asked Li Tzi to to sign his portrait that he shot of him. The thing is that most Chinese characters are compact and small, not big and bravado like French or English handwriting.
So Frankie was asking (what I understood in the universal hand gestures and signs) was that Li Tzi make his signature a bit bigger and more artistic. It was just not really perfect so we all had a big laugh out loud when Frankie knelt down and did a bit of manual artistic retouching himself!
I guess Li Tzi is going to have to get a bit more westernized and learn to write his signature with more GUSTO! Artists have an eye and this is just one more way that the Chinese culture is shifting!
The Australian Fashion Exchange is ramping up with the NSW Government to help young designers build better businesses. I caught up with them at the press conference. If you are around during fashion week be sure to check out Dan Jones at the MCA showrooms!
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