Models of the Runway looks kind of amazing.

Models of the Runway is the new spinoff from Project Runway, essentially a behind-the-scenes look at the model drama that is usually excluded from the PR edit. A new trailer for the show, however, shows it is going to be much, much better than you might think.




It's like America's Next Top Model, except with no Tyra Banks and with more focus on the clothes.

Oh the Irony...

images courtesy of Politico.com

As anyone who watched the Senate Judiciary Committee's confirmation hearings for Judge Sotomayor will be well aware, Senator Pete Sessions is no doubt one of the most conservative, and in my opinion, rude members of the committee. As a relatively seasoned senator, he serves as the ranking member (highest ranking minority member) of the Judiciary Committee and has advocated against the use of earmarks in federal legislation.

Fast forward to today. Apparently Senator Sessions arranged for a $1.6 million earmark to benefit a blimpmaking company in Illinois. Moreover, this company has admitted to having no real experience making blimps. Hmmm how much did that CEO give to Sessions' campaign?

The classics go couture

I'll be the first to admit I judge books by their covers. I will pore through the versions at bookstores, find the prettiest copy on Amazon, and even dole out extra dollars just to get the copy of One Hundred Years of Solitude with the most gorgeous tropical-like cover.
So I was psyched to find out that fashion illustrator Ruben Toldeo was designing book covers for three pieces of classic literature: Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice, Emily Bronte's Wuthering Heights, and Nathaniel Hawthorne's The Scarlet Letter. The artist told NYLON magazine that he had never read any of the books before, but was excited to have an excuse to sit down and read them. And the results came out great. Pride and Prejudice features Elizabeth Bennett rejecting Mr. Darcy, but his foot is tellingly on her petticoat as she walks away. Wuthering Heights has a desperate, windswept Catherine Earnshaw wandering the Yorkshire moors of the story. And the herione of The Scarlet Letter gets a technicolor makeover, holding her illigetimate daughter Pearl and with strands from her scarlet letter clinging to her arm.
The fashionable new books will be released August 25, and is available for preorder.

Marc Jacobs goes 80's for fall campaign

Perhaps, Marc Jacobs, it is time to reinvent your ads.

Ads are obviously one of the most important parts of the fashion industry, as what good is sewing up all those clothes if no one knows they exists. They also take another meaning, as many designers shoot their advertisements almost like a fashion editorial, and Jacobs is notorious for that.

In fact, they have all been in the same spirit, coming across as just an extension of the world's longest editorial. His Fall '09 ads are no exception. They were shot by Juergen Teller, and featured his overexposed style of photography. The only exception this year is that they are slightly more raunchy than years past, citing drunken models in the meatpacking district, pantless models, and a general trashy 80's party girl vibe.

Still, his collection is bound to fly off the shelves because, well, he's Marc Jacobs.

see more of the campaign here

(500) Days of Summer Songs

Love is not only in the air for wizards this summer. Indie-rock-lovers may also find themselves falling for the amazing soundtrack in the postmodern romance film (500) Days of Summer. The film stars Joseph Gordon-Levitt as Tom, a romantic who finds himself falling for the titular Summer (Zooey Deschanel) over a soundtrack of indie music. The movie covers the 500 days of their turbulent relationship.

Tom falls in love with Summer at first sight, but them sharing musical interests is what really seals the deal for him. Summer is his indie darling, who sings Nancy Sinatra's "Sugar Town" at an office karaoke party, and he's not going to let a little thing like her not loving him get in the way of their fate together. Music obviously plays a huge role in their relationship. Co-writer Scott Neustadter says "There's always a soundtrack to any relationship. When you're falling in or falling out of love...you listen to a lot of music."

The film features the likes of Regina Spektor, The Smiths, Feist, She & Him (Deschanel's duo with M.Ward), and even French first lady Carla Bruni. The film, a described "pop song in movie form," is obviously a must-see for fans of both indie music and quirky relationships.

Failure of White America

Once again the citizens of the United States have failed to live up to the ideals of our founders. Acclaimed African-American scholar Henry Louis Gates, Jr. received the very opposite of a warm welcome upon returning from a trip to China last week. The director of the W.E.B. DuBois Institute for African and African-American Research at Harvard University, Gates was arrested within his own home for allegations of 'disorderly conduct.' A Cambride, MA police officer took Gates into custody after arriving at the house and finding him in the foyer. He had arrived at the premesis after a neighbor reported a break in at the home. Given Gates stature in the African-American and scholarly community, many are up in arms over his arrest and the use of racial profiling used by the officer. Whats more, the Cambridge police department issued a statement noting that the arrest was ''regretable''. In closing, Gates was quoted as noting,''The only black people that truly live in a post-racial world in America all live in a very nice house on 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue.''

more information can be found online here.

image credit of Harvard University Online

Alice in Wonderland Teaser Trailer released!

The teaser trailer for Tim Burton's 2010 film Alice in Wonderland has been released/leaked, and IGN has it for your viewing pleasure.

Check it out:

The Failure of American Values

Yes, I know this title is a little extreme. I also realize that this entry could not possibly be more boring to some of you given the entertainment stories below. However, I feel that this viewpoint must be shared. I wrote this essay because I identified with the message on a deep level. It remains my hope to send a possibly edited version out to see if it can be published as an editorial.

Okay here it is....

The Failure of American Values

Since the dawn of popular culture a teenage boy’s eighteenth birthday has been idolized as the entrance into the exclusive club of adulthood. Focused on enjoying the newfound freedoms that this anniversary brings, most don’t realize their new responsibilities as a legal adult until several weeks later. At least this was the case for me. Approximately one or two weeks following my eighteenth birthday last spring I came across a statute that, at first, I could not believe was even true. This regulation, that, upon turning eighteen each male in the United States is still required to register with the Selective Service, has shocked many of my classmates as we prepare for our senior year in high school. In our collective mind, the Selective Service remains a stagnant reminder of the horrors of war and the rebellions of draft riots and card-burnings. Having symbolically “abolished” the draft after the Vietnam War, it appears as only a logical course of action that the United States government proceed to disband the Selective Service, a bureaucracy that costs the American taxpayers over $20 million last year alone. In consideration of this fundamental question I have delved into the current anti-war and draft-opposition movement. This is what I have found.

Far more than simply a bureaucracy focused on preparations for conscription, the Selective Service, as an extension of the United States government, is able to deny rights to U.S. citizens based on registration. For one, failure to register with the Selective Service prevents young men from completing the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) forms. While to some the completion or failure to complete these forms may appear insignificant, they are used by most U.S. colleges and universities to assess student need in the college application process and, for some, directly affect the amount of aid given. For students without the financial means to pay for college independently, this form may directly prevent matriculation at certain expensive schools. Secondly, failure to register with the Selective Service prevents one from ever receiving a federal job. In a world where the U.S. government is seeking to solve countless problems such as the increase in global terrorism, health care reform, climate change, and economic recession should the Selective Service really be acting to discourage any individual from public service if they indeed feel morally opposed to registration for a possible draft?

Aside from the limitations on one’s personal liberties enacted upon refusal to register are the overwhelming differences in a draft today as opposed to the drafts held previously. Since the last induction of an American soldier due to conscription was completed on June 30, 1973, the Military Selective Service Act has dramatically changed for the worse. In the eras of World War II, Korea and Vietnam, a young man pursuing a full-time education was commonly granted a deferment to finish his schooling. Under today’s legislation however, a full-time student would only be given an exemption from the draft until his high school graduation, at which point he would be legally required to arrive for service. Additionally, a full-time college student drafted under today’s laws would only be able to defer conscription until the end of the current semester. Therefore, a college student pursuing his own education and trying to better himself and the world around him would be forcibly removed from academic pursuits and forced into a situation where death and violence would await him.

photos from google, photo art by ks

After such unnerving regulations have been widely publicized, some may wonder the extent to which this “politically apathetic” generation is resisting registration. In fact, since the “abolition” of the effective draft and the beginning of record-keeping of violators of the Military Selective Service Act for registration noncompliance in 1980, three million Americans have defied the United States government by refusing to give their contact information to the Selective Service. In response to this blatant refusal, the Selective Service passed these names on to the U.S. Department of Justice for pursuit. Indeed, the names of these eighteen year-old boys have, in fact, been given to the same executive department presided over by the Attorney General, Eric Holden. However, in a move that may even be considered civil protest, the Department of Justice has only prosecuted thirteen individuals in the past 29 years. Countless websites have also sprung up in constant encouragement of newly “of age” draft resisters. These sites include www.draftresistance.org and www.hasbrouck.org, two sources of information for this piece.

All in all, countless teenagers are struggling to prevent an oppressive bureaucracy from effectively taking control of their lives in the event of a possible draft and forcing them to commit acts previously seen as unspeakable. While the establishment of a new draft is seen by some as improbable, I must remind the public that the United States is currently fighting a global war against terrorism in two countries with over 100,000 soldiers while rogue states like Iran and North Korea continue to vie for international attention. In the event of an upheaval in either of these countries, or even the outbreak of hostilities in a seemingly docile nation on the horizon, how would the U.S. sustain current troop levels given the continued failure of American youth to meet recruitment quotas? Is President Obama really against a possible draft given his advocacy for mandatory civilian service? Why would you commit your son, your grandson, or your nephew to a possible draft? Why would you force them to diminish the memory of those dedicated individuals who gave their lives for their country voluntarily, choosing to put their life on the line for the safety of us all? In the end, we must all ask ourselves why, if the draft is such a distinct impossibility, every eighteen year-old American male is still forced to sign away his own morals and virtues by registering with an institution whose sole purpose is the preparation for a new conscription? We must, as conscientious American citizens, take decisive action to prevent forever the even remote possibility of another draft, of another war, of another irreparable damage to American solidarity and patriotism.

The New Project Runway

Or is it? Image courtesy of Entertainment Weekly
I'm going to be honest: this August 20th will be the first time I have ever watched the Lifetime channel on television. Yes, I have resisted turning on the made-for-tv movies starring Rob Pattinson's latest fling and whatever else the femme-friendly channel airs. But that is all about to change, as the premiere of the updated Project Runway, switching homes from Bravo to Lifetime, airs.
Heidi Klum, the gorgeous supermodel host of Runway, told Entertainment Weekly that she imagined that the new sunny location of the reality series (Los Angeles, in fact) would be only the first of many changes to the show. However, "I was shocked," she said. "It was déjà vu. I was looking forward to different scenery, but everything was the same!" Runway has basically disappeared off air for more than a year, due to the legal battle over the show's status between the Weinstein Company (which owns a majority of the show), NBC Universal (parent company to Bravo), and Lifetime, which bought the rights to air Runway seasons six through ten. In fact, the shooting of season six was more or less complete by the time the legal dispute came to an end, and resulted in a blowout of advertising for the less-than-popular channel of both Runway and its new spinoff (no, not the god-awful The Fashion Show). This year, Runway will be airing alongside Models of the Runway, a behind-the-scenes look at PR's typically ignored yet all-important models.
So what's new for Project Runway? First, its new Los Angeles location will add some sunny glam to the show's energy, perhaps refreshing its typical Manhattan vibe. The show will also feature more celebrity judges, including Lindsey Lohan and Eva Longoria Parker. The sponsors have switched up: no more TREsemme, bluefly.com, or Elle magazine! Instead, Garnier takes over hair, Macy's donates the accessories, and fabulous judge Nina Garcia's new magazine employer, Marie Claire, will feature the winning designer/model team. In addition, the winning prize will be 100,000 dollars to start their own line and an all-expenses paid trip to the fashion capital of the world, Paris.
But don't worry: there's a Mood Fabrics in Los Angeles, too.
Meet the new designers here, or check out what is sure to the awesome All-Star Challenge here. Or, watch a preview of the upcoming Project Runway/Models of the Runway here.

Who got snubbed for this year's Emmys?

I'll give you a hint: January Jones did. Image courtesy of AMC.

Emmy nominations were released on Thursday, and there were quite a few snubs.

First and foremost, the "Best Performance by an Actress in a Television Series - Drama" Golden Globe winner Anna Paquin was completely ignored. In fact, her show, True Blood, was more or less ignored in every major category despite the show's enormous and unexpected recent success, scraping up noms in "Outstanding Art Direction For A Single-Camera Series," "Outstanding Casting for a Drama Series," and "Outstanding Main Title Design."

Jeremy Piven, who has previously won three Emmys for his role on HBO's Entourage, was ignored by the Academy of the Television Arts and Sciences. Shows like Battlestar Galactica, ER, and The Shield, previously critical darlings of the television world, were wrapped up this year and thus 'forgotten' when it came time to nominate.

Keifer Sutherland of 24 was also forgotten, despite usually being nominated (however, he was nominated for his role in the special 24: Redemption); Mad Men's January Jones was also epically ignored, especially so in the light that, according NYmag.com's Vulture blog, "pretty much owned that shows second season."

Emma Watson: A New Kind of Starlet?

You have to admit Emma Watson, of Harry Potter fame, has grown up quite nicely. Even if the fact that she's probably prettier than her character Hermione is supposed to be hasn't stopped her from doing something very important: being classy.

Oh yes, the word 'starlet' brings up thoughts of people like Lindsay Lohan, Miley Cyrus, Kristen Stewart; all girls who have grown up in the Hollywood industry and turned out not-so-clean. Kristen Stewart had caused gossip with her psuedo-lover and Twilight costar, Rob Pattison, while simuteaniously drooping in Converses at red-carpet premieres and looking like she wants to bang her head on the wall. Miley Cyrus has already been in multiple photo-scandals: from her sexual DIY pics or her slightly-incestual Vanity Fair shoot. And Lindsay, do we even need to say?

No, Emma has grown up different; better. She's intelligent, has expressed the desire to attend college (Brown, preferably), and she's fashionable. Fashionable to garner the respect of brands like Burberry, who have already snagged this girl to be their model. She's done couture-like photoshoots for Teen Vogue, recieved the admiration from the fashion king himself, Karl Lagerfield, and she shows up at premieres always in something slightly daring but still chic at the same time. As the Fug Girls say, "It’s clear that she’s torn a page out of The [Natalie] Portman Handbook for Being a Movie Star Without Acting Like an Ass." Even with a slight wardrobe malfunction at the Half-Blood Prince London premiere, she stayed classy.

Shakira: Vampires are SO over.

Vampires may be holding the market in television and cinema, but Shakira has resurfaced to tell us that werewolves and shapeshifters are the next big thing.

Shakira's last single was, undeniably, "Hips Don't Lie," featuring Wyclef Jean, and that was in the summer of 2005. Four years later, the Columbian bombshell has released her new single, titled "She Wolf," about a secret shapeshifter dying to change into her more wild form.

The song marks a dramatic change from her usually Latino-based pop, instead heading in the direction of a space-age, French neo-disco, pulsating dance anthem crowned with, yes, howls. Another dramatic change we can see is in Shakira herself. Her last albums had her in her full, natural curls, whereas her photoshoot for this single shows a more Americanized version of the usually organic Shakira.

The Spanish version, called "Loba," has been out for a while now, but the English version has debuted this week.

Listen to the single "She Wolf/Loba" on Shakira's Myspace page