Friday, June 3, 2011

NEW FACE ALERT!

A little story time before I introduce this next new face... A long time ago (2007) in a land far far away (West Coast=Best Coast), a couple of my friends in high school were scouted by the local branch (may it R.I.P) of Mode Models and naturally I was curious to see what exactly it was that they were doing. I really had no prior interest in fashion at all but after following the agency blog for a couple months, I was hooked. I admit, I love the "local boy/girl makes it big" kind of story and after seeing the success of locals like Darla Baker and Terron Wood (they were the originals!), I got sucked into following the industry as a whole. And while I will now follow just about any model that I think has it (that wonderful uniqueness no one can really describe), I've still got a soft spot for Mode, and it's been fun watching all-stars like Simon Nessman and Taylor Fuchs go from first polaroids to a grocery list of runways and campaigns.

As most of my readers have gathered, this blog tends to feature the XY. We're talking chromosomes here, people! Yes, this is on purpose. I first started blogging after joining a number of fashion communities and later noticing the lack of appreciation for the average male model. Thanks to Zoolander, the male model stereotype is mostly negative, and that corner- yes, corner- of the industry is just not appreciated the way it should be. Let's face it- there are tons of blogs and discussion threads devoted to salivating over naked male models, but there really aren't that many around that focus on the fashion, their roles in the industry, and what they are supposed to do: model clothes. I am all about bringing you the blue steel, but if you're looking for a monthly subscription to washboard abs, Men's Fitness has already got that covered. This blog is dedicated to the few, the proud, the model hommes (pardon my French) that make my Vogue ad experience so much more enjoyable.

So while the testosterone levels of this blog are pretty apparent, I am still a strong believer in affirmative action when it's deserved, and for this post at least, I've decided not to discriminate against the double X. My next new face is actually pretty well known to myself and the TFS community, and has been for the past few years. Another Mode discovery, she started out in her early teens as a flaming redhead, only recently morphing into the ice queen that she is now. And while we miss the ginge a lot, we cannot deny what her new look has done with her career. Newly signed with Trump (NY), Marilyn (Paris), and DCM (Korea), this Canadian is back from her first Tour de France and fresh off her debut runways in NYC and Paris. Luckily for us, strutting her stuff isn't the only thing that this girl can do. Based on her recent print work, she is definitely the one to watch. Excuse the yearbook nature of this post but you just have to see the transformation of this Madam-oisell-e Butterfly for yourself! Drumroll, please!

SAMANTHA YPMA
(image sources: Mode Models blog and TFS, courtesy of acester, xxfashion, papa_levante)

Still not convinced? You better get your eyes checked.

You know you love me!
xoxo ptowngal

Sunday, May 1, 2011

Modern Day Rip Van Winkle

Back from the dead! Did you miss me? It's been what- almost 2 and 1/2 years since I last posted? That's like 1923847 years when it comes to blogging... don't want to think about how many lifetimes that is in the fashion industry. Is it bad that I had to google my blog to find it? Apparently, 20 other blogs and Myspaces are now called Model Mentality, so I just hope that my readers haven't gotten lost in the meantime! For the record, I was the first!

How crazy is it that since I started this blog in 2008, "new faces" have become industry vets? Vladimir Ivanov- remember him? You can now see him steaming up all the hottest runways and flashing you his pearly whites in the Sisley S/S 2011 campaign with Ahmad "AJ" Abualrub and one of my female faves/fellow Oregonian, Darla Baker! Whattup, Ptown?

(image source: TFS, IAmLordZen)

Four years is a long time, and while I love to see all the fresh new faces, it's sad to see some of my favorites go. Let's just say that I have a lot of catching up to do, but don't worry- my eyes are still in working order. Just because I've been MIA doesn't mean that I haven't been looking! So coming soon to a computer or smartphone near you (this summer to be a little more precise): more new faces and more updates on the classics. Excited? You should be!

You know you love me!
xoxo ptowngal