Kristen Mcmenamy on body image

At first, I wanted to write something similar myself, but then came across this story from Love magazine and thought that hearing it from Kristen Mcmenamy a supermodel, a true legend, would make the message more powerful and even more meaningful.

The body you're given, the mind you're given, the morality and hang ups you're given, they're yours. Deal with it. That's the way it is - that's what you realise when you get older. You think "one day I'll be this, one day I'll be a Buddha Zen and I'll weigh five pounds less..." and then it doesn't happen. One day never comes and you realise you're getting older and you think "God, OK, accept, accept!"

I have to say though, I like my body more than my face. I never liked my face, it was always not right. Sometimes it looks good in a picture.

We're all the same. I can have a fat month and I can feel totally horrible in my skinny jeans, then the next month I can be four pounds less and I'll feel great. I think all women have that, and it's just that your body fluctuates.

You see a picture of a model and you think it's static, you think that's the way that person always is, but it's not true. You have fat days too! I hate the fat days! No! It's not good. I know people will hate me saying that - I'm a model - but the way you feel in your mind is the same. In your head it's a fat day.

And I look at people who are curvy and I'm crazy with jealousy over them.

The truth is that even I'm fooled by magazines. I look at Heat or something like that and I think "they're all so gorgeous, they have perfect wardrobes and perfect bodies and blah, blah, blah!" And here I am a model! I still fall for it. I put down Heat and I hate my face. So if I can be fooled, every one can be fooled.

 

Photo source: Vogue Italy September 2009

Vogue US November 1993

Have been saving this to match the weather and seasonality.

Photo source: Vogue US November 1993

Versace: campaigns and stories

“Versace is a religion”

Santo Versace

Tell me, honestly, if you were a little bit surprised to see that this fashion week’s dedicated to Versace. Trust me, I had my reasons. The main one being my sincere wish to tell you a story about real Gianni Versace, a talented designer who made an incredible impact on the world of fashion and changed it forever. There will be no gossiping and the word “vulgar” is not going to be used. This week will be filled with passion, sensuality, beauty and art created by people who were and are truly fashioned by love.

I’ll begin with a few images from Fall 1995 campaign featuring amazing Kristen McMenamy shot by Richard Avedon and stunning black-and-white El Mirage photos from Fall 1990 photographed by Herb Ritts, both produced by Donatella Versace.

When it came to advertising Gianni Versace was famous for his campaigns that were often made to look like editorials rather than advertising. From the very beginning he wanted the best, most creative, extravagant, sensual and fun campaigns the company could only afford. The shoots often lasted for up to 10 days and involved dozens of people.

The budget was limitless. Photographers, the best of their kind, so exclusive that many magazines couldn’t even afford them required the best set designers, make-up artists and hairdressers.

And, of course, the supermodels. Linda, Naomi, Christy, Kristen, Cindy and Helena, just to name a few were gracing the covers and pages of the top fashion publications making Versace clothes even more desirable. By mid-1990s Versace bought about 3000 pages of magazine advertising a year.

Photo source: Versace Couture Campaign Fall 1995, Versace El Mirage Campaign Fall 1990