Coco-Cola, The New York Times, Ford, Old Spice and, my personal favorite Captain Morgan, are a few of the companies that took advantage of Facebook’s brand timeline going live this morning. Some feature detailed histories going back decades and decades —  for instance, the front page of the Times from when Lincoln was shot in 1865  –  and some are just plain horse shit — who knew Old Spice was co-founded by a one-eyed Australian ninja leopard? Noted social media superstar Burberry, unsurprisingly, was also one of the brands to jump on the timeline bandwagon, as were super-retailers Macy’s and Walmart. Below, some highlights from their past.

Burberry's page starts with the company's founding in 1856 when it opened its first store in Basingstoke then hops to the early 20th century when Burberry laid the groundwork for its iconic trenchcoat and outfitted Arctic explorers and record-breaking aviators. Winding along, you'll discover a photo of gabardine ski suit form 1920, an ad campaign from the 30s, Audrey Hepburn kissing George Peppard in the rain -- both wearing Burberry trenches -- from 1961's Breakfast at Tiffany's, and video of Christopher Bailey wishing a very merry Christmas from 2009.

Rowland Hussey Macy opened his "fancy dry goods"  store in 1858 on 6th Avenue and 14th Street then in 1924 it became the "largest department store in the world."  Also that year, Macy's debuted its annual Thanksgiving Day Parade, originally known as the Macy's Christmas Parade, featuring animals from the Central Park Zoo. Giant helium balloons were added in 1927 and the spectacle was televised for the first time nationwide in 1948. In 1994, 136 years after its founding, Macy's became America's largest retailer, while still maintaining some of its "fancy" roots.

The first Walmart opened in Rogers, AZ in 1962, with its first "Discount City" opening two years later. Everything else is pretty much Snoozeville after that and there's not even any mention of when Walmart was bought out by Satan. I believe it was the early 80s. But did you know that Old Spice is directly responsible for the breaking of the sound barrier?

From Benjamin Kanarek Blog

I am sure you have all seen those adverts saying, “…become a top model…”.  Or “You can become a model in only 6 weeks…” etc.

I find it sad and pathetic that so many kids and parents fall for those solicitations.  I can only imagine how much money is tossed out the window by so many those hoping to become models via the Modeling Schools offering fame and fortune in the fashion business.

So for those of you reading this and hoping to become models, let me edify you to the reality of the business.

There is no school out there that can make you that promise and keep it.

Modeling Schools

To become a model the reality is the following:

If you are over 5?-9? or 1m 75 cm around 14-16 years of age or even younger.

Have a unique look that breaks with convention.

A classic conventional look that is really commercial.

Have been discovered by a credible model agency scout or recognized fashion photographer.

A fashion magazine editor has discovered you and sent you to one of the above agencies or other credible agencies in the major modeling centers.

Have been to see the credible model agencies around like Elite, Ford, Next, IMG, Marilyn, One Model Management, Folio, Select, Premier, Modelwerk, Viva, etc. and they have accepted you for their roster.

All modeling agencies worth their weight, will teach the models the necessary talent to survive in the business.  They will warn them against certain career pitfalls, who and what to avoid, teach them how to walk for runway work, as well as some of the more important aspects of posing and attitudes needed to approach a photo and video shoot. Of course there are other types of modeling that I have not mentioned, like hand, leg, body, extra work, glamor, erotic, people, lifestyle etc. modeling that falls under a very different category and doesn’t really require the above attributes.

Perhaps schools wishing to teach poise, posture, social graces, table manners, walking gracefully etc. should just advertise themselves as Charm Schools.  At least then those wishing to learn the above would be well informed. If none of the above situations apply, I suggest that you save your money and invest in other aspects of your capabilities and pass GO and save your $200.00. One day you might want to pass this on to those seeking your advice.

Comments are welcome

Modeling Schools

Harry Goodwins (Ford), Matthew Hitt (Wilhelmina), and Patrick O’Donnell (Models 1) mug playfully for this fantastically colorful spread for i-D Magazine, shot by Haruki Horikawa. The boys were styled by Mervyn Boriwondo, with makeup by Yoshitaka Miyazaki and hair by Gosia Byliniak.

Paint fight at the office later? I’m in.

Model castings are one of the most important parts of a fashion or beauty photography editorial or print advertising campaign.  Those of you having to have cast for a job probably understand how complicated the whole affair can be.

Casting protocol and logistics are changing all of the time and the necessity to see a model in the flesh so to speak is less important than most of you might think.

Highly evolved internet technology has changed the dynamic considerably. Access to information about the model and how she appears on screen, provides all of the decision makers a much wider gamut of information about her-him than ever before. If the pertinent information about the model is up to date, that information can be even better than a real on the spot casting. However, the responsibility falls on the model agency to provide the most up to date information on the models dimensions, hair color and cut, skin condition etc. so that the client can make an accurate assessment of the model they are casting.

Some of the questions we ask model agencies are what is her REAL shoe size, weight, height, hair color, length of hair and skin condition.  In most cases the agencies will be forthright and honest when confronted directly.  Don’t trust a comp card for the information, as it is already outdated when you get it. The model could have had a hair color change the night before your shoot for another clients needs and you will not be informed until she shows up, unless the agency is really on the case, this will rarely happen.  So you have been warned.

Real castings are often needed in the following cases.  The model has come in from another city or country and is available for a limited time only. The model is a new be and hasn’t any images at all or just a few snap shots. She has had a radical re-looking and nothing in her book represents her new look. It is a beauty capping and the skin is very important as the client wants to use minimal retouching. The client has honed down the preliminary casting to a few models and now wants to see the real deal (at their expense if the model is out of town). Once the model has been hired and need to do a pre-show fitting, as I have illustrated with a pre show Jean-Paul Gaultier model fitting.

If you are new to casting, get ready to be disappointed. In most cases, models are required to come to castings with little or no make-up and what you see in the flesh is nothing like what you saw when you scrutinized her on the web.  It is often as radical as night and day.

However, with the understanding of image usage and rendering in that chosen media, most good casting directors and photographers can see what the potential of the model is with all of the available information on the net which includes video, snap shots, tear sheets, skype conferencing calls etc. and in fact, many prefer to see how models are rendered in the format they will be exhibited in.

With new 3D technology coming to the forefront, virtual castings will become the norm and “real” castings will be done as part of the finalization process and for the fittings only.  In fact, fittings will eventually be done virtually as well, using outerwear templates to determine exact sizing and fitting parameters.

My recommendation is to compile as much info on the model as possible via the net and when convinced of your edited choice, than call in the choices for your finalization process.  This is a real time saver, unless of course you are casting for a speaking roll.  Now that is an entirely different subject. Or is it?

[Above: Crystal Renn]

1. Crystal Renn

Crystal Renn is leading the charge for plus-sized models. Renn, a size 8, posed for five major ad campaigns and seven French Vogue spreads last year alone.

2. Whitney Thompson

You may remember Whitney from America’s Next Top Model season 10 – she won the entire competition. Whitney went on to pose for Forever 21, Saks Fifth Avenue, People Magazine, Seventeen Magazine and a host of other fashion ads and editorials.

3. Marquita Pring

Marquita is a Ford girl who wears size 41-35-46. She’s been featured in Vogue, Vice, Tush, Harper’s Bazaar and Elle.

4. Kate Dillon

Ms. Dillon’s schoolmates dubbed her “Overweight Kate,” and the teasing took its toll. Kate became severely underweight though she won third place in Elite’s Look of the Year contest, earning the then-17-year-old a $75,000 contract. Kate’s malnourished and two-cigarette-pack-a-day lifestyle eventually made her fed up with modeling. She quit the business and moved back into her parent’s house. At the suggestion of a friend, Kate returned to modeling after a short break – this time as a plus-size model. She’s enjoyed modeling more ever since.

5. Gitte Lill

In addition to plus-size modeling, Gitte is also a dancer. The Norway-born beauty is backed by the Ford agency.

6. Natalie Laughlin

W magazine has hailed her as one of “the brightest stars,” and The Wall Street Journal writes that “people in the industry say the brown-eyed, 5-foot-9 model, size 12-to-14, is at the top of her game.” I can’t disagree. Natalie was featured as Liz Claiborne’s “Elizabeth” girl, and she’s earned the title of “Cindy Crawford of plus-size models” by some industry folks.

7. Alyona Osmanova

Alyona didn’t start out as a plus-size, but she was moved into the category. She’s earned a long list of career achievements, including walking for Marc Jacobs, Prada, Chanel and Givenchy. Alyona’s been featured in Vogue, Harper’s Bazaar, Elle, Dazed & Confused and a host of other top-tier magazines.

LINK LOVE:Alana Zimmer Off Duty (FORD NY)

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LINK LOVE:TOM FORD F/W 2010/11 LOOKBOOK

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Prada F/W 10/11 Ad Campaign by Steven Meisel – Preview 1

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Check out more photos of Francisco Lachowski here!

Over 6,000 entered, but Lea Groeseland, a fifteen-year-old from Oslo, Norway was named the winner of The V Magazine/FORD Model search, and appears in the September issue of V, looking gorgeous.  Shot by Hasse Nielsen, I wish I looked this good at fifteen!

The magazine hits stores and V Magazine.com on September 1st, be on the look out!