Photos: Christopher Hall Photography

1. The Stride

What you’re thinking: I’m on my way to werq, get out of my way — oh, look a camera — I’m giving — now I’m walking away.

What you’re doing: Walking slow enough to get in frame and making sure your legs are spread wide enough apart for a dynamic shot.

Photographed by Peter Lindbergh and styled by Nicoletta Santoro, the girl once named “Sexiest Woman Alive” by Esquire magazine dons sexy slips and lacy dresses to score a 9.9 on the “OMG she’s effin’ hot” scale. (Ten-point scale, of course.)

Link Love + Pics: FGR

[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.

Lookbooks is holding a New Faces event with an esteemed casting director this coming Thursday, February 3rd. If you think you’re ready for it, sign up on LookBooks New Faces or update your profile and include the following code “Ready for NYC Fashion Week.” under “My look is…“  We will review all submissions and notify you if you’ve been selected!

For this casting, the designers are looking for the following specifications:

Girls

Height: 5’9″

Bust 31″-34″

Waist 24″-25″

Hip 33-35″

Guys

Height: 6’0″ – 6’1″

Jacket 40R/L

Pants 32/34

Good luck to you!?

Photographed by Guy Aroch and styled by Karen Clarkson, Lowe looks wide-eyed and lovely on the March 2011 cover. Below are some highlights from her ASOS interview:

On growing up as the daughter of Pearl Lowe: “I was a kid, so my childhood wasn’t mental to me. You don’t question it, that was just what my life was like. But maybe it means that with the craziness [of modeling], I can always find the calm in the storm.”

On her desire to see curvier models in print: My dream is to see a lot more female shapes in ad campaigns when I look through magazines…my friend was working with Crystal Renn and said she thinks she’s only got a 38-inch hip. Karl Lagerfeld said he was going to embrace her womanly shape and then he just put her face on the ad campaign. Girls are starting to have tits in pictures, but I think it still needs to be about the curve… Real women have hips and an arse, yet loads of models in shows seem to have neither.”

On her style: “Most of my wardrobe is taken up by white floaty or long floral dresses. I like to dress like a fairy and a doll quite a lot, but I do like wearing black too. I don’t think I have a particular style, I think I go for a lot of different things.”

LINK LOVE: ASOS

“The first thing we look for really are healthy bodies, and energy. A lot of the fashion shows you see girls who can just walk and they’re just hangers with outfits hanging on them, but for Victoria’s Secret – it’s a show,” says Miltro.

Watch the ET exclusive of Victoria’s Secret casting below:

Victoria’s Secret Casting Video

Posted to New York Magazine on November 03, 2010

Click to Play | View Details

LINK LOVE:EXCLUSIVE // PHILIP FUSCO BY JON WHITNEY

Model: Tom Nicon
I browsed through Kai Z Feng's flickr few days ago and immediately knew I have to post this photo, but unfortunately now it comes with a very sad text. Tom Nicon passed away yesterday in Milano, circumstances are yet unclear. This is a sad day on the modeling scene, he was supposed to walk for top shows like Versace and Burberry in Milano.

Rest in peace Tom, you'll be missed.

Photo: kai z feng.

LINK LOVE:Tom Nicon

Check out more from Purple Lab here!

“Fashion is very black and white. It doesn’t pay attention to heritage much. They don’t see me as a Dominican girl. They just see the color of my skin. It can be hard, because it’s your heritage and you want to be appreciated for it, but it’s just modeling, so I don’t let it get to me.”

Thanks NY Mag!