50 of Our Favorite Foreign Models

Edited by Lester Brathwaite

Although we love our homegrown beauties, most catwalkers come sailing through from Eastern Europe, various parts in Africa and of course, Brazil. So in celebration of our “Travel” month, we’re taking a trek around the globe to visit our favorite foreign models.

Vogue China Takes it to the Street

Edited by Megan Turley

Lachlan Bailey’s street style editorial for Vogue China, entitled “Handsome Girl,” features a rough-and-tumble Tao Okamoto sporting a tousled bob by hair stylist Rudi Lewis and a vibrant red lip (we’re all about the red lip at FashionIndie) by Sally Branka.

Four American Photographers We Can’t Get Enough Of

Edited by Amanda Gabriele

In this month of Americana, we want to celebrate everything in fashion, art and design coming out of our great country. And what would the American fashion industry be like without photographers? They bring fashion alive, setting the mood wished to be evoked by designers, editors and marketing teams everywhere. Here we will celebrate four American photographers to learn more about them and see some of their work.

Tao Okamoto is a Colorful Desert Rose for Bergdorf Goodman

Edited by Amanda Gabriele

On rainy Wednesdays like this one, bright colors and dreams of warmer weather help us get through the day. Like Tao Okamoto, who stands alone in the desert wearing bold yellows, blues and rainbow stripes for the Bergdorf Goodman Spring Collections 2011 Magazine, everyone wants a piece of the brilliant pigment pie this season. Photographed by Cédric Buchet, Okamoto lends her edgy looks to Prada, Jil Sander, Diane von Furstenberg and more, creating the most covetable ensembles for spring.

The Opium Den Scene Revived in “China Girls” for Interview Magazine [NSFW]

Edited by Amanda Gabriele

Fans, cigarettes and erotic female behavior has a special place in the March 2011 issue of Interview Magazine. Karl Templer styled models Tao Okamoto, Querelle Jansen, Kristina Salinovic, Sun Feifei, Crystal Renn and Dinara Chetyrova with body harnesses, obi belts, breast-skimming earrings and silk pantsuits for the spread “China Girls”. Dresses from the likes of Louis Vuitton and Versace glammed-up the ladies along with finger waves and eyes adorned with heavy and exaggerated makeup. Shot by Mert & Marcus, this sexy opium den scene is magazine editorial at its finest.

What Did Nordstrom Do To This Model’s Waist?

Edited by The Fashion Web

What do these two models have in common, aside from a waist whittled to alien-like proportions?

They’re both modeling Ralph Lauren, natch!

In case you need a refresher, the woman on the right is Filippa Hamilton, former Ralph Lauren muse and model who was photoshopped within an inch of her life for the brand’s ad campaign in 2009. Hamilton later told The Today Show she’d been fired for being too fat.

The woman on the left, however, is Tao Okamoto, who is modeling what just so happens to be a Ralph Lauren Black Label Polo for Nordstrom.com.

We’re not saying there’s a connection. We’re just saying.

Anyway, we can’t figure out why brands, retailers, and magazines continue to airbrush their models so egregiously — and always in the same Gumby-waisted way. Jezebel has some photos of what Okamoto looks like with her real-life anatomy in place, which is to say: slim, like a model, but also human.

via Jezebel.com

SPREAD: ‘Poster Child’ featuring Daisy Lowe for V Magazine Summer Issue [@vmagazine]

Edited by Annabelle Cheesecake, Parisian Princess

Daisy Lowe, Lea Groesland and Tao Okamoto get copy and pasted all over the Paris in this visually engaging spread for V Magazine. Photographed by Glen Luchford, the shots give a good dose of sex and totally remind us of the work of currently imprisoned subway artists, Poster Boy. Wonder if this is just a tribute to his work?

SPREAD: ‘Nipples for Nars’ for Vogue Paris Oct 09

Edited by FashionIndie

I think it’s actually called ‘Débauche de Pigments’ but close enough.

Tao Okamoto Lands Ralph Lauren

Edited by Rebecca Alexander

Japanese model Tao Okamoto has recently landed the Ralph Lauren fall campaign, a teaser (above) appeared in WWD earlier this week.