Whoa, a post NOT about Christian Siriano?  What’s come over me? 

Oh, yeah, that’s right - Another obsession:  America’s Next Top Model.  This is one of the rare shows I watch that I wish were on two - three times a week.  Then again, I loves, loves, loves Tyra Banks, so if she’s on board, I’m on board.

This is the first season, though, that I’ve seen so many kind of unfortunate makeovers. I say kind of unfortunate instead of bad because the girls are still beautiful - I just think they were even more beautiful before the hair color and scissors.  

Take Anya (above), for example.  She’s still a beautiful model and, personally, I think she has become one of the front runners.  But, I think she was positively striking as a brunette.  On the last episode, when Nigel Barker was photographing her, however, she was working an amazing Marilyn Monroe thing that worked beautifully, though!  When she’s wearing lipstick and eyeshadow, I admit the blonde hair looks gorgeous on her.

I loved her reaction when she was told she’d be nude.  Most girls freak at that point but she was like, “Oh, wow! Cool.”  Love that.  I’m always kind of annoyed when girls panic over the issue - I mean, if they’ve ever watched the show, they know it’s a distinct possibility.  Don’t become a contestant if you don’t want your ta tas to be seen.

Another girl I thought was MUCH better before was Claire (right), who I adore by the way.  I love this girl’s spirit, her face, her walk, her style, her personality (though I think she pushed things with Dominique - sure she can get under your skin, but only if you let her), and her love for her family.  Look at her mouth the next time the show’s on.  If it’s not the most gorgeous mouth ever to be worn by a model, it’s definitely in the top three.  She has the face to pull of the incredibly short hair, but I don’t know why they made her a blonde.  She’s still gorgeous, though.

And then there’s Dominique (below, black V-neck top and leggings)…what’s up with this girl?!?!  She seems to totally enjoy pushing people’s buttons but panics when they don’t enjoy the experience.  As soon as they fight back, she melts down.  She’s beautiful and takes absolutely amazing pictures - I’d love to just see her chill the hell out.  Love her or hate her, you have to admit her pictures are usually amongst the best.  The bone structure on this girl is just crazy beautiful.

Her makeover isn’t quite as unfortunate as the rest.  I think she probably looks as good before as she does after.  Again, her problem isn’t her looks or pictures - it’s her ‘tude.  I wish Tyra kept a closer eye on what goes on in the house, she could probably help them figure their moods out and play like nice little girls.

 Dominique, especially, seems to be bothered by something or another.  I actually feel sorry for her sometimes.  I can’t stand to see anyone ganged up on, and Claire, Lauren, and Whitney all at once going after her was uncomfortable to watch.

Lauren’s another one that kind of needs to calm the heck down.  Where’s all of that fire when she’s standing in front of the judges? Beautiful model, but geez.

 Stacy Ann and Fatima are two more of my favorites (they’re the beauties below).  Fatima’s actually one of the models who, in my opinion, the makeover benefited.  She’s so gracefully beautiful.

I thought Stacy Ann was even prettier before, but she’s still a total doll.  I love her face and her voice is verrrry pretty.  I also like her runway walk. 

She and Fatima kind of get lost amongst the other girls, though.

They need to start standing out instead of blending in.  Make a little noise, girls! 

 

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As you know….okay, as just about everyone knows…Tyra is one of my favorite supermodels of all-time.  It went past her beauty, which is undeniable.  It even went past her walk and style - second to none and second to none.  There’s just something about the way she commands your attention - whether it’s with a wink, a smile, or just the way she cuts her eyes around.

There’ll never be another one quite like her.  I hate that she doesn’t do much modeling anymore, but I love watching her talk show, and (of course) ANTM.  Last season wasn’t my favorite, I admit, but I can’t wait for the next one.

In the meantime, enjoy Lady Tyra working the heck out of the runway in this vid.

A lot of Top Model faithfuls have said that they were greatly bothered by this past season as well. Each agreed that the bullying of Jenah and Heather was anything but entertaining. As two different blog readers pointed out, the judges kept telling Jenah to smile more, lighten up, etc…but during the taping of a would-be Cover Girl commercial, when Jenah laughed and played around at the end (making the cutest commercial, imo), Tyra said she was making fun of the whole thing!

Something that everyone else is saying, also, is that all along it seemed that Saleisha was being set up as the winner….like the judges wanted her to win all along. With the new revelations by E Online (below) - I’d say the show has given itself a big black eye.

However, sharp-eyed fans soon dug up footage showing Saleisha walking the catwalk in an ANTM cycle-six fashion show, as well as appearing on the runway in an episode of The Tyra Banks Show.

Saleisha apparently had even more previous modeling work which should have excluded her from the show:

Viewers also found that Saleisha had appeared in a nationwide Wendy’s commercial that aired in 2006, seemingly in violation of an America’s Next Top Model eligibility rule that states would-be contestants “must not have previous experience as a model in a national campaign within the last five years (including, but not limited to, appearances on television and print advertisements).”

Most people are pretty outraged - I’m just really disappointed.  I’ve always loved this show so much, and now it seems like a set up.  It makes me wonder how “set up” the other seasons were.  Hopefully….there was an oversight, but the fact that Saleisha was on both Top Model AND The Tyra Show?  Come on.

Here are some hot recent pics of one of my all-time favorite models, the ridiculously beautiful Tyra Banks.  Love the dress, the silver bag, and the shades…but most of all, I love the lady behind all of them.  She’s one of the few (precious few) celebrities that I actually respect. She has brains, beauty, guts, and a spirit that refuses to do anything but soar.

Pretty much love that.

We may soon be uttering the word Supermodels again - and I, for one, couldn’t be happier.  Vogue recently devoted an issue (May ‘07) to the up and coming models, and most experts are picking these girls to be hugely successful.

I miss the days of following my favorite model(s), seeing which ones get which coveted covers, who walks this designer’s runway, who walks that designer’s runway, who snags a contract with Loreal, Maybelline, Cover Girl, or Revlon.  I’ve been waiting for the next group of girls to light up the fashion and magazine world the way Christy, Cindy, Linda, Naomi, Niki, Amber, Shalome, and Tyra did (My favorites are in bold.).  All Supermodels, all known by their first name as well as their face. 

Between their reign and now, the fashion world just hasn’t been as bright.  It’s been sort of like someone forgot to pay the electric bill!

Hopefully, though, we’re on the brink of a whole new, beautiful era.  The girls you see in this post may be carrying the torches needed to light everything up again.  Vogue.com’s homepage recently gave us the promising headline, “The Return of the Model.” After reading their feature article, I get the feeling they’re as eager for her return as we are!

The beautiful model at the top of the post is a favorite of mine (favorites get the best spots - in addition to the bold treatment).  Her name is Doutzen - pronounced Doubt-zen.  She’s featured in the newest issue of Vogue in a gorgeous pictorial (I’ll scan the pictures in this weekend), the sort of pictorials that Christy was known for.  While she doesn’t resemble Christy Turlington (my all-time favorite model), she has a similar type of “other world-ly” beauty and grace.  I think she’ll be a household name very, very soon.

Since this is an Arm Candy blog and I’m obsessed with all arm sweets, I have to point out the Balenciaga Python Bag Doutzen’s holding in the picture.  Unfortunately her dress is hiding most of the bag - but it’s obvious that it’s a beauty.

Jessica Stam (the lovely blonde in the quirky little hat) and Chanel (the leggy beauty to the right, working the huge hat) are two more favorites.  The three of them are leading the way, in my opinion, and inside of a year - I expect them to be as well known as any model has ever been known.

There’s a certain “it” when it comes to models.  Something that goes past a face as beautiful as Doutzen’s, past the obvious love the camera has for Jessica, and even past Chanel’s legs.  I’ve seen photographer’s, agents, designers, and other models struggle to define “it.”  Even Tyra Banks, who can practically wear each of those titles can’t quite pin a definition on “it” - even though she, herself, owns “it!”

The only thing they all know is “it” separates a model from a Supermodel, and that we’ve all been waiting to see “it” again. 

It’s been a long time coming, but the time has finally arrived!  IT‘S BAAAAACK!