Guys in Skinny Jeans kind of make me weary

Well, if you have nice legs you might enjoy rocking the skinny jean. I do. However when the guy sitting next to me on the subway has jeans on that are tighter than mine I get a bit weary. I can't help but stare. Noticing where the ankle meets his shoe and then look at my own leg. If his skinny jeans look better than mine I will admit I don't like it...Mmm.

Be who you want to be

to be better do better, want more work more, shoot high, aim high, be more and become who you want to be

Myspace Marketing gone bad

I find it really sad when people use Myspace as their website. Lately I have gotten a ton of comments, but you will not find them on my page at Myspace, because I do not promote other people on my Myspace. I only use Myspace as my way to share advice and tips to models through my blogs, videos, and radio show feed. I do have photos but you will notice they are not "model for hire" photos and I do not think it is smart in any way for a girl to ever post revealing photos on Myspace or a social site casually without thinking "how does this photo reflect my goals?"

Even if you cancel your Myspace account the photos can stay around on the web, and what can be even worse is that people can grab your photos, the jpegs and post them where-ever they choose, so be careful what you post.

Lately I have also gotten people offering photography services on Myspace, I find this very unprofessional and amateur. Beware of Myspace to promote yourself. Very few have found opportunities from promoting themselves on Myspace as a singer, and as for those who want to be models...Myspace is the last place you should ever think of ever promoting yourself. It is not professional, you will not be taken seriously. Please take down those nude photos. Please!

Sweet Petites Goes Commando!

"As part of our April Wellness promotion, we are proud to introduce Commandos® availability on our online store."

Commandos® are uniquely-shaped, disposable COTTON patches that securely stick to the curved crotch seam of your jeans & pants. Not only are Commandos® more convenient and comfortable than underwear, but they offer the same cotton comfort and protection of wearing underwear. Many women are making the switch to Commandos® for the health benefits and advantages they have over underwear.

On a more personal note, I'm currently carrying a bit more weight than usual and have found my current "undies" a bit uncomfortable if you know what I mean. Commandos to the rescue!!! I can't begin to tell you how comfortable and freeing Commandos® are and they're even recommended by OB-GYNs to their patients. Keep an eye out for more information later this month about Commandos® - the solution to soft cotton comfort without the panties!

NEW YORK PHOTO FESTIVAL 2009-May 13–17

NEW YORK PHOTO FESTIVAL 2009 (May 13–17, 2009), Curated by William A. Ewing, Chris Boot, Jody Quon, & Jon Levy. To get tickets click here.

Or tickets can be purchase during the festival at the ticketing area located at The powerHouse Arena, 37 Main Street, Brooklyn, NY 11201.

"The New York Photo Festival—the first international-level photo festival in the U.S.—returns to DUMBO, Brooklyn! The ambition of NYPH is to document the future of photography in all its forms."

Coco Before Chanel Variety film review

I admire Coco Chanel, although she died without her family, a family of her own, or a husband, she lived a full life and worked till her death on her passion. Creating.
When I look for someone to admire I look at those who "became" during the 1800's and early 1900's. Chanel, Gabrielle "Coco" Chanel, would be on my top 5 of people to have at my dinner table.

Recently Variety reviewed a film called "Coco Before Chanel," with Audrey Tautou as Chanel. You can read about the film, here:

http://www.variety.com/review/VE1117940098.html?categoryid=31&cs=1

You should go see it, and also you should pick up the book: Chanel: A Woman of Her Own, it is a wonderful book about the women behind the empire. Whenever I need some inspiration I read it.

Hand modeling today

Hand modeling today for Bon Appetit. I think it is for the August issue.

I have been able to get jobs like this by using what I do have to get ahead as a model and by producing photos that share what I can model. Photography, creating photos, putting together a compcard, and portfolio is a huge part of booking modeling work.

I'm speaking at the Modeling and Acting Boot Camp

This week I have a few speaking events, and two on the same day!

One is a Modeling Boot Camp. I will be speaking about being a petite model, the possibilities, how to market yourself to agencies, how to create photos that benefit you, and how to do all of this without much money. I hope to see you there. I also plan to host my own modeling sessions in the future when my how-to-modeling book is out in the near future. Here are some details on this weekends event.

The Commercial Modeling and Acting Boot Camp is a full day event, hosted by Hilary Rowland, Founder of New Faces http://www.newfaces.com in partnership with Aaron Marcus. The event will kick-off April 25, 2009 at 1 pm at Nikki Beach in Midtown Manhattan, so be sure to register to reserve your spot and to get there on time! Following the seminar, a network reception will take place at Nikki Beach with industry professionals, including top casting agents, model and talent agents, photographers and the New Faces team.

You don’t have to be young, tall, thin and beautiful to be successful. Learn how you can get started and get work as an actor or commercial model in your market.

SPEAKERS include:
* Aaron Marcus – America's Premier Acting and Modeling Career Coach
* Daryl Eisenberg – Casting agent for GOSSIP GIRL and other top TV shows
* Todd Etelson – Founder of Actors Technique, NY
* Isobella Jade – Petite supermodel and author
* Jeff Berlin - Photographer for Vogue, Maxim, In Style, L'Oreal, Estée Lauder, etc.

Round Table Writer's Conference this week

This weekend I am on a panel at the Round Table Writer's Conference.

Writers
Greg Ames
Donald Breckenridge
Tim W. Brown
Maggie Calonico
Henry Chang
Justin Courter
Stephanie Dickinson
Greg Downs
Martha Frankel
Rigoberto Gonzalez
Carol Hoenig
Isobella Jade
Molly Jong-Fast
Hesh Kestin
Reverend Jen Miller
Alyse Myers
Arthur Phillips
John Reed
Peter Selgin
David Henry Sterry
Hannah Tinti

Come on by and check it out.

Cargo lipgloss packaging Timestrip technology

Did you hear abour Cargo Cosmetics? There is a new feature on their lipgloss that basically counts down how long the lipgloss is good for. The expiration is timed on their timestrip technology on the cap of the tube of gloss. Pretty savvy. Makes me wonder if more brands will be doing this expiration savvy technique.

You can find it at Sephora.

With Cargo there is no guessing towards "when does this product expire."



However brands such as Lush Fresh Handmade Cosmetics have beat everyone at this, their products all have expiration dates and also the date it was made on a sweet sticker on the packaging,- although many of their products, bath bombs, soaps, massage bars, have no packaging at all needed-they are another brand to know that is not only eco-friendly but product expiration friendly. I use Lush daily.

Whataburger means your in Houston

Been in Houston for the past couple of days. So far I have eaten Chick-fil-A, Italian, Whataburger, and Mexican.

Last night I sang Stevie Nicks karaoke at a ghetto-ish bar.

took my love, I took it down
Climbed a mountain and I turned around
I saw my reflection in the snow covered hills
till the landslide brought me down

Oh, mirror in the sky
What is love
Can the child within my heart rise above
Can I sail thru the changing ocean tides
Can I handle the seasons of my life

Well, Ive been afraid of changing
cause Ive built my life around you
But time makes you bolder
Children get older
Im getting older too

Oh, take my love, take it down
Climb a mountain and turn around
If you see my reflection in the snow covered hills
Well the landslide will bring it down

If you see my reflection in the snow covered hills
Well maybe the landslide will bring it down

Then I sang Dreams:
"Thunder only happens when it's raining
Players only love you when they're playing
Say .. Women ... they will come and they will go
When the rain washes you clean .. you'll know"

It is ok to make a fool of yourself in a State where no one knows you. I also heard someone else sing Ricky Nelson's Garden Party.

At The Galleria I saw my foot in the window of Easy Spirit store display, it feels cool to see yourself ( or foot) in other States.

NOW Pay the modeling agency! -don't do it

I do not believe a model should have to pay to be a model and join a modeling agecy database website!

I do believe however a girl who wants to model will have to be prepared to make her marketing material on her own and at her own expense. Make her own compcards ( that and get her own photography and be more hands-on with her pursuits. More control over herself. And try to get some experience before approaching an agency. Like being an athlete it is better to show you can play the game, have played before you play with a team.

Which is what I have done over the years. I am sad to know that some agencies I have considered legit have turned into agencies that charge models to be on their website database. It is sad. Frustrating and it upsets me because I tell girls to work with these agencies and then what do you know they have turned into "another jerk agency like that." Yuck.

Girls, remember if you are making your own compcards like you should ( I use www.compcard.com and there are many headshot and compcard printing services out there, just google it.) then you should NOT pay an agency to put your jpgs or scan your compcards. I understand it is a digital world, but being an agent to me should involve more than just directing a client to the website, an agent should be pitching the models they have, and promoting them to the right jobs.

I work with two very legit agencies in NYC who do not charge me to model with them and I have booked great work with them, but there are many, many agencies out there who take advantage of the internet age and want aspiring models who are naive to pay to join a database! It is nuts, and do not do it.

Girls that are shorter should not expect to get a phone call every minute for a casting or go-see but there are opportunities out there and you should not expect to be babied, you should know ahead of time, how to pose, how to model. Do not think going into the modeling business blind and unaware is a good idea. Do your homework about what modeling is! If a girl has no experience at all it is very easy to get scammed. Even with some agencies that might at first seem legit.

There are legit agencies out there, it might be harder to work with them, you might have to keep submitting again and again but if you want something the fight is worth it.

NY Daily News- seeing your self in print rocks

I love the internet and internet buzz is good but there is something still about print, seeing yourself in a print ad or getting press in a newspaper or print magazine just has a different feeling, a feeling I hope stays around for a long time.

I finally got my scanner working tonight, (I had been running to Kinkos to make copies for my press kit) it came out March 30, 2009 (NY Daily News).

-Isobella

Weekend shots

Re-do America's Next Top Model Short Girls Welcome

Today America's Next Top Model will hold a re-do for shorties to try out.

You can read about it in the NY POST here:

http://www.nypost.com/seven/04072009/tv/next_top_model_audition_do_over_163236.htm

I won't be there, but if you go remember, it is not the end all if you do not get chosen. Modeling involves a lot of work and keep striving if you want to work as a model. Think about what you CAN offer the industry. The show is not promoting a new thing, shorter models have worked before and today are working, -but they might not be on the runway..still there is work out there. Mail your photos to commercial print modeling agencies and keep trying, modelig has a lot to do with trying these days. And not givig up.

Beauty product packaging, does it sell you?

If I like the look of the text on a bottle of lotion, or the shape of the lotion, or the color I might buy it. The packaging alone can sell. Does it sell you?

It sells me. Packaging says a lot to me. Infact if I like it I just might buy it.

I think the packaging for skincare looks best when the text/font on the bottle/box is blue, silver, or orange.

I think lotion is best when it is the color of the liquid or cream is clear, yellow, or orange.

Making a beauty compcard today

Today I am making marketing material, which I also consider my pr tools. For my modeling work right now I am working on a beauty compcard, -it has been on my list for some time and today I am ordering the card. With a lack of height I use what I do have to get ahead, great natural skin ad skintone, vibrant eyes, great looking hands and and feet, -it is not about vanity it is about knowing yourself and thinkig "what do I have that the industry can use?" Then putting action towards those areas.

I am currently looking to represent a shoe brand, one with high heels and pitching that angle today as well as some articles for newspaper features and women's magazines.

More to come later.

Michael Antonio shoes on Podcast

I wanted to share a podcast interview I did this afternoon with the Brand Manager and the Senior Product Design and Development Associate at Michael Antonio shoes:

http://www.blogtalkradio.com/isobellajade/2009/04/08/Michael-Antonio-Shoes-with-Diana-Liao

Learn where the name comes from, and how the brand will have thigh high boots soon and insight on their exposure on Make Me a Supermodel on Bravo, and a lot more!

You can also hear the segment on my blogs, website and social media pages.

Beauty time: What's on my face?

Well right now I am wearing Cover Girl foundation. Now remember this makeup has been on for about umm 11 hours. Still going strong. I am impressed with Cover Girl's advanced radiance with Olay. The matte foundation is easy to apply and lasts. A light powder over it is all you need all day, or nothing.

On my eyes is Lancome vibrating mascara Ôscillation.

Liner is Styli-Style in carbon-black.

I use Wet n Wild's brow kit often.

Lips Revlon colorStay Ultimate lipcolor, I will admit it is ultimate, this stuff stays on all, all day, and sometimes even into the morning, even after a shower, face wash and makeup remover. So beware, but great stuff and kissable and you can eat salad, pasta, sandwich -whatever and still have red lips!

Beauty and fashion news that caught my eye

In Beauty:
Lush launches online petition against Canada seal hunt, Cosmeticsdesign.com

In Fashion, intimates:
ABS launches Fashion Lingerie, WWD

In Beauty:
Victoria’s Secret Beauty is enhancing its Very Sexy color cosmetics — with it's the first cosmetics project by “Project Runway” winner Christian Siriano who will design a limited edition collection of beauty items, WWD

In Green:
"Green Depot, an inspiring new store stocked with environmentally-sound home improvement supplies, greatly reduced my brain’s environmental guilt emissions," NYTIMES

----
In Books:
I don't read much fiction because if I end up liking a character it makes me frustrated that they are not real. I read biographies mostly, here is an article in the WSJ about fictional characters and the relationships between the reader and the characters in a book:
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB123880307592488761.html

In Advertising:
Twitter building an ad agency around the website and creates ad campaign, Ad Age

Joe Ades died, I have my peeler

If you were lucky enough to buy a peeler from Joe Ades in Union Square you were one lucky person. I recently found out he died. I wondered why Union Square didn't feel the same recently. I just peeled some carrots tonight. Oh Jeez. Then I went to NY Press.com just now and his face is on their previous issue. I don't know where I have been but I just found out he died in Feb 1st 2009.

I remember going by his street set up of a stool and some round about table made out of bins in Union Square, and thinking shit I should buy one of those, and I finally did this past fall. Good thing I did.

The NY Press has a great article on him and if you missed the issue you can catch the archive here.

The New York Times also ran a nice story on him here:
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/02/03/nyregion/03ades.html

His daughter said he "learned the tricks of salesmanship as a teenager in Manchester, England."

Well New York streets sure won't forget him.

A picture of me(wearing my favorite cap) and "The Peeler Man" Joe Ades in Union Square are above shot by R.Caldarone the day I bought my peeler.

Allstate commercials hit the tear duct

There is rarely a commercial that makes me stop and watch it fully but when I hear Dennis Haysbert’s voice and watch this commercial by Allstate I am entrapped!

The Allstate commercial called Back ro Basics is very well done and I like the history element when the commercial shares the roots of the company. This commercial should win awards.



I think the message is really strong, and The basics are good!

When it rains n NYC

About to out into the rain today, when it rains in NYC everything is black, not many yellow rainboots or colors at all. NYC is a gray skylined city so when it rains it is like it is night all day. I hate it when my umbrella tries to do a backflip.

Don't go to Topshop or Soho duirng the weekend

Most New Yorkers know never to shop on the weekends. Most of them also know not to go to Soho on the weekends especially. Soho is massive with tourist on the weekends and you might even get treated like shit by sales people.

Customer service is better during the week days.

I plan to go to Topshop but not this weekend. There was a line around the corner just to get in the store. I think it might be this way on the weekends but during the week no. Maybe lunch hour will be busy but around 11am or 2 or 3pm could be a good time to go.

My friend recently told me she is not going to check it out for another month!

Having a goal

If we expect it "just to happen" usually it doesn't, having a goal, a plan a dream involves a whole'lotta trying and trial and error and growing from ita

Yes, that is my foot not yours! Parts Modeling discoveries

I was asked recently if I could pick out my feet in an ad. The answer is Yes.

One of my skills as a model is to know what my body looks like, down to the way my toe nail is cut,along with the shape of my finger at many angles.

Something that also helps discover yourself in an ad campaign which doesn't involve your face is: remembering what you wore that day. Remember the poses you were in.

I recently saw my self in the Easy Spirit ad campaign, but for this it is easy, I was their only model for shoes for their spring line.

Enjoy the shots I took of myself in the Easy Spirit Store Downtown on Broadway.

I plan to bring up some of the shots I took and also some ads I have found online and in their print catalog and add them to my portfolio.

Topshop opens in NYC tomorrow!

I recently read a Bloomberg article called "Kate Moss, Topshop Bring Oxford Street to New York in Recession." Here is some insight on the store opening and what it means for the recession:


By James Callan
April 1 (Bloomberg) -- Topshop, the U.K. clothing chain
opening its first store in the U.S. this week, has a strategy
that may help American shoppers forget about the recession:
supermodel Kate Moss.
The four-story shop, a similar design to the Oxford Street
flagship in London, opens in New York’s SoHo neighborhood
tomorrow after six months of construction delays including fire
and flooding. Moss’s new fashion line for the brand, her ninth
collection for Topshop, goes on sale globally the same day.
Topshop, owned by billionaire Philip Green’s closely held
Arcadia Group Ltd., is entering the U.S. during the worst
recession in at least 25 years. Consumer spending fell in six of
the last eight months as unemployment reached its highest level
in more than a quarter century, forcing retailers to close shops
and cut expenses.
“You’ve seen a few retailers collapse, but I think the big
people will ride out the storm,” Green, 57, said in an
interview while wandering the 25,000-square-foot New York store.
“People haven’t stopped shopping. The young fashion market has
still remained pretty resilient during these difficult times.”
Green, who was knighted by Queen Elizabeth II in 2006,
declined to provide revenue or profit estimates for the store.
Last month, AnnTaylor Stores Corp. said it expects to close
163 stores by fiscal 2010, 46 more than the 117 closings
announced in January 2008. Gap Inc. will close about 100 stores
this year, mainly Gap locations, and open about 50 stores.

Thousands of Shoes

Topshop, which has 200 workers at its New York location,
may open a second store in Manhattan and eventually expand to
Miami, Los Angeles, Las Vegas and Boston, Green said.
The retailer, which says it sells 40,000 pairs of shoes a
week, has more than 300 stores in the U.K. and 125 outlets in
regions ranging from Scandinavia to the Middle East. Founded in
1964, Topshop was acquired by Green for $1.2 billion in 2002.
The New York store, situated downtown on Broadway, has 32
changing rooms, a DJ booth, and a shoe lounge. It sells $70
“skinny jeans” as well as jewelry and lingerie. The men’s
Topman clothing line includes retro t-shirts and suits.
Topshop enters the U.S. market with competition from
Stockholm-based Hennes & Mauritz AB, Inditex SA’s Zara shops,
and Polo Ralph Lauren Corp.’s Club Monaco brand. Topshop already
sells some clothes in the U.S. through partnerships with
retailers including Barneys.