Model News: Natalia Vodianova Gives Birth And Adriana Lima Breaks Up
It’s been a week of upheaval for some of the world’s top models: Natalia Vodianova has given birth to her fourth child, while Adriana Lima’s announced her divorce.
Natalia’s news isn’t a surprise, but the baby’s size was. According to Natalia, the baby boy was a whopping 4.2kg and 55cm long.
So they called him – appropriately – Maxim.
The dad is Antoine Arnault, part of the Arnault dynasty that controls much of luxury fashion in France and wider Europe.
And Antoine certainly knows where his own talents lie: when he announced the pregnancy on Facebook back in November, he included his wishes for his baby – “I hope he or she gets Mommy’s looks (and beautiful heart) and Daddy’s sense of humour!!!! Pleaaaaase not the other way around!!!”
We imagine that will be one well-dressed baby, considering that the Arnaults own Louis Vuitton, Marc Jacobs and Fendi.
Meanwhile, Adriana Lima has announced her separation from her husband of five years, with whom she has two daughters.
The Victoria’s Secret Angel courted controversy when she married Marko Jaric, a basketball player, by announcing that she’d ‘saved herself till marriage.’
However, it’s all over this week – they announced their separation to People Magazine, so you know it’s legit – and she turned up at the Met Ball solo in Givenchy.
Perhaps Lima can babysit the new Vodianova baby to keep her mind off things?
Image: Vodianova with Arnault and Lima with Jaric.
Marchesa Plans To Own Charles James Couture
Even if you’d never heard of Charles James this week, the Met Ball’s celebration of his style means his name is everywhere.
And it looks like his style might be coming back onto the market – with a twist.
Hollywood mogul Harvey Weinstein has announced that he’s buying Charles James Couture, and that his wife Georgina Chapman, lead designer for Marchesa, will be a consultant in the brand’s revival.
On paper this looks like a very strange move – so why has he done it?
There’s never been more interest in James, and apparently Weinstein and Chapman have big plans for the house. James’s family still have all of the famous designs and archives from before it quietly shut its doors.
Page Six says that Weinstein plans to ‘create an exclusive couture house’ and fragrance.
The problem? Charles James and Marchesa have very different aesthetics. James founded the classic, incredibly heavy ballgown – many of them weigh nearly 20kg, and have huge amounts of inbuilt corsetry to distribute the weight.
Meanwhile, Marchesa under Georgina Chapman is increasingly all about tulle, lace and body-draping aesthetics.
We’re looking forward to seeing how this move goes – and whether the new Charles James will look anything like the old.
Image: Harvey Weinstein with wife Georgina Chapman, centre, with Charles James designs courtesy of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York.
Trend Watch From The Met Ball: Crop Top Ball Gowns
The Met Ball was all about the huge skirts and the white ties – but for a small contingent, it was also about a very 2014 trend.
Spicing up your evening outfit with a slice of midriff was all the rage.
From Anne Hathaway’s sliver of waist to Emma Stone’s two-piece outfit and Rihanna’s exposure of most of her ribs, the new look was all about exposure of flesh that didn’t read traditionally ‘sexy’.
The crop top gown is a new trend in evening wear that’s practical, easy to pull off and very flattering – ribs are where most women aren’t prone to gain weight, and they’re often the thinnest part of the body.
Others didn’t dare to bare in that region, but focussed on cut-outs. Anna Kendrick had a narrow piece of rib on show, while Imogen Poots had a cut-out under her bra line and Kate Bosworth had two narrow slivers of open fabric on her sides.
So how do you work the trend without looking as if you’ve ripped your gown?
Tiny slivers are the key (unless you’re Rihanna, and we’re not.) Focus on cuts that hit you in your most toned places, and bare thin parts of skin.
Ribs, sternums and the sides and back are the new places to dare to bare. If you’re going all out with a two-piece set, make like Emma Stone and do a contrasting tone rather than trying to matchy-match. It’ll look cooler.
Will you be trying the crop-top evening look?
Image: Crops and slivers on show at the Met Ball.
