Our recently featured model Julia Lescova was a GUESS girl. You could be, too!

Calling all girls 16 years and older! GUESS is partnering with Ford Models and ELLE for its first ever North American model search to find the next GUESS Girl. Contestants can upload three images to shop.guess.com/en/guessgirl/, or through the GUESS Facebook page, by May 15th for the chance to be the star of ELLE‘s GUESS photo shoot and a $2,500 GUESS shopping spree.

“From my very first campaign for GUESS over 30 years ago to now, it always starts with finding the right model to portray the GUESS Girl,” said Paul Marciano, CEO and Creative Director of GUESS?, Inc. Are you next?

Read more: Sponsored Guess Model Search – GUESS Girl Model Search – ELLE
Follow us: @ElleMagazine on Twitter | ellemagazine on Facebook

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Can you make a living as a fashion photographer, without living in New York or Los Angeles? Meet Erik Tranberg. Born and raised in New York, he moved to New Mexico 20 years ago. And although he frequently travels to both New York in LA, he still primarily lives and works in the place he calls “magical”.

Q: How did you get interested in photography and how did you get your first paid assignment?

I would probably attribute part of my interest to my dad, who loved photographs of beautiful women. I was always drawn to photography, even when I didn’t know much about it. I really only started with a camera when I injured my knee after years of playing soccer and needed another outlet. So I bought a camera, and that’s when my passion for it really started to find a voice.
 
I got my first paid assignment by word of mouth. Someone I shot with passed along my info. to a friend of hers who was looking for a photographer.

Q: What equipment do you work with? Favorite accessory?

I keep things simple. I bought a Nikon D40 three years ago when I started and still shoot with it. I tried out the Nikon D600 while I was working in NY last week and really fell in love. My favorite accessory is the sun. I enjoy the puzzle it presents every time I shoot with natural light.

Q: If you could only have one lens for the rest of your life, what would it be?

That’s easy. 50mm 1.4. I could shoot the rest of my life with that lens, with no regrets.

Q: What tips do you have for young photographers who have a hard time breaking into the industry?

The best advice I can give is to shoot, shoot and shoot. Find your style. Don’t be a slave to what others say you “have” to do, and put in the work.

Q: Have you gotten any jobs as a direct result of being visible on Facebook? What other sites have been helpful for your success?

Facebook, Instagram and Tumblr have all been useful.

Most of all, I’ve cultivated a community of supportive friends in the industry, across the world; and that wouldn’t have been possible without social media.

Q: Do you work with a large team?

I keep it as small as possible, oftentimes with just myself and the model. I’m lucky to have a team I work with in various places, who I trust and like. 

Q: Describe a typical shoot. What’s your process? Do you plan a lot in advance, or improvise on location?

Anytime I do a lot of planning in advance it goes down the drain quickly. A typical shoot for me is like jazz. I know the melody but improvise when I start. My process is organic and intuitive. I feed upon the energy of the model, creating a connection. What’s the sun doing … what’s happening with the location… the model? All of these factors go into the stew. The best shoots for me are when we’re all in the moment, creating something soulful.

Q: If you could go back in time and tell yourself something that would have made the start of your career as a photographer easier, what would it be?

Q: Are there any challenges working in Albuquerque, rather than New York or LA? What about New Mexico resonates most with you?

Being in NY or LA would have made it easier because there is more work there, but New Mexico is a magical place. There are so many breathtaking natural spots I can shoot at.

Q: Which photo are you currently most proud of?

I’m most proud of a photo I took of Tori Mann, a model from New Mexico, last year. We were in the river and I wanted her to wet her head in the water. She leaned her head back and I saw it — natural beauty and emotion. I rushed to take the photo. Luckily, I was fast enough. At that moment, I knew what direction I wanted to take. That photo was when I realized who I wanted to be as a photographer.

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Erik Tranberg | Instagram | Tumblr | Facebook

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Meet Julia Lescova 
 
There is a small, nondescript office in Old Riga, on the east side of Daugava River, not far from St. Peter’s Church.

Walk briskly past the House of Blackheads and a tangle of Kafkaesque medieval streets will lead you to an equally nondescript door, with a number of hard-to-read names above a single, dented intercom.

Upstairs in 2C, you’ll find a man in his late 40s, sitting behind a desk at a slightly antiquated computer. Regarding you with bored eyes, he’ll wave you in as he presses a sensor on the desk lamp, which reads his fingerprint and slides open the bookshelf. Follow the passageway to the hidden underground complex, and mind the final step. That’s where you’ll find Julia Lescova, who smiles at you wanly as she reviews her latest briefing, a Beretta 418 in her boot.

As Kate Upton’s replacement for Guess, Julia Lescova needs no introduction to those watching the rising star of her career.  

Hailing from Latvia, she was even voted “Best Model in the World” in Turkey.  
 
But this thoughtful, soft-spoken model shows her friendly public persona disguises a mindset that remains ever aware of painful, humble origins.

Q: You started learning ballet beginning at age of 5, and piano at age 7. Do you miss dance and music? Are there other forms of self-expression you plan to pursue, or does modeling provide you with all the self-expression you need?

Yes, I do miss dance, but I’m continuing to follow my passions and work on music. I recorded a few songs and am looking forward to releasing them. Dance was always my passion as well, and I hope that soon I’ll be pursuing more of that. I’m going to be taking sessions with a dance coach, so I can make better music videos and just to enjoy what I love doing. : )

Q: One of the best parts of being a successful model has been the ability to help your mother. Do you want to share any other details about your upbringing in Latvia? It must be a pretty different world from Los Angeles.

Yes, I had a challenging upbringing and it wasn’t easy to grow up with what I had, and what I lacked. Being independent at 15 years old was not easy, but it made me so strong today. I was definitely missing so much of what other kids had, but I don’t regret the way I grew up. Quite the opposite: I’m happy about it because it made me a person I am today, and it made me appreciate every single day and everything I have gained in life on my own.

My teenage years were very difficult but life definitely repays me daily, for everything I missed. And I’m so grateful for that. And I’m beyond grateful that I’ve been able to help my mom since 15, and to never ask for anything since then, just give. I went through the world to come to Los Angeles, and it can be quite a spoiling city, because it has so much to offer. But because of I’ve seen so much of “not having,” it helps me stay grounded and appreciative.

I don’t forget where I came from, and I’m grateful where life has brought me. And I’m still going : )

Q: You’ve been all over the world as a model, from Milan, London and Paris, to Istanbul, Athens, Hong Kong, Bangkok and Singapore. What was your favorite place (and why)?

There is something I love in each one of the cities I’ve worked in, but one of my favorites would be Milan, because it was fun and interesting living there, and that’s where I started modeling abroad in the first place.

It was a bit tough, but that’s what gave me the strength I needed later in life, and it taught me a new beautiful language. Another place I loved was Singapore, a very popular tourist destination, with a very warm and beautiful climate. Living there was very enjoyable, in addition to a lot of modeling work.

In each of those cities I had a lot of fun working, though. I just love my job. It’s always given me pleasure. : )

Q: What made you decide to settle in Los Angeles?

It happened accidentally, when I came here for a job with a little suitcase.

I was supposed to stay a week, then I came back for another week. A week became two weeks, then a month, then two months. The next thing I knew, I had a contract with the best agency here and started to work a lot right away. One assignment after another. Then my O1 visa was approved, and I just thought it was a great place to live.

At the same time I was traveling all over the US, working in New York and Miami a lot, as well. A few months ago I got my Green Card, which I’m so proud of. So I guess I’m staying. : )

Q: You’ve modeled for an amazing list: Valentino, Michael Kors, Pierre Cardin, Giambatista Valli, Mark Jacobs, Bvlgari, Armani, Vivienne Westwood. Who are your favorite designers (to work with or to wear)?

I love all these great names, but one of my favorite designers is Michael Kors. I always find something to wear in his collection, for any occasion, evening or day. Gorgeous. I always feel beautiful, elegant and classy in his clothes.

Q: You won the “Best Model in the World” award in Turkey. And now you’re a GUESS model. This is pretty exciting stuff. Do you feel success can change a person?

Yes it can, but I would never let success go to my head. It won’t help anything. A big head can be destructive. Maybe because I came from nothing, I take every bit of success as a huge blessing, whether it’s a small job or a big brand campaign. If you want success, I think staying grounded and appreciative is key. Of course, along with hard work.

Q: You’ve also had some acting jobs. Is more acting something you’d like to pursue, or is it just for fun?

For now it’s just been for fun, because I haven’t had enough time to dedicate myself to it and to focus on it. But I’m looking forward to taking some training first, and then have more fun with it : )

Q: What made you decide to get your degree in Sociology?

I just wanted to find out more about human social activity. It’s something that really interests me. Social life and human behavior. Why people do certain things, what’s the result of certain human behavior, how society has developed in different ways. And to see if I can help somehow by knowing that. And so on.

Q: Do you think it’s more important to accept the things we cannot change, or to change the things we can? And each to what degree?

I think it’s more important to change things that we can. If we can change it, let’s go ahead and change it. We have so much power that we’re not even aware of, to change the world into a better place. So many parts of the world need so much attention from us. We need to make a difference. I think everything can change. We should focus not on what we can’t change, but on what we can, to the better.

Q: If you were an animal, what animal would you be? And why?

I’d choose to be a white tiger with fascinating blue eyes. : ) I love those and can look at them for hours. Strong, beautiful, charismatic, elegant, powerful, and when little – so cute.

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JuliaLescova.com | Twitter | Facebook

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Why an album? Okay, burgeoning supermodel Cisco Tschurtschenthaler hasn’t mastered the guitar (yet), but you can see why her intriguing blend of hard and soft features might bring to mind distant echoes of a 1965 Marianne Faithfull by way of 1969 Patti Smith.

Hailing from Munich, she harnesses a peculiar mix of burning Bavarian intensity and NYC cool that could easily lend itself to a primordial-alt-rock turn, if she wanted to go the way of Nico on Chelsea Girl.

Now the new face of the month for Vogue Paris, she’s recently graced editorials in Amica Magazine in Italy, and demonstrates that she can easily model in the big leagues, and make it look easy. But now we’re waiting to see if she’ll meet the Andy Warhol or Jackson Browne to take the rocket ship of her career in an unexpected musical direction. The good news? Such a career turn is completely unnecessary when one already has everything: which in Cisco’s case is a loving husband, positive outlook and peace of mind.

Thanks to MP Management for this interview, in which Cisco showcases a complex set of interests that encompass spiritual development, a wide-randing cultural fascination and just a taste of her obsession with Bali.

On the Modeling Business

 
Q: Who or what inspired you to become a model? How did you get started in the modeling business?

I never thought about becoming a model; I wanted to be an actress. At the age of 16 a male friend of mine suggested I come with him to his agency because he thought I could work well. From that day I was signed with an agency and the next day I was working.

Q: What’s the funniest thing that happened to you on a photo shoot or fashion show?

I was asked to ride topless on a motorbike on the bottom of the ocean with scuba diving gear. That was an great experience.

Q: Describe yourself as model in three words.

In the moment.

Q: Out of all the places your career has taken you, where was the most memorable?

I have a very strong connection to Bali, which is why I built my house there. I also fell in love with the desert of Morocco recently. We were in a place called Bin el Ouidane and stayed in the most amazing house owned by two landscape architects. It was like the Garden of Eden.

Q: Who is your favorite photographer? Why?

I recently worked with David Bellemere for French Vogue. He was composing each picture with great concentration and never took more than 5 shots. I had a front row seat to wittness him creating his art.

Q: Is there a difference in posing when you’re doing a cover vs. an editorial?

Everybody is looking for the accidental “moment in-between.” For a cover of a magazine you definitely have to pull some stronger poses, own it and be confident.

Q: Is there an artistic or general difference in doing editorials / covers in Europe, as opposed to the USA?

You will definitely have to smile on the cover of an American magazine.

Q: What do you think a relationship between an agent and a model should be like?

A good agent should be a person you can trust, someone who has your best interest at heart and who is a strong part of your team as well as being an advisor.

Q: Who is your favorite all-time model?

Erin Wasson.

Fun Stuff

 
Q: What era would you like to bring back?

’70s rock and roll.

Q: Best jeans?

Ksubi jeans.

Q: Favorite store?

Reformation in NYC.

Beauty Secrets

 
Q: What are your top beauty secrets?

Drinking lots of coconut water and only using Paraben-free producs and organic skincare.

Q: Do you have any beauty / skin care tips or tricks to look fresh and rested for early morning photo shoots?

Get lots of sleep the night before and drink a big glass of spirulina with a squeeze of lemon.

Q: How much attention do you pay to meditation & exercise, or is it all natural? How do you stay in shape?

I practice TM (Transcendental Meditation) daily. My brother-in-law is a meditation teacher and he taught me and I really enjoy doing it. I practice Pilates and yoga and try to mix it all up so I never get bored. I grew up with the snow in Munich and was always snowboarding but now my heart beats for surfing. It’s the best feeling to catch a wave. I can’t wipe the smile off my face after I get a good one.

Q: What is your favorite part about your body?

I love my whole body and I look after it.

Food and Nutrition

 
Q: Favorite kind of food?

I love all sorts of different foods. My mother-in-law is an ayurvedic cooking teacher and I learned a few amazing recepies from her. But I also like fine food. On a recent trip to Paris I went to a restaurant called L’atelier de Joel Robuchon and the betel leaves with crab were off the hook. Bali is full of amazing tropical food which I also love.

Q: When models say they eat healthy, what do they mean by that?

Eating healthy means eating food that agrees with your body type and makes you feel nurtured.

Personal Preferences

 
Q: Favorite fashion magazine?

Vogue because it is the non plus ultra ["there is no greater"].

Q: I’d like to meet …

Patti Smith.

Q: Favorite quote

“All you need is love.”

Q: If you could change one thing in the past years, what would it be?

I should have learned how to play guitar in my spare time, but I didn’t.

Q: People have said I look like …

A young Nicole Kidman and Raquel Zimmerman.

Q: What do you enjoy doing when you are not working?

I love to hang out with my husband in our house in Bali. We go surfing, cook nice meals, listen to music and just look at the ricefields. I like the simple things in life. Besides that I started designing jewelry and also getting a bit into interior design.

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Mother Agency: Iconic Management Hamburg
Milan: MP Management
Paris: Karin Models
London: Select
New York: One Management
Stockholm: Mikas

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Pardon our absence. We’ve been busy preparing coverage of all the international fashion weeks at our new hub, FashionWeekOnline.com.

For our second season, we’re webcasting New York, Paris, Milan and London LIVE. But we’re also proud to announce a partnership with MB Fashion Week Russia.

We’ll be back after fashion month, so stay tuned; exciting things ahead.

And be sure to tune-in for all the fashion week coverage here!

With love,

ModelNews.com

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By Pablo Avion 

Time-machine back to January 2011: I owned two pairs of jeans, two shirts, and two pairs of beat-up shoes I’d purchased, used, five years earlier.

Let me explain: I was (well, technically I still am) a musician. Which, in LA, is code word for “poor.” Things have been looking up the past couple of years, which has meant purchasing a bed that’s not a single mattress on the floor, and a TV bigger than 12″ wide. Which has been nice.

Our editor Samuel recently introduced me to a phrase I’d never heard before. The phrase is “fashion victim.”

Apparently the term was coined by Oscar de la Renta and expounded upon by Versace, but to be honest I don’t really understand all the fine points. As I like to frequently point out, unlike our appropriately fashion-obsessed editor, my comprehension of important names, dates and epochs in the fashion world is limited, to say the least.

But I have discovered two things on my fashion journey, neither very original or even interesting: I like to buy stuff. And I know what I like. And the stuff I like, for reasons unknown to me, seems to frequently come from France and Italy.

So it is that I have discovered multiple outlets for my new lust for clothes.

The first of these sites is actually the newest. BrunaRosso.com caught my eye for a few reasons:

- The selection was intense. Really intense.
- The website was clearly new (as certain pages seemed to be being developed the day I found it)
- The website seemed to be for a boutique founded in the early ’60s
- And best of all, when I emailed with a question, the reply was immediate, friendly, and “felt” right

So I decided to ask them more about their store, philosophy and brand.

 

Interview with BrunaRosso.com

Bruna Rosso in Saluzzo, c. 1965

We are located in Cuneo in northwest Italy, about 2 hours west of Milan, very near France and Monaco / Monte-Carlo.

Natale and Margherita Brunarosso opened their first boutique on 1st of August 1961, fifty-one years ago. The store began in local markets in Italy and France, selling household linens and cloth. From there it grew to a little textile store now consists of six thriving stores.

What is your specialty? What defines the types of goods you carry? How do you choose / what are the criteria?

Our four buyers personally choose the brands we carry and the criteria are simple: we want items that create that special magic that will excite and inspire our customers. Every shop is further specialized to offer a tailored selection to the customers of each location.

Why did you decide to take the business online? What do you hope to bring to the marketplace?

Bruna Rosso in Saluzzo, 2012

Our company never stops. : ) Many companies have an impersonal, “cold” approach. Having been in business for as long as we have, we’re fully aware that we don’t face bytes but real people. We want them to have a good time shopping, human customer service and the sense of security that only an ‘old-fashioned’ boutique can give.

How do you want customers to feel when they shop in your boutiques? And for the online shopper, how do you hope to replicate that experience online?

We want our customers to feel happy and relaxed when they shop. Every customer is different. Some of them want to be fully followed and helped by a “personal shopper.” Others prefer a more professional approach and are more direct in their decision-making. Thanks to our 51 years of experience, we try to understand the customer and are always available for every need.

When will the website make its official debut, in terms of full functionality?

We will be at full functionality at the end of November. Just in time for Cyber Monday!

What are your favorite brands?

Bruna Rosso in Saluzzo, 2012

Well, with 1000 square meters [11,000 square feet] of space, Brunarosso’s stores have a really huge selection, including Prada, Miu Miu, Fendi, Gucci, Dolce&Gabbana, Tod’s, Hogan, Moncler and many, many others.

Personally? My favourite outfit would be a DSquared2 tee shirt, Paul Smith sweater, Moncler down jacket, Dolce&Gabbana jeans and Golden Goose sneakers.

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Shop BrunaRosso.com

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By Pablo Avion 

Slowly I walked toward the mean dogs that live midway down my block. The ones that are always barking ruthlessly at me after my exhausting 90-minute commute.

It was evening. The bitter end of my soul-crushing 1.5 hour drives to and from work, in lunatic-filled LA traffic.

Then the endless circling of the block in Silver Lake, 5 more minutes minimum, desperately looking for a parking space.

It seemed like any other day.

I had exited the car as usual, lopsidedly carrying my tassled, navajo-patterned backpack ($24, girl’s section at Target, don’t tell) and thermal lunch bag that holds the disgusting frozen dinners I call “lunch.”

Cue the dogs. Always the neighbor’s dogs. Taunting me. They have singled me out. Long ago, they smelled my weakness, and now feast upon this broken man’s evening sadness.

But not this time.

For this time, I had donned my new AI Riders on the Storm jacket, generously sent to me by the just-launching Italian web store, BrunaRosso.com.

I turned, and detected a tiny hitch in the taunting barks. Then the barks got louder.

As I walked slowly toward them, I did not — could not — flinch. My eyes gazed at them, blinklessly, emotionlessly, insectoid, a being who had never known emotion or fear. They continued to bark, their tails wagging happily at what surely must be just an unknown neighbor’s game.

As I continued to approach, the shadow of a tree peeled back from my alien visage, and for the first time, they got a closer look.

As my giant, inhuman eyes and mouthless face loomed forward, I noticed one of the dog’s tails de-wag. The game had changed. I saw their lips curl back, baring teeth, but something in their eyes told me I had reached an uncharted part of their souls, that knew ancient fear.

And I kept walking.

As I neared the periphery of the fence, their growing terror became like an intoxicating wine. Suddenly it was I who created the rules of this mad game, and I sat on a throne of dizzy power, drunk on their sudden, furtive steps back; their pathetic, trembling knees.

As my arms slowly extended, there was nothing left in them but terrified, blinding panic, like Napoleon’s wild-eyed, foaming horses at Waterloo.

That’s when the dogs realized the cruel misfortune of their chains, which would not permit their escape. They began to whimper at the last terrifying seconds of their lives.

. . .

Well, anyway, it would be cool if some of that were true.

Actually, if you’d been watching you would have seen a skinny guy in a buggy-looking jacket walking toward some dogs, arms extended, kind of like Frankenstein, as the dogs barked and wagged their tails.

So more about the jacket ….

It’s cool. It’s got nice pockets. The goggles are removable and interchangeable. It’s way too warm for LA. I love it anyway.

Buy it at BrunaRosso.com, see more models on the official AI website, or watch this video about it.

(We have no idea what they’re saying in Italian.)

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Official Website: AI-Storm.com
Buy: BrunaRosso.com

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By Pablo Avion

What do I know about cheeses? Not much.

I just hang out trying to get free samples too much, then sometimes I buy things. So with that disclaimer, I present this guide to some of my favorite adventurous cheeses.

From less to more adventurous, they are:

LESS ADVENTUROUS (BUT AMAZING)

1) Brillat Savarin – Brillat Savarin is a triple cream Brie, which means, much like Dr. Who’s Tardis, somehow, impossibly, three times as much cream has been packed into the cheese as is possible according to the laws of physics, resulting in a spacetime event in which part of the cream must “fold” into an unseen dimension.

The physics of a triple cream Brie can thus be expressed by this simple, unintelligible mathematical formula:

Alas, no, the Webs told me “triple cream” is just a cheese that “contains more than 75% butterfat in its dry parts, which means roughly 40% fat overall,” meaning you die instantly. No big woop.

Fancy Description
“This triple-cream Brie is one of the world’s richest cheeses. It has a light downy white rind and cuts like butter. Milky aroma with light lemon sour tones.”

Real Description
Like some kind of crazy weird cream that’s somehow better than ice cream AND butter. BE SURE it comes completely to room temperate though (1-3 hours), because otherwise it just tastes like nothing, and you sort of blew it, dude.

2) 3 or 5 Year Aged Gouda – Your cheese fell behind the bedside table, where it sat during the entire 4 years you were in college, and then that 1 horrible year you lived with your bf / gf (until you realized that one of you was neater than the other, and one of you wanted to teach in Japan).

In any other scenario, when you rolled away your bed, you would scream and frantically dial 911 to have someone come remove the food item, but this time you realize it looks much better and delcioius-er than before. This could only happen in the world of cheese.

Fancy Description
“Deep caramel in color, crunchy, flaky, and meltingly smooth on the tongue, a true cow’s milk Dutch Gouda bursts with flavor. The hint of butterscotch at the finish is a signature of this Dutch treat.”

Real Description
Damn it, that sort of nailed it. This is like the nuttiest thing in the world, with carmelized areas that taste like little bits of candy. Crazy. Note: I recommend sampling the 3- and 5-year versions when you’re in the cheese store, and seeing which you like better. Keep asking for samples until they start slanting their eyes, then look offended and split.

MEDIUM ADVENTUROUS

3) Midnight Moon by Cypress Grove – Insane in the Membrane! Wait that’s Cypress Hill, whatever. Lame joke.

My new favorite cheese. Man, I can taste it just looking at it.

The crazy thing about Midnight Moon is that it’s not some traditional French cheese with a storied pedigree stretching across 16 generations of families, toiling away meaningless lives out of a grim sense of duty in the Auvergne — though that would be pretty sweet.

No, it’s just made by some kind of cheese geniuses in California. As much as I appreciate some people being “over” Cypress Grove, fortunately I don’t have the luxury of that kind of cheese sophistication, so I am still gleefully excited by it.

Fancy Description

“Aged six months or more, this pale, ivory cheese is firm, dense and smooth with the slight graininess of a long-aged cheese. The flavor is nutty and brown-buttery, with prominent caramel notes. The wheel is finished in a beautiful black wax. Made in Europe exclusively for Cypress Grove Chevre.”

Real Description

Goat-y, nutty, sweet, creamy: this cheese just has it all.

Midnight Moon is like that shirt that you actually wear because you’re more comfortable in it than your “best” shirt. In other words, there’s your “official” best shirt, and there’s your actual best shirt. This is that actual best shirt.

EXTREME CHEESES

4) Roquefort Papillon – If you don’t like blue cheese, you should probably walk softly around this cheese, in case it notices you. If you do like blue cheeses, you’ll find the blues you once liked were but ridiculous toy cars, feeble facsimiles, and now you’re driving one of those big cars with the stickers all over them, hopefully in Le Mans.

Best in small doses, or tossed in a salad (as I was introduced to it in France), it’s the most “extreme” of blues, a crazy high-speed downhill snowboard into penicillium roqueforti (stuff that makes blue cheese).

Fancy Description

“Produced using the unpasteurized milk of Lacaune sheep which graze on the thin, yet rich grass of the Causses in the heart of France. The curds of this cheese are blended with penicillin molds harvested from rye bread baked specially for this purpose. The wheels are aged on oak planks in natural limestone caves for an average of 150 days. The result is a tangy, complex blue cheese with balanced saltiness and an arresting assertiveness.”

Real Description

Like a blue cheese bomb. Like eating perfume. Sort of scary, but you like it. A little salty, so try before you buy.

5) Bonne Bouche – This one is totally new to me, suggested among others by owner Glenn Harrell of Say Cheese Silver Lake.

This is my new favorite “wow” cheese. And apparently it’s another creation of some U.S. cheese geniuses, this time Vermont Creamery, who I would already know about if I wasn’t so darned ignorant.

I think it’s worth quoting the entire Fancy Description, because it’s quite interesting:

Fancy Description

“This hand ladled, ash-ripened cheese was first introduced in 2001. Bonne Bouche literally means good mouthful and is a French term used to describe a tasty morsel.

“Bonne Bouche is made from pasteurized milk and set in tubs for lactic coagulation for 24 hours. The following day, the cheese curd is carefully hand ladled into moulds and drained overnight. The cheeses are then unmoulded, ashed and moved into the drying room and then into the aging room where the controlled environment is cool and humid. The entire process takes seven to ten days before the cheeses are packaged in their individual micro-caves.

“Bonne Bouche can be enjoyed fresh or aged up to 45 days. As a young cheese, the rind has a distinct geotrichium flavor. The texture is mild yet still acidic like a fresh chèvre. As the cheese ages, it becomes softer and the rind becomes more dry and piquant.”

(Bonne Bouche picture: Martina Hemm, The Foreign Kitchen)

Real Description

Somehow you ended up with a pet goat, and it slept all night long on your shoe. Which you’d worn earlier in the day, when you’d been walking over a field that burned the night before, having your “poet’s meditation.” Oh, and the goat also got into something tangy, chalky and the goat is a wee bit sour (because it’s a goat, bless it).

Then, having ripped up the pages of your latest epic poem in a frustrated poet’s rage, you decided — to express your angst at the vagaries and imbalances of this mortal frame — to try and eat the shoe, even knowing full well the implications.

But inexplicably, it was amazingly delicious, and your faith in the inevitable universal good was restored.

Well, some of those taste points sort of danced through the dim theatre of my mind as I sampled Bonne Bouche at Say Cheese, but I think it had achieved proper temperature and was nicely ripened.

The one I brought home is much tamer, which I’m bummed about, so I’m going to wait a month and then leave it out overnight.

Yes, I will even buy a goat, if necessary.

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Main picture: Martina Hemm, The Foreign Kitchen

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Juliana Reynolds, ENVY Model Management

 
1. How and when did you know you wanted to become a model?
After I did my first fashion show when I was 13.

2. Where were you discovered?

At the mall at a covergirl-wetseal fashion show.

3. What do you like most about being a model?

I love pictures and I love travelling.

4. What has been the greatest experience you have had so far?

Living in Paris.

5. What is your fashion dream?

To be on the cover of a magazine.

6. What was your favorite city you traveled to work to?

Paris

7. Who is your fashion icon?

Kate Moss

8. Who is your favorite artist?

Michael Jackson

11. What are your secrets for a fit and healthy body?

Pilates, horseback riding, tennis.

12. What is your favorite part of your body?

Smile.

13. What makes you feel sexy?

Beautiful dresses.

14. What is your favorite piece of clothing?

Versace dress.

15. Is the fashion world what you expected it to be?

Yes, it’s so much fun, I love it!

16. What do you enjoy doing when you are not working?

Shopping, beach and going out with friends

17. What are your favorite things?

The beach, purses, jewelry, dresses, shoes, kittens, horses.

18. What famous model do people tell you that you look most like?

Christie Brinkley

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Envy Model Management | On ModelWire

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She’s one of the world’s most sought-after models, but the 19-year-old former ballerina is surprisingly down-to-earth in this video interview with New York Magazine.

As a model, Karlie’s versatility was in full effect, as she showcased everything from ornate, Eastern-inspired gowns from Jean-Paul Gaultier and Elie Saab to mid-century, “black widow” rockabilly tops from Jason Wu.

It’s hard to believe the Chicago-born model is now walking in her ninth season.

Karlie, who started at 15, says she supports the CFDA‘s recommendations against hiring models under the age of 16.

“I think it’s great,” said Karlie, “because I started when I was 15. I wish I’d been a little more mature. … In this career there’s a lot you have to handle. But one thing that’s very cool that the CFDA has done this year, that I was a part of, is that they had some of the older girls — and now I guess I’d be one of the older girls — talk to the girls in their first season and … kind of help them get an idea what this week was going to be like.”

“My first season, I remember I was terrified. … I was surrounded by Lily Donaldson and Gemma Ward and Sasha [Pivovarova] and Coco [Rocha] …. These huge icons in my eyes, and they just took me under their wing, and really looked out for me, and I hope that now that I’m a little bit older, I can do the same for the younger girls.”

One more reason to love Karlie Kloss.

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