Crystal Renn Gives You Permission To Talk About Her Weight

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In her teens, Crystal Renn — shown here swaddled in McQueen clothing and Marimekko fabric for the new issue of Vogue Japan — was a straight-size model with anorexia. Then, Crystal Renn gained a significant amount of weight in recovery, became a plus-size model, and attained great success both in fashion and with the 2009 memoir she co-wrote with Marjorie Ingall. And then, over past two years, Crystal Renn dropped a few dress sizes — she has said that she was able to reintroduce some exercise into her life, having avoided it earlier in her recovery because compulsive, all-day bouts of exercise had been part of her eating disorder. (Are we all up to date on the shifting states, sizes, and potential cultural impacts of this woman’s body? O.K. then!) Renn tells Fashionista she’s more or less at peace with the fact that her weight will be scrutinized, and criticized by those who now feel that she’s been disloyal to the plus-size woman’s cause. “No matter what size I am, it’s OK, because I’m fine,” she says. “Health is the most important thing.” Renn goes on, “The thing is, I was recovering from anorexia. My body’s going to do some things that I don’t expect. It’s a learning process for me. The problem is when we start bashing and saying ‘Oh i think she’s not as pretty when she’s this thin’ or — I even read a comment where it said I was emaciated. I’ve been called fat a million times but when someone called me emaciated, I’ve got to be honest, I got really really angry. I am not emaciated. It’s funny because if I, for instance gained the weight because I was listening to them, I’d be doing the very same thing I was doing when I started out in this industry. I was listening to others to decide where my weight should be and who I should be in general. And I refuse to do that again. It would be more hypocritical.” This seems like a surprisingly forthright answer to a difficult (and personal) line of questioning — albeit one which, as a quasi-public figure who has spoken and written about body image extensively, Renn must expect to face — but we still kind of wish Renn would get asked about something other than her weight/weight loss all the time. [Fashionista]


Jason Wu is now designing kitchen faucets. [NYDN]


Ralph Lauren‘s totally ridic car collection — or at least a portion of it — goes on display this week at the Musée des Arts Décoratifs in Paris. [CNN]


Kate Moss‘s epic 36th anniversary issue of Vogue Brazil is out. With Mario Testino, Moss shot a 60-page editorial over six days in Brazil. On the cover, as you can see, Moss appears nude. [Fashionologie]


Here’s Anrej Pejic‘s full editorial accompanying his androgynous, sexy new Dossier cover. [Fashionista]


Christian Louboutin has produced a pump that looks like a paw. On sale this fall. [Nylon]


  • Jared Leto is joining Orlando Bloom as a face of Hugo Boss‘s men’s fragrances. Leto was quoted as saying, “HUGO inspires men to succeed through creativity, which is something I’ve aimed for my entire career.” His ads will drop in July. [NYDN]
  • W‘s longtime fashion director Alex White is leaving the magazine. Replacing her will be Edward Enninful, who started at i-D when he was 18, and has gone on to style shoots for virtually every Vogue on earth. White wishes to pursue other projects, and may start her own magazine. “I was interested in his talent, but more than anything, the spirit of Edward,” says W editor-in-chief Stefano Tonchi. “Edward is a very positive, open, sunny person. He really captured my imagination.” [WWD]
  • Olivier Rousteing has been confirmed as the new creative director for Balmain. [Fashionologie]
  • The Japanese fashion industry has been dramatically affected by March’s earthquake and tsunami. Many apparel factories were located in the devastated north of the country, and the ongoing nuclear disaster meant that Japan fashion week had to be canceled. To many emerging designers, and even to some relatively established ones, going a season without sales or press attention could be a death knell to their businesses. This new website showcases more than 50 Japanese designers’ fall-winter collections, so that international buyers and members of the press who were unable to travel to Japan can still maybe place some orders. [Japan Fashion Week]
  • Hair is the only natural substance that grows on every human form and you can cut and angle into it,” says Vidal Sassoon. “It’s the only thing where you can take something alive and create shapes!” Vidal Sassoon is an interesting guy — he volunteered for the Israeli army in 1948, he’s obsessed with modern architecture, and he has thoughtful reflections on the differences between his native England and the United States: “The freedom of America is wonderful, but it would be better if it was combined with the discipline of the UK. Communism died, thank goodness; fascism died, thank goodness; and then we had capitalism for so long it almost seems natural, but there’s nothing natural about 25 million unemployed people. People want to be cared about, and it looks like the government doesn’t care too much, sadly. If you ask me if six years of socialism would be good for America, the answer is yes.” That is a very coherent position to take and one that rarely gets much shrift in the American media. But strangely, we suspect his thoughts on Kate Middleton‘s hair — “kind of neither here nor there” — and Michelle Obama‘s — “Oh! What wonderful straightening techniques they have today” — will get rather more attention.
  • Le Figaro, Le Journal du Dimanche, and Le Parisien are each reporting that Carla Bruni is pregnant. [Fashionologie]
  • The Row, Ashley and Mary-Kate Olsen‘s über-expensive line, now generates an estimated $10-$12 million in annual sales. Their clothes are mostly produced in the U.S., except for knitwear and handbags, which are made in Italy. [Newsweek]
  • Meanwhile, Halston seems to be readying itself for possible sale. The company, owned by the Weinstein brothers, needs investment for growth. [Vogue UK]
  • Savile Row tailor Richard James on dressing three (unnamed) men for the royal wedding, and men’s formal dress in general: “It’s not the man’s place to stand out. Guests should stick to classics — perhaps a three-piece suit with a waistcoat in a pale blue or a coloured tie. Showing up like a peacock is not the right idea.” [Telegraph]
  • Knock-off designers are waiting, pencils and sketchpads at the ready, to catch the first glimpse of Kate Middleton‘s wedding dress. So they can copy it first. “I don’t get nervous. But it’s a little bit of pressure with the timing,” says a designer who works for Faviana. “When it’s a special event like this, there’s an excitement in the office.” These people have no shame. [NYPost]
  • In related news, a proposed New York City law would make not just selling but buying counterfeit designer goods a crime. Offenders could be punished by a $1,000 fine or up to one year in prison. [NYPost]
  • The editor of Vogue China finds it difficult to fit all the ads into her magazine. “I have to sit down at a desk to flip through it. It is going to get very difficult to read. It’s too heavy. Maybe it will have to be two magazines in future.” [Guardian]
  • This is an entire article about how Madonna left the house wearing some clothes the other day. [NYPost]
  • Bloomingdale’s is expanding its outlet chain. Three more stores will open over the coming year: in Estero, Florida, Wrentham, Massachusetts, and Schaumberg, Illinois. [WWD]
  • There is a rumor that Steven Meisel is shooting this year’s Pirelli calendar. [Fashionologie]
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