11 Models Wearing The Hell Out Of Jeans, As You Do

There are a million ways to wear denim—and models are on point when it comes to showcasing the latest trends. Take, for example, Alessandra Ambrosio and Gigi Hadid, who made it clear this week that shorts season has arrived. Alessandra even brought out the overalls, a style statement we’re totally on board with come Saturday. From boyfriend jeans plus a boxy jacket to skinnies and tough leather, see the denim looks to stash in your weekend-style playbook.

Alessandra Ambrosio

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Gigi Hadid

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Joan Smalls

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Miranda Kerr

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Rosie Huntington-Whiteley

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Karlie Kloss

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Candice Swanepoel

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Lily Aldridge

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Kendall Jenner

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Alessandra Ambrosio

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Gigi Hadid

HAIR TALK: OBLONG FACE SHAPE

Could super-duper-model Joan Smalls be any more gorgeous!? She’s a prime example of someone with an oblong face shape. When it comes to this shape, the goal is to wear it proud if you’re happy with it or to widen the face to make it appear less long. If a client of mine comes in and has an oblong face shape, I usually suggest a long bang or layers that hit just below the eyes when the hair is dry– that will draw out the width of your face. I also explain that if you don’t have natural waves, the hair will need to be styled regularly to acheive the widening effect. Super straight hair on an oblong face will make it appear even longer. You want to make sure you are letting the cheekbones be clear and visible with an oblong shape. Here are some great ideas for all of you beautiful oblong girls!

• RETRO-LIKE CURLS- Set the hair and give it some real bounce. The softness of a retro curl can make everything feel more “round” and less long even when it’s not. Curls are an amazing way to add width to your silhouette but always keep in mind you want width, not height with oblong!
• SIDE SWEEP- As crazy as this sounds– ears help you gain width. Sweep all the hair over your shoulder and make sure you show an ear when there’s a lot of curl or texture going on. In the main photo above, if you cover Joans ears, the face appears much more narrow. When you see the ears it tricks your eye into thinking the face is a teeny bit wider than it actually is. Notice that Joan shows ear in just about every photo and that’s because her hair is cleared away from the face and that allows the cheekbones to come through!
• WEAR EARRINGS- I know this isn’t a hair trick but it’s still a trick. Earrings that dangle near the sides of your face (especially ones that are close to your skins own tone) help to draw out the overall silhouette. Try lighter golds for pale skin and bronzy colors for darker skin. Sounds crazy but it works!!
• WIDE WIDE WAVES- This may be where you need to learn how to flat iron curl. You can create a great wave pattern around your face with more control over where the waves hit when you use a beveled flat iron to do it. Hmmm… tutorial?? You want the widest part of the curls to hit right at your cheekbones. The hair should almost mimic the cheekbone, but be wider. If you look at the bottom right photo of Joan, you see that the widest part of the wave around here face is right around her cheekbone/ear area. Make that happen! You may have to spend a little time figuring out how to wrap the hair around a curling iron but it’s worth spending the time.
• BLOWOUTS- Again, you’re seeking width, so set the hair however you like but keep it off the face. Give it a good warm burst of air around your face at the end and lightly hit your hairline with hairspray. Do what you can to keep the hair from hugging your face.
• HAIRCUTS- Honestly, you’re not that limited on haircuts with an oblong face shape. The only thing you should really steer clear of is hard bobs that make you appear longer and really long sleek straight hair with no layers or movement. Everything else can be styled accordingly to create the illusion of a wider face.
• CURLY GIRLS- As Carrie Bradshaw proved to the world, curly girls with oblong face shapes are the chic-est. Let those curls be if you have them! Allow them to be loose + wild + off your face to widen the overall sillhouette. You of course need a great haircut to manage major curls, but once you have that, you’re all set. Curly hair for an oblong face is ideal because of the horizontal volume it gets naturally.

Are you an “Oblong” girl? Please share your stories about it below. What are your favorite and least favorite things about this face shape?

Estée Lauder commands boldness with Joan Smalls effort

Joan Smalls for Estée Lauder

Beauty marketer Estée Lauder is the latest brand to give a hands-on creative role to one of its ambassadresses.

Model and brand spokeswoman Joan Smalls worked with Estée Lauder to create a matte lipstick formula that commands attention with bold colors and finishes. Lately, brand ambassadors have taken on a more active role, stepping out of the lens of the camera and behind-the-scenes creatively.

Matte magic
 
To promote the Pure Color Envy Matte Sculpting Lipstick, Estée Lauder created a 15-second video clip of Ms. Smalls in casual clothes in different settings to appeal to a wider scope of its consumers. The clip also makes Estée Lauder and its products more approachable due to the laid-back nature of its content.

The brand featured an article on its blog, The Edit, where Ms. Smalls explains how she fell in love with matte finish lipsticks and why she worked with Estée Lauder on the product. The editorialized feel of the content presents consumers with additional context to understand the development of new items and gives a glimpse into Ms. Smalls’ opinions.

Estée Lauder also included a “shop the story” section to easily continue the consumer journey by featuring three shades of Pure Color Envy Matte Sculpting Lipstick in Commanding, Neon Azalea and Shameless Violet. The lipstick collection features 12 “statement-making” shades and retails for $30 per tube.
Additional features found on the page focus on content starring Ms. Smalls, such as a piece on fitness.

Matte Magic with Joan Smalls

Working with an ambassador on a collection furthers the relationship had between model and brand, but also strengthens the connection made with the fans of the spokesperson. Consumers gravitate toward favorite celebrities and will likely be more inclined to make a purchase if an idolized individual had a role in product development.

Recently, for example, British leather goods house Mulberry has once again turned to its ambassadresses as the source of creative inspiration.

In an email and social campaign Mulberry has announced that model and brand ambassador Georgia May Jagger has worked with the brand to create a “dream leather” biker jacket and accessories.
Recently, the role of the model has evolved to be much more than just an attractive face seen in advertisements and during runway presentations by becoming increasingly hands-on and collaborative (see story).

Joan Smalls put the super back into supermodel

Model Joan Smalls attends the Joan Smalls True Religion Collection Celebration at Gramercy Park Hotel Rooftop on March 18, 2015 in New York City. 

Image by: Michael Stewart / WireImage

She may be on course for world domination, but supermodel Joan Smalls’ tale is one of triumph through determination. Meet the very real woman behind the planet’s most perfect face

For someone whose face adorns countless magazine covers, who walks for fashion’s great and glorious and ranks in the top 10 on Forbes’ highest-paid models list, you’d expect Joan Smalls to be, well, big ... as in towering, intimidatingly monumental. In real life, though, the only things exaggerated about the 27-year-old Puerto Rican beauty are her mesmerising mahogany-hued doe eyes. In fact, she’s so impossibly down-to-earth we’re forced to remind ourselves that this very same woman is credited with having single-handedly resurrected the supermodel golden era of the ’80s. Jocelyn Warrington sat down with her when she was in Cape Town recently as the face of the Woolworths 2015 Studio.W campaign (pictured below).



JW: It’s not your first visit to SA, is it?
 
JS: Nope, I’ve been here three times now, twice to front the Woolworths campaign. The team is one of the attractions – they’re just so easy to work with. But what I really love is the malva pudding ... it’s like an on-set requirement. I guess I just feel at home here. Maybe it’s because there are a lot of cultural similarities between Puerto Rico, where I grew up, and South Africa.

JW: Perhaps it’s this connection that’s made Candice Swanepoel such a long-standing friend?
JS: Absolutely! Candice (below) is so sweet. I love her accent. We were recently in Puerto Rico together shooting for Victoria’s Secret.


JW: That must have been something ... returning home to work?
 
JS: It sure was. Our schedule was tight, but I enjoyed showing off my hometown. And, of course, it was amazing to see my family.

JW: You’re a tight-knit bunch, aren’t you? How do you think your upbringing contributed to the woman you are?
 
JS: My parents have always been my safety net. No matter what happens, I know I have a place to go home to.

JW: That must’ve been a huge comfort when you moved to New York at 19?
 
JS:  It was. Because I already have their unconditional support, my journey has always been more about proving myself to me than to anyone else.

JW:  You graduated magna cum laude from the Interamerican University of Puerto Rico with a bachelor’s degree in psychology. Does this mean you’re equally gifted with beauty and brains?
 
JS: My parents are staunch believers in the importance of education. They insisted my sisters and I get our “sheepskins” – that’s Caribbean for a college education – before doing anything else. I was taught that your education is the one thing no one can ever take away from you.

JW: So you get your “sheepskin” and you head to the Big Apple to pursue your dream of walking the runway. What’s the first thing you do when you start making money?
 
JS: I give my dad his credit card back! Then I buy and furnish my first apartment. I’m a homebody at heart. When I’m not travelling I like to nest: cook, clean, watch TV. Give me domestic routine any day.

JW: Amid all the glitz and glamour, you’re cited as saying you count your greatest achievement as having helped change perceptions of beauty in fashion and modelling. How do you define beauty?
 
JS: I guess that growing up in Puerto Rico, where there is such a mix of cultures, races, colours, shapes and sizes, I was exposed to a very broad concept of beauty. I’ve never bought into the idea that there’s a one-size-fits-all definition. I believe that we’re at our most beautiful when we’re being our most authentic.

JW: You became the first Latina model to represent Estée Lauder and you are the first Puerto Rican model chosen by big brands, from Gucci to Chanel (below), to front major advertising campaigns. How does it feel to be such a pioneer?
 
JS: It feels awesome!  Lauder was a big achievement for me. It’s an iconic brand and their decision to break the mould represents real progress in an industry that can be pretty stuck in its ways.

JW: Is the fashion industry finally waking up to its long neglect of diversity? Have you had to deal with discrimination?
 
JS:  Of course I have! There’s been a lot of convincing along the way, plenty of tears and frustration. My mother always used to tell me: “A person can only say ‘no’ so many times.” Sure, it’s getting better but, really, it’s an ongoing conversation and it’s crucial that we keep talking.

JW: So what’s the next big thing for Joan Smalls? You’ve done the runways, the shoots, the TV ads. What about a fragrance campaign? Or more music videos? You’ve starred in a few, including, famously, Beyoncé’s ‘Yoncé’ (preview below), alongside fellow models Chanel Iman and Jourdan Dunn. What was that like?
 
JS: So, so cool! I was like, “Look at me, girl, I got grills.” And working with Beyoncé was a real “I made it!” moment. She was just so inspiring and she took such good care of us. I don’t think there’s enough of that these days, women celebrating other women. And yes, I’d love a fragrance campaign! But we’ll see where the road takes me ...

Joan Responds To Photo Theft Claims

 found herself this week embroiled in an almost identical Instagram battle to her friend Karlie Kloss, when she reportedly posted a picture taken by a photography student on her Instagram page without crediting it. The picture, which has since been removed, was replaced with an image of a middle finger join-the-dots and a caption expressing Smalls' dismay that the situation had escalated so quickly. She later deleted this post as well.

The photographer responsible for the original deleted image of Smalls, Boston-based photography student Claire Roche, took the image of her at a party, The Fashion Law reports, and Smalls then posted it to her Instagram account. It appears from the comments on Smalls's feed that she received a private message from Roche - who reportedly threatened to take legal action if the picture was not either credited or removed.

Joan Smalls on the Victoria's Secret catwalk

Picture credit: Rex Features

"As the photographer, she is the rights holder," The Fashion Law reports. "While Smalls may be able to pursue her own cause of action for a violation of her right to publicity - namely, for Roche's use of her "name, image [or] likeness," - this is not necessarily a home run for Smalls because in New York, this cause of action is largely based on use that is for the purpose of advertising or trade."

Although the image may now have been deleted, and therefore the matter may seem to be at an end, the photographer involved in the Kloss incident, Rachel Scroggins, wrote candidly last year about the impact that her image being posted uncredited by Kloss has had on her life and career since then.

"I do the majority of my fashion-week work on spec, meaning I get paid after the fact," she explained. "No one is giving me hundreds of dollars to attend shows. I work alone, doing all of the requests, scheduling, planning, and post-show marketing and publicity myself. I make my income selling images - mostly backstage beauty - after the fact, and shooting editorials and portraits the rest of the year. If I had been credited in the first place, I would have received what amounts to major publicity, and had publications contacting me directly to licence the photo. In the end, the fun fact of all of this is that right now, I've lost what amounts to hundreds, if not thousands of dollars in image licensing fees thanks to one Instagram post."

'To all the guys in school who made fun of me' Joan Smalls says becoming Victoria's Secret angel silenced bullies who teased her for being 'tall and skinny'

Her killer looks have made her one of the world's most sought after models, with career highs that include walking for Victoria's Secret and posing for Chanel.

But rewind to her school days and Joan Smalls was just like any other girl in the playground, branded too 'tall and skinny' by school yard bullies.

In an interview with Sunday Style the 27-year-old Puerto Rican-born says getting her Victoria's Secret angel wings was the ultimate comeback to those who teased her.

'To all the guys in school who made fun of me' Joan Smalls, pictured on Victoria's Secret runway in 2014, says becoming an 'angel' silenced those who teased her for being 'tall and skinny'

'Victoria's Secret is pure bragging rights,' she says.

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'Like, 'Ha!' to all the guys in school who made fun of me for being so tall and skinny.'

Joan's swift ascent to stardom came after her relatively late start to modeling, after she moved to New York in 2007, age 20.

Legs for days: Joan's swift ascent to stardom came after her relatively late start to modeling, after she moved to New York in 2007, age 20

Grounded: Despite placing eighth on Forbes' World's Highest-Paid Models list in 2013, Joan says she has her feet firmly on the ground

She's coming! Currently en route to Australia the 5ft 10in model has stopped over in Fiji with her boyfriend Bernard Smith.

But, despite placing eighth on Forbes' World's Highest-Paid Models list in 2013, she has her feet firmly on the ground. 

'My parents are my idols, because I know them and I appreciate the values they instilled in me, and I know what sacrifices they’ve made to raise a family,' she says of her close knit family, she is one of three sisters.

U.S based Joan is set to land Down Under imminently, ahead of starring in a campaign for David Jones, walking the catwalk for its new Studio W Brand.

'My parents are my idols, because I know them and I appreciate the values they instilled in me, and I know what sacrifices they’ve made to raise a family,' she says of her close knit family

Currently en route to Australia the 5ft 10in model has stopped over in Fiji with her boyfriend Bernard Smith.

The lingerie model has used the layover to soak up the rays and share a series of risque shots of her incredible body.

Avoiding pesky tan lines Joan ditched her bikini bottoms for sexy snap on Friday, captioning the image 'Personal Fiji Island Natural Hair #Cay #NoBottoms (sic).' 

First class traveler! The Chanel model traveled in luxury to Fiji

Why model Joan Smalls likes to surprise us

There are secrets you won't find about top model Joan Smalls from social media, she tells Kate Waterhouse.

Joan Smalls says she's proud to be Estee Lauder's first Latina face. Photo: Jessica Hromas Photo: Jessica Hromas
 

Joan Smalls was the first Latina model to represent Estee Lauder cosmetics and was ranked number 8 on Forbes magazine's 2013 list of the world's highest-paid models. The Puerto Rican supermodel is the face of fashion brand Studio.W and was in Australia this week to launch it exclusively into David Jones. Kate Waterhouse caught up with the 27-year-old to chat about being an adrenaline junkie, the one thing she would change about herself, and working alongside Beyonce.

How did you get your big break into modelling? I had an exclusive for Givenchy Couture, and people in the industry started seeing me differently. From there, I shot with Steven Meisel, Mert and Marcus, Patrick Demarchelier, Mario Testino etc, appearing in Vogue and getting one of my ultimate dreams come true: to be the first Latina ambassador for Estee Lauder.

Did you always want to be a model? No. I love animals – I wanted to be a veterinarian and I grew up on six acres [2.4 hectares], so we had every animal you can think of, and I loved taking care of animals. Also, my mother is a social worker and she always puts herself second, and that is something I've always admired so [it inspired me] to study psychology.

What have you done during your visit to Sydney? I have been to Bondi, and then I went to the zoo, as I wanted to see a kangaroo, a Tasmanian devil and a koala. But I have just walked around [the city], when I am in a new environment. I love being with the locals and seeing how they live.

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Tell me about the Studio.W collection. They make lovely pieces that are great for mixing. I have been working with them for a while in South Africa, so it has been a wonderful relationship to build with a brand that makes so many options for everyday wear.   

How would you describe your style? Eclectic. I go from tomboy sexy to classic and edgy, depending on my mood. I love feeling comfortable and making sure it complement my body at all times. Form-fitting dresses are my favourite – that have a unique detail or asymmetry to it. 

What is one fashion item you couldn't live without? My cuff earrings.  

What has been your biggest pinch-me moment?  Being in Beyonce's video for Yonce and licking her. It was an epic moment. My girl crush came out immediately. 

What was it like to work alongside Beyonce? It was dream come true. I remember all her music videos as a girl, growing up and learning the dance moves and I've just always admired her for being such a powerful woman and being so creative. She is just a positive role model, so to be apart of that was awesome.

Who do you look up to and admire? My parents, because you don't know celebrities or public figures. Now, being in the same arena, you know that you only put out what you want people to see, so it's hard to judge a person's character. I always say my parents are my idols because they installed really good values [in me].

What was it like to become the first Latina model to represent Estee Lauder? An honour. I feel so proud of my heritage and showcasing to the world that Latin and black women are beautiful and diverse; that you don't have to be only one thing. You can be a mixture of cultures like myself and that is a true representation of the world we live in, and it's beautiful.  

What is your top beauty secret you've learnt while modelling? Highlighting the skin. Particularly the cheekbones and the upper brow – I always add a little highlighter in these areas when I go out.
   
What is still on your bucket list? I would love to get a fragrance and hair contract, amongst other things. I like keeping things I want to accomplish close to my heart and not share with everyone because I want people to see the results and be surprised.  

You have over a million followers on Instagram. Is it hard to find the balance on what to put out there and what to keep personal? Not at all, I have a good sense of privacy and respecting other people's privacy as well. I try not to give away too much on the jobs I'm doing so that it's a surprise and something to look forward to.

What is off-limits when it comes to social media? My home, my precise location. I try to stay away from political views as well, staying neutral when it comes to religious and political matters.

What would be your advice to someone starting out in modelling? Follow your instinct. And always ask questions. People can always give you advice but you should always remember why you started and to stay focused.

How do you stay in shape? I work out every other day. I like the idea of a woman feeling empowered and pulling her own weight. I go to the gym on my own and have two excellent trainers – one for full body and another for Muay Thai kickboxing and ju-jitsu. 

What's something that most people don't know about you and would be surprised to find out? I don't feel comfortable in extremely crowded places. I'm an occasional adrenaline junkie. Whenever I have the chance to do something crazy, I'll do it, but I will always be cautious while doing it.

You say you are an adrenaline junkie. What is the craziest thing you have done? Probably going cage-diving with sharks in Hawaii. It was quite peaceful and magical. They are so majestic that you forget your own fear … Next, I want to do skydiving!

Do you ever get nervous on the catwalk any more? Not at this point! I get excited and have an adrenaline rush from all the energy backstage.

If you could change one thing about yourself, what would it be? My left foot is slightly bigger than my right. So shoes always hurt on my left foot ... or the toes hang out when I wear sexy open-toe heels.

What is next in the pipeline? My second collection with True Religion, which I'm super-excited about.