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Supermodel Coco Rocha Is Still Waiting On A Paycheck From 2006

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Coco_Rocha_at_Louis_Vuitton

It's no secret: Modeling isn't exactly constant jet-setting glamour, parties, and free clothes. From a lack of legal protection to less-than-ideal compensation, it can be a rough gig.

But we always assumed that once you make it big, those problems go away fast — who would dare mess with an industry icon like, say, Coco Rocha? 

Well, we thought wrong.

Rocha is one of the most recognizable names and faces in fashion right now, and she's done everything from couture to reality TV. And best of all, she's an advocate for The Model Alliance, a group fighting for model's rights and educating fresh faces about what they can do to take control of their careers.

While speaking about the modeling business at Columbia Law School on Thursday, Coco explained that despite her pro-status, she's made a lot of the mistakes she warns against — like not having a copy of her own contract until very recently.

But she's stuck to her guns, and even though she's known for having one of the most specific contracts out there, she's made it work: "When I first started modeling, I was told I needed to do pretty much anything to be successful. I had to pick, do I want to be successful? Or do I want to keep to my morals and my values, which, to me, was very important; but I was 14, so I was very easily persuaded." But she eventually told her agent: "This is who I am. Can you work with this? If not, I'll just go back and be an Irish dancing nerd." 

The craziest part of her story? Even Coco has to fight to get paid. She says she's still waiting on a paycheck from 2006. Though she seems to be getting by without it, it's just ridiculous that the players in this industry don't have the same standards that every other business has (though actors frequently experience the same problem both in NYC and in LA).

All we can say is this: Props to Coco for having the guts to stand up for herself and her fellow models, at her own risk. Here's to hoping her influential voice gets heard by the people with the power to change things. 

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H&M Subtly Used A Plus-Sized Model For Its Swimsuit Collection

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h&m plus size model beachwear

H&M decided to use plus-sized model Jennie Runk to be the face and body of its new beachwear collection.

Click here for more photos>

But what makes H&M's decision so laudable is how casually it handled breaking fashion norms. There was no press release or loud declaration on its website.

It just so happened that when consumers clicked on the "new beachwear" section on the retailer's website home page, they were greeted by images of a six foot tall woman with curvy proportions you're more likely to see in a normal setting rather than on a runway.

"Models whose bodies differ from the straight-size standard should be visible in fashion, outside of the stigmatizing magazine "Size" issues and the dedicated "Plus" categories, which retailers always seem to bury,"Jezebel's Jenna Sauers wrote. "Why shouldn't Jennie Runk, and other women like her, get [to] be on the homepage, too?"

This quiet integration seems to be H&M's style. 

The Swedish retailer began using mannequins with size 12 bodies in its lingerie departments in March. But even though H&M did so quietly, critics loudly complained once they noticed the figures, saying that the company was promoting obesity.

Although looking at Runk's photos, she looks anything but unhealthy, which only emphasizes the bizarre norms that the fashion industry has created.

Consumers visiting H&M's homepage were greeted with this invitation to click through its new beachwear collection.



At first it was hard to tell that Jennie Runk wasn't your "typical" model.



She has curves like most average, healthy looking women.



See the rest of the story at Business Insider

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Model Says Illinois Doctor Posted Drunk Photos Of Her On Instagram, Sues Hospital

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Hospital Model

A recent Northwestern graduate is suing an Illinois hospital after a doctor allegedly posted drunken photos of her in the emergency room on Instagram and Facebook, ABC News reports.

Elena Chernyakova, an actress and model, says the photos were taken when she was in the emergency room at Northwestern Memorial Hospital for extreme intoxication in June. Dr. Vinaya Puppala allegedly snapped the photos while she was "on the hospital bed, crying and attached to an IV," according to the complaint cited by ABC.

Puppala, who knew Chernyakova through a mutual friend, then allegedly posted the photos on Instagram and Facebook along with his own "commentary" about her drunken state. She says she felt violated, and that the pictures could hurt her job prospects, according to a summary of the complaint from Courthouse News Service.

"Plaintiff is a Northwestern graduate with a bright future ahead of her, with potential to someday work for Fortune 500 companies, which may now not occur because of said photographs," the complaint stated.

Northwestern told ABC in a statement that it had a "zero tolerance" policy for privacy invasion — including photography of patients.

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Model Bar Refaeli Demands Roger Waters Stop Using Her Photo In Anti-Israel Concerts

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bar refaeli roger waters pink floyd

Israeli supermodel Bar Refaeli was another face in the crowd at a Roger Waters concert in 2011, when she noticed a picture of herself on the wall.

Thrilled to be recognized by the former Pink Floyd frontman, Refaeli tweeted: "Crazy thing... Went to the Roger Waters show in Paris, and saw a pic of myself on the wall!!! #respect!!! I'm honoured [sic],"according to the Daily Telegraph.

The 28-year-old supermodel changed her tune after Waters sparked outrage among Jewish groups earlier this summer, the Daily Mail is reporting.

Waters, a known activist who supports a boycott of Israel, released a pig-shaped balloon marked with the Star of David into the sky during a concert in July. The Belgium show kicked off his European tour.

Inflatable pigs have been a staple prop of Pink Floyd concerts since the release of the "Animals" album in 1977. After Waters left the band in 1985, he continued to showcase them during solo performances.

roger waters inflatable pig star of david concert belgiumThe pig launched into the Belgium arena depicted the Star of David juxtaposed with symbols of organizations and regimes from around the world. 

“[The Star of David] was the only religious-national symbol which appeared among other symbols for fascism, dictatorships and oppression of people,” Alon Onfus Asif, an Israeli living in Belgium, told ynetnews.com. “Waters crossed the line and gave expression to an anti-Semitic message, beyond all his messages of anti-militancy.”

Supermodel Refaeli seemed compelled to agree, demanding via Twitter that Waters remove her picture from the concert prop wall.

She tweeted in Hebrew:

The Daily Mail translated Refaeli's tweet as, "Roger Waters, you better take my picture off of the video art at your shows. If you're boycotting - go all the way."

Waters — a seven-year supporter of the Boycott, Divestment, Sanctions (BDS), a non-violent movement that opposes Israel’s occupation of the West Bank and fights for Palestinian human rights — defended the pig in an open letter on his Facebook page.

"Like it or not, the Star of David represents Israel and its policies and is legitimately subject to any and all forms of non violent protest," Waters wrote. "To peacefully protest against Israel’s racist domestic and foreign policies is NOT ANTI-SEMITIC."

Waters also noted that this particular pig has appeared at approximately 193 shows since 2010, and the concertgoer Asif's complaint is "the first."

This isn't the first time Refaeli has been at the center of controversy concerning her home country.

In March, the Israeli Defense Force slammed the Israeli Foreign Ministry for picking Refaeli as the face of its new ad campaign, because she evaded serving Israel's mandatory, two-year military service.

The Sports Illustrated bikini model married a friend because married women are exempt from the draft. She divorced after receiving her exemption.

Watch the Roger Waters concert footage below to see what set her off:

SEE ALSO: The Israeli Army Is NOT Happy About Bar Refaeli's Pro-Israel Ad

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Amazing Gifs Show Just How Creative A Model's Photoshopper Can Get

An Iowa Man Spent 3 Years Building The Mythical City From 'Lord Of The Rings' Out Of Matchsticks

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Minas Tirith Matchsticks 1

Pat Acton, a former career counselor in central Iowa, spent some 1,000 hours a year between 2007 and 2010 building a matchstick model of the mythic Minas Tirith city from "Lord of the Rings." The finished replica contains 420,000 matchsticks and 23,000 small support wooden blocks. It stands over six feet tall in the Matchstick Marvels museum Acton founded.Minas Tirith Matchsticks 2"Number one is I've been a JRR Tolkien fan since I was a kid," Acton told Business Insider. "The movies reignited my interest in 'Lord of the Rings' and I wanted to build something iconic from the story."

The model includes hundreds of city buildings, the Citadel, the Tree of Gondor, and the White Tower of Ecthelion, all of which should excite LOTR fans.Minas Tirith Matchsticks 3Acton has built matchstick models for the past 23 years as a hobby, but after retirement he took on a three-year contract to construct models full time with Ripley's Believe It Or Not. He has about a year and a half left on that arrangement now.Minas Tirith Matchsticks 1"I used to buy all the matchsticks the grocery store had and cut the tips off myself," Acton said. "I was just interested in the pure wood. But it's time consuming to cut the tips. After about 10 years, my wife said, 'Why don't you contact the match makers and ask to buy them without the tips?'"Minas Tirith Matchsticks 4People buy matches so rarely these days that when Acton gets them, they're made-to-order. He uses U.S. wood matches like Fire Chief, Blue Tip and Diamond, and goes through a half-million match splints every year. Minas Tirith Matchsticks 5

SEE ALSO: A School Gymnasium In France Looks Like A Swanky Art Museum

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Model Says Celebrity Photographer Offered Her A Vogue Shoot In Exchange For Sex

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Terry Richardson

Photographer Terry Richardson is no new face to sexual scandal, but recent allegations that he messaged model Emma J. Appleton to ask for sex in exchange for a Vogue shoot have brought him back into the spotlight.

On Sunday, Emma J. Appleton tweeted this message the fashion photographer allegedly sent her:

TR Text

A spokeswoman from the Richardson camp immediately waved away Appleton's allegations as fake, BuzzFeed reports.

“This is obviously a fake. Terry did not send this text,” spokesperson Candice Marks said.

Appleton's claims echo previous allegations that Richardson used his status and power to manipulate young women who want to "make it" in the fashion industry.

As one model once told The Gloss, "he was the only photographer to leave me feeling like I needed to take two showers."

After being accused of sexual harassment by several models, Richardson published an essay in the Huffington Post called “Correcting the Rumors,” where he stood by his claims that he was innocent and the victim of an "emotionally-charged witch hunt."

Appleton soon deleted the tweet and eventually her account, signing off with the message: "Beginning to wish I hadn't posted that...it doesn't matter who you are or the what the industry is, just be a decent human being."

Vogue has said it will not work with Richardson again.

“We have no plans to work with him in the future,” the communications director for Vogue U.S., Hildy Kuryk, told BuzzFeed.

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The Guy Whose 'Sexy' Mugshot Went Viral Just Got A Modeling Contract

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We hope Jeremy Meeks has been practicing his catwalk, because he's been offered a modeling contract.

A few weeks ago we reported the story of Meeks, the "sexy" alleged criminal whose mugshot went viral all over the web.

Jeremy Meeks

Meeks, who was arrested on five weapons charges in the Northern California city of Stockton, was hailed a hottie by women and men alike all over Facebook and Twitter. 

People were rooting for him. He has fans.

Jeremy Meeks

People were even Photoshopping him into Calvin Klein and Hugo Boss ads. It was ridiculous.

Jeremy Meeks

Now the father of one could be looking at the real deal. 

TMZ reports Blaze Models in LA has signed Meeks to a $30,000 modeling contract. He will be represented by Gina Rodriguez of GR Media, who Buzzfeed says also represents Tan Mom (you remember Tan Mom, right?).

This is kind of her thing:

Gina Rodriguez

What a world.

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17-Year-Old World Cup Fan Gets Modeling Deal With L'Oreal After Photos Go Viral

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Axelle DespiegelaereAxelle Despiegelaere was just a 17-year-old from Belgium rooting for her country's soccer team two weeks ago at the World Cup in Brazil when someone took her photo in the stands and likely changed the course of her life.Axelle Despiegelaere world cup model

The picture of the attractive Belgian dressed in her country's paraphernalia made the rounds on Twitter and newspapers all over the world.

Axelle Despiegelaere world cup model

Since returning home to Belgium, the teen set up a Facebook page that has amassed over 18,300 fans and counting. Another Facebook fan page has over 227,000 likes. [Since this posting, Axelle has deleted her Facebook page  luckily we took screenshots.]

 Axelle Despiegelaere world cup model

Soon after, L'Oreal approached Axelle and offered her a modeling contract. She recently filmed a promotional video for the cosmetics company.

Axelle Despiegelaere world cup model

Unfortunately, Axelle's team got eliminated by Argentina in the quarterfinals. Axelle Despiegelaere world cup modelAxelle Despiegelaere world cup model

But she still managed to have a good time throughout her trip to Brazil.Axelle Despiegelaere world cup modelAxelle Despiegelaere world cup model

Axelle Despiegelaere world cup model

Axelle Despiegelaere world cup model

Now that she's affiliated with a big brand like L'Oreal, Axelle may want to rethink this photo and caption.Axelle Despiegelaere world cup model

SEE ALSO: Viral World Cup Model Deletes Facebook Page Amid Uproar Over Crass Hunting Photo And Caption

WATCH ALSO:  Richard Branson Tells Us The Story Behind His Famous Kitesurfing Photo With A Naked Model

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Viral World Cup Model Causes Uproar With Crass Hunting Photo And Caption

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Axelle Despiegelaere

Belgian 17-year-old Axelle Despiegelaere became internet famous this week after photos of her in the stands at the World Cup went viral and led to a L'Oreal modeling contract.

Facebook fan page for Axelle has accumulated over 230,000 likes and upon her arrival back to Belgium, the attractive teen set up a Facebook page of her own that has over 19,000 fans.

Axelle filled her page with photos from her trip to Brazil  rooting for Belgium dressed in the country's paraphernalia, enjoying the beach in a bikini, and funny photoshops.Axelle Despiegelaere world cup model

But one photo Axelle posted was unlike the rest — a picture of her holding a rifle, proudly sitting behind what appears to be a dead gazelle she shot while hunting.

The caption read: "Hunting is not a matter of life or death. It's much more important than that..this was about 1 year ago...ready to hunt Americans today haha."

Axelle Despiegelaere world cup model

Fans were immediately outraged by the image. Realizing the post may be offensive, Axelle changed the caption to read simply: "this was about 1 year ago..."Axelle Despiegelaere world cup model

When fans didn't let up, Axelle responded to the criticism in the comments of the post Wednesday night:

axelle post 

By Thursday morning, Axelle's entire Facebook page had been deleted.

L'Oreal has not returned our request for comment, but a video Axelle shot for the cosmetics company is still up on their Facebook page. 

The video's description states: "Discover the beauty secrets of the most beautiful supporter of the World Cup!"

See screenshots from the video, which features Axelle using many L'Oreal products, below:

Axelle Despiegelaere L'Oreal VideoAxelle Despiegelaere L'OrealAxelle Despiegelaere L'OrealAxelle Despiegelaere L'Oreal VideoAxelle Despiegelaere L'Oreal Video

Axelle Despiegelaere L'Oreal


NOW WATCH: 6 Scientifically Proven Things Men Can Do To Be More Attractive 

 

SEE ALSO: 17-Year-Old World Cup Fan Gets Modeling Deal With L'Oreal After Photos Go Viral

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L'Oreal Severs Ties With Viral World Cup Model After Crass Hunting Photo Emerges

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Axelle Despiegelaere world cup model

L'Oreal has ended its contract with 17-year-old World Cup fan Axelle Despiegelaere, who landed a modeling deal with the world's biggest beauty company after photos of the attractive teen cheering Belgium went viral.

But fans were outraged after Axelle recently posted a photo of herself to Facebook in which she is holding a rifle, proudly sitting behind what appears to be a dead oryx she shot while hunting.

The caption, in reference to the World Cup match, read: "Hunting is not a matter of life or death. It's much more important than that..this was about 1 year ago...ready to hunt Americans today haha."Axelle Despiegelaere world cup model

After feeling the heat from fans, Axelle apologized in the comments section of her post, saying "i didn't mean to offend anyone..it was a joke."

L'Oreal isn't laughing.

The beauty giant tells The Independent that Axelle's contract has been "completed."

"L’Oréal Professionnel Belgium collaborated with her on an ad hoc basis to produce a video for social media use in Belgium," said a representative. "The contract has now been completed."

The announcement came after fans took to social media to express their outrage that L'Oreal would be affiliated with Axelle after her controversial post.

Although the representative said L'Oreal is aware of the photograph, it would not comment on whether it was the reason behind the decision to cut Axelle's contract.

But the representative did say to The Independent that L'Oréal "no longer tests on animals, anywhere in the world, and does not delegate this task to others."

In 2012, the beauty giant donated $1.2 million to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to help improve the testing of safe chemicals. 

Upon arriving home to Belgium after her fame-making trip to the World Cup, Axelle posted to Facebook that she had "Made my decision..signed my contract with L'Oreal!"Axelle Despiegelaere world cup model

The 17-year-old filmed a hair tutorial video for L'Oreal in which she promotes many of their products.Axelle Despiegelaere L'OrealAxelle Despiegelaere L'OrealAxelle Despiegelaere L'Oreal

Unluckily for Axelle, L'Oréal is known for its multimillion-dollar modeling contracts and high-profile ambassadors, including Jennifer Lopez and Blake Lively.

NOW WATCH: How They Make Lingerie Models Look So Good

 

SEE ALSO: Viral World Cup Model Causes Uproar With Hunting Photo And Crass Caption

MORE: 17-Year-Old World Cup Fan Gets Modeling Deal With L'Oreal After Photos Go Viral

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A Teenager Lands A Modeling Contract After Posting Tons Of Selfies To Instagram

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If you don't know the story about how Kate Moss became a supermodel, here's the abridged version: In 1988, 14-year-old Moss was walking through JFK airport with her mother when Sarah Doukas, the founder of Storm Model Management, spotted her. 

After that story, the young and the beautiful were dying to be discovered in malls or in airports. 

Thanks to Instagram, teenage-model-wannabes don't even have to leave their bedrooms to become famous. Just ask Charles Levi, who snagged a modeling contract through his selfie collection. 

The 17-year-old from the U.K. was discovered on Instagram. Photographer Richard Sawyer hailed him as the "young Leo (DiCaprio)" and took a few photos of the teen, who then posted them to his account with Sawyer's permission. Levi thought maybe someone in the modeling world would see them.

Charles Levi

He was right.

It wasn't long before Jaime McHugh from the Chadwick Modeling Agency offered him a modeling opportunity in a comment on one of the photos:

Charles Levi

The Daily Mail reports that "Since being signed, Charles has taken part in four photo shoots including one for the international men's fashion magazine F**king Young."

Charles Levi

Check out his Instagram.

So far, Levi remains grounded, saying he wants to finish school first and makes sure his shoots don't interfere with any of his classes.

[via The Daily Mail]

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PETA Praises L'Oreal For Cutting Ties With World Cup Model After Hunting Photo

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Axelle Despiegelaere world cup model

PETA praised L'Oreal for severing ties with viral World Cup model Axelle Despiegelaere after the 17-year-old posted a hunting photo to her Facebook page with a caption about "hunting Americans" ahead of a U.S. soccer match.

The animal rights organization, speaking out for the first time, tells Business Insider: "Shooting animals is just as ugly as shoving chemicals down their throats so we’re delighted to see that L’Oreal is distancing itself from both hunting and animal tests. No one wants to see a model with a make-up brush in one hand and hunting rifle in the other."

Axelle first rose to internet fame after the attractive teen was spotted in the stands of the World Cup rooting for Belgium.Axelle Despiegelaere

L'Oreal took notice and signed the Belgian teen to a modeling contract, which she announced on her public Facebook page.

Axelle Despiegelaere world cup model

Axelle's Facebook page, which she created after returning home to Belgium a viral star and has since deleted following controversy, included photos of her trip to Brazil rooting for her country, enjoying the beach in a bikini, funny photoshops, and the photo of her with a dead oryx:Axelle Despiegelaere world cup model

The image and caption immediately drew online backlash, and L'Oreal  who had shot a hair tutorial video with Axelle  distanced itself from the model.

"L’Oréal Professionnel Belgium collaborated with her on an ad hoc basis to produce a video for social media use in Belgium,"said a representative for the beauty giant last week. "The contract has now been completed."

Although the representative said L'Oreal is aware of the photograph, it would not comment on whether it was the reason behind the decision to cut Axelle's contract.

But a representative did stress to The Independent that L'Oréal "no longer tests on animals, anywhere in the world, and does not delegate this task to others."

In 2012, the beauty giant donated $1.2 million to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to help improve the testing of safe chemicals.  

SEE ALSO: 17-Year-Old World Cup Fan Gets Modeling Deal With L'Oreal After Photos Go Viral

AND: Viral World Cup Model Causes Uproar With Hunting Photo And Crass Caption

THEN: L'Oreal Severs Ties With Viral World Cup Model After Crass Hunting Photo Emerges

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The German Model Is Ruinous For Germany And Deadly For Europe

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germany river black forest schramberg

The Kaiser Wilhelm Canal in Kiel is crumbling. Last year, the authorities had to close the 60-mile shortcut from the Baltic to the North Sea for two weeks, something that had never happened through two world wars. The locks had failed.

Large ships were forced to go around the Skagerrak, imposing emergency surcharges. The canal was shut again last month because sluice gates were not working, damaged by the constant thrust of propeller blades. It has been a running saga of problems, the result of slashing investment to the bone, and cutting maintenance funds in 2012 from $76.25m a year to €11m.

This is an odd way to treat the busiest waterway in the world, letting through 35,000 ships a year, so vital to the Port of Hamburg. It is odder still given that the German state can borrow funds for five years at an interest rate of 0.15pc. Yet such is the economic policy of Germany, worshiping the false of god of fiscal balance.

The Bundestag is waking up to the economic folly of this. It has approved $330.4m of funding to refurbish the canal over the next five years. Yet experts say it needs $1.27bn, one of countless projects crying out for money across the derelict infrastructure of a nation that has forgotten how to invest, sleepwalking into decline.

France may look like the sick of man of Europe, but Germany’s woes run deeper, rooted in mercantilist dogma, the glorification of saving for its own sake, and the corrosive psychology of ageing.

“Germany considers itself the model for the world, but pride comes before the fall,” says Olaf Gersemann, Die Welt’s economics chief, in a new book, The Germany Bubble: the Last Hurrah of a Great Economic Nation.

Mr Gersemann says the Second Wirtschaftswunder – or economic miracle – from 2005 onwards has “gone to Germany’s head”. The country has mistaken a confluence of exceptional events for permanent ascendancy. It cannot continue to live off exports of capital goods to China and the BRICS as they hit the buffers, or by stealing a march on southern Europe through wage compression, a zero-sum game.

Marcel Fratzscher, head of the German Institute for Economic Research (DIW), makes a parallel critique (more Keynesian in flavor) in his new book, Die Deutschland Illusion, no translation needed. It is a broadside against the fiscal fetishism of finance minister Wolfgang Schauble, now written into the constitution as a balanced budget law from 2016 onwards, making it almost impossible to override. It is the self-deception of a country “resting on its laurels”, prisoner of the “household fallacy” that economies are like family budgets, and falsely reassured by the misplaced flattery of foreigners who rarely look under the bonnet at the German engine below.

The International Monetary Fund gently prodded Berlin this week to pull its weight in a world economy gasping for demand, if only for its own good. “Germany could afford to finance much-needed public investment in infrastructure, without violating fiscal rules,” it said. For good measure, the fund said there is a 40pc chance of a triple-dip recession in the eurozone over coming months and a 30pc chance of deflation.

The German economy has already stalled. Output contracted in the second quarter. Factory orders fell 5.7pc in August. Germany’s “Five Wise Men” council of economic experts will slash the country’s growth forecast to 1.2pc next year in a report on Friday.

Prof Fratzscher accuses Germany’s elites of losing the plot in every important respect. Investment has fallen from 23pc to 17pc of GDP since the early 1990s. Net public investment has been negative for 12 years.

Growth has averaged 1.1pc since the beginning of the decade, placing Germany 13th out of 18 in the eurozone (or 156th out of 166 countries worldwide over the past 20 years). This chronic weakness been masked by slightly better growth since the Lehman crisis, and by the creditor-debtor dynamics of the EMU debt crisis. German looks healthy only because half of Europe looks deathly.

The Hartz IV reforms – so widely praised as the foundation of German competitiveness, and now being foisted on southern Europe – did not raise productivity, the proper measure of labour reform. Data from the OECD show that German productivity growth slumped to 0.3pc a year in the period from 2007 to 2012, compared with 0.5pc in Denmark, 0.7pc in Austria, 0.9pc in Japan, 1.3pc in Australia, 1.5pc in the US and 3.2pc in Korea. Britain has been negative, of course, but that is no benchmark.

Prof Fratzscher says the chief effect was to let companies compress wages through labour arbitrage. Real pay has fallen back to the levels of the late 1990s. The legacy of Hartz IV is a lumpen-proletariat of 7.4m people on “mini-jobs”, part-time work that is tax-free up to $571.9m. This flatters the jobless rate, but Germany has become a split society, more unequal than at any time in its modern history. A fifth of German children are raised in poverty.

Philippe Legrain, a former top economist at the European Commission, says Germany’s “beggar-thy-neighbor economic model” works by suppressing wages to subsidize exports, to the benefit of corporate elites. This is “dysfunctional”, and the more that EU officials try to extend the model across the eurozone, the more dangerous it becomes.

Capital flows within EMU have been a form of vendor financing for buyers of German exports, but it should be obvious that such a structure must reach breaking point – for Germany as well as EMU – if France and Italy buckle to demands and follow Greece, Spain, Portugal and Ireland into wage deflation. Europe is already sliding slowly into a contractionary vortex, replicating the errors of the Gold Standard in the 1930s. Doubling down would be calamitous.

Germany must move with great care. As Mr Gersemann argues in his book, it is enjoying the last days of a particularly powerful demographic dividend, soon to reverse with a vengeance. The European Commission’s Ageing Report (2012) said Germany’s workforce will shrink by 200,000 a year this decade. The old age dependency ratio will jump from 31pc in 2010, to 36pc in 2020, 41pc in 2025, 48pc in 2030 and 57pc in 2045, tantamount to national suicide.

This is a grave failure of public policy over decades. Tax policies and social structures have encouraged the collapse of the fertility rate. Lack of investment has compounded the error. Within five years it will surely become obvious to everybody that Germany is in deep trouble, and a balanced budget will not prove any defence. Within 10 years, France will be the dominant power of continental Europe.

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In Tokyo You Can Pay $263 For A Model To Deliver Your Lunch

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Platinum Lunch

Would you fork over big bucks to have lunch delivered by a model or an actress?

A Tokyo-based service called Platinum Lunch thinks you would after finding that people didn't love receiving lunch deliveries from men, complaining about the lack of manners and politeness.

The Wall Street Journal reports:

The service, intended for lunches at meetings, seminars, and events, is only available for corporate customers, and each order must be at least ¥30,000 ($263). The delivery women are models or actresses signed to Platinum Production, one of the major talent agencies in Japan, and they are trained to provide polite and attentive service.

In addition to the delivery minimum, you must place your lunch order three days in advance. The company says this is so "the delivery women can study the ingredients and details" in order to explain the menu to the clients.

You can read more about Platinum Lunch here.

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Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Model Molly Sims Describes Her Perfect Man

A Major Agency Just Signed The Biggest Plus-Size Model In History

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Tess HollidayPlus-size model Tess Holliday has made history as the first woman of her size and height to sign a contract with a major modeling agency.

Holliday, whose real name is Tess Munster, just signed a deal with MiLK Model Management. She is 5 feet 5 inches tall, and a size 22.

Most plus-size models are typically taller and between sizes 8 and 16, by comparison. 

"I think we’re the only agency with a model of her size. She is by far the largest model I have in the [Curves] division," Anna Shillinglaw, the owner and director of MiLK, told the New York Daily News.

Announcing the deal on Facebook, Holliday said, "I can finally share my big news!!! I'm now represented by MiLK Management in London ... I'm the first plus size model EVER (I die) my size & height to be signed to a major agency."

Holliday has been featured in Vogue Italia, but Shillinglaw said she discovered the model through her Instagram account, where she has more than 357,000 followers. 

"I started following her, and saw how many followers she had — more than most models," Shillinglaw told the Daily News. "She's such an important role model for so many women."

Here are some of Holliday's Instagram posts: 

 on

 

 on

 on

 on

 on

 


NOW WATCH: Hugh Hefner's Son Has A Surprising And Inspiring Attitude Toward Women

 

SEE ALSO: People Are Outraged That This Is Calvin Klein's Idea Of A Plus-Size Model

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Meet the first plus-size model to be featured in Sports Illustrated's swimsuit edition

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ashley graham sports illustrated

Ashley Graham is getting attention as the first plus-size model to be featured in Sports Illustrated

Graham, 27, appears in an ad for bathing suit company swimsuitsforall

swimsuits for all ashley graham

The beautiful model has been in the industry for more than a decade. 

Here's everything we know about her. 

Graham is from Lincoln, Nebraska. She was discovered by a modeling scout at a shopping mall when she was 12.

She's appeared in magazines including Vogue, Glamour, and Harper's Bazaar. 

Graham has also worked as a commercial model for Macy's, Hanes, Target, and Nordstrom. She was featured in an ad for Levi's Curve ID line.

#tbt my jeans fit gooooood👌 @additionelle #ashleygraham #curvesarein #beautybeyondsize

A photo posted by A S H L E Y ✨ G R A H A M ™ (@theashleygraham) on Aug 21, 2014 at 5:13pm PDT

Before Sports Illustrated, she was best known as the model who appeared in a Lane Bryant commercial that was banned by major networks during peak viewing times for being too racy. 

The commercial shows Graham in lingerie and was supposed to help the brand appeal to younger customers.

"ABC and Fox have made the decision to define beauty for you by denying our new, groundbreaking Cacique commercial from airing freely on their networks," Lane Bryant said in a blog post

Graham lives in New York City with her husband, Justin Ervin. He's a videographer. 

Let the traveling, eating & festivities begin! #Nebraska, here we come! @mrjustinervin #thankfuleveryday ✈️🍗🏈

A photo posted by A S H L E Y ✨ G R A H A M ™ (@theashleygraham) on Nov 27, 2014 at 6:02am PST

In addition to modeling, she also designs lingerie for Canadian company Addition Elle.

She has nearly 180,000 Instagram followers and frequently posts about her life. 

Many of her posts encourage body positivity.

And of course, there are plenty of swimsuit shots.

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An 'America's Next Top Model' contestant has been killed in North Carolina

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Mirjana Puhar

WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. (Reuters) - A recent contestant on "America's Next Top Model" was killed in a triple slaying in Charlotte, North Carolina, police and the website TMZ said on Wednesday.

Police said Mirjana Puhar, 19, was among three people whose bodies were found in a home Tuesday evening. Emmanuel Jesus Rangel, 19, was arrested on Wednesday and charged with three counts of murder, Charlotte police said in a statement.

It appears the incident was drug-related and that the victims and suspect knew one another, police said.

The celebrity news website TMZ reported that Puhar appeared in the modeling show's 21st cycle, which began airing last August.

A press release about that season names a Mirjana Puhar from Charlotte among the finalists. A spokeswoman for the CW network, which carries the show, could not be immediately reached for comment.

 

 

 

(Reporting by Colleen Jenkins in Winston-Salem, N.C., and Eric Kelsey in Los Angeles; Editing by Bill Trott)

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A model tells us what it was like to walk in Kanye West's bizarre fashion show

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kanyemodel

Everyone has been weighing in on Kanye West's Adidas collaboration show at New York Fashion Week.

But what about the models themselves. What was it like to wear the clothes?

Devan Mayfield, who walked the runway at modeling West's line, spoke with Business Insider about her experience with the show.

According to her, here's what happened:

Mayfield said she found out about the casting call last minute. When she showed up, casting directors immediately pulled her to the front. She went inside and immediately started photographing the show's looks.

"It felt like a dream to be working with fellow artists, creators, and revolutionaries. I was very inspired and carry the energy from those moments with me today," she said "I was a part of Kanye’s army."

West was already there when Mayfield arrived. In fact, he was at all the castings, fittings, and rehearsals.

"When I arrived for hair and makeup on the day of the show, he was already there," she said. "Kanye was very involved."

Mayfield said she loved wearing the clothing in the show, which made her feel both "sexy and comfortable."

"The nude body suit felt like another layer of skin the way it was hugging my body," she said "I felt empowered."

Kanye Fashion ShowSome fashion critics speculated the models were guided to look "bored" and yawn periodically, but Mayfield says that's not true.

"We were guided to remain present," she said, adding that the expressions the models used were "natural and meditative."

Mayfield said, since West's show was more of a cohesive performance art than most runway shows, the models walking the show understood that they were giving a performance.

"You could see our souls on our faces," she said.

SEE ALSO: Kanye West held his first fashion show with Adidas and it was pretty bizarre

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