America's Next Top Model Judge Accused Of Sexual Misconduct

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  • Stylist and sometime America’s Next Top Model judge Nolé Marin has been accused of sexual misconduct by a male model, who says that Marin fondled him at two photo shoots, and offered to kick-start his career in exchange for sex.

Nicholas Hamman-Howe, who is suing Marin, says that in 2007, he agreed to a test shoot with Marin alone at the latter’s apartment, only to have Marin insist that he take off his clothes and proceed to fondle him. Hamman-Howe says he rejected Marin’s advances and fled the apartment — though not before the stylist allegedly told him, “It’s a very sexual industry” and one that is “all about who you know and what they’ll do for you.” This year, Hamman-Howe says that Marin texted him with an offer to earn $120,000 posing for Armani underwear. But the shoot turned out to be another one-on-one with Marin, who again put his hands inside the young model’s underwear. Hamman-Howe’s suit claims that Marin continued to text him for weeks, always offering to make him a star in exchange for sexual favors. Hamman-Howe was a student who says he had not considered modeling prior to meeting Marin, in 2007; it’s interesting, though perhaps not surprising, that as was the case with many of the allegations made against Terry Richardson earlier this year, the accuser is someone not closely invested in the fashion industry’s power structure. [NYDN]

  • Wondering if Iman has ever thrown a phone? Here’s your answer: “No! And if anyone threw one at me, it would come right back at them like a boomerang. If I feel frustrated in a situation, I take a deep breath and walk away.” Also, she is still totally hot for David Bowie; she likes “wigs, killer heels, Pilates, even fillers — whatever works for you”; and she cooks every night. “I find it very therapeutic.” Iman also says Geoffrey Beene once pushed her at a fashion show she was walking in. [Harper’s Bazaar]
  • At least one wedding picture of model Doutzen Kroes and her equally gorgeous husband, the DJ/producer Sunnery James, has emerged. [Fashionista]
  • Teenage angst, with Georgia May Jagger: “People say all the time, ‘Your dad is so cool.’ But I’m like, ‘But they’re my parents and they cringe me out all the time.’ For me, they are not super-cool because mum is really obsessed with, like, nerdy stuff. She loves her chicken farming, she even reads books about chickens and I always poke fun at her about that. My dad is actually a bit of a history buff.” Also: “It’s pretty funny when dad gets on the dance floor because he has got such a, like, I don’t know how to describe his moves but let’s just say he doesn’t go unnoticed, you know what I mean?” [Vogue UK]
  • David Beckham‘s non-Armani underwear line is going ahead. Stella McCartney‘s husband, Alasdhair Willis, and former Spice Girls manager Simon Fuller are backing the line. [NYDN]
  • Robert Pattinson allegedly turned down $1 million to be in a Burberry campaign. Because he’s an artist. [Vogue UK]
  • Click here to see Siri Tollerod‘s face covered in gold leaf for Vogue Italia‘s winter jewelry supplement! [Design Scene]
  • The Italian government invited several fashion designers to redesign the country’s flag — and most of them seem to have interpreted this as an invitation to remake the symbol of the Italian state in their own brand image. So humble, designers! Missoni gave the flag chevron stripes, and Roberto Cavalli‘s red, green, and white images of tigers and zebra print really has to be seen to be believed. [WWD]
  • Here is about 1,500 words on Michelle Obama‘s Indian state visit wardrobe, as compared to Jackie Kennedy‘s. [The Daily Beast]
  • Carla Bruni-Sarkozy is on an al-Qaeda hit list. [Vogue UK]
  • Tamara Mellon has been named a Business Ambassador for the U.K. It’s an unpaid position, and involves mainly promoting U.K. businesses overseas and occasionally briefing ministers. [BBC]
  • Mark Ronson, on the old hair color verities: “I haven’t had markedly any more fun since I’ve gone blond. In fact, I think I’ve had less fun.” [MTV]
  • Mad Men costume designer Janie Bryant, on how she started her career: “I wanted to learn French and become a designer. But I ended up going to the Les Bains Douches and drinking wine.” [T]
  • To fête its ten years in existence, Marc Jacobs‘ lower-priced Marc by Marc Jacobs line will be selling a capsule collection of “greatest hits” from the archives, starting next spring. [Vogue UK]
  • Also selling old pieces? Marni, which is offloading items from its 2002 and 2003 collections. But don’t expect a bargain; prices have been “adjusted” to reflect how Marni’s MSRP increases in the intervening eight years. [The Cut]
  • Now that former Lucky editor Kim France is back to civilian life, she has to — horrors! — pay for her own cosmetics. What makes the cut? CoverGirl mascara, Givenchy concealer, and a shampoo that costs $140 a pottle. France calls that “certainly crazy and possibly outright vulgar. But I’m pretty sure that somewhere down the line, when my supply eventually runs out, I will in fact shell out $140 for this stuff. Then I’ll plant a tree or send a donation to the Lower East Side Girl’s Club in order to redress the karmic imbalance.” And the beauty-industrial complex lumbers on. [Slate]
  • The ten-minute “documentary” W made about…itself…is airing for the first time tonight at the magazine’s website. [WWD]
  • Albert Watson will be speaking about his new book, Unified Fashion Objectives, on November 23 at the Victoria & Albert Museum in London. [Vogue UK]
  • Marks & Spencer‘s clothing sales rose 7.3% year-on-year during the first six months of 2010. Revenues at the chain were up 15.2% during the same period. [WWD]
  • Meanwhile, Hermès‘ sales rose 30% year-on-year during the third quarter — which the company says just might be its strongest sales performance ever. [WWD]
  • That’s almost certainly why Louis Vuitton Moët Hennessy wanted in on some of that Hermès action, and stealthily acquired just over 17% of the company. Under French law, when an investor’s stake reaches 5%, the investor must disclose the interest — but LVMH was able to avoid announcing its growing stake until it had 14.2% of Hermès in hand, and warrants to buy another 2.9%. See, if the acquisitions are made via cash-settled equity swaps, they are exempt from the disclosure rules. The French government may close that loophole in the coming weeks. Hermès is still proudly and largely family-controlled, and last week publicly asked LVMH to dump its shares. LVMH refused. [WWD]
 
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