Did Crystal Renn have her eyes taped back for Japanese Vogue?

tentalicious · 02-09-2011

Did someone at an international Vogue conference issue a memo saying that controversy was in this month? Only last week we posted a story about how Italian Vogue had rechristened gold hoop earrings "Slave" earrings. Unsurprisingly, lots of you had much to say on the matter. Now it looks as if Japanese Vogue have picked up the controversy baton with the release of footage of model Crystal Renn having her eyes taped back during a shoot, possibly to give her a more "Asian" appearance.

We wonder what motives are going on here. Anna Dello Russo - cult stylist, creative consultant and editor-at-large at the Japanese title - presumably works with Japanese colleagues on a daily basis and, given the weeks of preparation that a Vogue shoot takes, Japanese editorial staff somewhere along the line cleared this idea. Would we have read this as something else - a visual comment on face-lifts, for example - had it been for, say, French Vogue?

As yet Vogue hasn't issued a response to criticism that it is "racially insensitive", or explained if the tape was for some purpose other than to distort Renn's eyes. There remains a fine line between pushing creative boundaries, courting controversy and causing downright offence. Where do you think this sits on the spectrum? Let us know.

[via guardian.co.uk]

Elfinkova · 02-09-2011

What the hell is going on lately regarding racial discrimination/generalizations? The fashion industry is seriously losing my respect.

LUXXX · 02-09-2011

Crystal takes part in a lot of shoots on the edge, so I'm not surprised.

Marc10 · 02-09-2011

When i saw the video i though it was normal make up technique they used, since i've seen that in a lot of shoots and shows. Only now i realized, and if they did this just for her to look more "asian", it's quite pointless since for they rarely use asian models on the magazine.

**HeatherAnne** · 02-09-2011

Crystal has one eye that is distractingly bigger than the other -- if you don't believe me visit her thread, where it is mentioned every few pages. My hope is the tape is to conceal this fact more than it was to solely make her look more Asian.

Ives927 · 02-09-2011

Pathetic. There is no denying what their intentions were. Want the model to look more Asian? Get an Asian model. I'm tired of the Asian culture being fetishized, rather than celebrated.

Leeroi · 02-09-2011

crystal renn certainly does know how to model. so much energy coming from her.

but yes, it seems as though the tape was used to pull her eye.

1FashionVictim · 02-09-2011

I think it's a bit too ambiguous to say they used that effect to make her look more Asian: nothing about the styling reads stereotypical Japanese fashion and I question whether anyone would comment if the editorial wasn't printed in an Asian publication, or if the model had blonde hair/blue eyes/etc.

If the intention was to make her look more like an Japanese woman, then I think it was totally unnecessary and they should have booked a model of Asian descent.

fantastical · 02-09-2011

Quote:

Originally Posted by HeatherAnne

Crystal has one eye that is distractingly bigger than the other -- if you don't believe me visit her thread, where it is mentioned every few pages. My hope is the tape is to conceal this fact more than it was to solely make her look more Asian.

I agree, Crystal's eyes can go quite wonky even when she isn't on a shoot

example >> HERE

normally I would agree, but this is that drag-queen tape that gets used all the time in fashion to make the eyes look more exaggerated. Dior uses it all the time for their fashion shows

Dior 1 & Dior 2

Unknownpleasures · 02-09-2011

Pat McGrath has used tape before to raise the eye brows and give an edgier look to the models.

The_Ida · 03-09-2011

EVERYONE uses tape on photo shoots. Even on younger models.

**daniellat** · 04-09-2011

I really don't see what the big deal is... It's a different look, it's fun.

Toccata · 04-09-2011

To look asian you'd have to tape your cheekbone to your ear (any higher blurs-out your vision).
Taping back your temple [as pictured] will only lift your eyebrow. Try it out with your finger!

candlebougie · 04-09-2011

Typical overreaction from the media.

jmrmartinho · 04-09-2011

can anybody tell me the problem of it?? :/

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04-09-2011	12
daniellat Fashion Designer Mod Squad Member Join Date: May 2006 Location: Mexico Gender: femme Posts: 2,820	I really don't see what the big deal is... It's a different look, it's fun. __________________ Fashion Illustration BLOG

04-09-2011	13
Toccata scenester Join Date: Feb 2010 Gender: homme Posts: 67	To look asian you'd have to tape your cheekbone to your ear (any higher blurs-out your vision). Taping back your temple [as pictured] will only lift your eyebrow. Try it out with your finger! Last edited by Toccata; 04-09-2011 at 05:15 AM. Reason: Enjambment correction

04-09-2011	14
candlebougie An die Freude. Join Date: Mar 2005 Location: Paris Gender: femme Posts: 2,501	Typical overreaction from the media.
Status: Online

04-09-2011	15
jmrmartinho fashion insider Join Date: Aug 2011 Location: Portugal Gender: homme Posts: 2,375	can anybody tell me the problem of it?? :/ __________________ Daphne Groeneveld.Daria Strokous.Caroline Brasch Nielsen.Vanessa Axente.Julia Nobis.Kristen McMenamy

02-09-2011	1
tentalicious V.I.P. Join Date: Mar 2010 Location: Italia Gender: homme Posts: 6,188 View Albums	Did Crystal Renn have her eyes taped back for Japanese Vogue? Did someone at an international Vogue conference issue a memo saying that controversy was in this month? Only last week we posted a story about how Italian Vogue had rechristened gold hoop earrings "Slave" earrings. Unsurprisingly, lots of you had much to say on the matter. Now it looks as if Japanese Vogue have picked up the controversy baton with the release of footage of model Crystal Renn having her eyes taped back during a shoot, possibly to give her a more "Asian" appearance. We wonder what motives are going on here. Anna Dello Russo - cult stylist, creative consultant and editor-at-large at the Japanese title - presumably works with Japanese colleagues on a daily basis and, given the weeks of preparation that a Vogue shoot takes, Japanese editorial staff somewhere along the line cleared this idea. Would we have read this as something else - a visual comment on face-lifts, for example - had it been for, say, French Vogue? As yet Vogue hasn't issued a response to criticism that it is "racially insensitive", or explained if the tape was for some purpose other than to distort Renn's eyes. There remains a fine line between pushing creative boundaries, courting controversy and causing downright offence. Where do you think this sits on the spectrum? Let us know. [via guardian.co.uk] __________________ InFashion

02-09-2011	2
Elfinkova V.I.P. Join Date: Feb 2009 Location: Los Angeles Gender: homme Posts: 5,212	What the hell is going on lately regarding racial discrimination/generalizations? The fashion industry is seriously losing my respect.

02-09-2011	3
LUXXX V.I.P. Join Date: Oct 2007 Gender: femme Posts: 4,234	Crystal takes part in a lot of shoots on the edge, so I'm not surprised.

02-09-2011	4
Marc10 V.I.P. Join Date: Sep 2010 Location: Brazil Gender: homme Posts: 4,368	When i saw the video i though it was normal make up technique they used, since i've seen that in a lot of shoots and shows. Only now i realized, and if they did this just for her to look more "asian", it's quite pointless since for they rarely use asian models on the magazine. __________________ le rêveur

02-09-2011	5
HeatherAnne .my prison is your brain. Mod Squad Leader Join Date: Jan 2008 Gender: femme Posts: 17,435	Crystal has one eye that is distractingly bigger than the other -- if you don't believe me visit her thread, where it is mentioned every few pages. My hope is the tape is to conceal this fact more than it was to solely make her look more Asian. __________________

02-09-2011	6
Ives927 tfs star Join Date: Mar 2009 Gender: homme Posts: 1,731	Pathetic. There is no denying what their intentions were. Want the model to look more Asian? Get an Asian model. I'm tired of the Asian culture being fetishized, rather than celebrated.

02-09-2011	7
Leeroi trendsetter Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: VA Gender: homme Posts: 1,316	crystal renn certainly does know how to model. so much energy coming from her. but yes, it seems as though the tape was used to pull her eye.

02-09-2011	8
1FashionVictim fashion elite Join Date: Sep 2007 Gender: homme Posts: 2,520	I think it's a bit too ambiguous to say they used that effect to make her look more Asian: nothing about the styling reads stereotypical Japanese fashion and I question whether anyone would comment if the editorial wasn't printed in an Asian publication, or if the model had blonde hair/blue eyes/etc. If the intention was to make her look more like an Japanese woman, then I think it was totally unnecessary and they should have booked a model of Asian descent.

02-09-2011	10
Unknownpleasures fashion insider Join Date: Jun 2010 Gender: homme Posts: 2,280	Pat McGrath has used tape before to raise the eye brows and give an edgier look to the models. __________________ also at

03-09-2011	11
The_Ida In Bloom Join Date: Jun 2005 Location: Denmark Gender: femme Posts: 9,206	EVERYONE uses tape on photo shoots. Even on younger models. __________________ ten days of perfect tunes the colors red and blue we had a promise made we were in love

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