Chanel Iman

[nyc_art_style]

love chanel and tanya.

i think they bond over that fact that they both love the camera.

 

[Gaultier_Bandit]

@ Valentino HC
Vmagazine

 

[simplylovely]

#3507 #3516

^ Ugh so elegant and adorable!

 

[nyc_art_style]

you guys, if she isn't in the vogue italia all black girls issue, i think i might cry.
i'll feel as though she would have been so robbed if she doesn't. and i also hope that if jourdan gets the cover, that chanel will too. it won't be fair if jourdan as the new girl gets the cover and chanel doesn't.

 

[Gaultier_Bandit]

If Chanel isn't in Vogue Italia its alright, how many people have not been in Vogue Italia? and they survived! I honestly don't care, I mean it sucks! But what can we do, and its not like allot of people even want to see her there anyways!Chanel is a bright girl and Im sure she will manage just fine with or without the cover of Vogue Italia, just like she has been doing all this time!

 

[Bahiyya]

Has someone suggested that she might not be in it?

 

[nyc_art_style]

If Chanel isn't in Vogue Italia its alright, how many people have not been in Vogue Italia? and they survived! I honestly don't care, I mean it sucks! But what can we do, and its not like allot of people even want to see her there anyways!Chanel is a bright girl and Im sure she will manage just fine with or without the cover of Vogue Italia, just like she has been doing all this time!

I WANT TO SEE HER THERE!


ok i'm a little hysterical.

 

[Gaultier_Bandit]

Relax!!! Take a breather...put it like this....if she is not in it, you will save 15 -20 dollars

 

[nyc_art_style]

h*ll yea i'll save 15 dollars. i'm seriously considering not buying it, if she is not in it.

 

[J'ador-DioR]

I'm pretty sure she's part of the cast...i mean they've gathered a huge line-up of black models that Meisel has been shooting over the past weekend & into this past Monday. There have been some random confirmations already (i honestly didn't expect Sessilee to even be considered)...so I just can't see why Chanel wouldn't be part of it.

Anyway, unless we're talking about the possiblity of landing a cover...an appearance within VI isn't going to do that much for any of the girls included to be honest. I'm not convinced it will do that much for any new black girl that gets the cover....a new black model scoring a VI cover won't get the usual exposure/buzz (in print/runway) in comparision to any white model.

 

[V.M.G. Teqen]

WoW!

Many people feel that she is only so popular or successful due to hype. Such as her being welcomed onto a Tyra talk show as a type of young representative for black models. Many feel she is only regarded highly because they put her at the top of the dark skinned model chart. Those people would argue she shouldn't be at the top of that chart.
Others simply don't find her attractive and then the appeal is even more confusing. When people can't understand the appeal of a model whatsoever they get sick of seeing them and their popularity that they consider unfounded. Hate is a word used loosely for those people who simply are just tired of seeing something they don't find attractive.

Personally it's very hard for me to find her attractive. I can appreciate certain photos but usually I will credit that to the angle, lighting, styling or technique of photography and not because of her physical appearance or skills. Because she is so widely used I can't base my opinions of her on every single individual photo at the time. Taking into account how she seems more naturally inclined to the cutesy commercial side of modeling, her expressions in candids, her interviews, and even her myspace photos ruins any illusion of a beautiful woman for me. I just see a child and I would argue the appeal of having a child in a magazine straining to appear as a beautiful woman. She fails to convince me.

I believe her allowing myspace photos to be public is a bad move in that aspect. For the sake of fans falling in love with her young and goofy personality, that is fine. For the teen vogue girl, it's great. But it is simply not everyone's cup of tea.

I just decided to check up on Chanel's thread here. I am shocked at the tone of her thread. We have to remember that she is human - and unlike so many of the girls working today - she
(along with my girl Megan) is American. She has an all American Afro-Asian girl sensibility.

I am not going to say that I too don't have my own opinions about Chanel... but I would never say that she is un deserving of any of her success. Chanel is a beautiful multi ethnic girl. She has, when working, a ton of class - and off the clock , well maybe she is just like anyone else her age.

I do have to say that some of this thread seems to bring up underlying issues with the modeling world and fashion at large. Remeber back in the day when "they" pitted Iman against Beverly! Because - oh, thats right... there can only be one black girl at the top of fashion!!! CRAP!

If Jourdan got the cover - AMAZING FOR HER!!! She too is a beautiful young black model that has been paying her dues. Her face is a bit harder and more high end when photographed appropriately. And the image is gorgeous! I say, cudo's to any black girl struggling to make it in this nasty business who gets a major cover. And, more importantly - cudo's to the "powers that be" for giving more than just one a major break.

Back to Chanel -
Her always smiling, fresh wholesome image is the system. Rember that Naomi herself, was almost exclusively photographed smiling in the beginning - even now! That is how "they" love to see black models... fresh, happy, non confrontational! I am sure everyone saw Chanel's beautiful Allure spread. That for me was the first time I "saw" her working it. I do have to say that sometimes she seems to be poorly casted in certain editorials where there really should have been a darker, fiercer girl of color.
I do however, think that that image is a bit contradictory to her actual personality... but whatever! It pays the bills.
***

In closing - I do have to say that the individual that wrote the message that I am responding to seems a little unaware that ALMOST ALL THE GIRLS POSING AS WOMEN OF LUXURY AND BEAUTY ARE LITTLE GIRLS. That is what the business for better or worse wants at the moment... why hate her (Chanel) for being at the right place during the right moment?

 

[V.M.G. Teqen]

yep!

I feel the tide of fashion returning to somewhat that of the 1970s. Chanel Iman reminds me of Pat Cleveland so much and I love that. She has such a chicness about her that trandscends her age.

That is what I was just thinking - she reminds me more and more of those beautiful (unknown) chic as hell ethnic girls that used to walk the European runways during the 70's and early 80's. Girls that were always seen doing Valentino and St. Laurant.

 

[sepia]

Why do you need to find a model "attractive" in order to like them? There are a great deal of models who are not physically impressive to me, especially the ones popular now, but I don't necessarily think that their success is entirely unwarranted because of that. She appeals to people in some since and that's all a model can do.

As far as Tyra's comment, first of all, why should someone else's statement be held against Chanel? Secondly, her statement makes perfect sense. Chanel is a representative of young black models. Her appeal may be arguable, but the fact that she is the one most popular black model who has garnered the most press since the emergence of Liya is not. She does represent the new breed of young black models, just as some others do. It's not as if Tyra said she was the epitome of the modeling industry, or is the best of the young black models, or that she would be the most successful black model. Simply stating someone is a representative, I think, refers more to their popularity than their status as "the best" in their field. Unfortunately, there aren't very many young black models who are also popular in the industry so, at this point, Chanel is one of the few representatives. At this point, I think we can add Jourdann to the short list. So I don't really see anything wrong with Tyra's statement.

Further, it's not as if Chanel is all that successful in the first place for people to think she has gained so much undeserved hype. How many magazine covers has she had? Besides the high-profile cover for US Vogue (in which she was on the edge of the fold-out), she hasn't had many. I can't think of one, actually. How many endorsements or campaigns? She hasn't had very many campaigns yet, mostly being relegated to Benetton and the Gap and things like that. Not very impressive. She isn't even featured in magazines that much for her to be considered this ubiquitous figure who is so undeserving of fame. Chanel Iman has nowhere near the amount of press and exposure as many of her non-black contemporaries. Think back to when Gemma, Doutzen or Agyness first burst onto the scene and became representatives of the new models. Chanel's career, unforutnately, pales in comparison to those.

At this point, she's doing well for a black model. Which, in many respects, is not that well at all. But she's in there. She's improving as a model, in my opinion. She's gaining success. And, as a black model, she's one of the few who's even made it to that point. So I support her even though she's not my personal favorite of the young black models. I don't think people need to support her necessarily, but I feel the vitriol aimed at the girl is so strange and unnecessary. Every single time her name comes up, or even if it doesn't, people are mad if she's included. I mean, to be in a magazine or campaign thread and to hear the echo of several posters hoping Chanel didn't get the job is amazing to me.

 

[sepia]

Also, as far as skin complexion, the biggest black high fashion models of late have not been light-skinned women. Jourdann and Chanel are still brown in skin tone and, before them, Liya, Yasmin and a few others are all darker than they are. High-fashion really doesn't have the mainstream standard of "lighter is better" so that argument against Chanel doesn't make since to me. Her success can't be attributed to her skin color because it's usually models of a darker complexion who prevail in high fashion, especially in recent years.

 

[V.M.G. Teqen]

What we all need to do is get offline and find new Chanel Iman's for the business... so that is exactly what I am going to do - get offline and get back to my work!

With a smile of course.

 

[Fiercification]

Poor Chanel! She gets such heavy criticism, 80% of which she doesn't deserve . I can understand how her personality could be interpretated as being grating, however I'm sure Stam isn't the nicest person in the world .

Anyway she's still young, she's still trying to live her life and be positive, her success is not exactly her fault directly, so people shouldn't hate on her for that. Hope to see her on this rumoured VI cover ~

 

[Paws]

^Me too

 

[Common_1031]

Wow all of these post look like a Essay..anyway Chanel is a great Model

 

[Gaultier_Bandit]

I second that~

 

[Crakk]

Wow all of these post look like a Essay..anyway Chanel is a great Model

**FALLS FLAT ON CONCRETE**

I mean, ESSAYS about your distaste for a MODEL? These people cannot be serious.