Stylist Sophia Neophitou slams SI's cover girl Kate Upton

[mimirose]

There is some underlying sense in Neophitou's comments but the way in which she phrases them is both unkind and unprofessional.

Kate is a beautiful girl but she isn't 'high fashion enough' to appear in a VS show. This isn't a bad thing, though. She's a real woman with a stunning figure. I actually liken her quite a bit to Marissa Miller who did similar SI and page three-ish work in her time. Some of the comments in this thread are a bit difficult to read, though. What's wrong with being a model and directing yourself towards a commercial fanbase? If that's the career direction that Upton's looking at, power to her. I love the fact that she's an American Football fan and seems quite down to earth.

However, I do have a bit of an issue with page three girls and how they present women to men. VS markets mainly to women and although deeply flawed tries to empower girls to a degree. Their sexy-aesthetics is more high fashion and artistic than SI or Playboy. Those sort of publications can present women as vulnerable and set unrealistic expectations.

 

[Trends]

I really don't see the difference between Kate topless in SI and Candice being topless in a VS catalog because both are selling sex. I think that Kate shouldn't have responded to Sophia's comments about her not walking for VSFS.
Posted via Mobile Device

 

[masquerade]

Well, you're wrong. Cheap, yes. Artificial, not really - not if you consider the body parts at least. The VS girls, most of them, are far more artificial. And, no, sorry, just because VS tries to be classier by having models with "high fashion figures", that doesn't necessarily mean that it's subtler. It's just more painful and forced - artificial in fact.

Exactly. When you compare to the VS women who have, by and large, fake boobs, fake noses, fake hair, etc, Kate is natural.

I think its so wrong to attack this woman as artificial or cheap because she has a natural large bust. I have never seen a candid/red carpet photo/press photo of her during the recent press blitz where she is dressed inappropriately or cheap. It is insulting to suggest she is skanky or trashy because of her natural looks.

And as for VS, I really think they need to get off their high horse. Yes, these days they pull their models mostly from high fashion and high fashion models don't do swimsuit, but in the 90s almost all their girls were the same as SI girls. Daniela Pestova, Tyra, Heidi, Stephanie Seymour, Karen Mulder, Laetitia Casta.

And VS cannot really call anyone cheap when they had Heidi represent them for so many years. How different is she than Kate? What makes her so classy and Kate so cheap? Fake boobs that don't giggle?

 

[Deleted member 1957]

well VS used Marissa for their shows and made her an andel and IMO you cant go more bombshell than Marissa so I dont understand what this woman was high on. If Kate were to be shot in a more ideal high fashion setting am pretty sure she can pull off a less bombshell look. Before Candice and Miranda Kerr started doing HF work many saw them as a VS bombshell types but after the fashion world embraced them suddenly everyone changed their tune. No one has seen her in any other work other than VS catalogues, SI and Guess plus she does have that natural cornfed all American sexiness that was common with the supermodels so we have to wait to fully judge
I cant wait for her work in V

i see some potential pics kateupton.com and geekrevolt.com

 

[Deleted member 1957]

i love those V pics!

lets compare Kate and Marissa who has been an angel before

pics geekrevolt.com modelinia.com

 

[kokobombon]

Maybe this is all a publicity stunt to get people talking about -the pretty much unknown- Kate and then VS will hire her to do something other than catalogue work LOL

 

[loladonna]

The fault for Kate's "trashy" appearance lies with the SI cover stylist. Kate is clearly capable of looking better but their decision to proceed with 2-inch roots and a bikini that's three sizes too small cheapens her whole look on the cover.

 

[japoelflaco]

Maybe this is all a publicity stunt to get people talking about -the pretty much unknown- Kate and then VS will hire her to do something other than catalogue work LOL

Unknown in the fashion world, but in the mainstream everybody recognizes her.

 

[kokobombon]

^I didn´t know that, in the mainstream US you mean? what for?
*edit* I´ve read her wiki entry, can´t believe she´s really that famous for what she´s done...

 

[Drusilla_]

I can't say there isn't a grain of truth in what Sophia (who is a muse for Roland Mouret and a real-life fashion editor herself) said - Kate is a pretty girl, but if anyone thinks that her larger bust automatically puts her in the company of girls like Daisy Lowe and Lara Stone, they're mistaken. And her face is just so generic, I can't get past it, she looks like a chipmunk with t*ts. The mainstream can keep her tbh.

 

[kokobombon]

^seems like Kate is really famous in US cause of some YT video and her boyfriend. I only knew her from her Guess ads...

 

[agee]

I agree with the comparisons between Marisa Miller and Kate Upton, when I see some of her swim wear images I have had this pang of familiarity and then I realize that I am thinking of Marisa. Another SI cover model that Kate reminds me of is Carolyn Murphy, who also happens to be a long-time Estee Lauder contract model, a Vogue Italia cover model and, correct me if I am wrong, a muse of Tom Ford. I also agree with the point that someone else made that Kate Upton seems to be directing her career to something more mainstream and commercial and there is nothing wrong with that.

I am a VS fan but I don't like Sophia Neophitou's comment, not because there is not truth to it, but it is not as if Kate represents a type that VS had not taken on before, far from it. The VS PTB probably said similar things about Heidi and Marisa but then presumably looked at their overall packages and ended up booking them. I would not be surprised if they thought that Gisele and Alessandra were too horsey and masculine looking, and Adriana and Frederique too vapid looking, but then looked at their overall packages and ended up booking them. I think that Sophia Neophitou's comment did a disservice to VS the company and the VSFS because it made them look more narrow-minded and less bold than they actually are. Alek Wek, Karen Elson and Omahyra Mota have walked for the VSFS and I think that they are more of out-of-the-box casting choices than Kate Upton would be.

sportsillustrated.cnn.com

 

[ibizahippie]

Would some of you really book Kate for the VSFS?
I think there would be no problem with her doing their catalog stuff but seriously, she's
awful on the runway. So I'm with Sophia, I'd never cast her. Like I know, they not always
have the best walkers, but it's really painful to watch her on the catwalk.

 

[agee]

^ The VSFS is one of the most sought after bookings in modeling so the odds are against any model who tries out, and yes Kate's big boobs, enthusiastic personality, a skimpy costume and upbeat music could make for a vulgar visual, I am not saying that it cannot be done but as things stand, she is probably not a good fit for the show. But come on, if a reporter asked Sophia Neophitou to comment about casting some nineteen year old androgynous or alien looking model who is the flavor of the moment, I would also find it poor form if, truthful or not, she said, "she would never be cast in our runway show she looks like a twelve year old boy," or "... she needs to phone home."

As far as her current walk is concerned, it is fair to say Kate Upton is not of the caliber to walk the VSFS and that makes sense since most commercial models like her have not done a lot of runway, but it is not wise to make comments as if a limitation that a model currently has will always be an impediment. I will be willing to bet that many folks would not take it well if, a few years ago, a VSFS casting director said something like, "Model X will never walk for VSFS, she walks like a dude," "Model Y will never walk for VSFS, she looks scary on the runway." IMO there were ways that Sophia Neophitou could have honestly addressed the topic that she was being asked about and been more circumspect.

 

[michelabella]

it was rude of Sophia to say it out in the open but models are always told this sort of stuff when they go into agencies everyday. They have to learn how to have a thick skin if they want to succeed anyways. I once worked for a modeling agency and girls with Kate's aesthetic were told to head to the acting division. If Kate has a strong spirit this will only make her want to work harder and hopefully prove people wrong.