Terry Richardson Sexual Misconduct Allegations

Not sure if this is really “news”, but apparently, Terry Richardson is a perv. Um, have you seen his photos? Was there any doubt about him being a dirty person who probably didn’t hold women in the highest regard?

What’s different now is that the proof is not only in the photos, there are many women finally coming forward about their disturbing experiences with the famed photographer. The ladies at Jezebel broke the story and are “listening” – that is, if you had, or know of someone who had, sexually harassing contact with Mr. Richardson, they are taking submissions. You can read more about it on Jezebel:

Meet Terry Richardson, The World’s Most F—ked Up Fashion Photographer

Exclusive: More Models Come Forward With Allegations Against Fashion Photographer

I was never really a fan of Terry Richardson because his perverted-ness came through in his photos – now that I know how he actually treats women on set, I have utterly no respect for the man.  It’s a little pathetic who people put on pedestals because they are “cool” without actually looking at their character.  For me, Richardson is up there with American Apparel’s Dov Charney.  I wonder if this will have any effect on his career…let’s hope it does.

"Girl Drive: Criss-Crossing America, Redefining Feminism" Book Review & Give Away

The “F” word – no, not the four letter one – perhaps one that is even more controversial – FEMINISM.  It’s one of those words whose true meaning has been so perverted that rather than being empowering, it often stirs up negative connotations. In Girl Drive: Criss-Crossing America, Redefining Feminism, Nona Willis Aronowitz and Emma Bee Bernstein sought to find its meaning.

Nona Willis Aronowitz and Emma Bee Bernstein are childhood friends who came up with the concept for Girldrive.  In 2007, the ladies set off on a cross-country road trip visiting cities including Chicago, Detroit, Flint, Portland, San Francisco, Los Angeles, San Diego, Tulsa, Austin, Las Vegas, Jackson Hole, New Orleans, Memphis, Nashville, Washington D.C., Philadelphia, Boston, Provincetown and New York, among others.  Interviewing about 200 women, Nona and Emma wondered what feminism meant to them and asked questions such as “What do young women care about? What are their hopes, worries and ambitions? Have they heard of feminism, and do they relate to it?”

When I received Girldrive from the publisher, I immediately started reading – I was intrigued, and wanted to know what other young women thought about feminism.  Girldrive is a very quick read and you don’t need to read it in order – you can hop around from city to city.  The book includes text and lots of photos that the ladies took on their road trip.  The photos help to bring each woman’s story to life.  You can purchase Girldrive on Amazon.com.

For a chance to win a free copy of Girldrive: Criss-Crossing America, Redefining Feminism, just leave a comment below letting us know what feminism means to you.  The contest is open for one week and all comments must be up by Tuesday, March 23rd midnight PST.  Contestants and shipping address must be in the U.S.

I had the chance to meet Nona Willis Aronowitz a few weeks ago in San Francisco – stay tuned for a video interview and Women Making History feature.

Girldrive trailer! from Girldrive on Vimeo.

M.I.S.S. GIVEAWAY: "The Runaways" Prize Pack!

The Runaways hits theaters next Friday, 3.19, and we can’t wait!  To gear up for the release we’re offering you the chance to win “The Runaways Movie Lover” prize pack.

“The Runaways Movie Lover” Prize Pack includes:
(1) Official Branded “Cherry Bomb” T-Shirt;
(1) Official “The Runaways” Button Pin;
(1) Official “The Runaways” Guitar Pick;
(1) Official Full-Size Cherry Bomb Poster;
(1) Official “The Runaways” Movie Soundtrack.

Entering is super easy – all you have to do is (1) follow @MissOmniMedia; (2) follow @RunawaysFilm on Twitter; and (3) get your friends to follow us too by tweeting: @{insertname} got me to follow @MissOmniMedia and @RunawaysFilm. We’ll do a count and whoever gets more new people to follow both @MissOmniMedia and @RunawaysFilm wins!

Contest Rules:
- Winner must be in the US and have a non PO box shipping address
- Winner must be claimed within 14 days of contest launch

At Chanel, no expense is ever spared and the Chanel Autumn/Winter 2010 Ready to Wear show was no exception. For starters, a 265-ton iceberg was imported from Sweden to the Grand Palais for the Chanel show. Sitting in a shallow pool of water and reaching 28 feet high, 35 ice sculptors took six days to carve the iceberg to form the perfect peaks and valleys. Needless to say, the room was kept chilly to keep the ice from melting and the tone was set for the show.

The show opened with what I would call polar bear costumes – full fur bodysuits. For PETA’s sake, all of the fur in the show was faux – and there was a lot of it! I have to say that I did not like these polar bear outfits at all. I think they look ridiculous and unless you are dressing up as a polar bear for Halloween, or are living on the Arctic Circle, I have no idea why or where you would wear these furry jumpsuits.

Thankfully, the collection did not just include fuzzy costumes. The highlight of the show – apparel wise – was the interpretation of tweed and knits to go along with the faux fur theme/cold weather theme. The tweeds had fur, lace, yarn and tulle – and some even had stone embellishments. The knits ranged from sweaters, dresses, and tights and looked cozy chic.

My favorite part of the collection was the accessories (no surprise there). Necklaces, cuffs, earrings and hair pieces dripped with metals, stones, yarn and faux ice. I especially loved the bracelet with metal and yarn fringe (pictured above). The boots looked like they had spats attached to them which I also loved. The fur boots – like the jumpsuits – I did not love, but I appreciated the cleverness of the “ice” heels. The highlight of the accessories were of course the handbags. From fur covered, to faux ice appliqued onto a bag with melting double CC’s the bags were exquisite. My favorite was a play on the famous Chanel quilted pattern that actually looked like ice cubes.

The hair was big, teased and a bit messy, perhaps evoking the static of hat head in the winter? I loved the eye makeup that was black and applied in a bit of a sporadic light, almost feather pattern. The rest of the face was kept pretty bare and nude, as well as the nails. As always, curious to see what the actual nail color will be – I’m sure it will cause a stir just like prior colors de jour.

View the rest of the collection on La Chanelphile.com.

Runway Images: Style
Image Layout: Feesh

Reading Is Sexy: Miss Dahl's Voluptuous Delights by Sophie Dahl

You may know Sophie Dahl as a model and actress but now she’s added another feat to her list of accomplishments – chef and writer.  Last week, Miss Dahl’s Voluptuous Delights: Recipes for Every Season, Mood & Appetite hit shelves and I was happy to receive a copy to review from the publisher.

The first thing I noticed about Miss Dahl’s Voluptuous Delights is that the recipes are split up by season – winter, spring, summer and autumn.  Within each season, she includes breakfast, lunch and dinner recipes.  I love that the recipes are split up this way because it ensures that you are using ingredients that are in season and eating the kinds of foods that you crave during the warmer or cooler months.

I love cooking and couldn’t wait to try one of the recipes.  I flipped through the pages, getting hungrier as I looked at the photos depicting scrumptious wholesome dishes.  All of the recipes looked relatively simple – they didn’t involve too many ingredients or steps.  Dahl’s writing style is also really casual and following the recipe is like having one of your girlfriends by your side just talking you through each step.

After much reflection, I decided on the Chicken Stew with Green Olives.  I loved that it was a one pot meal and in the winter, nothing is better than a good stew.  With less than 10 ingredients and an hour later, I had a delicious pot of stew ready for me to eat.  I warmed up some crusty bread and filled my bowl with the chicken stew and loved every bite.  For such a simple dish, the stew had so much flavor and really hit the spot – plus the husband liked it too – which is always good!

Miss Dahl's Voluptuous Delights by Sophie Dahl - Chicken Stew with Green Olives

I highly recommend Miss Dahl’s Voluptuous Delights whether a veteran in the kitchen or someone just starting out.  The recipes are simple and delicious – I can’t way to work my way through each season.  You can purchase Miss Dahl’s Voluptuous Delights on Amazon.com.

International Women’s Day began in 1911, at a time when women all over the world were working toward women’s suffrage (the U.S. didn’t give women the right to vote until 1920!). Clara Zetkin, Leader of the ‘Women’s Office’ for the Social Democratic Party in Germany, proposed that every year in every country there should be a celebration on the same day – a Women’s Day – to press for their demands, and International Women’s Day was born.

At M.I.S.S, everyday is a celebration of the achievements of women, but we honor this day with the rest of the global community.  Please visit the official International Women’s Day website for info on events and how you can get involved.  Next year marks the 100th year anniversary – time to start planning now!

Image Source: Reuters

Fashion at the Oscars: Jennifer Lopez in Giorgio Armani Prive & Sarah Jessia Parker in Chanel Haute Couture

One of my favorite nights in fashion just came to a close and of course I’m here to give you my two cents.  When I covered the Golden Globes earlier this year, the main thing I took away was that I was…yawn, bored.  The Oscars were a bit more interesting but most actresses still played it safe – but at least some had the good sense to wear couture!

My two favorite dresses of the night happened to be haute couture:  Jennifer Lopez in Giorgio Armani Prive and Sarah Jessica Parker in Chanel Haute Couture.  Lopez was stunning in an iridescent pink dress that was equally sparkly and dramatic.  The extra petal at her hip were beautiful and accentuated her feminine curves.  Parker’s gown, on the other hand, was striking in it’s simplicity. The most beautiful part of the dress was the neckline and back of the dress.  Both women wore the most popular hairdo of the night – the messy updo.

Fashion at the Oscars: Gabourey Sidibe in Marchesa & Mo'Nique in Tadashi Shoji

The best story behind an outfit – without a doubt – goes to Mo’Nique.  Her entire ensemble was dedicated and made in homage to Hattie McDaniel, the first African-American actor to be nominated and win an Oscar for her role as Mammy in Gone With the Wind.  Mo’Nique stated:

The reason why I have on this royal blue dress is because it’s the color that Hattie McDaniel wore in 1940 when she accepted her Oscar. The reason why I have this gardenia in my hair, it is the flower that Hattie McDaniel wore when she accepted her Oscar. So for you, Miss Hattie McDaniel, I feel you all over me.

Overall, the ladies looked lovely and there weren’t too many missteps… though of course I had my least favorites.  Here’s my quick rundown on the trends I picked up on and my picks for different categories:

Color Trends:  Lots of metallic shimmer, especially gold, but silver and iridescent were also really popular.  Blue also was a popular color for the night – from midnight navy to royal blue to pale baby blue – blue was popular in many shades.  Pale blush was also on the carpet and I must say, I was not a fan.  The color of the dresses were too close to the color of Demi Moore’s & Anna Kendrick’s skin – they blended in too much and were not flattering (which was a shame because Demi’s dress was gorgeous!).

Couture:  Finally!  The ladies wore couture.  From Chanel, Giorgio Armani Prive, Atelier YSL, Atelier Versace, Donna Karan Couture – the ladies went a bit more high fashion.

High Slits:  At the Golden Globes the ladies showed off their um, “globes” – at the Oscars, they showed off their legs with thigh high slits.  Mariah Carey, Zoe Saldana, Demi Moore, Anna Kendrick and Jennifer Lopez all showed us a little leg.

The Messy Updo:  I’m not sure if it was the weather (rainy) or if it was intentional, but many of the ladies had messy updo’s.  Jennifer Lopez, SJP, Zoe Saldana, Penelope Cruz, Nicole Ritchie and Miley Cyrus all wore this look.

Most Improved:  Tina Fey in Michael Kors looked great.  Word on the street was that Vogue helped style her – and it showed.  She looked beautiful while still looking strong and intelligent and didn’t have any uncomfortably low necklines.  Mariah Carey also came far.  She still had the girls on display but this look was almost classy for her.

Least Favorite:  Charlize Theron & Zoe Saldana.  Charlize’s awkwardly placed rosettes drew all the attention to the breasts – and looked ridiculous.  Yes, Dior, apparently, can do wrong.  Zoe’s dress was beautiful from the waist up but the mass of tiny ruffles on the bottom of the dress was just too much.

Most In Need of Finishing School:  Miley Cyrus and Kristen Steward are tied for this one.  Kristen Stewart should stick to converse because she can’t pull off glamour.  She needs to wipe off that smug look off her face and stop slouching before she hits the red carpet.  Miley actually has great Oscar dresses (she had one of my favorites) – she just needs to be able to wear it like a lady.

Check out the gallery to see for yourself and let us know your favorites, least favorites, etc…

Kathryn Bigelow Wins Best Director Oscar

Congratulations to Kathryn Bigelow for winning the Academy Award for Best Director for her work on The Hurt Locker. She is the first woman to receive an Oscar in the category of Best Director. She is truly a “Woman Making History” and we hope that she is just the first of many women who will take home this Oscar.

Image: Getty Images

Girldrive: Criss-crossing America, Redefining Feminism

In October 2007, Nona Willis Aronowitz and Emma Bee Bernstein set out on a cross-country road trip, meeting with hundreds of young women to discuss their thoughts and feelings about the issues that mattered to them-and about feminism. Girldrive is a diverse compilation made up of vivid photos, diary entries, and young women’s reflections on gender, politics, race, class, and geographical experiences. Nona Willis Aronowitz will be signing copies of Girldrive and reading excerpts from the book.

7:00pm to 9:00pm Friday, March 5, 2010
Modern Times Bookstore
888 Valencia Street
San Francisco, CA 94110
(415) 282.9246

Les Trompe-L'oeil de Chanel: Kate Lee Shares Her Tattoo Application Expertise in LA

On March 5, in Los Angeles, celebrity makeup artist Kate Lee is sharing her expertise in temporary tattoo application to celebrate the launch of Chanel’s Les Trompe-L’oeil (aka Chanel temporary tattoos!). Ms. Lee will be at the Chanel on Robertson Blvd from 4pm to 7 pm.

Source: La Chanelphile