Xiao Wen Ju

Photos by Melodie Jeng for Models.com

Sweater: American Apparel
Shorts: Babyghost
Leggings: Babyghost
Shoes: Nike
Hat: Reformation
Backpack: Vintage
Glasses: Vintage from Extinct Optics

Favorite store to shop: Edith Machinist
Best recent purchase: My Nike’s! So comfortable.

Anna Selezneva by Dario Catellani for Models.com

Some models are an open book, while others cultivate an air of mystery that makes them even more alluring. As one of fashion’s most captivating beauties, Anna Selezneva has inspired photographers and designers alike with her mix of grace and sensitivity. The private beauty opens up to MDC about modeling, music and her surprising off-duty activities.

When you aren’t modeling what do you enjoy doing?

When I have free time I love to go out with friends, do yoga, read good books, & travel. I love art museums and theatre too and of course horseback riding.

What is your favorite part of the job?

I love working with all those talented people, amazing designers and photographers. When the team comes together, this inspires people & gives me the most pleasure. Also traveling: I visited so many countries where I would probably not get to by myself.

Tell us one thing about yourself that is surprising.

I love to wake up very early in the morning.

What inspires you?

Music is my biggest inspiration. I have a musical education, I studied at a musical school in Moscow, playing piano and studying voice. Also old movies inspire me.

What lessons have you learned during your years in the business?

Being patient and being truly myself, and also two languages: English and French a little.

Is there anything you haven’t done just yet that you’d like to?

Get to a ring racing school.

Where do you see yourself in 10 years?

10 years is very long time. Let’s see in 10 years.

Hailing from western Ukraine, 22-year-old Taras Sereda is a man following two paths. On one hand, he’s an emerging model with Request Models. On the other, Taras pursues his passion: art. Taras stopped by the MDC office and we spoke with him about artistic influences, and the upcoming ReQuest group show curated by the legendary Diego Cortez (opening on Sunday, May 12th, show will be through May 26th). Story by Matt Myer

MDC: Where are you from Taras?
TS: The west part of Ukraine; a place called Kharkov.

MDC: And you’ve been doing art your whole life?
TS: Yes, my granddad is an artist. A genius! I’ve been doing art since I was young. When I left the Ukraine I was studying industrial design which I didn’t like because you have to sit in front of a computer! I got really into it fully [in New York] since coming here; I just decided to do it “until the end.”

MDC: What medium do you like to work in?
TS: Right now it’s mostly watercolor. Some pencils, charcoal. I mostly do drawings. I do like paint, but not oil.

MDC: I see a lot of your subjects are figurative. Are your drawings from real life subjects or from your imagination?
TS: I usually get inspired by something real. I use models that pose in the studio or my friends, whoever is around. Even though I’m not “copying”, I need to get that inspiration from an actual person.

MDC: Who are some of your favorite artists?
T: It is obvious I like Egon Schiele. He’s amazing.

MDC: He really is… So what’s your next project?
TS: We’re having a show this Sunday at Clic Gallery which is going to include my artwork. Then I’m already on to the next one… the next step.

Check out our video interview with Taras (where he discusses Schiele’s influence and names his favorite model subject) followed by several of his recent pieces.

Fellow model Willy Cartier

-Matt Meyer

Taking a break from her hectic schedule, Chloe Norgaard hangs with friends beneath the Coachella stars. Documenting her two weekends in Cali, it is clear that one of fashion’s brightest stars has a flair for the arts. With a recent i-D cover and the Rodarte FW13 runway under her belt, Chloe sticks to her true colors and we are loving it. Follow Chloe on her blog and twitter.

Photos by Chloe Norgaard for Models.com
Text by Kristen Bolt

Me and Andrej Pejic at the Kitsune/Black Banditz/Flaunt party and my lovely stitch onesie. (It took me 20 hours to Coachella from Ibiza where I was shooting an editorial. Rough trip but so very worth it <3. It's funny because every year I go to Coachella I come from some crazy far place, i.e. Tokyo, Australia and Copenhagen.)

Day break, time to sleep, after some watermelon and a lovely view of Palm Springs to dream sweetly.

Post Coachella sunset <3


Found this beautiful group of boys killing it on the dance floor at the Rhonda party.

Being a fairy at the vice party, naturally…

Me and Jacques at the Soho House popup getting our grub on.

My favorite hotel in Palm Springs, The Saguaro. They actually made me replace a chair because I got paint all over the place, but it’s ok- the rainbows will keep bringing me back, and I’ll TRY to be on my best behavior. I told them I was just so inspired I couldn’t help myself.

They matched my hair!!! (Outside the Guess party)

Touchdown!! First stop in LA is ALWAYS In N Out, straight from the airport.

After a lovely first weekend, back to LAla land for some R&R before weekend 2…and the lovely stars.

Pretty in Punk, with a phenomenal dress from Alexander McQueen‘s S/S 13 collection.

We all see the red carpet pictures and glamorous exhibition imagery, but only a select few get to experience the Met Gala in all its glory. This year’s punk themed extravaganza boasted an eclectic mix of talents from the worlds of film, music and fashion, complete with a star-studded party that brought out the wild side in the society set. One special guest, the lovely Liu Wen shares pictures from behind the scenes of her pre-Met prep and the ensuing gala affair, taking us along for an evening of pure delight.

The Estee Lauder spokesmodel gets her glam on with a final swipe of mascara.

Close on Liu’s exquisitely detailed chocker by Alexander McQueen

A dazzling array of McQueen accessories | Styling images Courtesy Mahir Jridi – for more check out his Instagram 

With stylist, Maher Jridi right before the red carpet.

Designer Jason Wu and Mad Men star Jessica Pare

With the chic editor in chief of Vogue China, Angelica Cheung / Joined by fellow supermodel, Joan Smalls and W Magazine‘s Fashion & Style Director the legendary Edward Enninful

Capturing the dynamic ethos of the punk era and its continuing impact on fashion is a momentous task, but the Costume Institute led by Andrew Bolton, pulls it off admirably in its latest exhibit, From Chaos to Couture. See the images exclusively in MDX.

Riccardo Tisci, Lauren Santo Domingo, Anna Wintour, Nick Knight

Nick Knight

Bill Cunningham

Zandra Rhodes

Anais Mali

Photos by Melodie Jeng for Models.com

Hat: Commes des fuckdown
Jacket: All Saints
Tank Top: Helmut Lang
Shorts: Rag & Bone
Shoes: Vans
Bag: Céline
Right hand: Moroccan ring, Left hand: Pamela Love
Dog: CJ, malti-poo

Favorite recent purchase: Dark blue Jean Paul Gaultier skirt with an African print

In an effort to put her success in the fashion industry to good use, model Edythe Hughes (Ford Models) has started a non-profit organization called Project Model Tee- a platform which gives models a chance to showcase their artistic talent for charity. Currently PMT is raising funds for RAINN, the nation’s largest anti-sexual violence organization. This Thursday is PMT’s second event, PMT Rocks! Join in celebrating models’ unique approach to art while raising money for such an important cause.

Interview by Kristen Bolt

Why did you choose RAINN as your first charity?

Statistics say 1 in 33 men and 1 in 6 women experience rape, for this reason RAINN was our first pick for charities to support. Sexual violence is an issue that affects everyone, whether you are a victim or the friend or family member of a victim. We wanted to start PMT by connecting with as many people possible, and the sexual violence issue does that.

What has been the reaction of support in the fashion industry for PMT?

I think now more than ever, perhaps because of the saturation of our industry, people want to learn what is behind the eyes of the model they see on the pages of a magazine. People are excited to see models as more than posers, but as the individuals, artists, and philanthropists that we are. All along the way models, agents, designers, and more have taken interest and supported our efforts.

Tell us about the future of PMT- are there other charity collaborations on the horizon?

After PMT Rocks! we will move on to support other charities. There are many worthwhile causes! We look forward to making the decision as a community. This year we hope to produce a story/poetry slam showcasing the talented writers in our industry. We also want to organize a group of industry runners to run in the NYC marathon in support of a great cause.

Can any model donate their art to the project? What is the process for a model who would like to participate?

Absolutely. We want to give a platform to any and all models who want one. Models can reach out to us at info@projectmodeltee.org and let us know how they would like to contribute. Models who make art (fine art, music, writing, etc.) can be showcased at one of our events, but models who just want to support good causes can also come to us for a place to do so.

Buy tickets to PMT Rocks! and a PMT Tshirt

You see them in your magazines and on your tv screens, but what are your favorite models really like? For the fourth in her series, Women in the Morning, Casey Brooks spends time with the flawless Carola Remer off model duty. See the full story exclusively in MDX.

Trends come and go: in a few months’ time, spring’s obsession with punk will give way to fall’s latest fad. Yet, if there’s one thing that will never go out of style, it’s a good cause. Earlier this month, Community of Unity, a NYC-based organization that fosters mentoring programs among local students and schools, held its annual spring fundraiser. This year, Community of Unity invited the top New York model agencies to face-off in a bowling tournament for charity. For a little insight into the event, we spoke with Michelle Priano, one of the charity’s board members. Michelle, who by day works at Victoria’s Secret’s corporate offices, has been an avid supporter of the organization since joining Community of Unity 2 years ago. (text by Matt Myer)

All images by Melodie Jeng for models.com. The unforgettable Jenny Shimizu, now an agent at Elite, shows us her top bowling form.

Who came up with the idea for the event? How many attendees were there for the event?

Community of Unity has an annual fundraiser in the fall every year that Christiana Tran at Elite Models attended. After the event she reached out to support the organization in other ways. We do a smaller bowling event every spring and she thought it would be great to have the agencies bowl against each other. Immediately I agreed. What a great idea to show the kids an industry you don’t always learn about at school and see a group of people who normally compete at work, competing in a healthy way. About 150 agents came out for the event.

What drew you into working with this charity, and what has been especially rewarding?

I was actually drawn in by the founder’s, Eric Komoroff, passion for the work he was doing. I met him at a time where I wanted more in life than what I had. It has been especially rewarding to see the progress and outreach that CofU has made with the youth in NYC supporting them all the way through their college acceptance, which I might add, has been so successful.

We find that people who work in the fashion industry, so many times written off as “superficial” by the public, are some of the most tireless supporters of charities. Why do you feel that is so, the “giving back to society”?

I think that people in the fashion industry realize how fortunate they and are grateful. They are given opportunities to travel around the world and see others aren’t as fortunate. Therefore they choose to share in their successes and give back.

If you had to describe in several sentences the mission of the charity, what would it be?

Community of Unity empowers young people to find success in life by awakening in them a sense of their unique purpose and potential. We work with at-risk youth across NYC through a variety of in-school and out of school programming which all center around the idea that each person, young or otherwise, has what we call a “SONG” that only they can play. We help students practice what we call “INSTRUMENTS”; self-esteem, integrity, responsibility, focus, self-awareness, empathy towards others and humor–so that they may learn to play their song and share it with the world.

Check out their FB page, and website

Michelle Harper bowls in heels!

The Lions

Trump Management

Marilyn Model Mgmt

Allen Rodriguez and founder of Community of Unity Eric Komoroff.

Next Models NY

From Ford Models

New York Model Management

Wilhelmina New York

The Society Management

Elite New York City

Team Community of Unity

The coveted prize