Dolly Parton Dies at 80
Dolly Parton died in Nashville on August 25 after a brief battle with cancer. She was 80. “A rhinestone life that shone bright enough for the world to see,” her family said in a statement, which may be the most accurate description of a seven-decade career that produced 11 Grammy Awards, over 100 million records sold, and songs including Jolene, I Will Always Love You, and 9 to 5 that have outlasted every era they were born in. “I’m not a fashion icon, I’m an eyesore,” she once said. Rhinestones, platinum wigs, sky-high heels, and figure-hugging silhouettes were not incidental to her image but central to it, a look she developed with longtime collaborators, including costume designer Steve Summers. Bob Mackie, who dressed Cher and Madonna at the height of their powers, was among her favorite designers. She published Behind the Seams: My Life in Rhinestones in 2023, a 450-photograph celebration of her private costume archive, it became a New York Times bestseller. Her philanthropy was anchored in something personal, as her father could not read or write, she founded the Imagination Library in 1995, a program that has now gifted more than 270 million free books to children from birth to age five across five countries. She donated $1 million to fund Moderna’s COVID-19 vaccine. After the 2016 Gatlinburg wildfires hit her home county, she raised $12 million in relief. After Hurricane Helene struck East Tennessee in 2024, she gave another million personally. “I just give from my heart,” she said. “I just see a need, and if I can fill it, then I will.” [The Guardian]
Dolly Parton | by Terry Wyatt/Getty Images
Tim Curry Dies at 80
Tim Curry died at his Toluca Lake home in Los Angeles on August 25. He was 80, no cause was disclosed, though Curry had suffered a severe stroke in 2012 that left him in a wheelchair and gradually reduced his public appearances in the years that followed. His longtime manager Marcia Hurwitz confirmed the news. Before the industry began having conversations about gender and clothing, Curry walked onto a stage in London in 1973 in fishnets, a corset, pearls, and sky-high heels as Dr. Frank-N-Furter in The Rocky Horror Show. Apart from Rocky Horror, he built one of the most eclectic careers in entertainment, with a Tony nomination in Spamalot. His impact on the LGBTQIA+ community, particularly through Rocky Horror, was profound. At a time when queer identities were largely invisible in mainstream culture, his Frank-N-Furter role gave people permission to see themselves reflected. His memoir Vagabond, published in 2025, became a New York Times bestseller. [NYT]
Tim Curry | by Peter Kramer/Getty Images
Yayoi Kusama Dies at 97
Yayoi Kusama died on August 14 at a hospital in Tokyo. She was 97, and she had been painting until the very end. Her company confirmed the news on Thursday, nearly two weeks after her passing. “Until the very end, she never put down her brush, continuing to explore eternal love and the soul,” the statement read. Born in Matsumoto, Japan in 1929, Kusama spent a lifetime making work that refused to stay in one category. Her Infinity Mirror Rooms drew millions of visitors worldwide. Her polka-dot paintings generated millions at auction. She was the first woman to represent Japan at the Venice Biennale, in 1966. She moved to New York in 1957, became part of the city’s experimental art scene, before returning to Japan in 1973. In 1977, she made a decision that surprised many but defined the rest of her life. She voluntarily checked herself into a psychiatric hospital in Tokyo, where she would live for nearly five decades. Her work fell into relative obscurity after her return to Japan, before a revival of interest in the 1980s brought her back to the international stage. Fashion and art have always intertwined, so it was only fitting that Kusama and Louis Vuitton collaborated in 2012 and again in 2023, covering its stores and collections in her signature dots. [Vogue]
i-D Appoints Michiel Steur as First CEO
i-D Magazine has appointed Michiel Steur as its first chief executive officer, a newly created role, effective October 1. Steur joined the title in October 2024 as chief commercial officer, meaning he has been inside the building through the relaunch, the print return, and the social rebuild. Paired with Steff Yotka’s appointment as editor-in-chief, i-D now has leadership clarity on both sides of the masthead. Steur is set on growing i-D into a broader media and cultural platform without losing its editorial roots. “The decisions that we make are with the belief that they will grow the brand over time rather than optimising short-term success,” Steur said. [Adweek]
Michiel Steur | by Joe Maher/Getty Images for BFC
Sacai Is Taking Over Le Bon Marché
Sacai opens sacai TO GO on the third floor of Le Bon Marché Rive Gauche this Friday, August 29, running through October 24th as part of SUPER JAPON. The event is curated by Sarah Andelman, who spent decades building Colette before closing its doors in 2017, and brings together a community of Paris-based friends of the brand to celebrate Japanese culture through food, drink, and objects. Toraya, the traditional Japanese confectionery house, and Rocky’s Matcha anchor the food programme, with a rotating weekend lineup of collaborators including natural wine bar F.O.L.D.E.R.O.L and Japanese kissaten-inspired sandwich shop Benchy. The merchandise is worth the trip on its own: tote bags made from repurposed Sacai archive fabrics, and a boxed set with paper doll brand RYVDOLL featuring miniature magnetic recreations of archive looks that invite you to style them yourself. It is at 24 Rue de Sèvres, open Monday to Saturday from 10 a.m. to 7:45 p.m. and Sunday from 11 a.m. to 7:45 p.m.
In Alton Mason’s World the Cameras Never Stop Rolling
Alton Mason has made a career out of turning movement into manifestation. Since exploding onto the scene a decade ago, the West Coast native has become fashion’s consummate performer: making history as the first Black male model to walk for Chanel, earning Models.com’s Model of the Year title five years in a row, and starring in countless luxury campaigns, all while expanding into acting and dance with the same magnetic ease. Caught by Columbine Goldsmith just before Gucci’s New York show premiere, Mason trades the runway for a delightfully unhinged reality show of his own making. Part The Real World, part wellness retreat, part fever dream, he’s searching for inner peace, the perfect candle, and, above all else, someone who knows how to use a steamer. Click the link here to watch the exclusive Models.com video.
Naeemah Lafond on Bringing Showmanship to Textured Hair and Beyond
“You’ll fall in love with until you’re in it, and nothing you do is a waste. It all informs your future self,” says the latest Behind the Image artist, hairstylist Naeemah Lafond. Known for statement-making hair and self described “lived-in glam” aesthetic, Lafond has brought her distinctive approach to some of fashion and entertainment’s most recognizable faces. With recent work on celebs like Whitney Peak, Nia Long, and Ciara Miller, don’t miss this exclusive conversation with Models.com’s Features Editor Anire Ikomi here.
September’s First Covers Revealed!
As Fashion Week approaches, the season brings one of fashion’s most anticipated moments, The September Issue! Yes, they’ve arrived, and Models.com brings you the latest from Pro News and the Talent Watch Report, diving into part 1 of this year’s issues and more. Want the see the full breakdown? The latest MDC Talent Watch report combines Models.com’s industry intelligence with Instagram trend analysis, exclusively for Models.com Pro members. Upgrade to Pro to unlock it here.
In Copenhagen, A Fashion Week Philosophy That Goes Beyond the Big Four
As an ever-evolving fashion capital, Copenhagen Fashion Week isn’t just a fashion week, it’s a constant rethink of what the term even means. In the latest Pro News feature, Madeleine Rothery, asks: what could a fashion week be, and who should it serve? This article is available only to Pro members. Click the link here to get a preview.
MDC Selects: These Rookies Are Goths, Football Fans, and Content Creators
From the anatomy lab to the football pitch, meet the new faces pursuing medical degrees, creating content, and sharing a few unexpected scouting stories. Click here to discover this week’s MDC Selects from around the world.
