Karl Lagerfeld and BOYFRIEND Baptiste Giabiconi

OK I am a little slow in reporting this but Karl Lagerfeld apparently has a new boyfriend in uber super male model Baptiste Giabiconi, one of the uber Chanel models.  Karl and Baptiste have been found in some locations together which lead to these conclusions and apparently for some ( wish I was one of them) some intimate conversations have been overheard.  Oh to be a fly on the wall to hear what they are saying.

Karl Otto Lagerfeldt born September 10, 1933 (making Lagerfeld 77 years old) in Hamburg.  Karl is a German fashion designer and artist based in Paris, France. He has collaborated on a variety of fashion and art related projects, most notably as head designer and creative director for the fashion house Chanel. Lagerfeld helms his own label fashion house, as well as the Italian house Fendi.  Of course this makes for a very busy man, but we all know what they say about all work.

Now Lagerfeld has lot a ton of weight from years ago and darlings he looks utterly fabulous, he still sports that infamous ponytail and dresses more than half his age, which for some would be very cliche.  For me, if you got it honey flaunt it and Lagerfeld thankfully does. I do wish you would see him more often with his other trademark from years ago--his fan!  It added in my opinion to his persona, his mystique and overall character.

  His personal style has always been for some people a tad flamboyant but tasteful just like the Chanel label itself which I SIMPLY ADORE.  Something is working right for Lagerfeld because he is with Baptiste after all.

I did a little research into our boy Baptiste and found what I think are some really great pictures of him and Karl besides some of his publicity shots.

 Apparently the two have been seen together in the streets of Paris and some rather intimate conversations have been overheard so many believe they are quite the pair. One of the photographs in this post if of the brand new Chanel motorcycle.  Yes kids you read that right a CHANEL motorcycle!!  Can you imagine owning that! Makes you wonder what an item like that would cost?  Or was it specfically designed for and given to Baptiste as a present? Could it all have been just this huge publicity stunt for Chanel? I wonder how does one find these things out?  Who does one ask to find these things out?  Or is it just the people in the inner circle that is the very life of Lagerfeld himself and the life of House of Chanel?

I think it just genius to have come up with the idea of a Chanel motorcycle even if it was just one and just one time even for the sake of publicity.  I am sure people like myself sat up and took notice, becaus ethis kind of thing as far as I know has never been done before.

Also with a little further searching I came across some near nude shots of our handsome devil Baptiste, no wonder Lagerfeld is in love, who wouldn't be with a guy in bed with you that looks like Baptiste or a guy like Baptiste even on your arm at some gala party?  Baptiste's birthplace if you would like to know is Marseille, France.

Height is reported to be 6'2"

Age: 21( a 56 year age difference by the way kids) (I made a mistake in previous post about Baptiste's age so I do apologize--thanks Kirzia for pointing that out)

Chest 39

Waist 30.5 (G-d  I wish my waist was this little)

Men Shoe 10.5

Hair Brown

Eyes Hazel

 When Naomi Campbell met Baptiste in Moscow in 2009, she told him, “It’s not right: We all have defects. You have none.”  What a wonderful compliment to be made in my opinion and from someone as wonderful as Uber supermodel Naomi, makes me wonder what she feels "are her defects".

In an interview with Womens Wear Daily Karl Lagerfeld described Baptiste as “a boy version of Gisele [Bündchen]: skinny, skinny but with an athletic body — good for clothes and great with no clothes.”  Hopefully, Lagerfeld wasted no time in finding out how uber gorgeous Baptiste was naked but then I guess some things we will never know.  Well sorry I was ever so late posting this but I do hope you enjoyed the photos of Baptiste.  Until next time, I am so glad we had this time together.

News of the day

I am sorry not to have posted the last few days but I wasn't exactly feeling all to well.  Then you throw in that this last weekend was my crash weekend you begin to understand slightly why I didn't blog.  When I wasn't sleeping, I was studying.  I think I made up some of the sleep I have lost in the last two weeks,  I was just so utterly exhausted.

Sunday afternoon was my big night as I got pinned as an initiate to Phi Sigma Phi the honor's fraternity.  It was the whole highlight of my whole week.  I stood there slightly crying as I took the oath of secrecy and brotherhood.  It made all the work during the Spring Semester feel so worth while.  Keep your fingers crossed as I am running for the position of President and Vice President of our Class in the fraternity.  Voting I believe is this Sunday.

Needless to say I got no sewing done on the Women of History outfit done and I know I am going to pushed into some real overtime to try to get it done on time.  If I could just not feel so tired.  It may not end till the end of the semester, because of all the pending work.

Mrs Carr at Kent asked me to participate in an upcoming Coat Challenge in October.  We will be designing a Cotton Sateen Coat inspired by Jackie Kennedy Onassis.  Not only designing the coat but also a print that will be put on the fabric.  I was thrilled to be asked so I said YES!

Well for now that is it, so thank you for this time we had together.

Greece

Greece by charliedale9966 on Polyvore.com

For an upcoming Fashion Visual Class Assignment

The Devil Wears Prada

The Devil Wears Prada by charliedale9966 on Polyvore.com

An utterly fabulous movie, FIERCE clothing

Jackie Mood Board

Jackie Mood Board by charliedale9966 on Polyvore.com

Our Former First Lady Jackie Kennedy Onasiss. Jackie, always in our hearts, forever on our minds

A Dream is a Wish your heart makes

I have said it before, and I will say it again, that the dreams that you have at night while fast asleep are really a gate way into your soul.  It is a window into your deepest wishes, wants and desires.  First off let me say I have not been sleeping well at all for over a week.  I get about four hours if I am lucky and frankly I feel like it has me rather short with people and very forgetful.

With that said last night I was so pleased because I got my full eight hours.  Partially I think because I think I took a pain pill because my chest and legs were killing me.  Same old sh*t that I talk about from time to time that I think largely is Fibromyalgia related.  But with pain pill in toe I slept like a baby and dreamt for the first time in months.

In my dream I was upstairs in my studio, which in my dream was MUCH bigger than it is now, and in walks Chairce who I mentioned yesterday's post.  She wants me to design her entire new upcoming concert.  Needless to say I was some what stunned, she said twenty outfits that fit the songs and mood she wants to convery.  I asked "when she needed them" she said five months away.  I called for my assistant, in dreams I guess I have an assitant.  I can't remember HIS name but he was tall, dashing and simply brillant.  I said " we have our work cut out for us but I know we can do it.

While the three of us were chatting in walks, honest to G-d Celine Dion.  I about pissed myself.  She walks over to me kisses me on both cheeks like the French do.  She is flawlessly gorgeous of course and says "Charles darling, I need you to design this Red Carpet affair for the upcoming Music Awards thing I am nominated for and Charice told me what a genius you are do you think you can" all of course with a French accent that is very seductive. I smiled so sweetly and said "Of course anything for you mon cherie."

I awoke briefly and very shortly fell asleep This time I was in a much larger space than even the dream before that is apprently my studio and I am sitting at my fabric table with the legendary icon Carol Burnett.  "Darling, I have this huge Kennedy's Honor event coming up where they are giving me this huge award and well you know Bob Mackie has retired a little bit ago.  I hear it gets no better than you.  Can you and would you design a gown of exquiste quality for this gala event?  Celione Dion raved so much about you darling, it was so sweet and charming.  I blushed.  I sat tearing up, "Carol I would be delighted."

In walks honest to G-d Gay Super Icon and Fierce Goddess herself CHER!  I fainted, deadway.  Carol Burnett picks me up, dust me off.  "Darling, get it together.  I hope you don't mind but I called my friend Cher and said to meet us here."  I sat crying.  Cher in typical Cher fashion walks over and bitch slaps me right across the face and says "Snap out of it" ala Moonstruck.  I apologize.  I am sorry Cher but I have adored you all my life and now you are standing in MY STUDIO.

"Yeah well, duh darling.  Carol said I had to see you and so did Celine.  I have this upcoming one night concert affair I am doing in Vegas darling and well I want you to do all the sets, costumes and even some publicity outfits for the show.  I fainted again. Cher brought me to my feet.  "Darling, the fainting is growing old." She smiles "But it is flattering, g-d knows I love my gays." 

I awoke my pillow was damp, apparently I was having some minor night sweats.  I am was smiling though, crying too.  I know its just a dream but it all seemed so real.  It seemed as if I was really in their presence.  Like all the hard work was paying off.  Somebody finally HAD NOTICED me!

God Save the Queen

God Save the Queen by charliedale9966 featuring leopard print shoes

Something fun with a play on words, nothing more fierce than a fierce QUEEN

Broadway Queen--thats me

Well last night I was in my "theatre glory" with the brand new season of Glee.  Kids, I absolutely adore this show more than breathing, I have it bad. Maybe it is because I am a "Broadway Queen" as they say but there isn't anything better than a great story with great music that you leave singing when you leave the theatre. Besides as a Broadway Queen you get your own tiara .  Kidding!

With a guest appearance by Charice, the Filipino girl featured on Oprah a few times, Charice plays a girl named Sunshine.  I was once again in love with this 16 year old girl with the voice of a grown woman.  Charice first preformed part of the Lady Gaga hit Telephone. 

Charice/Sunshine was fierce, to fierce actually for character Rachel who turns in to Miss Uber b*tch and sends poor Sunshine to a crack house for her audition.  Well kids you don't f*ck with diva's.  Trust me I know being a diva at time myself. 

Our girl Sunshine belts out one of my favorite songs of all time "Listen".  I know I have posted this song twice before but kids there is something that she brings to this song that I have not gotten before.  It is of course from the story line, it is the whole I know you sent me to a crack house because I threaten you well TOUGH SH*T!  Because b*th I am going deliver it and boy does she.  This kind of "F" you done with a song and all attitude.



Of course Rachel realizes she has been a first class jerk and decides to put her regret into song as well.



I bring this whole thing up because sometimes we just have those days where we want to be the uber b*tch for no real good reason at all.  Maybe the whole thing has been building for a long time and it just feels good to let the witch out.  Claws flying, attitude soaring, bitchiness in full force and we are embracing it and celebrating it.  Then we regret it.  At height of the moment it feels great, feels powerful and I guess my day was yesterday. I didn't blow up, but I probably over reacted.  Thank god no one was there to see me do it.  I have the good sense to keep my head in public and than lose it when I am by myself.  That way I am not embarrassed.

Oh well. I guess we all have moments where we have melt downs.  Thankfully mine are not that often and are hardlyever public.  Well kids thanks for the time we have had together.

News of the day

Not much here for me to really talk about.  I hated missing Liza on Oprah today as was in class.  I did LOVE tonight's new episode of Glee and have all my homework for tomorrow done already.  Tomorrow also starts my tutor responsibilities at Mason Elementary.  Its part of my College Writing II Class and I am nervous to say the least. Keep me in your thoughts that it all goes well.

Hope you have been enjoying the vintage fashion posts I maybe do some more as I found this great web site with oodles of vintage fashion. I also want to take the time and remind everyone I am on Twitter as well and hopefully in some time I will be doing more there once I get a better system to do it than my current refualr cell phone, keeping my fingers crossed.

Hopefully also tomorrow I can spend a lot of time on the Women in History Fashion Show outfit as I am really nervous about that.  In the meantime thanks to all the readers, readership since this new blooger traking thing started has steadily going up every month and I APPRECIATE IT!

I would like to her what you would like to see here as well specific fashion, topics or whatever.  After all maybe weboth can grow a little.  Well until next time, I am so glad we had this time together

News of the day

Well thankfully I took the time to finally sit down and cut out the majority of the patterns for the Mary Todd Lincoln inspired/recreation dress for the Famous Women Fashion Show in October.  Going to work my head off to get it the way I want it to look but in all honesty I know I can and, more than likely will, do it.

In a way this may be the dress that brings back some of my self confidence.  I also moved all of the doll boxes out of the sewing room closet  andinto the Oz room closet. My fashion books and magazines are now on the shelf in that closet.  It will need an additional brace I think to hold the weight.  Will have to ask my dad about it when he is out again. Moving those books freed up some shelf space in my sewing room.

I found a clothing rod to put in the closet to hang my own creations plus the few vintage/antique pieces I do not want to cut up.  Maybe now I can slowly buy more antque clothing I find intersting and worth having.  Of course you all can send me stuff at least 60 years old or more for the small but growing collection.  I would be indebted forever. I am especially interested in antique men's clothing and women's 1930's and before as well as couture of course.

If you didn't catch Marth Stewart last night on Hallmark, you kids missed one hell of a show. It was"The Women in Fashion" and the interviews, the clothes and the insight was simply wonderful.  If they re-run it you kids need to watch it.  Then today on her daytime show Martha had the entire hour about fashion, it was love for me!  It did bring up this whole idea, for me anyway, why is it you never hardly see antique men's clothing in antique store or malls or even shows for sale?  Pickings are slim kids, maybe these men wore their clothes out.   Maybe there is no interest in antique men's clothing.  I wonder. What all do you think. 

My big passion right now would be vintage bowties. There is something about a man in a bowtie and frankly believe it or not I don't own one. Maybe it should be on my wish list.  Well anyway, I am glad we had this time together.  Till next time.

My heart kept Vigil

My heart kept Vigil by charliedale9966 on Polyvore.com

Call me a dire hard romantic

Tired of being alone

Tired of being alone by charliedale9966 on Polyvore.com

Modd board

I can't believe this is post 501, where does the time go?  Somehow you all have been reading along, changes and all from those early days of doom and gloom that the posts where to the postings about Wizard of Oz and collecting to now fashion.  You my readers have been faithful and somehow readership just keeps soaring.  Maybe I have hit on something, maybe I am so frank, so honest, so open people are intrigued by what I will say next. Maybe it is because I talk about fashion or things that intrest me.  Maybe its becasue as Sally Field said "You like me, you really like me."  I would love to know what it is that makes you come back reading.

This weekend believe it or not was spent doing nothing more than homework.  The whole damn freaking weekend, but in all reality I know it will pay off in the end. Maybe I will make the Dean's List again this semester, maybe somebody will notice how hard I am working and how very desperately I want this more than life itself.

Maybe it will pay off in my intership when the time comes, or pay off when I go to study abroad or when I leave for the work force because people will see how dedicated I am and how badly I want it.  Facebook asks the question in some online quizzes about the people you know if they would sell everything to get successful.  The answer for me is a very simple YES! No doubt in my mind, no regret, no questions.  You get tired of being nobody.  You get tired of feeling like yo haven't made a difference.  You get tired of feeling lonely.  You get tired of not being what you want and need to be for yourself.  If so many people can do it why can't I?

I think for me the answer is I need to get more focused on how I spend alot of my time.  So many hours a day for homework, so many hours a day to write which I love and so many an hours a day to sew which for me is breathing.  To create IS LIFE, without it there is literally nothing!  Brutal isn't it?  It though is the truth and I am beginning to understand it.

I am going to go out on a limb and say at the moment I feel very desperately alone.  In the near month back in school my family has not called once to see how I am. To see how things are going in school.  To see if I am alright.  It grows tiring.  I feel like I have to "pull teeth" almost to get any response and I am tired of it beyond words.  I want people involved in my life because they want to be.  I want people to know what I am doing because they want to know.  I need somehow to know I am needed in someway and that i make the difference.  Sounds desperate doesn't it?  I guess it is, but it is the raw truth.

I have this huge project with the "Women of History Fashion Show" that I HAVE to start tomorrow or I will never get it done. I need to finish homework that is due Wednesday and frankly I need to get back to myself into the habit of meditating daily and doing yoga daily somehow.  Like I have said before and I will say it again I feel like so much of time is wasted.  How all do you feel about the time you have?  I would love knowing I am not alone.

Well until next time kids I am so glad we had this time together and I hope you have been enjoying the new mood boards I have been posting.

I'd Rather have a mind opened

I'd Rather have a mind opened by charliedale9966 on Polyvore.com

Mood Board

LOVE

LOVE by charliedale9966 featuring pearl earrings

a mood/trend board involving one of my icons Sophie Loren

News of the day

A rather quiet day with "window" antique shopping in Akron and lunch at Firehouse in Manchester.  The Firhouse in Manchester is not quite as good as the one in Zoar, so if you decide to go eat at the one in Zoar.  The dress I am working on for a possible upcoming trunk show is coming along nicely and I have the fabric and patterns drafted for the dress for my "Women in History" Fashion Show that the Fashion Student Organization is doing in October.

Between us, I have decided to recreate a dress inspired by Mary Todd Lincoln.  The gown all done in black, which of course Mary Todd wore everyday of her life after Abe died till she died. Quite the love story in my opinion, of course Mary Todd also went insane because of her grief.  I will try to post pictures as the work progresses as soon as I start it, which will be in the next day or two.

I have been giving some very serious thought about changing the name of the blog again to fit more with what the posts are.  I more than likely won't change the web address just the "home page" name.  What I am wondering does anybody haveany ideas for a blog name, if I do change.

School is going well over all and I for one am so grateful to be back, I feel more alive if that makes any sense. My Fashion Visuals first project is do, which tomorrow I will post a picture of what I did.  I have one more Honor's Frat to check out, but I think I have already made my decision.  Was also thinking of adding a side bar with what books I am reading, thought all of you might be interested.  What do you think?

Well until next time I am so glad we had this time together

Donna Summer McArthur Park--JUST BECAUSE

Atelier Versace Fall 2010

Jack Mackenroth - Emerging Designer Segment- iFashion Network Exclusive

An incredible interview with my IDOL in more ways that one!! Jack Mackenroth!!!!

My Coming out story

I saw this picture today, a teaser for the upcoming season of Glee and apparently our boy Kurt ends up in a gay leather bar.  Not for the faint of heart let me tell you.  Anyway, it got me to thinking about my coming out now over 20 years ago.

I knew very early on that I was, well different, I didn't realize until almost the fifth grade that, that difference  had a word to it more than one actually.  The teasing started almost immediately, the words damaging: Sissy, Queer, Fag, Faggot, Homo, Fruit the list seemed endless and what precious ego I had left with it.  By seventh grade it was sheer living hell.  I begged my parents to send me to our church's christian school, I knew the teasing would end for ever.  It did the minute I went but it lead to so many other problems, which sooner or later I will discuss I swear.

Of course like every young guy dealing with his being gay I tried not being gay.  I even dated a few girls but we never went beyond the first kiss. The minute that kiss happened it was over.  By 16 I knew girls were not for me and I ended the charade and stopped dating them.  At 17 I lost my virginity to a guy that became my first boyfriend, he would die of GRID (now AIDS) two years later and I never looked back.  He though did introduced me to the man who became my lover and that I lived with for almost 3 years who also died of AIDS before my twenty-first birthday.

Needless to say my parents were clueless and by October/early November of 1988 I was back in Ohio and back in high school, because my Christan school education was worthless.  That December I was raped by a childhood friend.  He was somewhat older but not to much.  His parents were on vacation somewhere and he stayed behind to work at his job.  He invited me to supper which surprisingly we ate before the next thing I honestly can remember 21 one years later, was my being on the floor a gun to my head and him literally ripping the clothes off me. Years in therapy helped me to try to put together what little I do remember.

"I'm f**ckin going to give you exactly what you deserve you f**king faggot, a good breaking in".  I can still hear those words 21 years later.  Needless to say I think he just guessed I was gay, he certainly had no proof of it.  Also needless to say I wasn't his only victim male or female. I left bloodied, in rags of what were my clothes and never went to the hospital, never filed a police report and didn't speak about any of it.

That spring my brother was on a fishing trip with him and I fainted dead away when my mom told me where my brother was.  That kids is when I came out.  G-d almighty it was horrific.  The whole truth, nothing but the truth came flooding out of my mouth.  The sexual assault, my being gay, my having lost a lover ( I didn't say from what then) and of course my stay at Betty Ford before I came home.  I told my mom first we waited almost 3 months before I told my father.  It made our relationship even WORSE than what it was before. By fall of that year I had again tried committing suicide, which I think I have written about before.

The family as a whole found out I was gay when they saw me on CNN at the March on Washington during the Colorado Proposition (I can't remember the exact bill) but I was officially out.  National and local Newspapers came later as well as local things put me on television with what I was doing with ACT UP (The AIDS Coalition TO Unleash Power) and Gay Pride.

Of course I came out later as well  as a Person living with AIDS which was much harder to do and was more of a strain on my family, considering they are all southern conservative baptists ---OY VEY!  I have never regretted any of it.  I do regret exposing my parents to the people I knew when I was first diagnosed because for the most part all those people died, and died suddenly.  My parents still expect me to drop over dead any minute.

I wish I had the courage to have been as brave as Kurt on Glee, to have had some of those hard conversations I have never had with my father and to have my father say I Love You.  Kurt in many ways is making realize who I am again and not to be ashamed of any of it.  Sometimes you need to be obvious, sometimes not.  If it is a problem a friend used to say "in all reality it is not my problem, its their problem".    I mean where would be without our gay clothing designers, hair dressers, florists, interior decorators, police me, firemen and yes even gay clergy.  I am what I am no matter what and between you and me I am thankful I have all of you in my life sharing it with me.  Until next time, embrace who you are.

Decisions, Decisions, Decisions

Its hard to try to describe the situation I am in right now.  I want to join  Delta Lambda Phi, the "gay" fraternity but I am have also been approached by two other fraternities to join them. The gay frat is more of a social thing where I could realistically build some good friendships with a small group of guys. The Honors Frat are based on my over all Grades and other factors in order to belong plus them inviting you.  One is a national one with scholarships and big time speakers the other is an on campus group not nearly as big as the other.  The smaller honors frat meets tomorrow while the national one meets next week.

To make matters worse, I have paid the $100 fee to the national one already because I felt so honored just being asked. Part of the problem is most frat meetings are Sunday's so I more than likely couldn't do all three and it is on days  am not even at Kent for classes.  I guess I have decided to gather the information on both Honor's groups before Imake a decision, but right now Iam leaning to the one I have already paid.  That and the other factor is how thin do I spread myself

The Fashion Student Organization I can belong and choose the fashion shows I want to be in, but the meetings for this semester I CAN NOT attend because I am in class till 6:30 and FSO meets at 5:30.  So I will just do the shows.

In a way its nice being wanted by so many people but in an other way its overwhelming. I think I may also sit down with a student advisor and see what they think.  Jim is worried about my spreading myself to thin, overwhelming myself and of course with winter coming on about my possible health issues.  In one way its rather nice being cared about so much, in another its not so hot, its very hard to try to explain it.  I know he cares, but there are times I wish their was more input what he would do if he was in my shoes.  Maybe I expect to much?  ould anybody give that kind of advice?  Will keep you posted how things progress.

Well until next time I am so glad we had this time together!

Sometimes all you have to do is dream

Because it the end of summer---Sexys Beach Men

Are the newest Dior Ads Racist? Some say yes?

Continuing its love affair with the city of Shangai, Dior has released "Shanghai Dreamers," a series of haute couture prints photographed by local talent, Quentin Shih. But the campaign has triggered accusations that it's images of cloned Chinese people behind - usually - a white model dressed to the nines are pretty racist.

The prints are meant to adorn the new Dior flagship store opening here in Shanghai. Named "Shanghai Dreamers," the shoot was inspired by Shanghai in the 1970s, and was inspired by a "certain style of group photography." From the description on Shih's site: "they replicate themselves, wearing plastic clothes, they stand on display in vast spaces or upon a stage - because they were, and still are dreamers. As China enters a new era, they begin to stand together upon a world stage, self-conscious and yet filled with power."

But some have wondered why, while all the Chinese people are replicated in their "plastic clothes," how come the ones that stand out are almost all Caucasian? How does this represent any ability to stand on a world stage except for as an accessory of a white person? And doesn't this kind of feel like another "all look same" joke?

Says Jenny Zhang on Jezebel:

In the case of Dior's ‘Shanghai Dreamers,' the conformity and the old-fashioned appearance of the rows and rows of repeated Chinese faces and bodies only serve to constitute a visual record of the Western world's construction and affirmation of self through the racial and cultural other. If Chinese people from a certain era (and to be quite uncharitable, I don't believe Christian Dior knows what era of Chinese photography and life he is referencing when he says, "My inspiration came from a certain Chinese style of group photography but these ceremonial photographs marks a departure from a certain historical period and herald the future,") represent how oppressive Chinese society is and how indistinguishable Chinese people are, then it must mean that European and American societies are so free and liberated and individualized!

I'm so tired of hearing about how scary and conformist China used to be (and might I mention, always hearing about it from people who AREN'T ACTUALLY CHINESE AND DIDN'T LIVE THROUGH SAID SCARY TIMES.) Can someone, for once, actually ask a Chinese person who lived through the scary sixties and seventies what it was like and how they see themselves?

Looking at the pictures, I'm not sure I completely agree. And that's maybe because the Cultural Revolution period did preach conformity and oppression. And maybe it's because I'm a Chinese person who HAS known people who lived through the scary sixties and seventies. As an actual theme - China in the 1970s - smiling, "plastic" youth pretending to be happy being exactly the same as someone else while one person stands out could be a Shanghai dream.

But why is it the white model that gets to be different? Well, to be honest, I think that's more just the casually vapid decision made by whomever did the shoot - the same kind of decision that caused Sony to be lambasted for its white v. black PSP model billboards. Someone somewhere probably said "Okay, so we want someone gorgeous standing in our beautiful couture clothes amongst the photoshopped accessories... book them." Then, because the fashion industry itself basically likes one type of model (ultra-thin, tall, high cheekbones, usually Eastern European), they were the ones that got to wear the pretty stuff.

It's not to say that that attitude in fashion isn't pretty racist and/or hurtful to women in general, but in this case, it's just yet another example of the cluelessness of the fashion world... rather than Dior's own obsession with Orientalism. Fashion, as it stands now, is inherently racist. The thoughts behind the theme of this series, less blatantly so.

As an aside, frankly - given the general "harmonization" of Cultural Revolution history and China's own fetishistic use of white models in advertising, I doubt anyone who does go into the Dior store here in Shanghai would have been offended anyway.
 
It is an interesting point of view. Until next time I am so glad we had this rime together.