COACD

Liu Wen at Marilyn

2008-07-02T16:14:00.004-04:00

The buzz is HUGE.....get on it.

Stuart Jones at Select

2008-07-02T13:37:00.001-04:00

WHOA!

INTERNal AFFAIRS with Thea Neal

2008-06-30T16:29:00.019-04:00

There are a few things that I absolutely, positively adore. Sales at Dolce & Gabbana, red velvet cupcakes from Magnolia Bakery, french bulldog puppies, kindergarten-like crushes. But there's one thing that surpasses all the others on my list of loves.
Photo shoots.

There's something rather euphoric about being on set. It doesn't matter who the models are, or who is taking the photos, but the atmosphere can literally envelop you into a make-believe world where you're a VIP guest. But if the models are fantastic, and the photographer is cool, the flashes and the music can be like a drug — putting you on a literal artistic high.

On Saturday, development nyc had a photo shoot with some of its new street-casted faces. Models Tess, Dave, Nataliya, Peter, Kitty, Justin, Dominique, Milton, Ian, and even photographer extraordinaire, Kathy Lo, got dolled up for a fun shoot by Cameron Krone. With James Worthington Demolet as the stylist, the wardrobe was unique and fun, with five inch heels and crisp hemlines making a splash. The clothes weren't the only thing to envy. Hair was just as intense — with Andre Gunn's talents on display. Andre is the kind of guy whose mellow vibe wears off on you, and you can't help but like him.

Make-up artist Robert Greene made the gorgeous models even more beautiful, treating faces like his palette — his Michelangelo to their Sistine Chapel. He did vibrant purple eyes on Kitty, and painted a warm glow onto Dominique. He even painted Tess' nipples black, which wasn't a first for Robert, but was definitely a first for Tess. Due to the generosity of my boss, Douglas, I got treated to hair and make-up by Andre and Robert, which is something I won't soon forget. Robert even told me I had "nice long lashes," which came as a total shock as I've always thought I had dreadful eyelashes. Just because hair and make-up artists are around gorgeous women all day, doesn't mean they aren't sweet and down-to-earth.

Street casting models are more than just lucky kids plucked from obscurity. They're fresh, they're interesting, and they haven't let the biz go to their heads. There's a reason they call it Development NYC — because they're literally developing something that no one else has yet invented.

Petey at Ford

2008-06-30T14:34:00.000-04:00

V Man Cover boy...

Harry Wakefield at Premier

2008-06-30T13:09:00.007-04:00

Direct Booking boy....Lanvin Boy.

RIP Ruslana Korshunova

2008-06-29T12:43:00.003-04:00

Julien Chanca at RED

2008-06-26T18:20:00.000-04:00

Prada Approved!!!

Vintage Cole & Luke

2008-06-26T14:34:00.003-04:00

JUST KIDDING!!! But yes that is vintage Cole Mohr... we have been quietly checking out the Re:Quest blog run by my former intern Tess Brokaw...Not cobra status yet....but getting there.

BEING: PRIDE 08

2008-06-25T18:17:00.009-04:00

(Behati Prinsloo, Rachel Clark & Alana Zimmer) All Pics by Kathy Lo
New York is not dead yet......Just go to your local block party! Summer is all about parades, rooftops, weekend getaways, and summer romance. This week is Gay Pride, a week of parties, parades, protest and drag queens. Leave it to the cool kids at Supreme to ode Pride 08 with a post of their top girls doing real human things like going to a Leather block Party on 28th street. A party full of designers, leather daddies, casting directors, photographers, bears, conde market editors and SUPERMODELS. Only in NYC.

Daniela De Jesus at Major

2008-06-25T16:09:00.005-04:00

Daniela from Mexico is in town...Latin is IN.....I see it come September in NY. Did u hear about an all ethnic line up for mens Lanvin show next week?

Jacki Hydock at Re:Quest

2008-06-24T14:31:00.001-04:00

Love Reality TV. Happily surprised when Ms Jacki walked in the office today.

Zuzanna at Next

2008-06-24T12:50:00.002-04:00

Some great finds from Poland at Next......Teen Vogue model Zuzanna.

We All Blog: Robert Greene

2008-06-23T13:57:00.006-04:00

Finally a make up blog!!! We have been obsessed with make up artist Robert Greenes blog lately, lots of insider pics of all your favorite gals like Lydia, Chanel, Bridget and Trentini. Book It!!!!

Alexander Wang Sample Sale June 25th/28th

2008-06-23T13:19:00.000-04:00

Ready. Set. GO.

Geovanny at Silver

2008-06-20T11:27:00.007-04:00

All man at Silver Models....Geovanny is a must see....

Jessica Cline at Elite

2008-06-19T14:38:00.001-04:00

COACD EXCLUSIVE............

Ryan McGinley Casting Girls!

2008-06-19T14:25:00.002-04:00

Ryan is still casting for girls....must be available now until July 14th. Second part is July 18th- august 29th. This is a paid job. Why should u?....Well all his kids get placed with top agencies like DNA and Public Image. Email studio@ryanmcginley.com with pics and stats and a contact number. Live young this summer.

Eniko Mihalik at Marilyn

2008-06-19T13:27:00.010-04:00

Under exclusive w Inez and Vinoodh and a Gucci coming out.....we called it back in February for ELLE.com. A very select season for this one.

Sessilee Lopez at Major

2008-06-19T11:18:00.001-04:00

Live it! Love it! Learn it!

INTERNal AFFAIRS - take one

2008-06-18T14:09:00.014-04:00

Hello, bonjour, konichiwa, hola, or whatever country you're coming from — this is your token COACD intern, Thea. Before I divulge the happenings of this week in casting occurrences, let me first tell you a bit about myself.

I'm a Leo with a shopping addiction, which, frankly is twice as bad as being any other astrological sign with an addiction. My favorite designers are Christian Lacroix, Marc Jacobs, and Zac Posen. And the models that make me swoon are Giedre Dukauskaite, Karlie Kloss, Daisy Lowe and Catherine McNeil. And of course, Andre J (The second day I lived in New York I saw him on 14th Street, clad in a denim jump suit with gold trimming. I swear to God I stopped breathing and wanted to scream "ANDRE J I LOVE YOU!!" but instead kept walking like an idiot.).
I started working in the COACD office a little over a month ago, and there's only about one word to describe it — whirlwind. After a week I was set off to Paris, where along with photo extraordinaire Kathy Lo, took the city by storm, tracking down the hottest faces and coolest kids. Surprisingly, convincing Parisians in unimpressive French that you want to cast them in a campaign was a lot easier than I expected.

Now that we're back in the Big Apple, things haven't slowed down. Last week I attended Connections — a tradeshow for the creative community which is sponsored by Le Book. To be in contact with such agencies as Art + Commerce, Chris Boals Artists and MAP was a blast, as I didn't even know so many cool, creative individuals existed.

The next day, Candice and I jetted over to an editorial shoot where Ali Stephens was modeling. Now there's a difference between "modeling" and truly, absolutely, positively, wonderfully modeling. This latter type of modeling is complex, beautiful, and, above all, difficult. Ali Stephens aces this, as if she came out of the womb posing for a camera (Which I hope she didn't. That would be so awkward.).

The Ali Stephens shoot also taught me one thing — if you're one person's intern, you're the whole shoot's intern. When stylist Jodie Barnes forgot a pair of shoes for the shoot back at his hotel, it was Thea to the rescue. After being handed his room key and his passport, I hopped in a cab Andy Sachs-style and found the box — right before being asked to grab a black coat in the hotel room closet. Expecting to find a plain black peacoat, or a member's only jacket, I discovered what could quite possibly be the world's most beautiful coat — a Christopher Kane plaid peacoat, collarless, with ruffles stitched in intricate patterns accentuated by crystals and pearl accents. Pure love. The coat was breath-taking, but heavy. Not as in a "heavy a la Valerie Bertinelli," but more like "heavy a la Kirstie Alley on a fat day." With the 25-pound coat in hand, a huge box of shoes and a cab driver who barely spoke English, I was back to the set, where I could continue to be everyone's intern.

Being an intern is more than just running errands. Sure, we get coffee, we arrange DVDs (alphabetical, including genre, leading actors and a record of who checks out which film — did I mention I'm a slight overachiever?), and sometimes we even walk the dog. But the boys at the coffee shop are cute, the DVDs allow us to cancel our subscription to NetFlix and the dog, Roger, is the best fix when you want to buy a little puppy in the window. And if that's not enough, you get to show up on set to photo shoots starring top models — like Chanel Iman. To see Ali Stephens one day and Chanel Iman the next is like experiencing two different famous cities. Ali is like London, England — posh, elegant and effortlessly graceful. Whereas Chanel is the Buenos Aires, Argentina — frisky, daring and exotic. Chanel was strapped into a pair of five-inch Sonia Rykiel heels while jumping on a trampoline in an apartment with barely any air conditioning. And not to be Tyra or anything, but that was fierce.

At the end of the shoots, I did learn one thing — models really do eat. Ali snagged a piece of pizza while she was texting on her Blackberry. And Chanel and I do have one thing in common — a love for working it to Madonna's "Confessions On A Dance Floor" album. And I thought I was the only one who pranced around in their underwear with "Hung Up" on the stereo.

Keep voguing,
Thea

Adesuwa at Race

2008-06-18T12:17:00.005-04:00

AMAZING...total looker.

Thalita at Click

2008-06-17T10:56:00.002-04:00

New York realness I love. Her book is all Bruce. Check it!

Josefin H at Ford

2008-06-16T16:26:00.000-04:00

New All Star......Must See.

Kai Kuhne Sample Sale June 17th/18th

2008-06-16T11:13:00.001-04:00

Book It!!!!

VOTE NOT COKE!...#2

2008-06-13T13:07:00.005-04:00

2 of my favorites!!! Ali Stephens at Elite and hair stylist Dennis Gots at community ny.