Allison Iraheta updates

Of bodies and boobs

Katy Perry in bustier a la Betty Boop

“All I wanted out of life was a hit record and a great pair of boobs. I woke up one morning and I had both. I had finally arrived.”

Katy Perry made this statement in an interview with a magazine recently. My goals were a little different back in my mid-teens. Yes, I definitely wanted bigger breasts, to catch up with my – to me – huge nipples. Or, to be more accurate, big and puffy areolae around big nipples. Apparently, I have since learned, such ‘features’ are much sought after on modern websites, but back then I had a degree of self-consciousness.

Katy Perry and Hello Kitty outfit

Katy also mentioned her figure and this I definitely agree with. I totally wanted a figure to use as a clotheshorse for a huge variety of clothing styles. I was tall and fit but not, so far, curvy. I did see other, shorter, fuller-figure girls and would curse my tall, slim parents. Yep, if your hair’s straight, you desire curly, if you’re redhead you envy brunettes. I went through all that and it seems so childish now but, whew, it was there in all its glory then.

Katy Perry displays boobs & cleavage at the Grammies

Eventually DNA came to my rescue and I grew some hips and ‘proper’ breasts, so was able to indulge in all types of fancy dress – just like Katy explains: “On a Monday I could be a Betty Boop figure. On a Tuesday I’ll be Uma Thurman in Pulp Fiction. On a Wednesday I could be wearing S&M rubber.”

Of course, the wardrobe buyers, make-up artists and salaried assistants have not come my way (yet?) but it seems even Katy doesn’t need them all the time: “Most of the time I welcome attention but there are days when I need to keep a healthy distance from it. When I pop down the grocery store to buy some milk I leave all my glittery costumes at home.”

Damn. Successful and sensible, all wrapped in one glorious package!

Katy Perry goes a lot gothic – we love it

We have followed the evolution of Katy Perry with interest and frequent joy. A talented musician even before changing to her Perry stagename, Katy has a clever way with her lyrics. Her One Of The Boys album is peppered with sharp wit and a great collection of summer songs.

Katy’s fashion sense is frequently on display, whether for an official photoshoot or just a trip to the shops. The wide range of styles that Katy carries so well are maybe not as extreme as Lady Gaga, but they can range from bright and sunny all the way through to dark and gothic. A recent shoot for Complex put a lot more dark into the wardrobe – a big step away from some of the candy-colored outfits on top of a banana from a recent award show.

Dark clothes or not, we think the future is bright for Katy Perry – both as a person and as a musician. She is positive role-model for anyone who wants to work hard and pursue a dream.

Just like Taylor Swift, Katy Perry received solid training in Nashville, as a songwriter and performer. The message is the same, whether music or sport – talent and hard work usually go together for the superstars.

Gossip Girl – No Doubt – Paramore – mixed media to the max!

No Doubt to reform. Gwen Stefani to rejoin. No Doubt to play on Gossip Girl. Paramore to tour with No Doubt :: the headlines have been ongoing – and confusing …

Paramore’s front-woman Hayley Williams (photo 1) has said No Doubt “have done amazing things” and are one example of the path Paramore would like to take their career :: however, she also says that Paramore is not just a “girl-fronted band” and it makes “music for people to enjoy music, not so people can talk about my sexuality”

also of interest is one reviewer at NME suggested Paramore’s sound is similar to that of No Doubt but “stripped of all the ska bollocks” and then went on to suggest Hayley’s voice is equivalent to “Kelly Clarkson’s wildest dreams” :: whatever the case, Hayley has said her personal influences include Robert Smith of The Cure and Etta James

although I never really got into No Doubt – too soft, too ska, too derivative, too shrill – they were still a good example of a female-fronted band doing good :: and Gwen Stefani (photo 2) certainly has a wide variety of fashion styles at her disposal

the No Doubt/Paramore tour covers 45 cities and begins on May 3rd :: as Paramore have been touring a lot in the 5 years No Doubt have been in limbo, we expect a powerful showing from our metal favourites

the curiosity that is Gossip Girl is perhaps a strange place for No Doubt to do a warm up, but they will perform Stand and Deliver, originally by Adam and the Ants

Cleavage Wars 2 – Golden Globes 2008 – Awards Ceremony 2009

fantasy fashion now 'normal'

way back in 1944 at the first Golden Globe Awards, there was rather different coverage of the awards ceremony – and drastically different outfits worn by the stars :: the men have stayed fairly true to the tradition, with perhaps just a little more sparkle in some of their suits :: the women, on the other hand, have blossomed

the January 2009 Awards Ceremony for the 2008 Golden Globe Awards was a great showcase of style and talent – and that’s just the fashion designers :: many of the actresses wore figure-hugging, and definitely bust-hugging outfits that emphasised their own golden globes :: the pun is relevant as the media is hungry for glamour :: and that glamour is even more stylised and is now close to many fantasy images of yesteryear

corset-thin waists, accentuated and heaving bosoms, and glorious female cleavage now looks ‘normal’ at so many red carpet events :: and that is no complaint

just as fantasy art has inspired so many gothic metal and symphonic metal bands, as well as stage (and off-stage) clothes of most of the leading ladies, so we are seeing goth and fantasy styles appearing at many awards ceremonies :: the Golden Globes ceremony ‘featured’ many attractive women in fantasy fashion, like (from left) Beyonce, Madeline Zima (one of our favourites from Californication), Miley Cyrus (emphasising the power of 2), Blake Lively and Salma Hayek

Golden Globes 2009 - the stars and their cleavage on display

Gothic Lolita Surprise

Emilie Autumn

one of the big attractions of music services like Last.FM and Pandora is the power of the genome approach :: the way songs can be classified and tagged to reflect tone and style, etc :: and even though not perfect and occasionally presenting a song which seems incorrect, most times there is a great result

one radio station on Last.FM that has started to surprise with a wide variety of high quality music is based on the Gothic Lolita tag :: along with obvious examples like Emilie Autumn, Jack Off Jill and Cocteau Twins, have been enjoying Moi dix Mois, AmaiDeath, Schwarz Stein and Kerli.

there are, of course, often Japanese bands included, which as well as providing a contrast of musical style, also leads to some great information and gothic lolita websites :: and one surprise was the increasing number of gothic metal songs, especially from many new cross-over bands like Moi dix Mois

OTT Goth Style …

isani griffith

… and that’s just the guy! Wonderful to see the hearts and flowers commenting the web at the moment over Isani Griffith and her recent public appearances :: being a model and almost-celeb about town is good for a start, while blue eyes and 5ft 10in probably helps too

Model Mayhem has often stolen a scoop with its open policies and wide selection, so maybe no wonder Isani is on the books :: and where better to advertise while studying philosophy and photography :: which reflects our interest as so many potential modern amazons are focussed and intelligent, as well as fun-loving style warriors

isani and marilyn

oh, by the way, did I happen to mention the Marilyn Manson connection and that Isani and MM have been seen in lots of places and at art events, and often in rather close proximity :: a surefire profile enhancer!

previous MM beau Evan Rachel Wood had two portraits painted by Manson and exhibited :: Wood is also the inspiration behind the song Heart Shaped Glasses and appeared in the song’s music video :: last month Wood stated: ‘Manson and I both decided to take some time apart so we could concentrate on work.’

Catherine McNeil – Australian high flier

Catherine McNeil - metalhead

Catherine McNeil had an original dream to be a motorbike mechanic, fairly unusual but probably not unique among outdoor Aussie tomboys :: however this year Catherine was named as one of the rising top 10 of elite models :: so alongside the enjoyment of horse riding and country pursuits, Catherine is in high demand by Hugo Boss, Versace, Dior and Donna Karan :: high praise indeed.

as to music, Catherine has said she is a metalhead and listens to bands such as Metallica, System of a Down, and Korn :: so that’s a modern Amazon with a great taste in music

Lies, damn lies and statistics!

shock, horror – Dove have announced that 8 out of 10 women have damaged hair!

does this mean Clairol and Pantene and Garnier are not as good as they say? and that maybe L’Oreal and Schwarzkopf and Vidal Sassoon et al do not care and repair in the ways they claim?

Goldman Sachs have estimated the global spend on hair-care products at around $40 billion :: so if you happen to be one of the larger brands, there’s a good chunk of our money available if you get your marketing right :: cos we’re worth it, ha ha!

so clever marketing and a couple of celeb endorsements and they are laughing all the way to the bank :: and we are crying all the way to the salon or the beauty counter :: at least L’Oreal’s Elvive will renourish our hair – sigh!

we also spend around $25 billion on skin care, $20 billion on make-up and $15 billion of perfume :: those are the critical statistics, and Dove just want an extra few percent of the market – so any of the brands will say anything to try to gain those extra few million international dollars :: 2% of $40 billion is around $80 million, so well worth Dove trying to switch our allegiances – sigh again!