Fashion News

KAZAKHSTANI MODEL, RUSLANA KORSHUNOVA, FALLS TO HER DEATH

Just four days shy of her 21st birthday, Kazakhstani model Ruslana Korshunova jumped from the ninth floor of her Manhattan apartment building. The tragic even happened on Saturday afternoon in front of passersby who watched her body hit the pavement.

Before she was even 20 years old, Korshunova appeared on the cover of French Elle and Russian Vogue. She was also highlighted advertising campaigns for Marc Jacobs, Dior, DKNY, Paul Smith and Vera Wang.

While it's being reported as a suicide, many fashion insiders and friends of Ruslana are saying that she was a very happy grounded girl and that it's very unlikely she took her own life. Talk of Russian mob connections and her death have been surfacing. A longtime modeling world insider has been quoted in the Chicago Sun Times as saying: ''This was one of the most balanced, grounded girls I've met in all my years in this crazy business. I just wonder if it was made to look like a suicide. . ."

It has been suggested that Ruslana may have wanted out of the fashion industry but was blocked by mafia who manage Eastern European models. Others say it is possible she was depressed, pointing to her blog posts, one of which said, "I'm so lost. Will I ever find myself?"


In any case, it's sad and tragic, and while I never knew much about her until now, I feel that the women of Kasakhstan have lost a role model. In a country where women are subjugated and often victims of bride-stealing, they have had to say goodbye to one of their own - one who escaped oppression to make a new life for herself.

RUN FOR THE HILLS

My favorite unreality show, The Hills, premiered the second half of its third season last night. Lauren and Whitney went to Paris for Teen Vogue to help out with the Crillon Ball.

While there, Lauren got a call from Audrina telling her that boring Brody was out with another girl. In retaliation, she and Whitney hit a club with a band called Rock and Roll and flirted it up. Gorgeous guitarist, Matthias, had it for Lauren. He made eyes at her from where he slouched across the table while smoking his cigarette in a very French manner. He then leaned over and asked her, "Lauren, have you ever been to the Eiffel Tower?" Cut to the girls and the band popping open a bottle of champagne beneath the tower. No cliche' staging there, of course.


Later back at the hotel, Lauren learned that she had burned her Alberta Ferretti gown with her curling iron. Crisis! Luckily she got another dress for the ball just in the nick of time. Once there, uptight Kimball, the senior editor of Teen Vogue, questioned Whitney's interest in working for the magazine. This prompted her to fess up that she wants to deal with fashion in a more direct manner as a stylist.

As Lauren was leaving the ball, her French prince, Matthias appeared, begging her to let him show her Paris at night. Instead of a stagecoach, he turned up in a Vespa and they took a turn around the city of lights. Aww, c'est l'amour. Actually, it turns out that Matthias is married in real life. You can check out his myspace page here (guess the producers need to be a little more careful about who they fix the girls up with) Overall, I think this episode was a little too obviously influenced by The Devil Wears Prada.

Meanwhile, back in the US, boring assholes, Heidi and Spencer, argued more about ... oh who cares. I can't stand them. I just want the whole show to revolve around Lauren and Whitney in Paris working on their fashion careers.