Miss J Alexander Out & About Fashion Week
September 7, 2008 by Erin Balser
Miss J Alexander is all over the Merceds-Benz Fashion Week. He’s been constantly spotted in the tents at Bryant Park over the first two days, taking in several fashion shows and networking with fellow fashion industry types.
Here he is on the first day:
And on the second:
I must that that I really enjoy Miss J’s personal sense of style and wonder why he always has to go so over-the-top on America’s Next Top Model, with the collars and the crazy wigs. It sets a weird precedent for the contestants–that ANTM isn’t about fashion, but about entertainment. I know this is so true right now, but don’t Tyra & co. want to keep the facade of the show being about fashion?
Erin, why do you call him a “she”? I know his nickname is MISS Jay, but he doesn’t go about saying he’s female. I just find that odd. Anyway, to answer your question – yes, ANTM is all about entertainment. It’s globally known in the fashion industry that you’re not taken seriously if you were a contestant from one of the Top Model franchises. That’s the reason why Danielle and Eva changed their names, so they can distance themselves from ANTM. Some of the former contestants don’t even show their prospective employers their ANTM portfolio out of fear of rejection. Designers don’t want their brand associated with a tv show. They want it to be about fashion, not about entertainment. So yes, it really is all about show on ANTM. Miss Jay’s quirky behaviour adds a little bit of spice to the show and let’s face it, it’s not really about fashion anymore, is it?
Top Model Addict–normally I don’t, except when he’s being particularly diva! But in the wake of Isis, I guess my mind went “be safe!”
I looked it up and 90% of the time in the media Miss J is referred to as a he, so I’ve changed it
You’re completely right about ANTM. It’s not about fashion. I just want Tyra to admit this.
Tyra won’t ever admit that the show is just pure entertainment. I mean, even Miss Jay doesn’t take the show seriously. Elyse was once said a client returned her portfolio the moment he saw her snake picture from ANTM.
Comparing ANTM to GNTM or AusNTM, the original has become a total freakshow. (The girls in ANTM are mall rats compared to the girls of AusNTM, to quote the designer from LA) Like, in the end, of course we know that a reality show is “reality” show. I think the problem is more like… well, ANTM don’t make an effort to make the show believable, not even close to the level of “believable” in reality TV standard.
For example.. in AusNTM and MMAS, send the models to casting for Fashion Week. Doesn’t have to for big designers, just approach the smaller designers. They don’t even do this. (Though I believe it’s because most of the girls in ANTM won’t get cast if they do this…) C1 and C2 has more believable judging panel. That’s why some ANTM watchers are turning to MMAS, they have more believable panel by having an agency agent and casting agent there. Both are reality show, but you can see which reality show makes more effort to make the show more believable.
Their meat photoshoot in C10 is complete rip-off from Vogue US photoshoot by Steven Klein with Caroline Trentini. And not even one girl photoshoot result can match the real editorial IMHO, so disappointing. (I know, different experience level. But if they got thrown to the real world, that won’t be an excuse, because they do have to compete with other models, or they’ll be in development section forever and got dropped in the end.)
Look at the current house, it is filled with Tyra photos only. In earlier cycles, it has pictures of other contestants, now? It’s all about Tyra. The whole show is about glorifying the creator, ex supermodel, Tyra Banks. They even reshoot the part where Tyra came out and tell the girls to scream. I like Tyra, but she has to admit, her touch as a model is no longer there, her latest Harper’s Bazaar cover just screams Whitney’s Seventeen cover. And as much as I like Tyra, her high fashion career was not long (she had her success, but it never REALLY take off), it was so short and she only made it big after she became the Swimsuit Illustrated girl and VS angel. Like Janice said before to Tyra: “Yeah, but you weren’t in Vogue that much.”
Sorry if this is too long and seems too much like a rant, but I just want to share it.
I know I still watch the show for entertainment, but I can’t help but to cringe sometimes!
tis interesting how feminine he is is he gay then?
Thanks, Erin. :O)
Anonymous, what you wrote is absolutely right. Make Me a Supermodel is much more believeable and it’s at a whole different level than ANTM. MMAS focuses on runway and editorial and they choose their models to fit that look. Whereas ANTM is more commercial. Tyra may tell the girls to aim at being an editorial model, but in all reality, the grand prize is to have a contract with Cover Girl and Seventeen Magazine. Now if that isn’t commercial, I don’t know what is.