Vancouver-born model Coco Rocha was one of the first models to understand the power of social media and the importance of branding.
For the past year, the 22-year-old has written a blog that takes readers behind the scenes of the fashion world. Her Twitter page has more than 45,000 followers.
A little background on the Coco phenomenon: In 2008, she admitted to having taken diuretics to help her lose weight. She revealed her use of the water-expelling drugs during a presentation at a conference organized by the Council of Fashion Designers of America.
Last February, Rocha was the subject of a New York Times article in which she said demand for her runway services was not as high now that she is a size 4 and no longer a size 0 – larger than many of her rivals.
Coco has partnered up with Seventeen Magazine to join their Peace Body Council! Check out this article Coco wrote, and stay tuned for more.
Hi girls! I’m so excited to be blogging for you today!! If there is one message I really want you all to hear from me its that to be truly beautiful we ladies have to stay true to ourselves!
In all honesty, there’s no perfect outfit, body shape, or hairstyle that will make you or me beautiful. True beauty radiates from within – and I think that loving yourself and being confidant in who you are as a person is by far the most beautiful thing in the world.
A lot of young people, myself included, get wrapped up in the opinions of other people. At times we feel like we have to follow in with exactly what they are doing or saying in order to be popular or attractive. Sometimes that can be true in matters of what we wear, how we think of issues such like sex, alcohol and drugs or even in how we view our bodies. It’s so easy to allow the negative views of those around us to force us to change who we are to try to fit in. But you know what I’ve learned? When you look back, and you see that you’ve changed just to fit in, you’re just not happy.
In the beginning of my career, I was doing just that – I was completely changing my body and how I treated my body for the modeling world because it was what I was told was expected of me to be beautiful. I was already a slender girl but in order to please other people (who wanted me even skinnier) I used dangerous means to lose weight like diuretics. Luckily this didn’t go on for too long and a point came along where I had to stop and ask myself WHY was I doing this to myself – and even more importantly, where would this all end? How sad that I was changing myself for someone else. In the end that was not beautiful at all. So I stopped stressing myself out, and I promised that I’d never put myself into harms way again just to keep up with what other people said or did. If they couldn’t take me as I was, then they didn’t have to take me at all.
I accepted myself and I believed in myself, and you know what? It turned out a lot of other people did too. I hope you all can come to the point where you realize how beautiful you already are, “flaws” and all. Be confident ladies and be true to yourself, your values and your body. If you do, I promise, you will always be beautiful!
xoxo
Coco Rocha
In our new feature, “APT with LSD,” Lauren Santo Domingo gets an inside look at the homes and apartments of some of Vogue’s favorite people—from models to designers, actors, stylists, artists, and more.
First up: the Gramercy Park, Manhattan, apartment of model Coco Rocha and her husband, the artist James Conran, which Rocha purchased three years ago. “My mom fixed up houses my whole life. I spent so much time helping her paint walls and build cabinets and things,” says Rocha with a laugh. “So, when I got my first place, the first thing I did was hire an interior decorator because I didn’t want to have to do it myself again. I thought I deserved it.” Walking through the two-bedroom apartment, you find each room filled with books, bottles, pictures, and souvenirs. “Every spot in this house has a story,” she says. “And James remembers everything, so he can tell you what is behind each and every item.”
Source: Vogue.
On the last blistering day of August in New York City, Coco Rocha and 39 other models gearing up for fashion week–including Hannah Holman, Michelle Alves, and Ali Stepka–put on boots made for walking to shoot a PSA-style promo for Nine West’s Runway Relief program for Fashion Targets Breast Cancer. Teen Vogue took a water break with Coco to chat about military-chic dressing, where she’ll be marching to this Fashion Week, and how you can help stomp out breast cancer.
How did you decide to get involved with the Runway Relief program?
Well, I have my own charity in Canada called Strut for a Cure that helps raise money and awareness for children with cancer, and I also have an auntie who had breast cancer–she is a survivor–so everything coming together, it just felt like a good move!
What advice do you have for how Teen Vogue readers can get involved with the Runway Relief initiative?
What I love about this cause is that it’s not an event that only those on the guest list can go to–anyone can be involved! There’s a limited edition of the boot that is being sold at Nine West here in New York. If you’re not in the city, you can go on their Facebook page to buy your own pair for $199. Or, you can go on Modelinia to help sponsor one of us! Have a fun competition with your friends to support your favorite model and add your own donation to the funds Nine West is contributing to Fashion Targets Breast Cancer for every mile of steps we models take. You can check on us daily, as we’ll be blogging every step.
Despite the sweltering temperatures in New York City today, forty top models including Coco Rocha, Jessica White, Michelle Alves, Hannah Holman, and Lyndsey Scott took over the Meatpacking District for a photoshoot with Nigel Barker to kick off Nine West’s Runway Relief program. Dressed in personally styled t-shirts, jean shorts, and the Nine West boots, the girls forgot about the heat and focused on the amazing cause that brought them all together.
“We wanted to capture the energy of Fashion Week and turn it into a meaningful way to give back,” explained Stacy Lastrina, CMO of Jones Apparel Group. “This Fashion Week it is all about the models strutting their stuff and walking the extra mile for a great cause in the Nine West boot.”
As the leader of the pack, Coco showed off her professionalism and dedication to the charity, shrugging off the ever increasing heat index and her fall inspired outfit for the afternoon saying, “That’s what we do – we wear leather coats in the heat!”
While Coco’s already admitted to her competitive nature regarding the charitable initiative, she’s not the only model who’s dedicated to the cause. Between family members who have been affected by breast cancer and the desire to help a worthy cause, a brilliant selection of models plan to donate their time and stomping power to the Runway Relief program from now through Fashion Week. For every mile of steps accumulated by the models, Nine West will make a monetary donation to Fashion Targets Breast Cancer.
Source: Modelinia.
Coco Rocha says she always applies make-up before getting dressed as she can be prone to spilling things.
The 21-year-old Canadian model considers herself something of a make-up connoisseur and says she has a strict regime for getting ready before a night out.
Despite planning ahead by wearing old clothes to get ready, Coco admits she will often still end up dropping something down her final outfit.
“I mostly begin with the make-up. I like wearing something comfortable while doing that because it can be a bit chaotic for me. Afterward I get dressed although I even manage to spill something nine out of ten times,” she laughed to Germany’s In magazine.
The long-haired beauty enjoys experimenting with different looks, and always leaves her hair until the end as she says a smart hairdo really finishes off a look.
“Hair is last; it really holds the look together,” she added.
Coco says her experience as a model has allowed her to pick up a number of beauty tips as she has professional make-up artists styling her almost on a daily basis.
“I love make up! Being a model I’ve learnt so much while watching the make up artist doing their work. I wear complete make up almost every day,” revealed the star.
Source: Stuff.co.nz.
In last night’s new episode of Project Runway, the 16 designers were tasked with creating a look that personifies the Marie Claire reader (someone who’s confident, sexy, and fashion-forward, natch). Gretchen Jones, 28, won for the second time in a row with her arresting, versatile navy linen jumpsuit. Her prize? A 40-foot-tall billboard in Times Square with her piece modeled by none other than Coco Rocha!
MC’s senior fashion editor, Zanna Roberts Rassi, chats with Jones about the inspiration for her look at New York City’s Milk Studios. “It was important for me to create something that really embodied day to night,” the 28-year-old designer of an oh-so-sexy (and oh-so-Coco!) cleavage-revealing snap.
For more on Gretchen’s vision and to see Coco get goofy at the photo shoot, watch the exclusive video above.
Source: Marie Claire.
