Aspiring teen models from rural America: run for the hills if your prospective agent claims he's a good Christian who will help you grow your faith, and then invites you to pay to live in his pseudo-harem with other teen models. Unless his name is Tim Tebow, of course. Two more models have sued Aristeo Tengco, who runs Emmanuel New York Models, for continually groping them while preaching the Bible. “He controlled everything I wore. He controlled every aspect of my life,” 17-year-old Jessica Lee told the News. “And there was the groping. When we’d hug, it was very sexual. He’d run his hands down my back and grab my butt.” more ›

Are you sitting down? The last thing we want is to ruin anybody's holiday, but we've got some terrible news. It's the prince, the prince of Monaco. He was punched at a nightclub over the weekend! Witnesses say his face is "broken" and he might need plastic surgery. Words fail. The good news is that the fashion models that were tangentially involved in the fight are unharmed (seen here), and the brute who allegedly punched the little prince is being brought to justice. more ›

Last year Urban Outfitters and photographer Jason Lee Parry got into some trouble after a 15-year-old model named Hailey Clauson was featured in an "X-rated" print on a t-shirt sold in the store. Parry was the photographer, and the model's parent's filed a lawsuit against him and the retailer in Manhattan Federal Court. Yesterday, about six months after filing, a Manhattan federal judge dismissed the $28 million suit, at least against Parry, who the judge said “is not subject to jurisdiction under New York law." According to the NY Post, this is because the photo was shot in California. Urban Outfitters, however, remains a defendant in the case. At the time, Blood is the New Black (who made the shirt in question), told us: more ›

The Observer noticed this video from Jay-Z's fashion website, Life + Times, which features models lip-syncing his and Alicia Keys' 2009 hit, "Empire State of Mind," and noted, "We’re not sure exactly what this video is promoting (Fashion Week? Life + Times? New York? Pretty woman?) but that’s what it makes it perfect: if it’s selling us something, we can’t tell what it is." more ›

Responding to reports of a woman wearing a white skirt AFTER Labor Day, the NYPD vice squad and the Department of Buildings swarmed the Midtown offices of Mother PR last night after word got out that they'd be hosting Friday Night Throwdown. The fights, which have been popular for years and have acquired plenty of press for being rowdy, fashionable scenes chock full of high cheekbones, had been on an eight-month hiatus from their usual Lower East Side warehouse locations. Doesn't the NYPD understand that they've ruined a perfectly good opportunity to see male models get punched in the face? more ›

For her latest project, artist Yolanda Dominguez sent "real women" out into the streets to strike bizarre model stances. She uses the "impossible stances" of the fashion pages as a symbol of how "grotesque and unreal this industry is." The monologues about wanting to be a model gets drowned out by the off-kilter music as the "real women" perform the poses in daily scenes—our favorite part is the concerned people (at 3:00) who inspect whether a posing woman is actually passed out in the park. Watch "Poses" below: more ›

We receive a lot of e-mail. Most of these missives are carefully read, discussed at length among the editors, and courteously replied to in a timely fashion—except for the ones that are so bizarre and irrelevant that we're simply afraid to engage the sender. Instead, we'll share them with you. Behold, the eccentric underbelly of the Gothamist inbox: more ›

Tonight, the Miss America USA pageant will wrap up and we'll finally know who we'll be sending locks of our hair and mixtapes with Dashboard songs to. Time to take a look at Amber Marie Collins, AKA Miss New York USA's photo reel. She just graduated from NYU Steinhardt and "teaches an ASD preschool class at The Gramercy School." Lets see, standard gown picture? Check. Bikini shots? Check. Same practiced smile in all the photos? Double check. GAH! What. Is. This? more ›

On a ruby Tuesday night this week, fashion model Theodora Richards, scion of Rolling Stones guitarist/heroin enthusiast Keith Richards, was arrested for graffiti and drug possession. And because Charlie Sheen hasn't peeped out of his shell yet today, the dailies are all over this minor incident involving the offspring of a celebrity best known for worshipping at the altar of Chuck Berry and snorting his own fathers ashes. more ›

Theodora Richards, the fashion model daughter of legendary Rolling Stones guitarist Keith Richards, was arrested last night after cops caught her tagging the side of a SoHo convent. Richards was allegedly scrawling "TNA" (with a "paint marker") on the building on Spring Street, which houses St. Anthony's Convent, when police caught her late last night; she also had marijuana and Xanax pills on her person. She was charged with making graffiti, possession of a graffiti instrument and possession of a controlled substance. more ›

Over two years ago, Representative Anthony Weiner tried to change the nation's immigration laws to help fashion models who can't get the necessary work visas to come to America (and NYC in particular). The tabloids had a good laugh, because Weiner wants models ha ha, and the legislation went nowhere. But today on his radio show, Mayor Bloomberg hopped on the model bandwagon, urging Washington to change the immigration laws to enable thousands of professional good looking people to flood our borders. And so, in response to Hizzoner's sudden interest in the plight of international models, Weiner got a little catty on the Twitter. more ›

A group of models hit the streets of SoHo in their underwear yesterday, turning heads and cameras alike. They ran around the streets near Crosby St. and Broadway, jumping over and around boxes and crates, while being videotaped by filmmaker Jason Stein for Desigual. The company's rep said they were not shooting an underwear commercial though. more ›

Ford Models and Next Management, two top NYC modeling agencies, are taking their catfight to the Manhattan Supreme Court. Next has accused Ford of poaching three of their top models, Anna Aleksandra Cywinska and Anna Maria Jagodzinska from Poland and Estonian Karmen Pedaru, while all were still under Next contract. In the lawsuit, Next is pulling the 'un-American behavior card': Accusing Ford of waging a "campaign to raid Next's businesses," and, according to the Post, calling Ford's owners "Russian nationals who totally ignore the American legal system." In Russia, legal system ignores you! more ›

Are American Apparel's models "real people"? According to Jezebel, the company has long stated the scantily clad bodies you see in their ads are employees, friends of Dov Charney, and never ever professional models. The site points to a 2006 Financial Times article where the company said they "work exclusively with non-professional models"—something Jezebel is now calling out as a lie that the company perpetrated even in 2008, saying, "Unlike almost everyone in the fashion industry, American Apparel doesn't use professional models and agencies." And just last month the company told Fox that their "ads are evocative because they feature real people instead of professional models." more ›

In the past year we've seen a Ralph Lauren model get warped into a bobblehead; Demi Moore get part of her hip shaved off; a Real Houswife get a digital face transplant; and in a rare reverse-distortion, Christina Hendricks was called a "big girl" in a NY Times article which ran an enlarged image of the actress. Most recently, a size 4 model spoke out in hopes of the fashion industry changing their ways and embracing healthier images. more ›

Back in 2002 a troupe of models sued agencies like Wilhelmina and Ford for allegedly fixing prices (details of the lawsuit can be found here) — the settlement was reached in 2005 but has been delayed until now after some disagreements arose concerning how to divvy up the money. In the end, the class-action suit got the models $21 million, with $2 million ordered to go to charities. more ›

Fashion Week is right around the corner, again, but months afterl the couture is cleared the fashion world will be something for the average man: Victoria's Secret Angels. The winged ones haven't brought their annual "fashion" show here for four years, and The Daily News reports that "runway regulars Marisa Miller and Alessandra Ambrosio, broke the news on the CBS Early Show" yesterday that they would be returning—with Miller stating that New York is exactly "where it belongs." If your front row invite gets lost in the mail, the show airs on CBS in December. Angel Heidi Klum is set to have a baby in October, and told People that "The birth will be very, very close to when the show is. I don’t know if I’ll be able to walk in my underwear quite that fast! We’ll see." Meanwhile, another angel, Adriana Lima (pictured) is due in December, and says she won't be part of the show unless she can hide under a Santa outfit. more ›

Ever wish you could just build your own New York City? Now you can! Sort of. Wurlington Brothers Press has created a series of Build Your Own New York postcards "which can be cut and assembled into miniature paper models of prominent New York landmarks." They note some inspiration from Geoffrey Heighway's Micromodels, circa the 1950s. Each card comes with instructions and a history of the landmark—they've included everything from the Empire State Building to Grant's Tomb, but we sort of love the subway car best. They even offer up some free models—but what buildings are missing? [via Kottke] more ›

After the last month's open casting call for America's Next Top Model Ladies turned into NYC's Current Hot Mess, ladies under 5'7" will get another chance to show they can smile with their eyes. The CW announced that a "final open call" for Cycle 13 contestants will be held , but outlined a number of rules—and didn't reveal where the auditions would be just yet. more ›

The Post is all excited and "EXCLUSIVE" in a "report" on campaign donations made by foreign models to Representative Anthony Weiner's mayoral campaign. Back in June, not long after Weiner made headlines by pushing for visa changes to make it easier for foreign models to work here, a fundraiser was held for his campaign at Merkato 55. According to the Post, the gala was co-hosted by an immigration lawyer whose firm represents some of the top modeling agencies, and several foreign models in attendance made donations ranging from $300 to $500. That's illegal—not because Weiner is rallying to their cause—but because they're not citizens. Weiner's spokesman says it was a simple mistake; they never even deposited the checks, which were returned months ago, and one the models doesn't actually recall attending the party (no surprise there). So why is the Post even talking about this? Because who can resist a headline like, "Weiner's Naughty Hottie$" Certainly not us! more ›

The 11th annual New York Chocolate Show is taking over the huge Pier 94 space at West 55th Street this weekend, and the serotonin surge started last night with a colorful "Super-Hero" chocolate fashion show. Almost everything you see the models wearing here is edible, and the sweet threads will be displayed on mannequins until Sunday or until someone breaks past security and eats them, whichever comes first. But take it from us; security is tight! more ›

Dennis Riese, CEO of the Riese organization that owns the Hawaiian Tropic Zone, is coming out against allegations of sexual assault and rape involving a Tropic manager filed in a lawsuit against the chain this week. Riese claims that Giulietta Consalvo, the woman who accuses manager Anthony Rakis of raping her in a cab, told him in 2006 that she was in fact not raped and even recommended a friend of hers to be Rakis's personal assistant after the alleged attack. Riese claims that the women who filed suit are simply trying to shake the company down and had asked for $100 million a year ago if they would remain silent on the matter. Another former employee Tiffany Studstill tells the Post that she thinks the women who filed the suit "are doing it for money" and that while she worked at the restaurant, she "never saw anyone in management do anything inappropriate." She also denies the suit's claim that she and Rakis had a relationship. more ›

More sordid details have emerged from that explosive $600 million discrimination lawsuit brought by four ex-employees of Hawaiian Tropic Zone, who accuse executives of ignoring their complaints against former manager Anthony Rakis. At a press conference yesterday, one of the plaintiffs, former manager Giulietta Consalvo—who accuses Rakis of drugging and raping her in the back of a cab in 2006—told reporters, "I want to see him pay criminally. Absolutely, he deserves his freedoms taken away from him. I went through the proper channels, through the corporate . . . chain of command that they tell you to do when you have such complaints...and my voice went unheard." more ›

Midtown's Hawaiian Tropic Zone Restaurant, whose bikini-clad waitresses make Hooters look like Chuck E. Cheese, has been hit with a $600 million discrimination lawsuit by four female former employees who accuse executives of ignoring their complaints against one-time general manager Anthony Rakis. The lawsuit declares that Rakis's relentless sexual harassment escalated into rape after a pre-opening party in 2006, when he jumped into the cab of former floor manager Giulietta Consalvo. Rakis allegedly threw money at the driver during the assault and said, "Keep driving, buddy," leaving her at her apartment "appearing drugged and disoriented." more ›

For some unknown reason, many Europeans are smitten with the NYPD. There are more than a few replica NYPD cars over the pond (ranging from quite accurate to comically inaccurate) some available for rental. more ›