Search Results: Kristian Richards
Like a snowflake, each curl on each curly girl’s head is completely unique. Even with the wide spectrum of different ways to classify our hair, including all sorts of letter and number combinations, it is still hard to truly capture the essence of our hair’s individuality.
Sometimes a gal just needs someone who can truly understand her frustrations with curly hair. For the pet lovers out there, it may just be your lucky day!
Believe it or not, the poodle isn’t the only one of our furry friends to boast curly locks. The curly-coated LaPerm is a fluffy, full-bodied feline with coiled fur that falls within the Rex breed. The Rex breed is a domestic breed of cat that is identified by his or her wavy or curly fur, as a result of a genetic mutation.
LaPerm Origins
Although the LaPerm was not officially recognized as a breed until 1996, the plush feline has been around since the 1980s. When an ordinary brown tabby owned by Linda and Richard Koehl had kittens in 1982 on a farm in The Dalles, Oregon, they had no idea one of the kittens would be so different from all the others.
The first LaPerm, appropriately named Curly, was originally born relatively bald compared to her full-coated siblings. However, after a short time, she began to develop a soft coat of ringlets.
As Curly grew and had her own kittens, the Koehls noticed that all of them had a similar appearance to their mother, and before long, they began to grow their own coiled coats.
As the cats reproduced again and again with similar results, Linda Koehl showed the unique breed to cat fanciers in the United States who offered their support, and the accidentally created cat breed soon became an official breed of their own.
LaPerm Facts
This curl-friendly pet comes in both long and shorthaired breeds. Their loose and bouncy coats can feel like mohair and be just a little different from cat to cat depending on the size and shape of their curls. Sound familiar?
Today LaPerms can be found throughout the world. They’re typically known to be both incredibly gentle and friendly creatures that really enjoy human interaction and attention. One account claims LaPerms will even rub against you or stroke your face with their paws if you ignore them!
Plus, studies have shown that being the proud owner of a pet has proven to reduce stress, lower blood pressure and help people tackle other lofty emotional obstacles like anxiety and depression.
So, not only is this cat cute and curly, like us, but it can also help keep stress away, too. Seriously, what more could we want?
Even the curliest of us occasionally likes to test the grass on the other side of the hair texture fence. The transformation from full head of lively hair to a sleeker, straighter look can sometimes take much longer than wanted or expected, though. For some women, the amount time it takes can actually deter them from jumping ship for a day.
So, how can you add another look to your portfolio of endlessly curly stylishness without spending hours upon hours in front of the mirror, gel in hand, straightening iron in the other?
For some, the answer can be found with the latest hairstyling innovation—the MP3 flat iron. This new flat iron does double duty by both getting your tresses bone-straight and offering a bit of built-in entertainment that might make your time in front of the mirror a little less monotonous. While the design is still standard, like most flat irons, the new one comes complete with speakers and the capacity to hold up to 500 songs.
As with any new technological innovation, there are varying stances on the implication. A foray into various beauty blogs, message boards and fashion magazine sites shows that while a few women think it’s a decent idea, some of them view the MP3 flat iron as a marketing gimmick. However, both sides of the lighthearted argument make valid points concerning price, usefulness and purpose.
The MP3 Flat Iron Iron
Pros:
- Great for travel
- Listen to tunes without disturbing anyone else
- Makes long tasks a little more entertaining
- Customizable playlist
Cons:
- A little pricey!
- Might not be useful if you can pump your own tunes
- Loud music so close to your ears
- Another MP3-capable device is a bit redundant
This just may be the type of product for a certain demographic of bone-straight aficionados and not a one-product-fits-all flat iron.Even popular media outlets are conflicted on the merits of this multitasking flat iron. ABC’s highly rated morning show, “The View,” named InGlam’s Onyx Ceramic Digital MP3 Flat Iron one of 2011’s summer beauty essentials. Pop culture and fashion magazine Nylon was openly conflicted, and sent out a call to readers asking whether or not the MP3 flat iron was a good idea or not.
For example, if you’ve got a banging stereo system that you can crank full blast while you alternate straightening your hair and singing into the flat iron, perhaps an MP3 straightening iron is no new invention. However, if you have roommates or parents that don’t want to hear your jams at 8 a.m., the new tool may come in handy.
With so many different devices combining technologies to make things more convenient, it is easy to see how it might be overkill to have a phone capable of playing MP3s, an iPod or another actual MP3 player as well as a MP3 flat iron, but a curly girl can always use options, right?
Earlier this year, National Public Radio featured a revealing story that provided candid insight into how increasing the visibility of black models during a 1970’s French fashion show changed the industry forever. During this time black models were considered “exotic rarities” and the emergence of an abundance of models of color made for a “turning-heads kind of revolution.”
Today, Ford Modeling Agency is considered one of the top agencies in the United States known for their top-notch models and global impact in fashion. They recently released a promotional catalog exclusively featuring black models of all shapes and sizes, ranging from 4 to 14.
Media outlets from beauty blogs to fashion sites are all varying on their reactions to the promo.
Huffington Post lightheartedly describes Ford Models as jumping on the “models-of-color-bandwagon.” Yet, some feel that while the spread speaks to the progressive career of these women, a bigger issue might be being ignored about the seemingly innocent relegation of black models.
Historically, black female models and entertainers have typically been underrepresented and, at times, horribly misrepresented in the media. However, legendary, beautiful and ubiquitous black models like Beverly Johnson, Iman, Tyra Banks and others have made some very significant strides forward within the industry.
When asked about her opinion on the Ford Models promo shoot, New York stylist KaiLee Parker countered with a significant question of her own.
“Why is it always all the black girls in one editorial as opposed to black models sprinkled through out the entire magazine?”
Her inquiry speaks to a trend that’s surfaced in the fashion world. Recently, a number of fashion publications have also chosen to exclusively feature black models in their promotional spread as well as in magazine editorials. Vogue Italia released an issue earlier this year in February for a spread aptly named “Black Allure” starring a handful of currently popular models, including Ajak Deng, Lais Ribeiro, Joan Smalls and Jourdan Dunn.
Parker, who recently styled three-time Grammy award winners Erica Campbell and Tina Campbell of Mary Mary for their Good Morning America appearance, offered her frank opinion on the emerging fad.
“I love that more agencies are showing more diversity when it comes to their black model roster. However, it seems like we only get featured as a collective unit.”
Because diversity includes a number of issues across a wide spectrum of factors, maybe singling out specific groups to showcase sends an unclear message to the audience.Interestingly, Ford Models also released a promotional spread that exclusively featured blond, plus-size models, bringing our collective attention to a broader issue within the modeling and fashion world aside from race or skin color.
On the one hand, the exclusive attention is appreciated, and in the case of black models, well overdue. However, for some, it may not be seen as a solution towards incorporating more black models into regular fashion spreads, but rather, another way of needlessly designating them apart from their peers.
For others, the promo spread represents a step towards highlighting their unique potential and illuminating their noteworthy contributions to an industry that initially rejected them.
Beyonce, keeping in close contact with her Texas roots, sports a head full of large golden curls as she sits with hubby Jay-Z while watching the finals of the 2010 French Open finals in Paris on Sunday, June 6.
— Toree Roy
