acfr1968

I don't know, aliceinfashionland. I don't care that Natalia doesn't know me or doesn't care about me. I like her and I admire her. I find it nice to talk about her with other people who share this same interest. That's the whole point of Bellazon. Anyway, it's very sweet of you to care about my sleep and my deep exposure to the effect of the internet, although I pretty much don't know you and don't care about what you think. But since you asked, let me return you the courtesy. I'm also curious. I guess you don't suffer from this extreme consequence of the internet and magazines, as we, troubled people, do. So why do you come to this board at all? Bash Natalia and stir up controversy are the only things you do around here. I mean, I share a thought with pautinka and you write that? It's not nice to bully people into looking ridiculous. You must know you've just patronized me for no reason at all, other than the thrill of it. Maybe there's a reason as to why. Be a dear and analyze that.

well said and very perceptive - this could indeed be the case and part of the thinking behind (other than majority of people should be easily entertained by the idea of mysterious Russian fairy tales). Interestingly, my own impression of my country's fables is that they are not entirely happy, they tend to leave you with a sense of loneliness or loss, though something happy happens in the end - but to get there, a hero typically looses a lot and it always struck me as sad but in a way more realistic and close to life. Yeah, you've just nailed it. She's getting rid of the Cinderella skin that doesn't really pay tribute to all her hardwork and effort, in order to embrace her moment: the loneliness and the loss, but with a sense of purpose, striving to get somewhere better. I remember that Telegraph interview: 'They do love their tragedy, their pain and suffering,' Portman says midway through his omelette. Vodianova looks up, fork in mid-air. 'Who doesn't, darling? Don't you love it?' 'No, I don't like pain and suffering at all,' Portman replies. 'I love it. I love Anna Karenina and Tolstoy, it's all about…' She clutches her arms to her chest and makes a dramatic gasp. 'We love it, even in our own lives. We sometimes choose difficult parts in order to experience this feeling, because after something really tragic comes the feeling of great love or relief, and that feeling is what we need - it's what we love.' 'Bloody women,' Portman responds. I don't think she chose loneliness, loss or suffering, but she won't avoid them. She will power through the storm, knowing that something better awaits for her. The whole White Fairy Tale is her moment. This is all very subtle and fascinating. I'm reading some Russian fables online. Just finished that one of the Tzarevitch, the Grey Wolf and the Firebird. It's quite a lesson.

You know?, me too. I got sad for Natalia and woke up in the middle of the night, thinking of her, as if she were a dear, close friend. The whole NYTimes article touched me to the core. It's very poignant, very respectful of her, and of her accomplishments. She has such strength, such sense of purpose! You can see her spreading her wings and raising above her sadness, instead of moping around, feeling miserable and sorry for herself. This woman is truly admirable. Maybe I'm extrapolating here, but I find it very, very interesting that, of all themes she could have picked for this year's Love Ball, she chose a Fairy Tale. She's bidding farewell to her marriage and to the fairy tale that defined her public persona to this day, and it's as if she were saying, you know what?, it's a new chapter in my life and the fairy tale is not about romance anymore; it's about helping people and doing good. Hats off. All the power to her.

You're absolutely right, eos, but this is not the point I made. The thing is, this NYTimes piece is not about what we already know, but what Natalia let us know, albeit obliquely. I think this is the first time she comes to acknowledge the separation, even if she doesn't say the actual words. It was a clever, elegant move to break the news in her own way, after having dispelled divorce rumors in the past. That's what I find relevant about it. You can't dismiss the article as mere gossip or speculation. Because it's an interview, and because the NYTimes is such a reliable, responsible source, unless she issues a statement denying it, it's the official confirmation we never had. And why do I find it important? Well, my best guess is, Natalia and Justin will formalize legal proceedings in the nearest future, or have already done so. My other guess is, she might also be dating this Sasha Pesko, and wants to do it in the open. If she's separated, and doesn't expect to get back to Justin, it's natural that she moves on. There's no reason why she should hide, as if she were doing something wrong behind her husband's back.

Sorry, I thought you had said it was media speculation again, so I responded to that. That's what I meant, that it's not speculation anymore and that Natalia herself must have sanctioned that paragraph, because I don't think the New York Times would publish it out of the blue. That was an interview with her. Unless she downright denies it, she's confirming it, there's no other way to understand it. The point, thedarknv, is that I don't think she wanted to say that her marriage is over by answering a direct question. The way the paper breaks the news of the separation is very well crafted. They give you the fact and she gracefully skips the part where she would have to say anything about it. Natalia moves on to talk about her charity, shifting the focus of the attention. I'm not saying she won't eventually talk about the separation, she will. I just think Natalia had to find a subtle, elegant way of saying for the first time that the marriage is over after having either denied it or not confirmed it in the last year and a half, and she did.

I don't know, thedarknv. This is the NY Times and an interview. I have the feeling she sanctioned that paragraph. It's a way of telling the news without having to answer a direct question. The separation is obvious, but to my mind she's confirming, in a subtle way, what we already know. It doesn't read like gossip to me. NYTimes is as formal and official as you can get. One of the most reliable sources in America. Exactly.

I don't know, thedarknv. This is the NY Times and an interview. I have the feeling she sanctioned that paragraph. It's a way of telling the news without having to answer a direct question. The separation is obvious, but to my mind she's confirming, in a subtle way, what we already know. It doesn't read like gossip to me.

via ANV The NY Times is saying that the marriage has effectively ended. "STYLE Putting Fairy Tales and Fashion in Play By SUZYMENKES Published: June 6, 2011 LONDON — Natalia Vodianova’s life is not quite the fairy tale that fashion myth suggests. The Russian model was not spotted by a scout while selling vegetables at a stall in her home city of Nizhni Novgorod. She was picked out at a casting in Moscow after joining an agency. The reality of her life from age 11 was lugging boxes of apples or pears (‘They were the heaviest ,’ the model said.), between running back to the impoverished family apartment to check on her disabled half-sister, who has cerebral palsy. ‘I was responsible since I was six,’ said Ms. Vodianova, 29, lowering her glacier-blue eyes as she described the ‘humiliation’ of coping with her sister’s ‘pee, pooh and dribble,’ her wanton trashing of Natalia’s school books, and the endless walking through the mean neighborhood, the only concrete space with monkey bars and bench hijacked by beer-drinking teenagers. ‘A playground would have been a dream for me — I didn’t have anywhere to take my sister,’ she said, explaining the origins of her Naked Heart Foundation (www.nakedheart.org), which has built 60 play parks in 44 Russian cities. Life has been bittersweet for the young woman who has reached the summit of modeling but seen her marriage to the British aristocrat Justin Portman end in separation. Yet Ms. Vodianova, with a steely character behind the sweet face and child-like body, still believes in Russian fairy tales and fables, with their complex dragons and firebirds. To mirror that magical reality, the model asked 40 designers to each create a dress for the White Fairy Tale Love Ball, a Russian-inspired fund-raiser that will take place near Paris during the July haute couture season at the Wideville chateau of Valentino and his partner, Giancarlo Giammetti. Forty one-of-a-kind dresses, all inspired by fairy tales, will be auctioned for the charity by Christie’s and a limited edition book will show Ms. Vodianova in the dresses, photographed by Paolo Roversi. ‘Being still a Russian little girl inside, I wanted to create something around my love of fairy tales,’ said Ms. Vodianova, who called on her fashion choreographer friend Alex de Betak to design a winter’s tale set. ‘The idea is to create a Doctor Zhivago version of a beautiful and glamorous, but quite a childlike, fairy tale,’ said Mr. de Betak, who has worked on the project for two years. ‘The power of Natalia’s charm is that you can put her in front of anyone and she has the intelligence of asking the right thing to the right people,’ he added. Mr. Giammetti, who will unveil at Wideville a virtual museum Web tour of Valentino’s fashion history — a first for any designer — underlines the core strength of the Russian supermodel: ‘Natalia is the sweet person that you see — kind and beautiful — then behind you discover the iron lady that really knows how to run a business. As you can imagine, I love both these Natalias equally. Her devotion to her charity work is profound and conducted with impeccable grace. But in her mind she has a perfectly focused plan de bataille.’ Ms. Vodianova is hoping the proceeds can beat the $1.4 million that she raised at an event in Moscow, even though she finds Russians mired in a Soviet concept that the state should provide. She still feels rage that special-needs children should be institutionalized, rather than allotted adequate money to provide care within the family. Her determination to relive a lost childhood is far more political than establishing a ‘Neverland’ paradise, even if her three children — Lucas, Neva and Viktor — have an idyllic playground by a moat in the family mill house in Sussex, England. ‘I feel hopeful — we’ve done a very good job,’ said Ms. Vodianova of the Naked Heart Foundation. ‘We established it as a charity in Russia. Now I am really hoping to develop our progress with local support. What is really important is that Russian people are ready to be generous.’ She describes her vision as ‘a helicopter view of Russia,’ which she thinks has changed little outside of Moscow and St. Petersburg, despite the growth of a middle class. ‘I think the events that happened to me in my childhood are driving me,’ Ms. Vodianova said as she talked movingly about a situation that was ‘tough, really tough,’ citing her ‘brave and courageous’ mother’s depression so deep that her hair fell out and her ‘horrible stepfather — I can’t even tell you.’ ‘He was an alcoholic and with that comes many demons,’ she said. ‘When I made money, the first thing I did was to hire big bouncers to have him removed from the flat and sent back to the Ukraine.’ Her childhood was divided between the chaos at home and the calm of her grandparents’ home, where a fresh nightdress, impeccable tablecloths and a disciplined life was introduced by her grandmother. This parental figure ‘with red lips and a chignon’ and an artistic ability as a seamstress to ‘paint with a needle’ would run in the park, swim in the frozen lake, take her granddaughter to the ballet and host family gatherings. From her harsh background, Ms. Vodianova, dubbed ‘supernova,’ has developed super skills. ‘Why should I give my money to children from Russia, where one or two oligarchs can change the destiny of a thousand lives with a blink of an eye?’ Mr. Giammetti said. ‘It’s simply that they won’t do it unless Natalia enters their lives like a whirlwind and convinces them to open their wallets,’ he added. ‘She is a modern Robin Hood who gets money from the rich and gives it to the poor. The difference is that after your encounter, you feel better than before.’ A version of this article appeared in print on June 7, 2011, in The International Herald Tribune with the headline: Putting Fairy Tales and Fashion in Play." Source: TheNewYorkTimes

ANV

ModelCandids.com via ANV

Yes I can confirm he was last time I visited this page, about 6 months ago. But there was no picture of him. I would have liked to see him as a boy. About the guy in grey in the car, I also think it is the one you think. I remember checking the trustees page a long time ago and seeing his picture as a boy, but a big boy, perhaps 13 or 14. He looked cute. Since Justin has not been taking part of any NHF event, I thought, maybe I'm wrong, maybe I just imagined that he was one of the trustees, he's not. To me, it's increasingly difficult to believe that they have not separated. Maybe they're waiting for their 10th anniversary to divorce, I don't know. 10 is a nice round number, maybe it means something in terms of prenup agreement (like child custody). Although I can't imagine Justin fighting Natalia in court for that, or property, or money, or anything of the sort. Well, again, no point in trying to guess what's going on. Thanks, Sunshine06.

I had the vivid impression that Justin Portman used to be listed as one of NHF's trustees. I remember his picture as a boy. Would anyone here confirm that for me? Because, if he was, he's not anymore. <_<

via ANV

exactly... where, photos or note of Shasa Pesko at the party? I posted it (some posts behind): Look at the upper left corner. Maybe he is, too, the guy in the car with her (same grey blazer/coat...? It looks like him, but I'm not sure.)

That Sasha Pesko guy from the New York scoop is also at the party. Bearing that in mind, I can think of two reasons for her reaction towards the photographers: 1) The two of them are indeed having an affair and she knows paparazzi will have a field day (not likely, though; if they were, it's reasonable to expect that she wouldn't arrive together with him or hang out with him at the party, unless she's suffering from a tabloid gossip death wish). or 2) They are not having an affair, she's Justinless AGAIN, and people will talk AGAIN (actually, like what we're doing here). My two cents: if Natalia and Justin have separated or are about to, they should come clean, tell the truth and kill the curiosity. Otherwise, paparazzi won't leave her alone, and she looks increasingly tired of the chase. Silence is the worst course of action, unless they're still together or still trying to figure out what to do with their marriage.

via ANV

Dresses can be seen here. Unfortunately, links seem not to be working properly. I can only see the thumbnails. <_< Hats off to Natalia. She's a wizard. I'm in awe of the collection she's put together. It's amazing.

Wow! Wonderful! Thanks a lot!

via ANV

Sooooooooooooo cute! Thank you!

she looks so lovely. I love her outfit color/pattern - so modern and simple- and her loosely curled (and brushed!) hair. Want see more pics!! was this dinner recently? I think it was.

via ANV "Untouched NATALIA VODIANOVA, Raquel Zimmermann and Edie Campbell are among top models to star in a new collection of black and white untouched images, celebrating the official launch of Viva Model agency in London. Each of the company's girls has been photographed by Scott Trindle - without any make-up, hair or styling. (...)"

via ANV

[quote name='Aliceinfashionland' date='May 22 2011, 08:45 AM' post='2544053' I totally agree with all of this, especially the part that she is 'a woman scorned'... in a way, for her, it is almost a public ''''humiliation'''' and she is trying to rebuild that perfect fairy tale image while making him appear in a poorer light so she can go on unharmed herself in a way. It's true we don't know Justin, but we have eyes to see and we saw how he was always by her side and discrete, leaving her in the spotlight and behaving like a gentleman. (in fact, hardly ever saying a word) I meet him once, had a very short chat with him. I thought he was exactly that: discrete and charming, a man of few words. I meet Natalia the same day (yes it's true ) and my impression was that she was a businesswoman. Humanly speaking I could not tell who she was. I meet the model, not the person. (I was a little dissapointed at the time, I imagined her warm and adorable, an angel.... she was not) I still thought she was pretty, as I do now, but the dream and out of this world part of it was gone for me. This is why i defend Justin, but at the same time I do not say it's all her fault of course. (I'm sure she is suffering and I feel for her. But she is strong and will get through this) Just that she shouldn't allowed negative things being said about him, especially if when asked directly she says it's no one's business.

L'Officiel Paris, Juin-Juillet 2011 ANV Loved the colors!