Coco Fan Tutte

Here is a sweet video made by some fans of Canadian supermod Coco Rocha, after Rocha invited video submissions from the readers of her Oh So Coco! blog. Considering that the eight week old blog already boasts 568 followers, it’s safe to assume that Rocha may have received quite a few. Rocha's brief: “I want to see YOU making movies of us”. It’s kind of hard not to like Rocha. She writes for, thanks and engages her fans – as opposed to penning tortured self-analysis. And she does not seem to take herself too seriously. She goofs it up. She hoofs it up Irish dancing. And perhaps most interesting of all, Rocha has managed to climb to the top of her profession without being hyper thin - indeed, even going public on the industry pressure to “look anorexic” and the retouching that is commonplace in fashion magazines. In many ways Coca Rocha is a kind of everywoman in an industry which excludes anyone who is not beautiful, tall, hyper thin – and, in western markets at least, predominantly white. Set to Britney Spears’ Piece Of Me paparazzi lament, the video was created by “olivercyyu”, who describes himself as a 16 year-old Canadian.

“A lot of time and effort has been put into this so please consider watching it” notes olivercyyu in the YouTube intro.

Intercut between still shots of Rocha and what look to be olivercyyu’s friends are a series of supers:

“What we think of modelling”

“Being a good role model”

“Can be a wacky way of expressing yourself”

“MODELS EAT!!!!!!”

“Doesn’t mean being SKINNY!”

“Modeling is for all races”

“COCO ROCHA, WE LOVE YOU!!!!!!”

“You are a great role model :)”

Well, they can dream.

And with the media and retail foundations of the fashion industry rattling in the wake of the world economy tailspin, it will be interesting to see just how many marketers are listening to them.

McBeha on the Park

flynetonline.com via gossipgirls

How many supermods does it take to ring in New Year’s in Sydney? At least three going by a set of images which has just surfaced of Catherine McNeil and Danish gf Freja Beha Erichsen walking out of Sydney's Sheraton on the Park Hotel yesterday. The world numbers eight and 11 respectively, as ranked by models.com, join the world number three, Canadian Coco Rocha, who is spending two months in Australia over summer, with all of it to date in Sydney. Judging by the support bandage (or possibly even plaster cast) and crutches sported by McNeil, one wonders whether perhaps she may have incurred an injury playing soccer – as did Rocha a few days ago. That’s what happens when you play soccer in gladiator sandals. With Gemma Ward, the world former number one – now ranked as models.com’s world number 24 “Money Girl" – reportedly about to shack up with fellow Perth mod Nicole Trunfio at a Byron Bay beachhouse, that’s a lot of supes in NSW.

Although there are direct quotes from Trunfio, but not Ward, in this recent Perth newspaper story, Ward reportedly confirmed to the paper that she plans to return to modelling in 2009.

Ward and Trunfio, one assumes, may not be 'shacking up' in quite the same manner as McNeil and Erichsen, aka “McBeha”. If not, then perhaps the fashion world is about to greet its latest model hybrid.

Although these new McNeil images first popped up on GossipGirls.com, the celebrity gossip blog neither recognised Erichsen, nor, hilariously, even appeared to be aware of her much-mooted liaison with McNeil.

The site refers to Erichsen as McNeil's "gal pal" - since corrected from the original version, as listed on Google News, and which referred to Erichsen as McNeil's "sister".

The story also mentions a mystery "boyfriend". The latter seems nevertheless to be merely carrying the duo's packages - which include a large David Jones bag (and may, as it turns out, have been the partner of McNeil's New York agent Stephen Lee, who is in Sydney with McNeil. According to McNeil's agency, they were heading out to dinner when the photographs were taken).

Fashionologie, naturally, did fill in the blanks.

As just noted by the L Anonymous "Lesbian gossip and wit" web forum, McNeil and Erichsen appear to not only be wearing matching silver rings on the same finger, but also swapping clothes.

One L Anonymous poster has located an image of Erichsen standing in what looks to be Hyde Park, which is located directly opposite the Sheraton on the Park Hotel, in the same grey T-shirt worn yesterday by McNeil. The shirt is emblazoned with drug references.

According to the Sheraton on the Park Hotel, a "C McNeil" is still in residence at the hotel.

Coco pops down

Oh So Coco

Frockwriter mentioned that the world number three moddle Coco Rocha was en route to Australia for a two month summer sojourn. Well OK, she's here. And judging by this shot just posted on her blog, she looks to be staying somewhere near the Toaster. Rocha reveals that she's travelling with her mum and slept for the first day. Which means, what... she didn't travel first class?

Two of our partners in crime - Bryanboy and Sonny Vandevelde - left comments, with Sunster offering to give Rocha a mini tour of Sydney. And BB describing Sydney as a "clean" city.

There's also a comment from one "Clover Moore" which says:

"Welcome to Sydney Coco! Make sure you visit Redleaf beach, go out on Oxford St, eat breakfast at Cafe Julia and dinner at Icebergs at least once before you leave".

No idea if it's the real Moore.

In the remote event it is, does that mean Sydney's Lord Mayor reads frockwriter??

Coco Rocha: Ready for her Oz closeup

screen grab/coco-rocha.com

Now that Abbie Cornish and Ryan Phillippe have buggered off to, frockwriter hopes for their sakes, some pastoral bolthole that’s light years from any public thoroughfares and prying long-range lenses, Sydney’s stalkerazzi must be making lists of potential summer targets. Although a current face of YSL fragrance, Christian Dior and Chanel, Canadian Coco Rocha, the world number three ranked working model - and new redhead - is no household name in Australia. But like so many other models these days, who can’t seem to get enough face time during their working hours that they’re posting yet more kerr-azy shots of themselves and their – in some cases incoherent – ramblings on Facebook and their own blogs, one might assume that Rocha would be up for whatever Fawcett and co can dish out. Rocha told WWD last week, "I'm going to Australia for two months where no one can find me”. That’s what she thinks.

On Saturday, Rocha told readers of her new blog Oh So Coco!, “I'm not going to leave the beach until I return to New York”.

That should narrow things down.

In case of any ID problems, here’s Rocha’s official website.

And an amusing video, a kind of hybrid Cobrasnake/Sonnyphotos video/photoblog, in which she attention whores it with South African mate Behati Prinsloo and other sundry supes.