J.K. Rowling Admits to Shoe ‘Fetish’: “I’m not a pumps girl, I’m not a sensible flats girl,” the Harry Potter author said while hosting a BBC Radio 4 program dedicated to “the most ‘mythologized, fetishized’ fashion item of all”—footwear. The commissioned segment, which was part of Rowling's guest editing stint for Women’s Hour, focused on the "myth and power" of shoes and their historical and literary importance. As it turns out, Rowling is just as obsessed with the high-heeled stiletto as most girls. [Daily Mail]
Vanessa Friedman’s Final FT Column Reveals Why Fashion Matters: After 11 years as the Financial Times's first fashion critic, Vanessa Friedman is officially saying her goodbyes before departing for The New York Times. In her final post, titled The Naked Truth, Friedman defends the legitimacy of fashion industry professions. "Everyone has to get dressed in the morning," she writes. "Everyone, on some level, thinks about clothes; about how they want others to see them, metaphorically as well as literally. It is one of the few universal subjects." So, "why does fashion matter?" she asks. Because "the world is not run by naked people." [FT]
Doutzen Kroes Wants Daughter to Pursue More Than Beauty: Victoria’s Secret model Doutzen Kroes—who is currently expecting a baby girl—told Page Six that she expects more than good looks to get her daughter through life. “Instead of saying, ‘You’re so beautiful,’ I'll say, ‘You’re smart,’ so she’ll have different aspirations in life than beauty and modeling," Kroes said. "Though I love my job, I’m not changing the world. I’d love for her to study and to have different aspirations. We need to teach girls they can become presidents, and it’s not about beauty all the time.” [Page Six]
