Photo: MTV 

Tonight, ANTM finalist Angelea Preston is guest starring on the season premiere of MTV’s Made. The 25-year-old model and actress will appear as a “Made coach” helping a handful of Earl Warren High School student achieve their dreams of being crowned Homecoming King and Queen. We chatted with Angelea about what she was like in high school, how she deals with harsh winter weather and the even harsher modeling industry, and what beauty product she simply cannot live without. Check it out! ELLE Girl 

(EG): How did you get involved with Made? 

Angelea Preston (AP): The agency I was working with set up a casting call. I was a little nervous and I thought I was going for a wingwoman episode, but then I met with the casting director who told me they wanted me for a Homecoming King and Queen episode. I’d never been Homecoming Queen! They asked a lot about my high school experience and I got really excited and just kept thinking, ‘I hope I get this! I hope I get this!’ because I love working with kids and teens. Then they called me about a week later and gave me the part! 

EG: What was your high school experience like? 

AP: Very fun! Like I said, I wasn’t Homecoming Queen, I was actually kind of a nerd. I was really concerned about my grades and part of Italian Club and a peer education group, BART. I went to schools and talked to kids my own age about STDs and HIV and AIDS. I wanted to be a cheerleader, but I was nervous and kind of shy. I was very tall and very thin, and I felt like the most awkward person in school, I just felt out of place. 

EG: In a sneak peek for tonight’s episode, you spoke about not feeling confident in high school but that you eventually regained that confidence. How did you go about doing that? 

AP: Basically by gaining experience. As a teenager you’re worried about what everyone thinks, you want the nicest clothes and the nicest sneakers, and you worry about who has the nicest car. That’s just what you think about. As you get older, you become more of your own person and you think about the problems from high school and they don’t seem real—you think ‘why was I thinking about that boy, I have college courses to worry about and bills to pay!’ 

EG: What was it like to be figuratively “back in high school” while coaching? 

AP: It was so much fun! I felt like the new kid at school! It brought me back to being 16 and 17 and going to a new school for the first time and worrying if everyone would like me but I had so much fun. It felt great to be at a school that was so different from mine—they have a lot more freedom. They get to go out to lunch and eat outside and eat at restaurants! Everyone was also really welcoming, the staff at Earl Warren was welcoming and San Antonio was welcoming and the kids were great. I really miss them! We’re friends are on Facebook  and I’m going back in March for a festival called Fiesta. 

EG:You also said in the sneak peek that being “in charge” shouldn’t be the goal of someone running for Homecoming Queen and that conflict resolution and a positive attitude are important. Is that one way you approach life in general? 

AP: Absolutely. It’s very important to remember that if your peers can’t relate to you, if they can’t think of you as a friend and talk to you, if you play the role of HBIC, they’re going to look at you like you’re crazy. In the industry I’m in, you get told ‘no’ a lot and you have to not let negativity drag you down. 

EG: On the note of not letting negativity get to you, you didn’t make it into cycle 12 of ANTM, made it to the semi-finals in cycle 14, and were one of the three finalists in cycle 17. What would you say was your key to success? 

AP: My key was growth. In cycle 12, I was off the wall, I didn’t care and I didn’t even make it past the first episode. After cycle 12 and after I had actually watched myself on TV, I was like “wow, this is crazy.” Of course, there’s editing and a lot of things are cut but for the most part, there was a lot going on, both on and off screen, in my personal life and in my career and it was personal growth for me in life that helped me succeed. 

EG: You handled your disqualification from ANTM very gracefully. Do you have advice for people who hit major set backs?

AP: Keep going, just keep going. I loved my time on America’s Next Top Model, and I’m so grateful to the producers and to Tyra for giving me the chance to showcase my work in that way—and congratulations to Lisa, and I wish her success in all of her endeavors. You just have to keep going; no one can direct your destiny but you. People will tell you can’t do this, you’re too tall, too short, you need to lose fifteen pounds, you need to gain fifteen pounds. Everyone who has succeeded has endured negative criticism, but they’ve got something inside them that says ‘you can do it’ and they take every negative comment with a grain of salt. 

EG: Modeling is a cut-throat, highly demanding industry. How have you managed not to lose who you are and to stay true to yourself? 

AP: I always remember where I come from. I’m from Buffalo, NY, and I didn’t grow up rich. I didn’t grow up poor either, but my parents worked so hard to give me everything, and my goal and my motivation has been wanting something better for myself and my family. They also help keep me grounded. I’m living in New York City right now, taking acting classes and getting into acting, and it’s good to go home and see the people who genuinely love you for yourself and your friends who want your friendship for no other reason than genuinely enjoying your company, who knew you before you were on TV. They help me stay grounded and humble, especially my niece, Niesha, I love her so much. 

EG: You’re from Buffalo so you’re used to intense winters. What are your best tips for surviving winter weather? 

AP: Oh my God, I am used to the crazy snow. I just layer on a bunch of clothes. I’m in L.A. right now so I don’t have to deal with it but at home I just layer on the clothes: three or four sweaters, a big puffy coat, two pairs of socks. I’ve very thin too so it’s hard to stay warm. I just go completely overboard and bundle up. 

EG: Do you have a favorite celebrity you follow on Twitter? 

P: Let’s see…I love to follow 50 cent; I think he’s tweet are so funny. I follow about 500 people, about half are celebrities and half are fans so there’s always a lot on my dash, but I love 50 cent. 

EG: What about a favorite reality TV show? 

AP: Oh yeah, I watch tons of reality shows! I love The Real Housewives shows, there was a Real Housewives of Beverly Hills marathon on last night and I watched that, pretty much anything on Bravo. I love VH1 reality shows, love Mob Wives, T.I & Tiny, yeah I love reality T.V. 

EG: What is one beauty product you cannot live without? 

AP: Definitely facial cleanser. Because I wear so much makeup on shoots I need a really good cleanser and I have to wash my face everyday. I don’t like to use the same kind all the time because I don’t want my skin to get used to it but I would recommend Neutrogena Acne Wash. Whenever I  use it my skin clears up in like a week. Clean and Clear is also a great brand and Noxema has a regular cleansing cream which works well on my skin which is kind of sensitive but also oily.

 

Photo: Getty Images 

Home for the holidays, I woke up, beach-bound on the first day, and threw on white jeans and my new favorite shirt: a navy blue pajama top from J.Crew.  It has white piping and looks like something men slept in before boxers replaced Brooks Brothers. “Is that…?” my mom asked. “She’s wearing pajamas, right?” my dad said to my sister. “We’re going to the beach,” I said.  “And I wear this to work—all the time!” The pajama thing’s been big for over a year now.  It was, at one point, shocking to see Julian Schnabel wearing robes on red carpets, but his wife’s hugely successful line of silk PJs and a slew of runway imitators (Rag & Bone, Giles, Richard Chai) have led to one cozy look after another.  Plus, they’re just comfortable.  Barneys’ Amanda Brooks wears her silk button downs with loose printed pants and Rachel Roy actually donned a matching look last summer.  But sometimes fashion forgets that it lives in a bubble, and not everyone’s OK with wearing pajamas in public. One guy, a commissioner in Louisiana, is so concerned about people wearing pajamas in public that he’s actually advocating a ban.  Michael Williams, said commissioner, defines pajamas as “a garment sold in the sleepwear section of department stores.”  Half of my summer dresses come from the “sleepwear section” of Anthropologie—not to mention that J.Crew top.   Of course, a law like that would never actually pass, but the fact that he’s trying?  Well, aren’t there more important things to worry about?

From left to right, Bottega Veneta, Prada & Burberry. 

Photos: Getty Images 

Consider it common knowledge among the fashion community that when it comes to predicting trends in womenswear, the menswear collections in Milan and Paris can act as a sort of editor’s crystal ball. Designers model their men’s wares nearly nearly a full month before women’s ready-to-wear hits the New York runways in the second week of February.  Of course, one can never predict with 100% certainty that a trend will transcend the genders, but, having just returned from a fast and furious Autumn Winter 2012 season in Milan—where we saw some very directional and very strong decisions by the most influential designers—I think we can make a decent case. There were reiterations of past season’s usual suspects: shearling, great leather, varsity jackets and cropped outerwear.  The need for a sharp overcoat in a man’s wardrobe has never been so clear.  Those on display in nearly every Italian-shown collection were rich in fabric, impeccably tailored and practically screaming, “It’s time to grow up.”  

As for what’s new, here’s what the boys were wearing that the girls might like too: 

Capes, cloaks and cape-like coats: As soon as Dolce & Gabbana’s runway show started, I thought to myself, “Let’s go to the opera! 200 years ago!” Yes, it was all 19th century romanticism for Stefano and Domenico, and included in their past-is-present collection were flowing hooded cloaks fitting for any Phantom. Alexander McQueen, Ermenegildo Zegna, and Calvin Klein all had their own variations (Mugler just showed them in Paris as well), many with that most necessary modern day update: sleeves. 

Brocade: Sometimes it wasn’t just a cape coat at Dolce—it was a brocade cape coat at Dolce. The materials were luxe and the gold, silver and jeweled ornamentation on the blazers, jackets, shoes, and, yes, even socks got fancy. McQueen and Bottega Veneta showed more accessible interpretation of this trend, simply running a raised embellishment along a blazer lapel or the edge of a sleeve. The quixotic effect, though, remains the same. 

Pony hair: To be more specific, burgundy pony hair. On a tunic at McQueen, an overcoat at Z Zegna, a blazer at Canali, and nearly all of the above—even a full suit— at Emporio Armani. It’s shimmery and totally glam—just in case that’s your thing. Velvet: At a re-see appointment one afternoon in Milan, a PR rep for the label had to get real: “Is everyone really doing velvet again? I feel like it’s my senior year of college again.” The answer—much to my colleague’s chagrin—is yes, yes we are. While velvet hasn’t entirely faded out in years past, it returned in full force for next fall. Trousers and blazers were the most common velvet garment, but where it seemed most fresh this season was in… 

Tailoring: For so many seasons it seemed like we couldn’t get away from the boxy cuts and then slowly but surely designers made their suits tighter and sleeker. Finally, this season it looks like suits are back to being superbly tailored, much the same way that womenswear is reverting to the lady-like silhouettes and cuts that define femininity.  There was nary a baggy leg, drop crotch, or slouchy blazer in sight. Dolce, Bottega, and Ferragamo, who up until last season were still being generous in their cuts, brought everything closer to the body.  No one was quite as tailored as Burberry Prorsum; it looks like it’d take a good greasing to slip into the brand’s collection. 

Prints: As far as prints go, Miuccia really demonstrated a keen eye for pattern in the micro-print fabrics of brown, burgundy, mustard and red of Prada’s collection.  Her’s was among the strongest of the season—and not just because celebrities like Gary Oldman, Jamie Bell, Adrien Brody and William Dafoe walked in the show. Canali followed suit with a similar bent and a strong use of stripes. Even at Missoni—the pattern masters—size was dialed back for a less abrasive, but more intricate visual. Color: The palette of AW12, beyond a few popping collections from Versace and Roberto Cavalli, wasn’t quite vibrant. Grey continues to be the go-to color and deep emerald green was about as adventurous as things got. Together ,with the aforementioned burgundy, the two were seen in nearly every collection. Bottega had some impressive footwear, again proving Tomas Maier’s continued dedication to amping up the house’s shoe presence. But if anyone steered away from somber hues, it was for rich mustard, camel, or, winter white.  And in some cases—Jil Sander, Costume Nationale—it was all about black on black.

Photo: April, May 

Diane Sitbon was only a child when she first realized just how cool a leather jacket could be. “When I was nine or 10, my mother dressed me like a ‘little bourgeoisie’ with smock dresses, hair bands, and velvet coats. I was not happy in these outfits—I wanted to wear flight leather jackets and jeans to school,” remembers the French designer. “I always told myself that when I grew up, I would wear whatever I wanted.” Today, Sitbon doesn’t just get to wear whatever she wants, but she also gets to design whatever she wants. Since 2005 she’s helmed April, May, a Parisian label that manages to be both extremely feminine and effortlessly sexy. While her clothes capture French insouciance—think jersey dresses with cut-out necklines, collar-less blazers, and geometric-print leather jackets that any woman would want in her wardrobe—they’ve not had much face time in the US; after briefly launching in America in the mid-aughts, the recession had April, May focusing on Europe. Their fall 2011 collection marks their triumphant return. For spring, Sitbon’s design inspiration comes from her travels.  “My woman has moved from Paris to Santa Fe and Austin. She has gone on a road trip and is still wearing leather and sexy hot pants and feminine dresses and would wear boots everywhere,” explains the designer. While the collection includes sequined band jackets and tuxedo pants, Sitbon asserts that she’s not jumping on the menswear-as-womenswear trend just yet. “I wouldn’t say [the collection] is less feminine, I would say feminine in a different way,” she notes. That Sitbon, an Esmod and Central St. Martins graduate, understands what real women want may come from her years of experience at that other ultra-feminine French label, Paul & Joe. “It’s where I learned everything about running a business and trying to balance design with commercial appeal without compromising my ideas,” says Sitbon, who notes that in the years between leaving Paul & Joe and starting April, May she also freelanced for John Galliano and ran her own accessories line. If her most recent collection is any indicator, Sitbon has done a good job of sticking to her core principals, which she seems to have established as a 10-year-old yearning for a not-so-stuffy jacket. The French designer admits as much: “It’s very hard for me to decide on [a favorite April, May] piece, as I absolutely love everything…but the leather is driving me nuts!”

Burberry Prorsum, Zac Posen, Imaxtree 

From Burberry Prorsum to Zac Posen, 2012 pre-fall collections were packed with models sporting strong, full eyebrows. Using an eyebrow pencil can be daunting, and can wind up giving harsh, unnatural results. Instead, try using an angled brush and eyebrow powder to fill, shape, and accentuate your brows.  We’ve broken the process down for you in 3 easy steps so you can have posh, powerful brows in the bat of an eye (literally). 

1. Wipe off your brows with a cotton ball to remove any traces of make-up or oil. 

Photo: Courtesy of Sephora 

Sephora angled brow brush, $10. 

2. Dip an eyebrow powder brush, like the one above from Sephora into an eyebrow powder and gently tap it on a flat surface to remove any excess powder (splotchy brows are a no-go). When picking a powder, try to find one that is a shade lighter than your natural brow color if you have dark hair or a shade darker if you have fair hair.  Alternatively, use a trio like the one below, which gives you the option of blending a few shades for a customized look. 

Photo: Courtesy of Lorac

Lorac brow powder trio, $22. 

3. Using, gentle, short motions, apply the powder to your brows, following the natural shape. If you’re worried about going overboard, focus on only applying the powder to the hair of your eyebrows, instead of your skin, a technique that will lighten up your brush hand even more. Unsure where to stop? Holding your brush vertically in front of your face so that it just touches the edge of your nose will show you where your brow should start. Hold your brush at an angle so that it starts at your nose and ends the tips of your eyelashes will show you where your brows should stop. Always remember, you’re shading in your natural brows, not drawing new ones on. Powder v. Pencils There are many reasons to go with a powder instead of a pencil when going bold with your brows. For one thing, it’s much less time consuming, and many powders come with a wax built in for extra hold, eliminating an extra grooming step. Powders also tend to look much more natural, and are easier to blend.

 

Photo: Splash News 

Sarah Hyland looked absolutely fab at the Golden Globes, wearing a floor length vintage Dolce & Gabbana gown with a surprising twist: a mermaid flare. Previously isolated to frilly over the top wedding gowns and bizarelly stiff pageant dresses, the mermaid flare cut has made a comeback on the red carpet during award season. The newly revamped mermaid flare had tempted stars with its form flattering appeal and eye-catching dramatic silhouette, making it perfect for prom night. You can rock this modern take on the mermaid flare by experimenting with flirty fabrics, bold textures (just say no to polyester!) and drawing attention to your curves with details at the waist. Check out out top picks for the perfect mermaid flare prom dress (and tips for how to rock them all)!

Photo: Courtesy of PromDressShop BG Haute lace dress, $540 Flirty Fabrics 

Fight the mermaid flare negativity by choosing a dress with a soft, feminine fabric, like the black lace in the dress above.

Photo: Courtesy of PromDressShop Mori Lee blue mermaid flare dress, $398 

Be Bold A huge part of this trend is the sense of drama that the flare brings, so embrace it all the way! If lace isn’t your thing, look for a high impact color or a dress that has a huge sparkle factor.

 

Photo: Courtesy of PromGirl Favianas beaded gown, $338 

Waist not, want not Picking a dress with a detail at the waist, like the simple ribbon belt in the dress above, draws attention to the majorly flattering silhouette of mermaid flare dresses. Avoid: giant bows, heavily encrusted heavy weight champion style belts. 

 

Photo: Courtesy of PromGirl Jovani beaded gown, $570 

Sultry Sleeves If you aren’t feeling the strapless look, go for a dress that has delicate sleeve detail. It brings together the entire look by mimicking the sheer fabric of the flare.

 

Photo: Courtesy of PromDressShop Alyce lavender beaded gown, $789 

Two Tone If you can’t pick between two colors, try purchasing a dress that with beaded accents that match the swooping flare, like the purple flare and beading. 

 

Photo: Courtesy of French Novelty Jovani gray beaded gown, $640. 

High Glam Mermaid flare dresses can carry the heavy bling that some of us crave. If you’re feeling extra daring, go for a dress that has rhinestone detail throughout.

Photo: Mert & Marcus for Versace 

Versace’s newest kids collection launches at Pitti Bimbo in Florence tomorrow, but the brand’s released its first campaign image today. You could probably guess the star’s last name just by glancing at her face—it’s Kaia Gerber, the 10-year-old daughter of Cindy Crawford and Rande Gerber.   In a press release, Donatella said, “Like her mother, Kaia has a very special gift. The camera really, really loves her…It was such a special treat watching Kaia walk in her mother’s footsteps!”  We could just hug the hairstylist for giving her that 80s supermodel hair.

Got the blues? We’ve got the cure. With winter in full swing, short days and frigid nights often leave us glum. This season, however, we found the best way to beat the blues is to wear them! No drab navys or bleak midnights here. Electrifying cobalts and bold sapphires instantly revive a tired look while exuding contemporary cool. Check out our favorite picks and let us know how you’ll wear your winter  blues! 

 

Photo: Splash News

Ferne Cotton’s cozy cobalt beanie illuminates her face while adding a playful jolt to her colorful ensemble. 

Skirt

  

Photo: Courtesy of Stockholm Street Style 

  

Photo: Courtesy of Celine 

   

Photo: Splash News 

We LOVE Busy Phillips’s simple yet highly impactful Carven dress for the People’s Choice Awards. 

Shoe 

Photo: Courtesy of Alexander Wang 

 

Photo: Getty Images 

Everyone who’s on social networking sites shares the same inside joke: “It’s not official until it’s Facebook official.” Or “You changed your relationship status—whoa, big step!” Well, whether or not you view someone’s status as a symbol of a serious relationship, we can probably all agree that sharing private information—like passwords to your Facebook account, email, or phone—with another person is nothing to be taken lightly. According to a recent article in the New York Times, that’s exactly what many teen couples are doing. More than ever before, it’s become a sort of trend for couples to share passwords as sign of trust or to show how serious they are about their relationship. A 2011 survey by the Pew Internet and American Life Project found that 30 percent of teens who spend time online have shared a password with a friend, boyfriend, or girlfriend, and that girls are almost twice as likely as boys to disclose the info. The natural inclination is to think that if you’re dating someone seriously, you share everything with that person. No secrets. So, whether it’s a conscious or subconscious act, girlfriends and boyfriends swap passwords to show the other that “Look, I’ve got nothing to hide from you. You can trust me.” Ironic, isn’t it? If there’s really trust in a relationship, you’d think that there wouldn’t be a need to disclose passwords in the first place. And obviously, there’s a chance that things could go awry. Beyond the fact that knowing your guy’s password to his Facebook, email, or phone is an easy formula for paranoia and obsessively checking up on him, what happens if there’s a breakup? You can change a password, but you can’t change what your ex now knows about you from all that access to your online accounts. So what do you think? When you’re in a relationship, do you and your guy swap passwords? Do you think having freedom to check his texts, emails, and Facebook messages makes for a healthier relationship? Sound off in the comments!