Bad and Beautiful: Inside the Dazzling and Deadly World of Supermodels: Inside the Dazzling and Deadly World of Supermodels

This is the Watergate of high fashion.Award-winning investigative journalist Ian Halperin went undercover as a model to expose what goes on in the fashion industry off the runway when the lights and cameras go off. I read this book with my jaw on the floor. You will be outraged to read how beautiful young girls, some from poor countries and others red-blooded Americans with dreams of making it big, are prime targets of being sexually used, abused, perhaps murdered; they are made to go through things one wouldn't wish on their worst enemy. If you want to be a fashion model, this book will scare the living daylights out of you; if you believe this book doesn't relate to you, think of your daughter, your neice, your granddaughter. In addition to Halperin's investigating the darker, lesser known sides of this industry, also included later on in the book are top notch, in-depth chapters of more publicized occurences in fashion recently: the untimely death of Gianni Versace, the Fashion Cafe, Niki Taylor's tragedy, the John Casablancas scandal.It's tragic, as John Casablancas and the way he took advantage of his models is a sort of a tip of the iceberg to what is described in the first part of the book, and somehow what's below the surface has yet to be picked up by mainstream media and be prosecuted by authorities. Also: insightful biographies of Naomi Campbell, Christy Turlington and other supermodels.A well-rounded book, paced wonderfully and written skillfully.

This book rocks the fashion world. It reveals all the inner secrets behind the secrets of the fashion and modeling industry. And it is extremely well written. I highly recommend all fashion fans to consider Bad and Beautiful. The author posed undercover as a model to get the story. It is highly entertaining and investigative journalism at its best.

I admit it...I'm hooked on books about models and so I couldn't wait to get my hands on this one. It was worth the wait, revealing the often sordid details of the modeling industry (not that anyone expected it to be a story of purity and idealism, right?). So read this one. But don't stop there. Pick up A Thing of Beauty, which details the rise and fall of Gia Carangi. Then spend some time with Jerry Hall's True Tales (an inside look by Mick Jagger's ex).And finally, round off your reading with No Lifeguard on Duty, written by Janice Dickinson. arguably the world's "first" supermodel and Sylvester Stallone's erstwhile lover.

After reading this book over the weekend, I cannot recommend it enough, especially if you're interested in the fashion industry. No book I have ever read comes close to giving such thorough detail and anecdotes of what it is really like to be a top model. The parts about Milan and New York were incredible. And the way the author presents his research, facts and first hand experience himself as an undercover model make for an enjoyable and entertaining read.--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

I read this book straight through last weekend. I could barely put it down. This book really hits home for anyone involved in the fashion industry. I have been involved in fashion for more than 20 years. It's about time someone was brave enough to expose some of the bad dealings of the industry. Hopefully, Mr. Halperin's startling revelations will help make more people aware that it's important to beware of who you get involved with in this business. There are many bad apples out there. I encourage all parents and young models to pick up this book before getting involved in the industry. All your questions of what it's like to be a model and how to choose the right agent will be answered. And of course, you'll be intrigued by some of the horrific experiences some of the top models you see on TV have encountered. The author posed undercover as a model to get all the dirt. And he certainly does not hold back in revealing the truth about our glamorous industry.