In Hidden Talents, Bwog seeks out the most fabulously gifted of your peers and exposes their skills to inspire your general awe and, of course, requisite jealousy. In this edition, Bwog’s resident modeling maven Liz Jacob introduces you to Lisa Cant, GS ’12, Columbia’s very own supermodel. Know any other Columbians worthy of a profile? Let us know at tips@bwog.com.

Before being discovered in a Calgary Ikea at age 14, Lisa Cant had never even considered a modeling career. Indeed, as Lisa recalls with a chuckle, “I was the shortest in my class until I was about 13. And then one summer I grew all the way up to how tall I am now. I remember it being…really painful.” Since age 16, however, Lisa has traveled all over the world for her modeling, walking the runways for Chanel and Dolce and Gabbana, gracing the covers of German and Italian Vogue, and perhaps most notably, acting as the face of Juicy Couture for five years.

Despite the success of her modeling career, Lisa always planned to attend school, though she wasn’t always sure how well it would balance with her work. “When I first started school, I went part-time. I did the first year only like 2 or 3 classes per semester so that I could still continue with work. And then as I’ve been continuing with school, I’ve come to like it more than work.” As a history major, Lisa really appreciates the passion that Columbia professors bring to their teaching. For that reason, she can never quite understand why other students are so content to skip classes. “Kids are always missing class! I never miss class if I don’t have to. Even in classes where professors take attendance, I still see the lecture hall half empty.”

All the same, Lisa’s work obligations do require her to miss classes every now and then. And while photo shoots and traveling engagements nearly inevitably fall during inconvenient times, Lisa is lucky in that her agent is supportive of schoolwork, which means that together, they find ways to make it work. And at the end of the day, Lisa has to admit, “Modeling pays for school, so there’s definitely that advantage to it.”

Having taken a class with Lisa, this admittedly dense reporter must confess that she’d never guessed at her modeling background. Apparently, this reporter is not alone: rarely recognized on campus, the 5’9” wide-eyed beauty maintains a fairly unobtrusive style when headed to class. “You know, just a ponytail, jeans, and glasses.” Entirely devoid of diva complex associated with supermodels like Naomi Campbell, Lisa is infinitely friendly and approachable, in a way that only a true Canadian can be.
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Keep your eyes open for the October issue of The Blue & White, which, after a delay from the printers, has finally arrived to campus! In the meantime, Bwog will honor our heritage/amorous affair with our mother magazine by posting highlights of the upcoming issue online. Among the treats to look forward to: Knickerbocker Motorsports: a surprisingly gripping history, an examination of Columbia’s updated sexual assault policy, and the festive search for magic on campus. This month, man about town and contributor Eric Wohlstadter bares his ankles … and his soul (on the issue of cuffing your pants).

Illustration by Emily Lazerwitz

Dying to hit up Fashion’s Night Out and ogle at clothing worth more than your tuition, but too lazy to head all the way downtown? No worries, the Columbia Bookstore’s got your back. To celebrate Fashion Week, the bookstore will debut its new School House Rock collection. Apparently, “campus pride is always fashionable.” The House of CU is timeless, forrealz.

Columbia University is also ethical! All School House clothing is made in a living wage factory in Sri Lanka, so when you support CU, you also support our friends in Sri Lanka. Plus, from now until the 20th, if you bring the postcard pictured here, you’ll receive 20% off your School House purchase. Everyone wins!

via The Art of Manliness

So this popped up on our radar a few weeks ago from the questionably titled blog The Art of Manliness. Basically, it’s an article from a 1954 issue of the questionably titled True Magazine for Men which showcases this guy, Don, who is a senior at Columbia. He is transformed from unfashionable preppy 1950s Ivy Leaguer to fashionable preppy 1950s Ivy Leaguer with the addition of fresh new threads (and some color photography). It starts to get real, however, when Don not only shows his new look off for the camera, but starts spontaneously dancing around with a buddy in front of Hamilton.

So basically for all you freshpeoplemen wondering how to dress at this place we call Columbia, this is how you do it.

Thanks, guy!

Kenneth Cole, a fashion designer who has weird, earnest, sometimes squirmy billboards on the West Side Highway, is teaming up with CC and SEAS to launch the Kenneth Cole Community Engagement Program in the fall.

Want to know what that is? Kay.

Kenneth Cole Productions, Inc., CC, SEAS, Center for Career Education and Student Affairs will develop a year-long curriculum that will combine “community-based initiatives,” according to the press release, with classroom work. Kenneth Cole Fellows, as the project’s participants will be dubbed, will take two required courses, have community-based internships over the summer, and get to live in a “unique living-learning arrangement” in dorms. Here’s hoping that doesnt mean the Living Learning Center!

We don’t totally get it, but sounds like you’ll do some good stuff for the community and not have to worry about an internship next summer. Cole is the chairman of amfAR, the largest not-for-profit AIDS foundation, and a founding member of HELP USA, which provides jobs for the homeless. If you’re interested, contact Todd Smith, Associate Dean of Student Affairs, at ts2488@columbia.edu.

Update: Unlikely friendship made somewhat more likely by the fact that Cole’s daughter just graduated from CU.

Roar, Lion, Roar! Photo via designscene.net

Here is some news: the Emporio Armani Fall/Winter 2011/2012 ad campaign is public!

Here is why that news is sort of relevant: those ads were all shot on our fair campus mere months ago!

Take a look: there’s the model shrouded in smoke wearing all black next to a building that looks like Uris, the other model shrouded in smoke wearing all black on Broadway next to Lewisohn, and variations on that theme.

The Bwog listserv chattered late into the night about which buildings were which in these photos. It’s kind of impossible to tell, what with all the smoke and models, but give it your best shot in the comments.

Different, yet similar: Gossip Girl is shooting today on 105th and West End.

Different, and not similar: PrezBo wrote an Op-Ed for the WSJ, calling for public funding for the press. (Hey, Mr. President, we know you read this: do you think we could talk about Bwog getting an office? Just our own table at Brad’s or something! Much love, editors@bwog.net.)

He also writes that the priority should be expanding America’s public broadcasting network, and imagines an “American World Service,” similar to other global broadcasters like the BBC and China’s CCTV.

Hoot Magazine, Columbia’s newest—and only?—fashion publication, has readied their premiere issue for publication: it’s online now, and will hit newstands in full glossy glory shortly. As with other campus publications, we’re here to reduce it to a few sentences. This is Two-Minute Hoot.

• A look at unorthodox Orthodox fashion.
• A glance at stylish English professor Sarah Cole.
• The cover story profiles “Real Housewife” Kelly Killoren Bensimon, GS ’98.
• How to finagle a fashion internship. (We can’t promise it’ll be legal, though!)

Bwog took a break this week from photographing eclectic students-about-campus to discuss fashion with the CU fashion experts: the editorial staff of Columbia’s new fashion magazine, Hoot Mag, and its associated blog.

Noel Duan, CC ’13, Low Steps

Where are you from? San Jose, California.

What are some style points? I’m the co-editor-in-chief of Hoot Magazine, the new fashion magazine I started with Jina Lim, CC ‘ 13. We got a grant from the Gatsby Foundation and the editor-in-chief of Teen Vogue endorsed us. I hope people check it out.

What are some blogging points? I have a blog called Miss Couturable. I started it the summer before junior year of high school and I guess it got kind of big. It was on teenvogue.com and received about 10,000 hits a day. There’s definitely personal stuff on my blog–anything I felt like I wanted to share with my readers. It’s alarming to know that editors are reading it, though. I’ve encountered a lot of mean comments, but you learn to fight that off. I’ve also had a lot of fun experiences as a blogger. I even got to go to Betsey Johnson’s fashion show. Sometimes around the city, people stop me to tell me that they know my blog. It’s really awkward.

Describe your style. Prim and proper, maybe a little quirky. I like structured shoulders, tights, and bows.

What was a recent excitement? [Two weeks ago] I went to fashion week and sat front row, a few seats away from Chloë Sevigny.

What’s your response to people who say being so passionate about fashion is just materialistic? People confuse fashion with shopping too much. I’m interested in the design, art, and writing side of fashion.

Tell me about your outfit. [The six-inch platform booties] are actually really comfortable because my heels are only raised two inches and the platform is four inches high. I’m 5′ 1″, so with these on I’m 5’7″. I’m wearing sheer leggings layered over other tights, and my friend made the bow. It’s kind of dorky, but I like it.

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Photo via NY Magazine

Tavi was cute. A 5 year old fashion-blogger is just creepy. (Racked)

The city is training the next generation of arborists (tree climbers!) (NYT)

An un-known name in the art world, Shaquille O’Neal curates a new show at the FLAG Art Foundation, opening Friday. (NY Mag)

Prestigious pooches parade! (NY Post)

You can be great too: Phi Gamma Delta is co-sponsoring a blood drive today in the Low Rotunda. From 12:00 to 8:00

Bwog: Sartorialist! You: campus! Bwog found the most stylin’ students outside Hamilton, next to the 1 train, and on College Walk, and we asked them where we can get their clothes. This week on As Seen as College Walk: the coolest glasses we’ve seen in a while, plus lots of freshmen. Mini-Bill Cunninghams Contessa Gayles and Hannah Goldstein report.

Hannah Kahng, BC ’11

Cool glasses. Where did you get them? They’re Slow and Steady Wins the Race; they sell to stores like Opening Ceremony.

What’s your major? Art History and Visual Arts.

What’s your favorite class that you’ve taken at Columbia? Twentieth Century Art with Brandon Joseph.

What’s your favorite thing about February? It’s the coldest month here in New York.

Where are you going? To buy apples.

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The weather in Morningside Heights over the past couple of days may not have been particularly cooperative, but neither snow, nor rain, nor heat, nor gloom of night could keep these Columbians from stepping out in their winter best. This week, Bwog began to prowl College Walk and various Columbia/Barnard haunts (i.e., cafeterias) in the hopes of catching a snapshot and interview with some of the school’s classiest characters. Here are some highlights; interviews and more photos after the jump.

Morris Michael, SEAS ’11

What’s your major? Biomedical engineering.

Favorite thing about New York? I guess just the people. You meet people from all over the world.

Where are you from? Sudan.

What’s one thing you always wear? My necklace. (Pulls out necklace with white fang-shaped charm.)

Is that a shark tooth? No, it’s ivory. I guess this necklace is the one thing I always wear.

Hairin Bahren and Yurina Ko, BC ’11

Where are you from? Hairen: Singapore. Yurina: Tokyo.

What’s your favorite thing about Barnard/Columbia? Hairen: New York!

What do you like most about winter, clothing-wise? Yurina: Wearing a scarf. And hat. My scarf and hat. Hairin: And boots. Yurina: Yeah, boots!

Which is your favorite fashion brand or designer? Hairin: Stella McCartney. Yurina: Uniqlo. This hat is from Uniqlo. Hairin: My scarf is from Uniqlo! Yurina: And my coat. . .

Sheng Yanyu, Ye Xinyi, and Zhang Bi Yuan, Foreign Exchange Graduate Students from China

What are you studying? Yanyu: Economics. Xinyi: Journalism. Yuan: Mathematics.

What do you like about Columbia? Bi Yuan: Its history and location.

What’s your favorite thing to wear in winter? Bi Yuan: I like those black clothes – clothes in black that you wear inside.

Bwog sent Lookin’ and Feelin’ Good Specialist Sarah Camiscoli to Ricky’s to get the ultimate opinion on Columbian fashion and some advice on how to look and feel, well, good.

Now that anxiety of midterms has transformed into dread over future GPAs, the Halloween hangover has subsided, and fall break has brought salvation, students are looking for a fresh, new start to last them until winter vacation. To initiate this turnover, I wanted to focus on the basics of lookin’ good and feelin’ good. But getting students to understand this sort of change would require some professional help.

The solution? Get to Ricky’s. Whether it’s giving advice on back-to-school hairstyles, advising ladies on which storybook character will be most appealing for Pike’s Halloween bash, or simply just observing students meandering around the store taking a misplaced mental health break, Ricky’s personnel are among some of the most well-acquainted community members with the do’s and don’ts of Columbia’s many exterior states. Read more…

Good news–it’s Monday and the city’s subway system is returning to normal operations after the MTA decided it was a good idea to repair 18 of its 20 lines at once this past weekend. (NYT)

More shocking news as a new study released by the American Mustache Institute reveals that men with mustaches earn more than ones with beards or no facial hair. (NBCNY)

In not-so-shocking news, mothers don’t want their daughters to be “slutty” on Halloween. (NYP)

And at last good news for the fashionable: there is finally a club that wants to “unite the fashion force on campus.” (Spec)

Image via Flickr

If you want high fashion with your free food, catwalk your way over to Satow Room on Lerner’s fifth floor from 4-6 pm today. CU Couture is putting on a make-over extravaganza starring 7 of your classmates, before and after photos, and lots of strutting of one’s stuff. The event, which features professional Fashion Week stylists,  promises raffles, “glamorous food, Pellegrino, and mingling.” Classy.

If glam food doesn’t sate you, the sisters of Sigma Lambda Gamma are giving out THINK PINK! cupcakes, also in the Satow Room, from 7:30-8:30. The event is reportedly open to “anyone who loves their momma” and is part of the sorority’s effort to raise breast cancer awareness.

Image via JapaneseStreets.com

Even though Blair from Gossip Girl considers them her “holy trinity,” 2/3 of HYP are officially Big Losers now! (WSJ) (Bloomberg)

Columbia, on the other hand, reports smaller losses. (Reuters)

Morgan Stanley’s new CEO made it through the B-School. (WSJ)

New York Fashion Week keeps on strutting its stuff, despite the recession. (NYT)

And in somber swine news: a Cornell student dies of H1N1. (NYT)

Photo via selfhelpdaily.com