Peter Nygard, the Canadian fashion executive, was arrested for sex trafficking and racketeering. He lured young girls from impoverished and underprivileged backgrounds to his Bahamian pleasure palace with the promise of modeling jobs and a better future. He targeted young women with a history of abuse.

In a ridiculous Bahamian ‘paradise,’ Nygard enjoyed bedazzled lions, faux Mayan regalia, and stripper poles. Employees of Nygard International were often called upon to ‘recruit young women,’ according to a lawsuit filed by victims.

Two other lawsuits filed in the U.S. claim Suelyn Madeiros, Nygard’s top recruiter, provided Nygard with a ‘steady pool of victims.’ Jane Doe, now 29, claims in the lawsuit that Madeiros lured her to Nygard’s hell after befriending her and teasing her with music videos and Instagram photos of the Bahamas. Once she arrived at the island, she was forced to have sex with Nygard.

"Medeiros instructed Jane Doe that she was required to have sex with Nygard against Jane Doe's wishes, stating that she shouldn't worry because sex with Nygard 'wasn't that bad' and would be 'really fast and easy,'" alleges the lawsuit.

Greg Gutzler, who represents the women in the class-action lawsuit, claims Nygard would have been unable to procure the victims on his own.

My Personal Experience with the Modeling Industry

Model agents hang out in shopping malls. They purposely scout parks where teenaged girls tend to lurk. In many cases, they prefer to approach girls when the parents are nowhere to be seen. A model should be subservient and obedient—no one wants the teenaged girl wearing a ten-thousand-dollar gown to start crying mascara-smudged tears down her dress. History of abuse? All the better.

I was sixteen-years-old when I trepidatiously took classes at Barbizon Modeling School. My interest in modeling didn’t extend much beyond “I’m skinny, and I like fashion so...why not?” I wanted to go to college in NYC, and modeling seemed like a reasonable way to make some extra cash to pay for it. Despite pitching mothers in random hotels across the world and charging and arm-and-a-leg for class, I immensely enjoyed my Barbizon days. My teacher was a lovely star of Hell’s Kitchen who empowered me and taught me plenty about public speaking and creativity.

Then… There was the actual modeling industry. When people think of modeling, I find they generally associate it with anorexia, bulimia, and maybe the ‘casting couch.’ And sure, all of those things are huge problems. But the casting couch is not the same thing as sex trafficking.

Sex trafficking in the modeling industry is indentured slavery. Girls as young as twelve-years-old are shipped internationally to modeling jobs without parents and without oversight. They live in tiny model apartments shared with other young women. Any money they earn from modeling gigs goes straight to their agencies. There is little financial accountability. An agency claims ‘start-up fees,’ like the cost of building a model’s portfolio, or the cost of providing clothing or food. Slowly, the model’s tiny paychecks disappear. And they are effectively held hostage by the agency. Imagine a twelve-year-old who has to live in a foreign country, without a parent, unable to speak the language, and unable to advocate for herself.

As I dipped my toes into the modeling sphere, I noticed that agents were especially…charming. Picture being a gangly sixteen-year-old. A model agent approaches with a flashy grin. They promise to ‘take care of you.’ They promise money. They promise opportunity. It’s almost the perfect parental figure—this agent might as well be Mary Poppins. But, while this is happening, you are standing in front of them wearing a bikini. They are holding a measuring tape that they are going to wrap around your bum, their fingers pushing up against your bare skin.

The model agents ask if you are willing to travel the world. Are you strong enough to fly to Asia? Live alone? Are you mature enough to handle that responsibility? And at sixteen, of course you say yes. You’re invincible.

I didn’t say yes, but that was only because I had been studying human trafficking through my high school Model United Nations program. Every year I would stand in front of a few hundred high school students and propose ideas on how to stop sex trafficking. As I was doing that, never would I imagine standing in a sea of wannabe teenaged models. I never imagined that I would be seeing the absolutely perfect setting for horrific sex trafficking to occur.

The Problem

I don’t blame fashion. I don’t even blame modeling as a profession. I’m sure there is a way to better handle teenage girls in a trillion-dollar-industry. But changes have to be made.

This July, I published a fictional book called Size Zero. In the book, I focus on the topic of sex trafficking in the modeling industry. And while the book is dystopian and taken to extremes, many readers left online comments admonishing me for my ‘unbelievable’ and ‘unimaginable’ take on the modeling industry. At that point, I had not revealed my own understanding of the real-life realities.

People don’t want to believe that there are monsters in this world. But I think it is time we stop pretending sex trafficking doesn’t exist.

For more information or to help:

Model Alliance

Polaris Project

Human Trafficking Hotline

CAST

SIZE ZERO: BOOK 1 IN THE VISAGE SERIES

"A somber, disturbing mystery fused with a scathing look at the fashion industry. Mangin writes in a confident, razor-edged style." - Kirkus Reviews

Condom dresses and space helmets have debuted on runways. A dead body becomes the trend when a coat made of human skin saunters down fashion’s biggest stage.

The True Meaning of ‘Karen’

A white lady with a bone to pick. A raging bull with highlights that look like vinegar sludge. An unhappy, jealous person yelling at a kid for selling lemonade. These are the many faces of Karen.

It seems Karens are everywhere today. They’re harassing skateboarders, lunging at them from behind trees like creatures out of Pokémon Go. They’re guarding parking spots with their own slovenly dressed, live bodies. And they’re punching cashiers because their Walmart coupons are three years old.

But what exactly IS a Karen? A middle-aged, white woman with privilege who calls upon managers? Sometimes ‘Karen’ is used to describe white nationalism and entitlement. ‘Karen’ can be anti-vaccine. She can be anti-mask.

The Karen insult isn’t even left to women. Donald Trump has been called ‘Karen in Chief.’ And Elon Musk was called ‘Space Karen’ when he complained his Covid test result was bogus.

It seems Karen is now just becoming a word we use when we dislike someone for whatever reason we like. I’m worried ‘Karen’ is losing her original and true meaning. A meaning which… I actually think might be important.

Dominos Gives Karens Free Pizza

Dominos pizza in Australia ran a giveaway to offer ‘Nice Karens’ a free pizza. If your name was actually ‘Karen,’ you could write 250 words about why you were one of the nice ones and get a free pizza.

The actual offer:

"The name 'Karen' has become synonymous with anyone who is entitled, selfish and likes to complain," Domino's chief marketing officer in the region, Allan Collins, said while introducing the offer.

"What used to be a light-hearted meme has become quite the insult to anyone actually named Karen.

"Well, today we're taking the name Karen back. At Domino's, we're all about bringing people together and we want to celebrate all the great Karens out there by shouting them a free pizza!"

Now, I think this is absolutely hilarious. It’s the kind of lighthearted goodness that brightens up my dreary day. I, in no universe, even as a privileged white woman, take offense to this. BUT…people did. There was so much backlash that Dominos actually STOPPED the campaign.

The irony. Karens canceled a giveaway FOR KARENS.

Good things were taken because people COMPLAINED… If that is not the definition of Karen-ism, I don’t know what is.

Maybe There is a Karen in All of Us

On many occasions, I find myself complaining and worrying about things I shouldn’t. I tell my cat to stop drinking the water out of the Christmas Tree stand because I’m afraid he’ll get a pine needle stuck in his throat and die like I read about on BuzzFeed. I yell at my husband for microwaving plastic. And I am a massive amateur jaywalk monitor. I could definitely learn to tame my Karen.

Complaining seems the hallmark of our times. Cancel culture is a direct reflection of the very Karen-ism we are mocking. Cancel culture says anyone that says something that we deem offensive by our own rules and world view should be extinguished. That’s privilege, too. It’s like people are calling on the Twitter managers to fire anyone who speaks.

Karens follow their own rules. No one knows their rules but them, and yet they expect everyone to follow them. And when people disobey, the wrath of Karen emerges.

People make rules for their own safety. It’s about feeling unsafe and alone. We all sometimes feel like victims—like the world is out to get us. And ‘Karen’ says, if only we follow the rules, we can keep chaos out of our lives. We can stay sheltered in a happy place. But it isn’t true. Chaos doesn’t follow rules.

If we allow the ‘Karen’ inside of us to make rules, we will follow a life of safety instead of adventure. And we will prevent Dominos from giving away free pizza.

‘Karen’ is about privilege. But it is a privilege anyone can wield. And we shouldn’t.

Size Zero: Book 1 in the Visage Series

"A somber, disturbing mystery fused with a scathing look at the fashion industry. Mangin writes in a confident, razor-edged style." - Kirkus Reviews

Condom dresses and space helmets have debuted on runways. A dead body becomes the trend when a coat made of human skin saunters down fashion’s biggest stage.

Condom dresses and space helmets have debuted on runways.

A dead body becomes the trend when a coat made of human skin saunters down fashion’s biggest stage. The body is identified as Annabelle Leigh, the teenager who famously disappeared over a decade ago from her boyfriend’s New York City mansion.

This new evidence casts suspicion back on the former boyfriend, Cecil LeClaire. Now a monk, he is forced to return to his dark and absurd childhood home to clear his name. He teams up with Ava Germaine, a renegade ex-model. And together, they investigate the depraved and lawless modeling industry behind Cecil’s family fortune.

They find erotic canes, pet rats living in crystal castles, and dresses made of crushed butterfly wings. But Cecil finds more truth in the luxury goods than in the people themselves. Everyone he meets seems to be wearing a person-suit. Terrified of showing their true selves, the glitterati put on flamboyant public personas to make money and friends. Can Cecil find truth in a world built on lies?

Book 1 in the Visage Series.

Free Shipping. Read a preview below.

Buy on other retailers

"A somber, disturbing mystery fused with a scathing look at the fashion industry. Mangin writes in a confident, razor-edged style." - Kirkus Reviews

Condom dresses, space helmets have debuted on fashion runways.

A dead body becomes the trend when a coat made of human skin saunters down fashion’s biggest stage. The body is identified as Annabelle Leigh, the teenager who famously disappeared over a decade ago from her boyfriend’s New York City Mansion. Filleted and stitched into a gruesome skin coat, a corpse worn by an anorexic model saunters down fashion’s biggest stage.

This new evidence casts suspicion back on the former boyfriend, Cecil LeClaire. Now a monk, he is forced to return to his dark and absurd childhood home to clear his name. He teams up with Ava Germaine, a renegade ex-model. And together, they investigate the depraved and lawless modeling industry behind Cecil’s family fortune.

They find erotic canes, pet rats living in crystal castles, and dresses made of crushed butterfly wings. But Cecil finds more truth in the luxury goods than in the people themselves. Everyone he meets seems to be wearing a person-suit. Terrified of showing their true selves, the glitterati put on flamboyant public personas to make money and friends. Can Cecil find truth in a world built on lies

In high fashion modeling, selling bodies is organized crime.

Editorial Reviews

"A somber, disturbing mystery fused with a scathing look at the fashion industry. Mangin writes in a confident, razor-edged style." - Kirkus Reviews

“Beautifully packaged and true to its idealistic vision, Size Zero pierces the myths that perpetuate and protect an abusive, exploitative industry." - Foreword Reviews

"This patchwork swipe at high fashion, wealth, and body image successfully horrifies…" - Publishers Weekly

“This book is so weird…” - CrimeReads (The Most Anticipated Crime Books of 2020: Summer Reading Edition)

“The characters throughout are eccentric but well-crafted and the description was vivid, brutally so at times. With black humour and a dark narrative, I don’t expect that this will be for everyone, but if you’re wanting something hard-hitting this could be the book for you.” - LoveReading UK

“A dark and unique murder mystery that will make you hold your breath and anticipate the next turn in the plot… Satirical and incredibly well-handled, Size Zero: Visage is a story that will keep you up at night.” - Reader’s Favorite

"A sharply perverse dark comedy set in the high fashion industry." - IndieReader

"Size Zero is that kind of book that gets you off a reader's block moment." - Pacific Book Review (starred review)

“Size Zero is visceral and disturbing. The narrative exposes the dark underbelly of modeling, focusing on unethical practices, charlatans, mental and physical illnesses, and the abuse that young women face as they pursue celebrity. Elements of the novel are splashy and outré, distorting stereotypes of glitterati and their carefully guarded world.” - Foreword Reviews

Modeling is often portrayed as a job which accrues wealth, fame, and prosperity. The popular reality television show America’s Next Top Model and glamor magazine covers do nothing to dissuade this argument. However, the modeling industry’s weak labor laws and the nature of its international recruitment create corruption.

While the industry is often attacked for eating disorders and alcohol abuse, its problems go far beyond that. Sexual harassment, stolen wages, and indentured slavery define the modeling industry. A lack of labor laws and disproportionate regulation in the modeling industry leads to disenfranchised models and imbalanced power dynamics between agents, fashion brands, and models.

Weak Labor Laws

The industry’s labor laws are as thin as its models. Unlike other creative industries, models have no union and no restrictions against child workers. Agencies and fashion brands bypass these basic labor rights by refusing to make their models employees.

Models work for their agencies as ‘independent contractors.’ Models are not ‘employees.’ This means that models have no guaranteed salary and no health insurance. This also means that agencies do not have to adhere to minimum wage laws.

A nineteen-year-old model for Major Model Management said, “I worked three shows at New York Fashion Week last fall. I haven’t been paid. But I guess it’s fine, I was only supposed to be paid $450 anyway.”

The average model wage for a year, as calculated by the Bureau of Labor Statistics was $26,000 a year, only slightly above the poverty level for a single person.

Some agencies bypass signing up for the ‘employment agency license’ by calling themselves ‘model managers’ instead of ‘model agents.’ They do this to bypass regulations, extra business processing fees, and taxes.

To contrast, other creative workers such as actors have unions. These unions create protections such as mandatory breaks, scheduled payments, health insurance, and overtime wages. Union rules for actors say that their agents can only charge ten percent commissions as opposed to the sometimes fifty percent and sixty percent charged by model agencies.

The Model Alliance, a labor advocacy group for models, has had little success in its attempt to unionize the industry. Because models are independent contractors, they lack basic legislative rights that would make the transition to a union easier.

Why Wage Matters

To some, $26,000 sounds like a decent amount of money to stand in front of a camera or walk down a runway. One could argue that wage is based on talent, and only the top five percent of models should be paid.

And perhaps it would be fine if a model made $26,000 a year and could make another salary as a waitress, a bartender, or a shop clerk. However, the ages of an average model make that impossible.

According to a survey done by the Model Alliance, 54.7% of models begin working between the ages of 13-16 years old. And more than half of these child models reported that their parents rarely or never accompanied them to castings.

Ashley Mears, a sociologist who went undercover as a model, wrote about the wage abuses in her book, Pricing Beauty.

Many child models are recruited from Amsterdam, Shanghai, and Norway before they have completed their education. They come to America without their parents and with little money. Children have less ability to fight for adequate wages, and they have little legal recourse to fight high commissions or overdue paychecks. As many are foreigners, the children have little legal recourse without American citizenship.

In 2012, The Council of Fashion Designers of America asked designers not to use child models in New York Fashion Week. However, Marc Jacobs used two girls who were only 14 and 15. In response, Jacobs told the New York Times,

Sex Trafficking

Models receive little pay and often find themselves in foreign cities with no idea how to procure housing. When agencies make contracts with agents, they make several stipulations.

First, they ‘project’ a salary, usually around $75,000. Then, they stipulate ‘model startup fees.’ These include the cost of the model apartment, the cost of international flight, and food. Any wages that the model would receive, then go to these costs.

And in the worst case, when models can’t make money and agencies need extra cash, some turn to a side business: Sex trafficking.

Margaret S. Archer in “Trafficking in Human Beings” interprets the UN protocol to prevent trafficking as “implicitly illegal migration if ‘fraud’ and ‘deception’ are incorporated into the meaning of ‘coercion.’”

Several sources report that Jeffrey Epstein, the billionaire financier, who reportedly molested up to 40 underage girls, received his victims from Jean Luc Brunel, former owner of MC2 Model Management. Epstein reportedly bought a 12-year-old French girl and a 14-year-old Yugoslavian girl to give him massages and ‘birthday presents.’

“[Brunel] also allegedly received $1 million from Epstein in 2005 when he founded MC2….Whether the money was a secret investment in MC2, or a payment for Brunel’s services as a procurer, is unknown.”

“These same civil complaints allege that young girls from South America, Europe, and the former Soviet republics, few of whom spoke English, were recruited for Esptein’s sexual pleasure. According to a former bookkeeper, a number of the girls worked for MC2, the modeling agency owned by Jean Luc Brunel, a longtime acquaintance and frequent guest of Epstein’s.”

— HTTP://WWW.THEDAILYBEAST.COM/ARTICLES/2010/07/22/JEFFREY-EPSTEIN-PEDOPHILE-BILLIONAIRE-AND-HIS-SEX-DEN.HTML

“Brunel, along with numerous young models, was a frequent passenger on Epstein’s private jet, according to flight manifests. The agency owner also allegedly received $1 million from Epstein in 2005, when he founded MC2 with his partner, Jeffrey Fuller; although Fuller and Brunel denied any such payment from the billionaire pervert in 2007, when rumors started swirling, Sarnoff got confirmation from a former bookkeeper at the agency. Whether the money was a secret investment in MC2, or a payment for Brunel’s services as a procurer, is unknown. Brunel also visited Epstein in jail.”

— HTTP://JEZEBEL.COM/5603638/MEET-THE-MODELING-AGENT-WHO-TRAFFICKED-UNDERAGE-GIRLS-FOR-SEX

SIZE ZERO: THE VISAGE SERIES

"A somber, disturbing mystery fused with a scathing look at the fashion industry. Mangin writes in a confident, razor-edged style." - Kirkus Reviews

Condom dresses and space helmets have debuted on runways. A dead body becomes the trend when a coat made of human skin saunters down fashion’s biggest stage.

In the clothing industry today, silk is known to be the expensive and soft fabric that is used in tasteful and elegant clothing. The cloth, however, initially collected in Ancient Asia and Europe, has some disturbing history. 

Silk is formed of the threads that certain insect larvae—such as moths, worms, and spiders—use to encapsulate their cocoons. These silk sheaths actually assist in protecting the larvae from external dangers, helping the young complete their individual metamorphoses.

In factory produced silk, the natural science production remains the same but with involves some difficult truths. The larvae continue to produce the silk as natural, but while in the wild the larvae burn holes in their shells, companies making silk for profit don’t allow these bugs to live long enough for this to happen. Instead, the cocoons are boiled so that the larvae die inside while the silk is easily gathered.

Not all types of silk involve the animal cruelty that can be witnessed when observing factory produced silk, but even this example of cruelty is, in some ways, thought of as beneficial to the people in those societies. Many countries in Asia, for instance, use dead caterpillars from these factories as snacks or ingredients for food. In North America, such a ritual and acceptance of brutality would be unheard of, and admittedly, reading the sources describing the taste and texture of the insects was a quite difficult task.

The question remains: is it right for us to utilize the byproduct of torture? Is it fashionable to murder an innocent insect that would otherwise assist in helping our environment? And finally, if we as people can overlook the ‘small’ atrocities done to other beings, what horrors done to us have we overlooked because they were considered minute?

Size Zero: The Visage Series

"A somber, disturbing mystery fused with a scathing look at the fashion industry. Mangin writes in a confident, razor-edged style." - Kirkus Reviews

Condom dresses and space helmets have debuted on runways. A dead body becomes the trend when a coat made of human skin saunters down fashion’s biggest stage.

We might think Crest White Strips are dangerous, but the ancient Romans went to some extreme lengths for teeth whitening. They used the urine of Portuguese people as mouthwash. The Portuguese people were believed to have the most 'potent' urine. The product became so popular that Nero taxed it. 

Ohaguro (Black Teeth)

Up until the 19th century, it was 'beautiful' to dye ones teeth black. Iron fillings were soaked in tea until they oxidized. Then, the black liquid was sipped, making the drinker's teeth black. Because the taste was so unbearable, cinnamon and clove was added. 

The practice also protected against cavities and other dental problems. 

The black dye also hid the fact that women's teeth were turning yellow from the white powder/paint makeup on their faces. 

Wax Cones

Egyptians wore wax cones on their heads as a perfume to fend off body odors. The cones sat decoratively atop their heads...until the wax melted into their hairs throughout the day. 

Foot Binding and Lotus Shoes

Everyone's heard of the practice of breaking ones feet and bending it into a small bundle. But, most don't know that the practice was done mostly to strengthen the vaginal muscles for sex. By having tiny feet, women struggled to walk and had to develop stronger muscles to balance. Having a 'wife' with bound feet became a status symbol for men. 

Chopines

Developed nearly 500 years ago for the aristocrats of Spain and Italy, these platform shoes were not only symbols of wealth; they also helped women toddle on unevenly paved streets. 

But the concept of platformed shoes have been around since Aphrodite was pictured towering high above in pillar-like shoes. It wasn't until 1930 when Ferragamo brought them back that modern society began wearing the platform shoe again. 

Still, we're not sure we'd ever want to wear a heel or a platform that high... Unless we were Lady Gaga, of course. 

Skull Enlongation

Skull elongation was begun when a Mayan baby was around 3 or 4 days old. Two boards were pressed against the front and back of the baby's skull, pressed together, and fastened to the child. This, of course, was all meant to resemble the Mayan Maize God. 

And Now...Rainbow Freckles

From silver, to gold, to monochrome...to looking like you have Chicken Pox, rainbow freckles are coming. You take a small brush and dot yourself like you would a ceramic plate. 

Our advice? Spend the $20 and get your rainbow feelings out at Color Me Mine. Or, just by a Unicorn Frappe. 

SIZE ZERO: THE VISAGE SERIES

"A somber, disturbing mystery fused with a scathing look at the fashion industry. Mangin writes in a confident, razor-edged style." - Kirkus Reviews

Condom dresses and space helmets have debuted on runways. A dead body becomes the trend when a coat made of human skin saunters down fashion’s biggest stage.

Symbolism

We send children scampering through the newly green grass every Spring season to gobble down bits of candy, just like they do on Halloween, Valentine's Day, Birthdays, Christmas... But what makes Easter different? Why do we hide chocolate in brightly colored eggs? 

Eggs have been a symbol of rebirth and fertility. Specifically, for Christianity, the Easter Egg symbolizes the empty tomb of Jesus from which he was resurrected. In ancient tradition, the eggs were stained red to memorialize the blood of Christ shed at his crucifixion. 

Or, it could be simply about logistics. Orthodox churches had a custom of abstaining from eggs during the fast of Lent. The only way to keep them from being wasted was to boil or roast them, and begin eating them pr decorating them to break the fast.

History

5,000 years ago, in the Pre-Dynastic period of Egypt, eggs were associated with death and rebirth. Ostrich eggs were often laced in gold and given as idols to the most revered members of society. 

When the Christians of Mesopotamia first adopted the practice, the egg was eaten, not decorated. 

Egg Hunting's Twisted Culture

The central European Slavic nations have a tradition of gathering eggs by gaining them from the females in return of whipping them with a pony-tail shaped whip made out of fresh willow branches and splashing them with water, by the Ruthenians called polivanja, which is supposed to give them health and beauty.

Cascarones, a Latin American tradition now shared by many US States with high Hispanic demographics, are emptied and dried chicken eggs stuffed with confetti and sealed with pieces of tissue paper. The eggs are hidden in a similar tradition to the American Easter egg hunt and, when found, the children (and adults) break them over each other's heads.

In the North of England, during Eastertide, a traditional game is played where hard boiled pace eggs are distributed and each player hits the other player's egg with their own. This is known as "egg tapping", "egg dumping", or "egg jarping". The winner is the holder of the last intact egg. The annual egg jarping world championship is held every year over Easter in Peterlee Cricket Club.

Why does a Bunny Lay Eggs?

The Easter Bunny is based on a German-Luteran folkloric figure called the "Easter Hare." Originally, the figure was dressed and brought the candy-filled eggs for children who he deemed were 'well-behaved' that year. Basically, the Easter-Bunny was a springtime Santa Claus. 

The rabbit is a popular motif in medieval church art because of its ability to reproduce quickly and emphasis on fertility. 

Sarah Ben Breathnach in Mrs Sharp's Traditions (1990) provides an origin story for the Easter Bunny: "According to legend, Eostre's favorite animal was a large handsome bird, which in a fit of anger she turned into a hare."[23] Another version of this story, in which Ēostre transforms the bird into a hare in an act of mercy, was written by Jean-Andrew Dickmann and appeared in Cricket magazine.

A Collection of Not-So-Fertile Easter Rabbits

Condom dresses and space helmets have debuted on runways.

A dead body becomes the trend when a coat made of human skin saunters down fashion’s biggest stage. The body is identified as Annabelle Leigh, the teenager who famously disappeared over a decade ago from her boyfriend’s New York City mansion.

This new evidence casts suspicion back on the former boyfriend, Cecil LeClaire. Now a monk, he is forced to return to his dark and absurd childhood home to clear his name. He teams up with Ava Germaine, a renegade ex-model. And together, they investigate the depraved and lawless modeling industry behind Cecil’s family fortune.

They find erotic canes, pet rats living in crystal castles, and dresses made of crushed butterfly wings. But Cecil finds more truth in the luxury goods than in the people themselves. Everyone he meets seems to be wearing a person-suit. Terrified of showing their true selves, the glitterati put on flamboyant public personas to make money and friends. Can Cecil find truth in a world built on lies?

Book 1 in the Visage Series.

Free Shipping. Read a preview below.

In American Psycho, Bret Easton Ellis imaginatively explores the incomprehensible depths of madness and captures the insanity of violence in our time or any other. Patrick Bateman moves among the young and trendy in 1980s Manhattan. Young, handsome, and well educated, Bateman earns his fortune on Wall Street by day while spending his nights in ways we cannot begin to fathom. Expressing his true self through torture and murder, Bateman prefigures an apocalyptic horror that no society could bear to confront.

Gruesome murder, a disregard for human life, and extremely graphic torture sex...but the most disturbing aspects of this book are the all too honest descriptions of our superficial society. 

Whether you read it as satire or a magnified peek at American reality, it's bone-chilling. 

Naked Lunch

"Naked Lunch" is the unnerving tale of a monumental descent into the hellish world of a narcotics addict as he travels from New York to Tangiers, then into Interzone, a nightmarish modern urban wasteland in which the forces of good and evil vie for control of the individual and all of humanity. By mixing the fantastic and the realistic with his own unmistakable vision and voice, Burroughs has created a unique masterpiece that is a classic of twentieth century fiction.

“Did I ever tell you about the man who taught his asshole to talk? His whole abdomen would move up and down, you dig, farting out the words. It was unlike anything I ever heard. 
Bubbly, thick, stagnant sound. A sound you could smell. This man worked for the carnival, you dig?"

The Wasp Factory 

The polarizing literary debut by Scottish author Ian Banks, The Wasp Factory is the bizarre, imaginative, disturbing, and darkly comic look into the mind of a child psychopath.

Meet Frank Cauldhame. Just sixteen, and unconventional to say the least: 

Two years after I killed Blyth I murdered my young brother Paul, for quite different and more fundamental reasons than I'd disposed of Blyth, and then a year after that I did for my young cousin Esmerelda, more or less on a whim. That's my score to date. Three. I haven't killed anybody for years, and don't intend to ever again. It was just a stage I was going through.

It's one sick, twisted book. But, there are a few good lines worth remembering. 

To the Lighthouse 

To the Lighthouse by Virginia Woolf is not disturbing in the same way as the other books on this list. It's a dark, depressing book focused on what it means to feel stuck in one place. Sometimes, reading about the troubles within a family can be even more torturous than reading about serial killers and rapists in Manhattan. 

The serene and maternal Mrs. Ramsay, the tragic yet absurd Mr. Ramsay, and their children and assorted guests are on holiday on the Isle of Skye. From the seemingly trivial postponement of a visit to a nearby lighthouse, Woolf constructs a remarkable, moving examination of the complex tensions and allegiances of family life and the conflict between men and women.

Metamorphosis 

“As Gregor Samsa awoke one morning from uneasy dreams he found himself transformed in his bed into a gigantic insect.” ― Franz Kafka, The Metamorphosis

So begins, Kafka’s strange and classic tale of a man who becomes an insect. The Metamorphosis is a probing look at society, self, and above all, what it means to be human.

Reading about Gregor forces the reader to examine his own happiness. Does he enjoy working, pretending to be civilized, subduing his more carnal desires? Or, deep down, does he feel like a bug? 

And Now... An Assortment of Disturbing Titles that Need No Explanation

SIZE ZERO: BOOK 1 IN THE VISAGE SERIES

"A somber, disturbing mystery fused with a scathing look at the fashion industry. Mangin writes in a confident, razor-edged style." - Kirkus Reviews

Condom dresses and space helmets have debuted on runways. A dead body becomes the trend when a coat made of human skin saunters down fashion’s biggest stage.

How Humans Process Smells 

The aroma of baking sugar cookies, freshly cut grass, apple tarts with cinnamon, and acrid Listerine. We smell hundreds of distinct scents every day. But how many do we remember? 

According to psychologist Johan Lundstrom, PhD, a faculty member at the Monell Chemical Senses Center in Philadelphia, "We don't have a good language for odors." We can describe objects by denoting rich color descriptions or shape. Sound can be defined by tonality, speed, and emotional sentiment. But it is almost impossible to describe an odor without comparing it to another scent. 

Most all senses go to the thalamus of the brain first, where the sense is processed. Olfaction, however, occurs first in the centers of the brain responsible for emotion and memory. Therefore, we process the emotion and memory of the scent before we are even consciously aware that we are smelling it. 

Our strange way of processing smells leads to gross ingredients in every day perfume. 

Chanel No. 5,  Cats, and Brain Parasites 

"Le monstre," the $300 an ounce perfume, Chanel No. 5, keeps Coco Chanel's empire afloat to this day. But how? 

The Chanel No.5 secret ingredient: 

scrapings of sexual pheromones from the perianal gland of the Abyssinian civet cat.

It turns out, a chemical in sauvignon blanc, 3-mercapto-3-methylbutan-1-ol, has a similar scent to cat urine. And we humans find the scent attractive. “Compare [cat pee] to an off-note that adds complexity to a piece of music," said a wine critic. 

But there's even more to the story. Some scientists believe a brain parasite called "Toxoplasma gondii" may be tricking us into loving the scent of cat urine. Czech scientists recently conducted a study that tested the 'pleasantness' of various animal urine. Those who tested positive for 'Toxo,' found cat urine most pleasant. 

Once you have 'Toxo,' you have it for life. And you most likely got it from cleaning your cat's litter box or simply getting a bit to close to your fluffy friend. Sounds like 'Toxo' is the reason American's are obsessed with cats. 

Bat Urine in Perfume

The male greater sac-winged bat, Saccopteryx bilineata, bend forward to suck up their urine, then lick the sacks beneath their wings to store it. Then they press their gular glands against their penises to add pheromones for good measure. The whole process takes 30 to 60 minutes. One bat scientist describes the scent as "sweetish with an almond musk."

Interestingly, the fact that each bat contributes an hour a day to making these perfumes means it’s likely bats rely on sense of smell for survival the same way humans do. 

Maybe we're one step closer to becoming Batman. 

Sperm Whale Vomit

Ambergris is a by-product of endangered sperm whales that comes from their “diseased stomachs.”

Sometimes they puke it up, sometimes they defecate it. Still, the substance is extremely expensive and still used in luxury perfumes. 

Male Musk Deer Pheromones

Male Musk Deer are practically extinct, so their sexual perfumes are highly prized amongst sommeliers.

3-4 times its weight in gold to be exact. 

 Abercrombie & Fitch

Abercrombie has been known to douse every square inch of its clothing and store in its pungent perfume. 

To shed some light on these unknown chemical exposures, the Campaign for Safe Cosmetics, a national coalition of health and environmental groups, commissioned tests of 17 brand-name fragranced products at an independent laboratory in spring 2010. The resulting study, “Not So Sexy: The Health Risks of Secret Chemicals in Fragrance”, revealed that the 17 products contained, on average:

• Fourteen chemicals not listed on labels due to the loophole in federal law that allows companies to claim fragrances as trade secrets. American Eagle Seventy Seven contained 24 hidden chemicals, the highest number of any product in the study.

• Ten sensitizing chemicals associated with allergic reactions such as asthma, wheezing, headaches and contact dermatitis. Giorgio Armani Acqua Di Gio contained 19 different sensitizing chemicals, more than any other product in the study.

• Four hormone-disrupting chemicals linked to a range of health effects including sperm damage, thyroid disruption and cancer. Halle by Halle Berry, Quicksilver, and Glow by JLo each contained seven different chemicals with the potential to disrupt the hormone system.

Ironically, A&F's brand image is one of sexually active, virile young men. But their obnoxious spraying habits may be destroying young men's reproductive systems. 

SIZE ZERO: THE VISAGE SERIES

"A somber, disturbing mystery fused with a scathing look at the fashion industry. Mangin writes in a confident, razor-edged style." - Kirkus Reviews

Condom dresses and space helmets have debuted on runways. A dead body becomes the trend when a coat made of human skin saunters down fashion’s biggest stage.

A Summer Extravaganza at Coney Island

Coney Island has always been known to accept the 'freak' in all of us. And every summer, they keep with tradition, holding the Mardi Gras-esque Mermaid Parade. To celebrate the arrival of summer in June, thousands march on Surf Avenue, ironically paying homage to mermaids, mythical creatures that don't even have legs.

The event has attracted as many as  800,000 participants and spectators, running for over 34 years. 

It's the Largest Parade in the United States... that doesn't Support any Ethnic, National, or Cultural Cause 

Most people assume the parade is named for the Mermaid Ave and Neptune Ave near the parade route. However, the mermaid theme simply came about because Coney Island was not allowed to hold a Fourth of July parade. They needed a new theme and they went...beachy. 

The founder of the parade claims that the Mermaid Parade is actually a prelude to a West African ceremony for the summer solstice because drummers leading the march carry baskets of fruit to be offered to the water gods. But we call baloney on that one. 

Topless Mermaids

A celebration of 'creative individuality,' some free-spirited mermaids prefer to attend as nature made them. Nudity is not encouraged at the Mermaid Parade, which once was a big family affair. However, several residents wish the parade were more of a family affair, a time for little girls to celebrate one of our mythical traditions. 

Scandals

Each year, a King and Queen Neptune are elected to preside over the parade like King Triton from the Little Mermaid. But, the parade organizers were caught for accepting cash bribes, alcohol, and food. Want a trophy for your costume? Pay off the judges. 

One has to wonder how much it costs to win Mermaid of the Year. 

"Our ideal judges are inebriated, inept and corrupt," Zigun, the founder of the parade, added. "That's the way we like it."

No Pictures. 

Strangely, even though the parade is an 'art' parade, spectators are not allowed to take pictures of the participants. A $21 fine is given to anyone who sneaks a shot. Photos can only be taken in a designated area where the mermaids volunteer to be models. 

Opening the Sea

In the closing ceremony, which most of the spectators do not attend, King and Queen Neptune 'open the sea' for the summer. Four ribbons are cut to represent the four seasons, and Zigun holds up the key to Coney Island. 

Textiles

Whether it is made of silk, cotton or leather, your clothes make a statement about your individuality, and your personality, to those who look at you. From t-shirts, to denim jackets, to leather pants, from interview suits, to that little black dress, to tracksuits and coats, clothes advertise yourself to the world—they say something about who you are.

It is no wonder that companies such as Inditex—made up of Zara, Pull&Bear, Massimo Dutti, Bershka, and many other clothing stores—are literally worth billions of euros, as they attract masses of shoppers annually. Their shoppers are all looking for that perfect jumper or t-shirt, to make conscious choices about the clothes they wear, and to make statements to the world about the kind of person they are: they want to look good, and they want it to be cheap.

Behind the scenes, though, more than 60% of world clothing exports are created in developing countries, with Asia being a major world provider. Asia produces approximately 32% of the world's clothing exports, and China has become the highest world producer of clothing; it creates nearly 13% of the world supply.

In countries such as Bangladesh, the textile industry generates approximately 80% of the country's foreign trade, and could potentially remove the country from the clutches of poverty—much like in 1980s China—it is the consistent call for cheaper clothes in the West that is keeping employees' wages low. Some workers earn as low as 68 dollars per month, which is hardly enough to maintain them; workers in Bangladesh have approximately the lowest salaries compared with the rest of the world.

Factory workers are often underage and overloaded with work, supporting other poor family members. And although the law in Bangladesh states that factories can only employ workers who are 14 and over, working for five hours per day, this law is often broken.

And it doesn't stop there. Poor working conditions often exist for factory employees. In Bangladesh, four million people—predominantly women—work in nearly 3,500 factories, some of which have been deemed structurally unsound. In 2015, for example, the Rana Plaza factory collapsed and killed approximately 1,100 people. They died working on requisitions for high-street retailers which, for a short time, attracted global attention to the prosperous textile industry.

However, things have started to change since the collapse. Although much more needs to be done, 75% of the factories have been checked and gone through construction and fire safety evaluations. And, although workers' wages remain low, a significant change has come to the textile and clothes industry in Bangladesh.

Condom dresses and space helmets have debuted on runways.

A dead body becomes the trend when a coat made of human skin saunters down fashion’s biggest stage. The body is identified as Annabelle Leigh, the teenager who famously disappeared over a decade ago from her boyfriend’s New York City mansion.

This new evidence casts suspicion back on the former boyfriend, Cecil LeClaire. Now a monk, he is forced to return to his dark and absurd childhood home to clear his name. He teams up with Ava Germaine, a renegade ex-model. And together, they investigate the depraved and lawless modeling industry behind Cecil’s family fortune.

They find erotic canes, pet rats living in crystal castles, and dresses made of crushed butterfly wings. But Cecil finds more truth in the luxury goods than in the people themselves. Everyone he meets seems to be wearing a person-suit. Terrified of showing their true selves, the glitterati put on flamboyant public personas to make money and friends. Can Cecil find truth in a world built on lies?

Book 1 in the Visage Series.

Free Shipping. Read a preview below.

If we were to look at a coat made of fur, a coat advertised in a magazine or, perhaps, during a Fashion Week—on a runway—it would be easy to overlook the fact that animals had suffered for their skin. Amongst the glitz and glamor, the process behind creating such a stunning object is hidden in a shroud of beauty.

But it is true to say that behind the scenes, all is not glitz and glamor. In fact, animals are electrocuted, beaten and skinned alive for their fur, and all this happens for that perfect coat.

New York aside, a state in which electrocuting animals is illegal, animals are often zapped via their anuses or genitals in order to reduce the impairment done to animals' fur. It is an inhumane killing process that is 'justified' all for the sake of fashion and beauty.

Environmental complaints are piling up. Massive algae blooms on sensitive waters surrounding fur farms in Nova Scotia have forced day camps to close and rendered once-beautiful cottages worthless. Waste and carcasses attract predators to rural properties (and are then shot). And the incredible volume of feces and urine produced by each mink or fox often seeps into the ground.

Approximately 85% of the industry's furs come from animals that were kept confined in fur factory farms. Here, the animals are cramped into overcrowded, unhygienic wire cages. Later, they are skinned alive.

Fur farms are not only inhumane, unhygienic places, but they also damage the environment. Yearly, approximately one million pounds of feces are created by animals on U.S. mink farms. From this phenomenal amount, nearly 1000 tons of phosphorus is produced, polluting rivers. But it doesn't stop there. Once an animal has been killed, toxic chemicals are applied to the fur, preventing it from decomposing later on.

In China, no consequences exist for people who mistreat and abuse animals on fur farms. And China is one of the world's biggest exporter of fur. It provides over half of the fur garments of the United States, and more than two million cats—as well as thousands of dogs—are hammered, lynched, and skinned alive, just for their fur.

A shocking one billion rabbits are slaughtered every year for their fur, which is used for clothing and other purposes.

But the animals are slaughtered in different ways too. Nearly one third of fur sold in the U.S. is from animals that have been slayed by steel-jaw traps. These traps jam shut on the limbs of animals, causing agonizing pain for the animal, leaving them trapped and starved for days.

The good news: Farms can’t afford to stay open. Despite claims that the fur industry is an important economic powerhouse in Canada, some of the largest operations have shuttered their doors for good in the once-booming western Nova Scotia region, sending hundreds of part-time, seasonal workers, scrambling to find secondary employment. This comes on the heels of farm loan extensions and a massive $20,000,000 bailout in 2014.

Be honest, the only REAL thrill you get out of a treadmill is the idea of losing weight and bragging to your spouse about it later. 

The Origins of the Treadmill 

In 1821, Sir William Cubitt was disgusted when he found that the prisoners at St. Edmond’s Gaol in Bury were lazy and sloppy. To fix them, he knew they needed hard, arduous labor. He created a treadmill that spun on a horizontal axis so the prisoners would step upward. 

The name 'treadmill' came from the action when prisoners stepped on 24 spokes of a large paddle wheel and as the wheel turned, gears were used to pump out water or crush grain.

The treadmill was banned in the late 19th century for being 'excessively cruel.' 

New York prison guard James Hardie said about the treadmill: “It is its monotonous steadiness, and not its severity, which constitutes its terror.”

The Exercise Machine 

The US patent for the treadmill 'training machine,' originally developed to diagnose heart and lung disease, was made on June 17, 1913. 

Later, however, Dr. Kenneth H. Cooper wrote a paper on aerobic exercise and his research in 1968 was enough reason to develop the treadmill for commercial exercise. 

Treadmill Related Deaths 

24,000 injuries a year are associated with treadmills.

The CEO of Survey Monkey died from falling off his treadmill and hitting his head. 

Using a treadmill over several months leads to a loss of agility. By running on a flat, ever-moving conveyor belt like you’re a Cheez-It box sliding down the grocery checkout, you use few muscles. It also forces a monotonous pace, which is artificial compared to the pace you would take running outside. 

Not to mention, it is mind-numbingly boring to run on a flat surface like a hamster in a wheel. There's a reason it was a torture tool. 

Gyms are akin to a 19th-century prison. Sweat outside or play a game of volleyball. 

SIZE ZERO: THE VISAGE SERIES

"A somber, disturbing mystery fused with a scathing look at the fashion industry. Mangin writes in a confident, razor-edged style." - Kirkus Reviews

Condom dresses and space helmets have debuted on runways. A dead body becomes the trend when a coat made of human skin saunters down fashion’s biggest stage.

The Punishment of Marsyas

Dante and Virgil in Hell

Skeletor

Saturn Devouring His Son

Heads Severed

Anatomical Pieces

Untitled Painting

Two boney corpses embracing

Deterioration of Mind Over Matter

Diomedes Devoured By Horses

Big Electric Chair

Big Electric Chair

Figure with Meat

Necronom IV

Gallowgate Lard

Death and the Miser

The Smiling Spider

Titles in order from top: The Punishment of Marsyas, Dante and Virgil in Hell,, Skeletor, Saturn Devouring his Son - Rubens, Heads Severed, Anatomical Pieces, Untitled Painting, Deterioration of Mind over Matter, Diomedes Devoured by Horses, Big Electric Chair, Figure with Meat, Necronom IV, Gallowgate Lard, Death Miser, The Smiling Spider

Beautiful and Horrible

• The pain threshold of a ballet dancer is three times higher than that of a non-ballet dancer.

• Ballet dancers seven times more likely to suffer from an eating disorder than non-ballet dancers.

• 45% of ballet dancers smoke cigarettes.

Ballet Boarding School 

Schools in Russia start students as young as three-years-old in rigorous full-day ballet training, with little real book education mixed into the program. 

At the Vaganova school in Russia, a source said, "One student had his legs hanging over a tall chair, with weights placed on his knees and his feet on another chair pushing them down," he said. "This way his legs would not bow out and would instead hyperextend."

But your legs can freeze in hyperextension, and the only way to fix that is to break the bones and realign them. 

Injuries

One girl accidentally kicked her choreographer off the stage and into an empty band pit, fracturing her leg and concussing the choreographer. Another girl clipped a male dancer in the nose with sharp fingernails during a lift...part of his nose came off. 

And:

 "I heard four pops, pulling my fibula and tibia apart. I also tore a few tendons in my foot. In the dance world you are expected to go on, so I danced the rest of my set like that.”

Sexism... Toward Men

"We need [to meet] certain standards and have to be dancing Ken Dolls out there," Luke elaborated. "Our dance belt really makes our butts pronounced, so we have a lot of older, female patrons who support us. Since they want to ogle us like guys do to Hooters waitresses, the director goes through us each day -- we need to be weighed every day to check for no weight gain, or if we are too skinny or not having enough muscle mass. It's so important that one of my former companies docked $25 of the pay of the lightest guy and the heaviest girl every month."

The Bolshoi Scandal

January 17, 2013 was a dark day for one of the world's most renowned ballet companies. A masked man threw sulphuric acid at the company's director, Sergei Filin, to blind him. The attacker turned out to be a male dancer, upset that Filin had not sufficiently promoted his girlfriend in the ballet. He only spent six years in prison. 

The Cost of Ballet Shoes can put Dancers out of Work

At $80 a pop, ballet dancers can go through a dozen shoes in a week. Dancers have left companies because they couldn't afford the expenses. A ballet company can spend $100,000 on shoes alone. 

SIZE ZERO: THE VISAGE SERIES

"A somber, disturbing mystery fused with a scathing look at the fashion industry. Mangin writes in a confident, razor-edged style." - Kirkus Reviews

Condom dresses and space helmets have debuted on runways. A dead body becomes the trend when a coat made of human skin saunters down fashion’s biggest stage.

Girl's Best Friend 

Diamonds are a girl's best friend, or so the saying goes. They are given as presents or as a sign of proposal for marriage, in the form of a ring. In fact, approximately 80% of marriage proposals include a diamond ring, suggesting that they are an incredibly popular choice when it comes to getting down on bent knee and asking the all important question. And, of course, the wealthier the person, the larger the ring.

But, in the midst of all this popularity, just where do these sparkly diamonds come from? 

To answer this, we move from the perfect ambiance of the proposal, to the diamond mines of Africa in the Democratic Republic of Congo. It is here that we find the source of that ever-so-desired diamond.

Life or Death in Congo 

Here the diamond takes on a whole new meaning for the miners, who work and toil for that ever-elusive gem. Diamonds are a sign that the miners can eat and, although the work is grueling, and can cause backaches, nothing is more important than feeding oneself or one's family. Finding a diamond, here, could literally be the difference between life and death, as the shiny gems provide the money for school or health care. One large diamond could give a miner approximately $100.

Although the small stream that joins the Congo River can be deemed as a significant resource of diamonds, an area that is home to some of the 65% of the world's diamonds, areas like this are also some of the most dangerous locations for the often young miners. The death of hundreds of miners each year occur due to tunnel collapses—collapses which happen so frequently that they are hardly reported.

False Verifications

Added to this, the $81.4 billion industry goes not without its fair share of controversy. In spite of the attempt to change the practice in the 2003 Kimberley Process—an international system which encourages the consumers that their purchased diamonds were free from conflict—the diamond industry is still tainted. In the midst of African war zones, these diamonds are utilized to pay for armed rebellious activities in war.

The Kimberley Process of 2003 may ensure that the origin of the diamonds is verified, but this doesn't stop the loopholes. Some diamonds that are mined within zones of war can slip through the net, and are sold on the international markets anyway. And it is also true that mining diamonds even apart from a war or conflict zone is difficult work. Those that mine here are often low-paid and vulnerable young workers.

So as consumers, what can we do to ensure the safety of miners in Africa? When purchasing a diamond, be sure to ask a few questions. Check with the jeweller to see if they are locating their diamonds reliably. And ask to see the human rights report, as all reliable companies should have one.

Diamonds may be a girl's best friend, but, on the other end of the scale, they are a food source for starving miners.

Shellac is a resin secreted from the female lac bug, a red beetle found in Thailand. It's used for wood varnish, nail polish, gramophone records and...jelly beans. Sold as dry flakes, the resin is dissolved in ethanol to become a food glaze. 

View fullsize

View fullsize

View fullsize

Castoreum

Beavers' anal and urinary secretions happen to smell like vanilla. Can you see where this is going? 

Castoreum specifically comes from the castor sac, located underneath the Beaver tail. In raw form, it's called Russian Leather, until it is bathed in alcohol to smell 'musky.' The material is then used in perfumes, and also: raspberry and strawberry ice cream. The FDA does not allow Castoreum to be used in vanilla flavoring, but raspberry's fine. Because, apparently, if your favorite flavor is raspberry, you're a lesser being in the eyes of the State. 

Cochineal Bugs

Have you ever eaten Red Food Dye 4? It's red velvet cake, hard candies, jams, maraschino cherries, and almost any food that is artificially died red.  

The cochineal beetle is dried, crushed, then dunked in alcohol to make carmine acid. It is a 'natural flavoring' in the United States. But, it takes 70,000 bugs to produce a pound of dye.

Starbucks was heavily criticized for using the beetle in its drinks and whoopie pies. It since has changed the food dye. 

Isinglass, Fish Bladders

Used for glue, parchment restoration...and the development of beer and wine. The swim bladders of fish are used as a 'fining' to clear up the murkiness in beer. Isinglass congeals into a jelly-like putty at the button of the beer, and is then fished out. However, Guinness has reported that you still drink 'some' fish bladder. 

SIZE ZERO: THE VISAGE SERIES

"A somber, disturbing mystery fused with a scathing look at the fashion industry. Mangin writes in a confident, razor-edged style." - Kirkus Reviews

Condom dresses and space helmets have debuted on runways. A dead body becomes the trend when a coat made of human skin saunters down fashion’s biggest stage.

A model is only as good as her body—that is what some modeling agencies would have them believe. A model is only as good as her posture or pose, form or frame. Above all, a model exists to be seen and not heard—to be observed by the eyes of watching public.

A model, then, must look her absolute best—one hundred percent of the time—as she takes to the runway or poses in front of the camera. But who else sets these standards?

And who decrees what a model's frame should be? What is the result of these exceptional standards and, often, unrealistic expectations?

Reports of models being told to eat cotton balls dipped in orange juice just about scratch the surface of a world in which a model is a mere body within a truly powerful industry—in which image is king. No, there is far more to it than that. Models are being asked to lose weight, and lose weight quickly. They are asked to chew gum on an empty stomach, anything to get that size zero frame.

31.2% of models have had an eating disorder or anorexia, a crippling emotional and mental illness in which the perception of the physical body is often greater than the reality—in which the sufferer limits their intake of food in order to remain perceivably underweight.

Legislation for models' Body Mass Index exists in Spain, Israel, Italy and France, which means that, in these countries, models are protected from entering the industry if they are perceived to be dangerously underweight. But, even though a campaign was launched in London fashion week 2016, to ask that models who had a BMI lower than 18.5 see a medical professional, not every country follows these rules.

In Sweden there have even been reports of modeling scouts lurking around an eating disorder clinic, trying to recruit critically thin, young women. One was just fourteen, and one young woman was so skinny that she was in a wheel chair whilst she was approached.

What are the implications of being a model with anorexia? Cracked ribs and poor physical health after a strenuous exercise regimen are just some of the outcomes of having such thin bodies. This is exactly what happened to model Hartje Andresen, whose weight was so low that her bone density altered. She was a mere 100 pounds at this stage of her modeling career and, although she was successful at this stage, it was clear that her health was failing her.

It literally is back-breaking work, a top-down hierarchy in which those at the top have set the standards for generations to come. It is all for that perfect shot—all so the clothes hang just right.

But it is the long term effects of anorexia that can be truly devastating. For young, vulnerable girls looking for success, manipulation, control and power are often just part of the job. One fifth of these young girls, who are diagnosed with anorexia, will die early, and approximately 60—70% will never entirely recover. Even if a model chooses to leave the job, they could be left watching their waist lines for years to come.

Condom dresses and space helmets have debuted on runways.

A dead body becomes the trend when a coat made of human skin saunters down fashion’s biggest stage. The body is identified as Annabelle Leigh, the teenager who famously disappeared over a decade ago from her boyfriend’s New York City mansion.

This new evidence casts suspicion back on the former boyfriend, Cecil LeClaire. Now a monk, he is forced to return to his dark and absurd childhood home to clear his name. He teams up with Ava Germaine, a renegade ex-model. And together, they investigate the depraved and lawless modeling industry behind Cecil’s family fortune.

They find erotic canes, pet rats living in crystal castles, and dresses made of crushed butterfly wings. But Cecil finds more truth in the luxury goods than in the people themselves. Everyone he meets seems to be wearing a person-suit. Terrified of showing their true selves, the glitterati put on flamboyant public personas to make money and friends. Can Cecil find truth in a world built on lies?

Book 1 in the Visage Series.

Free Shipping. Read a preview below.

The Happiest Place on Earth

Take a stroll down 'Main Street USA' to watch the electric light parade, while chomping on your Mickey Mouse ice cream. Disney, worth US$262 billion in late 2020, is one of the largest media conglomerates in the world. The brand evokes a nostalgia for traditional American values. 

Homeless = Disney World Employees

Walt Disney World employees are not the happiest people on Earth, as many of them are homeless parents, according to the Associated Press. At a starting salary of $8.03 an hour, many workers cannot pay the average rent in Orlando Florida, at $800 a month. 

1,300 families in Osceola County, Florida are living out of hotels because there are no homeless shelters. 

Dead Bodies in the Haunted Mansion

Detailed in the 1994 book Mouse Tales by David Koenig, a family asked Disney if they could have some 'extra time' at the Haunted Mansion ride to hold a memorial for their 7-year-old son. However, extra time was not all they wanted. They sprinkled his ashes over the side of the train car. Since then, reports of ash scattering over various rides at Walt Disney World has become common. A rumor says that employees are trained to spot signs. 

Disney Jail

More funny than sinister, there is a rumored ‘Disney Jail’ at the Disney Parks.

According to the Los Angeles Times, "Disneyland has a jail for disruptive guests. They're typically held in a security office until Anaheim police arrive."

Shoplifting, vaping, and being a disorderly drunk seem to land you in this somewhat satirically named room by Disney Security.

Disney Jail is the only jail for me.