Miss J. Puts Cathy Horyn Through Her Paces

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We dare you to read this New York Times' profile and not sit up a little straighter in your chair when Miss J. Alexander, America's Next Top Model coach/judge and model-trainer extraordinaire, corrects Cathy Horyn's posture.

Miss J. was a model, typically in drag, before Elite hired him to train its new models, and if he can train them, the logic goes, he can train anyone. So he has a new book out, called Follow the Model: Miss J's Guide to Unleashing Presence, Poise and Power, which at this point we're pretty sure we have to take a look at. He also gave Cathy Horyn a runway lesson, commanding her to walk while thinking: "I hate my teeth, I hate the world today. I'm getting paid 10 grand. I'm starving. I want a sandwich."

What this article is really missing is some good video, because it sounds like at the drop of a hat Miss J. can duplicate the signature walk of any runway star from the past 30 years, and that is something we would very much like to see. While talking to Horyn he shows the walks of everyone from Carmen Kass to Naomi Cambell, with some models we had never heard of thrown in for good measure.

The article is full of too many fantastic quotes, from the observant and insightful, "fashion, while striving to be shocking or different, generally yields to conformity," from Cathy to the awesome Miss J. coining "fladunkasaurus" to describe Claudia Schiffer's lumbering walk. Miss J. also gives tips, like always unbutton a jacket from the bottom up, because J. says it creates a better line. Yes, maestro.
· It Was No Walk in the Park [NYT]