Slum chic

Fashion, as we have seen any number of times knows no bounds, shows no shame - see my previous iNeedle post Is this the most tasteless fashion shoot ever? And just when I thought the answer must surely be no, along comes America's Next Top Model's recent Carmen Miranda fashion shoot in a São Paulo favela - which, we are reliably informed by the deeply informed Mr Jay, “are neighborhoods that were originally built by the poor.” To which La Tyra herself later adds, they're “kind of like the hood”. Basically, what we're shown here is stylishly-lit snippets of grinding global poverty as a backdrop for the frivolous excesses of the rich world. Haute couture, low taste. (The clip is about eight minutes long but you get the picture within one.)