Models vs Actresses, Round One

by Ben Widdicombe (Subscribe to Ben Widdicombe's posts)
Posted Feb 17th 2009 at 3:56PM

Watch out Katie Holmes, Kate Winslet, and even Diane Keaton--the supermodels have declared war on actresses who are taking their jobs in fashion and beauty campaigns.

Top German model Julia Stegner is at New York Fashion Week as the Brand Ambassador for the week's sponsor, Mercedes Benz. And she's itching for a fight!

"I'm happy the supermodels are coming back," she told StyleList backstage at Mercedes' VIP Star Lounge. "I think we should take away the jobs that all the actresses are trying to take from us. Because you know what, being in an advertising campaign is not a job for an actress, it's a job for a model. Otherwise all the models are going to get together and steal all the acting jobs."

Celeb Sightings

Musician Hilary Duff attends the DKNY Fall 2009 fashion show during Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week on February 15, 2009 in New York City.

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Singer Kanye West and actors Jared Leto,Chase Crawford and Patrick Wilson attend the Calvin Klein Menswear Fall 2009 fashion show during Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week on February 15, 2009 in New York City.

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Rapper Lupe Fiasco, rapper Kanye West and actress/designer Milla Jovovich attend the Y-3 Autumn/Winter 2009-10 fashion show during Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week at Pier 40 on February 15, 2009 in New York City.

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Actors Mischa Barton and Minka Kelly attends the Miss Sixty Fall 2009 fashion show during Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week in the Tent at Bryant Park on February 15, 2009 in New York City.

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Musician Rufus Wainwright (L) attends the Miss Sixty Fall 2009 fashion show during Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week in the Tent at Bryant Park on February 15, 2009 in New York City.

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Michelle Trachtenberg, Jessica Stroup and Adrianne Palicki attend the Jill Stuart Fall 2009 fashion show during Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week in Astor Hall at the New York Public Library on February 16, 2009 in New York City.

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Reggie Bush, Kim Kardashian, Nicky Hilton, Paris Hilton and Kellie Pickler attend the Tracy Reese Fall 2009 fashion show during Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week in the Salon at Bryant Park on February 16, 2009 in New York City.

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Designer Donna Karan (L) and actress Milla Jovovich attend the Donna Karan Collection Fall 2009 fashion show during Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week on February 16, 2009 in New York City.

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Actress Julia Stiles attends the Cynthia Rowley Fall 2009 fashion show during Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week on February 16, 2009 in New York City.

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Nicky Hilton (L) and Paris Hilton attend the William Rast Fall 2009 fashion show during Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week in the Tent at Bryant Park on February 16, 2009 in New York City.

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She reflects on that with a wry smile. "I don't know if we'll succeed, but ..."

Miss Stegner's sense of humor is rare in a high-gloss world where so many of her fellow mannequins can find it difficult even to talk about the clothes they're paid so much to wear. And at the tender age of 24, she's happy to declare: "I'm old! I'm a fashion grandmother!"

She tells me: "I was almost 15 years old when I was discovered at the Oktoberfest in Munich, where I'm from. I was with a couple of friends and an agent came by and said, 'do you want to be a model,' and the rest is history. But I did finish high school first, and started modeling full time when I was 18. But now when I do a show I'm ten years older than some of the girls--that's insane."

Also remarkable is the advice she would give to her younger self after a decade in the business.

"Don't say no to so many jobs!" she says with that wicked grin. "At the time my family was most important so I did say no to a lot of jobs that now I would never say no to! But you know, I'm still around and I'm still working, so I must have done something right."

**Also spotted yesterday at Fashion Week: Justin Timberlake deejaying backstage in the W Hotels Lounge to an audience of one, his mom, Lynn! He seemed to be enjoying the downtime with his number one fan.