In the summer of 2006, Mac McClelland left flood-ravaged New Orleans to volunteer as an English teacher in Thailand. Armed with a freshly-minted creative writing MFA and plenty of experience with squat toilets, McClelland was as prepared as anyone possibly could be for the situation in which she found herself: cohabiting with political refugees (terrorists, if you opt for our government’s parlance), ensnared in the fall-out of a civil war she hadn’t even known existed. Last week, the Mother Jones human rights reporter wrapped up her book tour with readings from For Us Surrender Is Out of the Question: A story from Burma’s never-ending war at Tulane University and the University of New Orleans. Here, she gives a few words about genocide, the differences between refugees and evacuees, and why, after 61 years of fighting, the Karen and the Burmese dictatorship find it next-to-impossible to give peace a chance.

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One of the pleasanter aspects of being special sections editor is that every month, I get to pick an exceptionally attractive person (or people, on really good months) to feature as a model for CUE’s fashion spreads. Whether it’s due to some virulent strain of hotness in the swamp water, a serendipitous side effect of miscegenation, or meticulous Southern belle and beau grooming habits, I can’t say, but Louisiana seems to breed hotties at a pace that rivals the reproduction rates of a nutria.

Enter the modeling masterminds at Launch Agency and John Robert Powers New Orleans, who have partnered with CUE to present the Modern Models Search Louisiana. We’ve joined forces to suss out the lithe, the high-cheekboned, the preternaturally tall and the freakishly good-looking from Chalmette to Shreveport. The contest’s winner will appear in a CUE fashion spread and receive a trip to the International Presentation of Performers (IPOP) conference (air fare, lodging and entrance fee paid). Submit your photos and stats to modernmodels@gmail.com by April 30 or check out the Facebook page or latest issue of CUE (on newsstands now) for guidelines.

For your viewing pleasure, I give you Brad Alphonso and Skylar McCartney, two locals who launched their fashion careers at IPOP and have gone on to sign contracts with Wilhelmina Models and NEXT Models International. Home-grown beauty, indeed.

It’s a little shameful to admit that, although I’m the fashion editor here at Gambit and therefore a more-or-less professional shopper, I’ve never set foot in Anthropologie. So I can only nod blankly when my peers wax poetic about the high-end home and clothing retailer due to open its first New Orleans location this August in the Canal Place mall. During said waxing (proselytizing?) Anthropologie customers assume aggressively beatific expressions indicative of the ultimate retail speedball: total shopping contentment cut with frenzied material desire. I don’t know what Anthropologie is putting in the Kool-Aid, but I want a taste.

New Orleans artist and self-avowed “Anthro girl” Sarah Ashley Longshore, whose chair line exemplifies the distinctive Anthropologie aesthetic (sweet but not cloying, old-fashioned but not geriatric, chic but not sterile, whimsical but not twee), explains the store’s allure this way:

They are an absolutely amazing company to work with because they completely maintain my artistic integrity. When I heard they were opening a store in New Orleans, I was beyond elated! Having them here in my home city makes me happy, because I know that through their incredible design and products (including my own), this city will be a more interesting place!

It’s hard to imagine this city being more interesting than it already is, but anything is possible, especially when dealing with a company whose Web site features bees that bombinate and skirts that undulate with the pass of a curious cursor. Until the store opens, we will have to content ourselves with these digital fixes–or a trip to the Baton Rouge location.

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It-girl darling and fashion wunderkind Zac Posen is growing up gracefully–and so is the woman for whom he designs.

[I'm] creating a collection that feels youthful but is not about being focused toward young people. I really wanted to create a collection that had age diversity, so we could get daughters, mothers and grandmothers into it. This is about the beginning of building a new lifestyle.

At the March 2 launch of Z Spoke, his new line of utilitarian, minimalist sportswear characterized by edgy detailing and bold primary colors, Posen chatted with Gambit about the challenges and rewards of designing for women of diverse ages, sizes and income levels.

Look for the next issue of Gambit’s CUE, on newsstands Tuesday, March 23, for a full write-up of the interview.