Women to Bare It All for Rain

SYDNEY (Reuters) - Hundreds of women from drought-ravaged southern Australia plan to bare it all to the heavens in a bid to make it rain.

Inspired by a Nepalese drought-breaking tradition, the women from Ouyen in the far northwest of Victoria state will carry out a naked rain dance in the barren outback in early March, just ahead of the planting season for the next crop.

"We'll invite all the families from all the communities around in the Mallee (region) who are suffering from the drought, we'll all get together and have food and entertainment all day," said organizer Lynne Healy of the Ouyen Inc community group.

"And the women will get on buses and discreetly go out to a secret location and we will do our dance or our whatever," Healy told Reuters on Wednesday.

Unexpected publicity means the rain dance will probably attract many more than the 200 women the organizers originally expected to take part -- but the media will not be invited.

"It'll be totally nude, hence no cameras," Healy said.

Cosmo Taps New Fashion Chief
By Jenny Bailly FWD

Cosmopolitan has a new fashion leader. Michelle Maguire, currently senior editor, sittings and beauty at Glamour, will join the magazine December 16 as fashion director.

Maguire replaces Elaine Farley. After four years as Cosmo's fashion and beauty director, Farley left the Hearst title in October to return to Conde Nast as Self's beauty director. Before a stint as Sports Illustrated's swimsuit editor, she had spent four years as fashion editor at Glamour.

Farley wasn't Self's first pick though to replace Anne Breza, who left the magazine. Shape beauty director Valerie Latona initially accepted the position, but reneged at the last minute, opting to stay at her old job.

After Farley stepped in to take the Self gig, Rachel Hayes, previously Cosmo's deputy beauty director, was promoted to beauty director, but the fashion portion of Farley's post has remained unfilled until now.

Before joining Glamour in 2000, Maguire held editorial positions at Allure, including beauty sittings editor and accessories editor. In her new position, she will report to Kate White, editor-in-chief of Cosmopolitan.