Some intellectuals argue that models, genetically gifted to don designer duds down the catwalk aren't the best writers. Ivy Leaguers at Princeton University may beg to differ, dispelling the "dumb model" stereotype with its course "Model Memoirs: The Life Stories of International Fashion Models."

The course "explores the life-writing of American, African and Asian women in the fashion industry as a launching point for thinking about race, gender and class."

A sample reading list on the Princeton registrar's Web page, includes memoirs from Sudanese and Somalian models Alek Wek and Waris Dirie. The class is being offered through the Comparative Literature and African-American Studies departments and will feature guest speakers from the fashion industry.