A is for Androgyny

Happy 4th of July weekend to all the Americans out there! And if you're not in the US, I'm sorry you don't get a three day weekend. Maybe this will help get you through the day.

I came across an old issue of Interview magazine with a Freja editorial inside. We saw scans but I remember them being a little iffy, so I've re-scanned because it's a beautiful editorial.

A is for Androgyny
Interview Magazine September 2008
Ph: Mikael Jannson

Note the presence of Sara Blomqvist, a rising young model from Sweden. You can currently see her in the new FW0910 D&G ad campaign, and you can expect to see her on many of the big runways this upcoming season. She had a good showing last season opening Missoni and closing Miu Miu, but I think (and hope) she'll really break out this season.

Sara presents a welcome alternative to the current dominating crop of Eastern European blonds. She's edgy and unique with a feminine touch, much like Freja. And she's absolutely wonderful in editorials like this and this. With such presence like that, I really hope we see much more of her, hopefully in another editorial together with Freja. They make such a striking and strong pair.

And she's a Freja fan as well! Here is what she said about her in a Pony Ryder interview:

PONY RYDER: You did an editorial with model star Freja Beha. How was it? Any tips from the star herself? How do you think you fit in the photo-story with Freja, who has such a unique look?

SARA: I love Freja, she is SO beautiful! The shoot was quite intimate, since we were hugging and looking into each others eyes in almost every picture, but it was fine. She is such a pleasant person! I think we looked really good together, didn't you? :P

I know I always say that I'm tired of seeing Freja in androgynous shoots, but when it's done right and so in-your-face I just love it! Happy fourth and stay safe!

Image Credits: My scans

Jumping for Joy in J Brand Jeans

Following up on this previous post, the rest of the images from Freja's J Brand Jeans ad campaign have been released along with a short statement via fashionweekdaily:

(NEW YORK) You may know Freja Beha Erichsen more for her turns down the runways than for her denim, but the leggy beauty is about to take a turn posing in blue jeans--and black jeans, and tie-dye jeans, and...you get the point. Photographer Jan Walters shot Erichsen for J Brand's Fall 2009 ad campaign, styled by Sophie de Rakoff. "We wanted people to look at the campaign and feel a sense of lightness and freedom," said Susie Crippen, J Brand's co-founder and creative director. "Happiness." Lightness and freedom we get--Erichsen's frolicking in the super-skinny, cropped, high-waisted, tie-dyed and distressed denim will inspire plenty of ladies to do the same. The ad campaign will appear in Elle, Vogue, W and Harper's Bazaar, as well as outdoor media in New York.

In my opinion, J Brand could not have chosen a better model for their campaign (although I admit to being a little biased). I think it's generally agreed upon that Freja has some of the best legs in the business, so they're the perfect apparatus for showcasing jeans. Lucky New Yorkers should definitely keep their eyes out for massive billboards featuring 100 feet tall Frejas. Also, do you think this means that Freja has to give up her trusty Ksubi Jeans now that she's J Brand's girl? :)

Out of the five images, my favorite is still the first one that we got to see.

Freja's slight smirk and body pose give the image a very whimsical, lighthearted feel that most deftly captures the campaign concept as stated in the quote above. The rest kind of seem like they belong in a US Vogue jumping editorial photographed by David Sims. That isn't necessarily a bad thing, but I just think it's something we're all tired of.

Also, seeing all of these images immediately brought to my mind this old Harper's Bazaar editorial:

Yes? Isn't it amazing how things can concurrently seem different, yet exactly the same? I guess there are only so many poses one can do while jumping in the air. And yet it makes you wonder why various fashion magazines will always feature the obligatory jumping model editorial? Maybe I wouldn't complain so much if they gave Freja a shot at one of those. :)

Image Credits: fashionweekdaily.com, bwgreyscale

Teen Vogue

There is a little feature on Freja's street style in the August issue of Teen Vogue:

The section is appropriately titled "Tough Chic" and also features Karmen Pedaru, another model favorite of mine. I think this is probably the closest I'll ever get to seeing them in a shoot together. I like how they're similarly dressed, but the devil is in the details. Freja wears Chanel boots and carries Balenciaga, while Karmen opts for Frye boots and carries Chanel. Freja tucks and Karmen un-tucks, yet both push up their sleeves. Karmen also adds a very cool lariat around her neck and it's small details like that that absolutely have me enthralled with model street style.

I'm sure some people find model street style boring and predictable. You always get a proliferation of black, leather, skinny jeans, heels, tees and it-bags. I don't care how repetitive it may seem--I love it. And if you look closely enough you can always find the little things that make each outfit special and unique.

The best thing about a feature like this is that they give you suggestions for where to shop if you want to re-create the look at home, because not everyone can afford Balenciaga.

Image Credit: Altamira.blogspot.com

Chanel!

The first images for the Chanel campaign have arrived. A very large thank you is owed to tFS member Northern Star for scanning and posting the images. (If you're a member of tFS please remember to give him karma and/or say thanks.)

I literally gasped from surprise when I first saw the images. They're not what I was expecting at all after seeing the runway collection, but that isn't a bad thing. In fact, I'm happy to be caught off guard by Karl. I usually find his photography and concepts somewhat predictable and staid. But I think this concept is a departure for him.

It's quite difficult to determine what an entire campaign will end up looking like based on two images, but I think we have a good feel for things to come. What I'm most surprised about is the way the images appear to be from very old albums. There is a sepia tone effect; and that combined with the outdoor setting makes the images seem like snapshots of the American Old West.

Consequently, this causes a very interesting juxtaposition. If you can recall, the collection had many aspects of modernity and technology front and center. Most notably, these bags designed with compartments for your iPod, earphones and anything else you would need as a modern woman. The bag addresses the needs of today, yet the campaign images hark back to an bygone era. I don't really know what this means if anything but it's intriguing nonetheless.

I also wonder if there will be narrative development throughout the rest of the images? What's the story behind these two women? Why are they in such an embrace? Is Heidi exhibiting signs of Puritan restraint by keeping her hands in her pockets? I also get that Puritan vibe from the high, buttoned up collars and long skirts. And since we're dealing with two women I get a Children's Hour vibe as well. The Children's Hour is a famous play set at an all-girls boarding school in the 1930s. Two of the headmistresses are accused of having a lesbian affair and a lot of drama and tragedy ensue.

Goodness, as I think about it more there seem to be so many references contributing to these images. So far, I get the American Old West, Puritanism and the Children's Hour. But that could just be me and my tendency to over analyze. I really hope we get some sounds bytes or quotes from Karl citing his inspirations for this campaign. Any other thoughts out there? Do you see some obvious references that I miss?

One last thing I noticed right off the bat....this is the first ad campaign to so strikingly address the speculation around Freja's sexuality. She's locked in an embrace of questionable nature with another woman, and this is at the forefront of the image in a major label campaign. Are the other images going to address this as well? Is this why Karl went back to Freja for this campaign? Or maybe this reading is too colored by my prior assumptions so I'm seeing something that isn't necessarily there?

So many questions. I'll be able to edit down my thoughts as more images are released, which will hopefully be soon!

Image Credits: Scanned by tFS member Northern Star, style.com

J Brand Jeans

New Ad! Hooray! Thanks to tFS member s'ngac we have this preview of Freja jumping for J Brand jeans. I didn't even know that J Brand had ads. Maybe they just run them in other countries because I don't think I've seen them in magazines here in the US.

Freja looks wonderful and so vibrant here. The movement is dynamic and not awkward at all. You know how jumping pictures can sometimes distort the jumper's face? That doesn't happen here because Freja looks as gorgeous as ever. I have several pairs of J Brands so I can most definitely attest that they make a fabulous pair of jeans. They have various cuts and lengths but their 10" skinnies are my favorite. They fit like a dream and really do elongate and slim down your silhouette. I love seeing Freja as the campaign girl for a brand that I trust and know very well.

But enough of my gushing. This ad campaign adds to an already stellar campaign season for Freja. Things are quite different from even just one year ago. If you had told me back then that Freja would have an official website with blog, be the Chanel and Gucci girl again, and be in Gap and J Brand ads (both very commercial brands) I would have thought you were crazy. Amazing how things can turn around in such a short time.

Makes me wonder what role IMG and the recession has in all of this. When Forbes released their list of top earning models for this year, everyone could see that there was a significant drop in the amount of money brought in by all top earners compared to last year. (Giselle alone made $10 million less.) The recession is real and the financial crisis is being felt in all industries by all people. Fashion and it's models are no exception.

With this in mind, we know Freja is one of the top girls at IMG. She's had perfume contracts and many blue chip campaigns. She isn't on the level of Giselle, but a model like Freja is for sure a cash cow for IMG. Sorry to be so blunt, but that's the way it is. I wonder if they had anything to do with her growing out her hair again and starting a website? Perhaps they are nudging her away from the androgynous, rebel image she's had for a while now, and pushing her towards an image of commercial viability once again? Gap isn't high fashion, but it sure does bring in a lot of money and that's what IMG needs right now. And regardless of what we'd all like to think, IMG is a business first and foremost and they have a bottom line. I've touched on these thoughts before. But maybe I'm being paranoid and over-analyzing things. Any thoughts?

Image Credits: Picture taken by tFS member s'ngac!

Round 2

There was a decent response to round 1 so here is the next round. Vote for your favorite (either in name or in concept) by leaving a comment, anonymous or otherwise.

And just so you know, Freidi got the most votes last round but for each new round the slate is wiped clean.

Frily


McBeha


Frina


Freidi


Fragdalena

I'm still partial to Fragdalena so it gets my vote. I had to throw out Lareja and Crombeha because they didn't receive any votes. And instead of drawing this out, after this round there will only be one more round.

Thanks to all who voted and will vote. It's nice to be silly sometimes!

Also, RIP MJ. :(

Image Credits: coolhunt, fashion_shows, Firstview

London Fashion Week News

Interesting news tidbit: Jonathan Saunders is going to show his collection in London this upcoming season. He joins the likes Burberry, Pringle of Scotland and Matthew Williamson in moving his show to back to LDN in order to celebrate the 25th anniversary of London Fashion Week.

Apparently, he may not be the last designer to announce such a return. We should expect some more announcements soon, as there are supposedly "talks going on with other big names who we're confident will come back," said Harold Tillman, president of the British Fashion Council.

I wonder who he could be referring to? Maybe Alexander McQueen? Or Stella McCartney? And what does this have to do with Freja? Well, she's never walked in London before, yet most of the shows moving there so far are ones that she traditionally walks in (with Burberry being the most consistent runway job).

Does this mean that we might see Freja make her first appearance on the British catwalks? Or does this mean less runway shows for her in the other three cities? She was just in London recently so it's not like she's never been there for work. But I wonder, will she break tradition and part with what I'm sure is her much needed rest week between New York and Milan to walk all the shows now showing in London? Or will the upcoming SS season be just another disappointment for Freja fans like her past two unexpectedly truncated SS seasons? I guess these are just some more questions that we won't get answers to until September. Sigh. At least as Freja fans we're used to being patient between sightings. Still sucks though.

Burberry Prorsum FW0910


Pringle of Scotland SS09


Jonathan Saunders FW0910

Image Credits: Style.com