Craig Arend of
Altamira has a really interesting
interview with Faith Kates up on his site. As far as modeling goes, Faith is a pretty important figure in the industry considering that she started
Next Model Management. Next is home to models like Abbey Lee, Karmen, Anja, Anna J, Catherine and Karlie, so it's definitely one of the heavy hitters agency wise.
The interview is a very good read if you're interested in models and how their careers develop. There isn't an outright mention of Freja, but while I was reading some of Faith's comments Freja did come to my mind:
"...I think that in our world...when a girl starts, if you have one of the three or 4 really important photographers behind you, that's the girls that are making it. So if you have Steven Meisel, you have Mario Testino, you have a Craig McDean, you have a David Sims... you have one of those guys behind you, you're in."
"The photographers and the magazines have all the power. Designers are important, don't get me wrong. They are very important. But I think it goes first with if you can get to the photographer. There are some girls that are really photographers girls."
One of the reasons I admire Freja so much is because she's managed to become successful
without the huge support of a major photographer. On her level of modeling, she is the only girl I can think of who's the exception to the rules Faith speaks about above. Coco, Daria, Stam, and Elise all had Meisel's blessing. Catherine was a Testino girl through and through. But Freja? I really believe she built her career by staying true to her own individuality, knowing her strong suits, and playing off of her physical strengths. Yes, Karl is a huge supporter of her now, but at the very beginning of her career Freja made a name for herself on the strength of her modeling abilities. I know I'm biased, but I think that even to non-fans, her charm and appeal are undeniable and her face is truly gorgeous. Her androgynous characteristics merely heighten her appeal in that they provide a complimentary (and perhaps contradictory) contrast to her feminine beauty. Most girls are lucky enough to get the backing of top photographers, but only once in a blue moon is a girl lucky and talented enough to get to where Freja is without their help.
"You don't have to care about clothes...I don't think you have to love clothes. I don't think you have to dislike clothes. I just think you have to know how to wear clothes and know what feels good and right on you."
Reading this brought to my mind Freja's street style. To be frank, I'm bored with the way she looks off the runway because she's utterly predictable. Black, leather, black and more black. But even though I feel this way, I still think Freja looks good every time I see a new street style pic. And it's because of what Faith refers to above. Freja absolutely knows what is right for her and she sticks to it with unwavering loyalty. She doesn't experiment like Iekeliene, Irina, Kinga or Hanne because that wouldn't fit with her modeling persona. She wears clothes that look right on her and probably feel good to her. And she's most definitely mastered the art of minimalist chic with an androgynous flair. This might sound cliched and frivolous, but I really believe that when you feel good and comfortable about the clothes you wear those feelings translate to other parts of your life, and people are innately drawn to that.
I think that if I ever saw Freja wearing a dress off the runway I would laugh. But oddly enough, she looks perfectly normal wearing a dress on the runway. Go figure. It's amazing how much the
context can impart the meaning in a situation. Anyway, what do you think about Freja's street style? Why do you think Freja's been able to attain her level of success? Sometimes I think I can be so biased that I lose all ability to even conceive of a different viewpoint, so yours are welcome.
Image Credits: altamira.blogspot
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