If There's A Chance She'll Break, She's Gonna Smash It To Pieces

Hi pretty people! Please accept my deepest apologies for being absent lately, university can be a witch of a different letter. I advise you all to rethink that extremely snarky email you write to a teaching assistant that falsely accuses you of plagiarizing yourself. Though hilarious in its witticisms and wordplay, it may not come off as endearing to some individuals.

This is a roundabout way of telling you that I will be addressing my inbox of praise, marriage proposals, and vicious spam over the holidays with sugar, spice, and/or bitchy delights. Happy farking Christmas to all, and to all a good night!

More importantly, these last couple of weeks have been oddly eventful for Freja, with the announcement of three campaigns and a couple other odds and ends. First up was an appearance in V Magazine's model issue (aka #74, Winter 2011). She was shot by Terry Richardson for the spread, and then cropped into the shot by means of photo shop. Not the most artistic of endeavours, but they put her beside Daria, which is almost too much gorgeous northern starry-ness to handle at once.

We also have a collection of the photos Terry took of Freja for this shoot, courtesy of the man's insistence on documenting every moment he spends with anybody awesome, which is just about everybody he spends moments with. Say what you want about his morals and ethics, but that's one thing that we can be thankful for. (Dear Lady Gaga, I hope you can see how very hard I am trying here. Like really trying.)

Yeah, so that happened, and the Europeans were like "yeh yeh yeh...", and the Americans were like "Gaga, pass the cranberry sauce," and then everyone was like "FREJA HAS BREAST CANCER! THINGS WILL NEVER BE THE SAME AGAIN!". And I, sitting at my computer reading emails in a place that looks a lot like Sweden, just with snow, decided that Freja fans had officially won the Non Sequitur of the Century Award, narrowly beating out everything Jo Thornley has ever said. I mean seriously you guys, what the fuck.

All of this was spurred on by what should have been like really happy news, being the reveal of paparazzi photos of Freja and Arizona Muse in matching Chloe dresses somewhere in California, which was later identified as a shoot for the French fashion house's spring 2012 campaign. But you know, it was an honest mistake by worried fans, so don't worry about this time too much. Just keep in mind that the moment you believe one rumour, the less likely you are to see the next one coming on the horizon.

The moral of this story is that Freja has armpits and a Chloe campaign, not mammogram scars.

So getting back to important business, what do we think about Freja bagging Chloe? Any Sigrid fans totally pissed off? While I commiserate with my second favorite Frenchie, I'm pleased that Freja has gotten another Chloe campaign: she's always been able to carry off the minimalist 70s look rather charmingly.

Finally, we also learned that Freja will be starring in the S/S 2012 campaign for HUGO by Hugo Boss! All that has been released thus far is a solitary photo of her playing at 30 seconds with Sean O'Pry, but there will surely be more along shortly with the German fashion darlings being so promotionally driven.

Well, that's it for now, but I'm sure I'll be back with more news in a mo... If you're feeling  particularly bored between this and the next post, you can play "I spy with my bionic eye something referring to Melanie C" with this post. In the meantime, I hope you all have an excellent Christmakah/Ramadan/Kawanza/Festivus/etc!

Peace, love (actually), and floating,
Gill Ford

P.S.: Hats off to Atlantic Canada for being an excellent Christmas destination. City of Lakes for the win!

Photos courtesy of models.com, terrysdiary, and tFS user Bigmax


* "Think About It" is the lead single from Melanie C's fifth studio album, The Sea, just released the past September. Written and recorded in Copenhagen, it probs would have been even more successful if she released the remixed version (a la "I Turn To You"), but we love the Katy Perry-esque track anyway. The Sea has been quite well received by critics, and is probably one of her better records to date. You should buy it. Not just because it's great, but because Mel is an absolute sweetheart, and we were BFFs at a German airport once in 2007. Sometimes, I'm jealous of me too.

The World Tied in the Palm of Her Hand

Never let the doubt get you down friends. It was only a matter of days ago when everyone was proclaiming the end of Freja's professional relationship with Karl Lagerfeld, but to say such preconceived notions of demise were premature were obviously, well, premature. I think it's time we all surrendered ourselves to the fact that in the Kaiserchief's band, Freja is the metaphorical cowbell, and we just can't get enough (re: we just can't get enough).

All of this is a roundabout way of retelling you all how the Great Dane is now featured in the newest Karl-shot campaign for French luxury department store, Printemps. I'm sure you will all be pleased to hear that Freja is bedecked in the glory of Chanel for the campaign, so that connection seems to remain semi-stable as well.

The Christmas campaign, which is visible even now on Printemps' website, depicts Karl's eternal muse holding the world, like every other heavily-depended-upon individual, in the palms of her hands. If you didn't catch the subliminal message I projected there, the moral of the story is that Karl thinks Freja's awesome, Printemps thinks Freja's awesome, and the advertising world thinks Freja's awesome, so I still have a job, and you lot still have orgasms. What seems to have been lost along the way are Freja's pants, but that's okay, because it means I can mention Lady Gaga in what is becoming a stream of pop music/culture references.

If any of you are interested, Karl is also designing the store windows for la grand magasin. You can have a peek at the frightful results (I'm not going to be judgmental, but there are dolls. So I judge "psychologically disturbed".) and Vanessa Paradis (who is there for no apparent reason, beyond being a pretty, French lady, or a pretty French lady) over at the linked website, or by clicking here. You can also rock on over and check out the windows for previous seasons, which were more fun, and will inspire less mental distress.

But for those of you only here for Freja, here's the making of for her side of the campaign. It is documented proof of everything I have said in this post. It's also always interesting to see the interactions between model and photographer. Personally, I was expecting Karl's instructions to be much more descriptive, as opposed to whistling and to-the-pointedness, but the man is German, after all.

So given the theme of the campaign (globe-trotting and stuff), what are you all doing for Christmas/the holidays? Any big plans? Please keep in mind that if you are leaving your present location for the tropics in order to avoid the snow, I will have no choice but to think of you as less than a person. Even Karl's evil little clone dolls like snow.

Peace, love, and floating,
Gill Ford

*"Spirit" is a totes brill song from Eric Burdon & War. It is one of the few songs in history that should never be criticized for a lack of cowbell. Incidentally, if you haven't heard of War, it will be declared upon you. Here's a Copenhagen performance from 1971, because we love Denmark so much.


Photos courtesy of printemps.com

Via, Via, Vieni Via Con Me

I've received a few requests to review Freja's spot for Valentino's Valentina fragrance, so I suppose that is what I'll do now in this spare minute. Directed by the incomparable Johan Renck, it's totes brill. But first of all, you lot should watch it, seeing as you probably haven't already. If you like, you can interpret that as a generalized slight at your collective inability to find shit on your own without my help. Now SHUT YOUR WHORE MOUTHS, Paolo is singing:

I especially like the 49-second segment where they shout "VALENTINA!" with varying amounts of vocal and auditory strain. Not only did they save money on script writers, they ensured that viewers went away with a solid memory of what the product was called, which is more than I can say for those various commercials concerning erectile dysfunction. Now, we can split hairs about how I can probably relate more strongly to an admirably rebellious birthday girl than I can to a depressed man with a broken penis, but in the grand scheme of things, we're talking about good advertising here, not semantics.

Sorry for the crude language, I haven't met my Sunday quota.

What I think is particularly interesting about this commercial is that as opposed to selling just a product, Valentino is clearly marketing a lifestyle, or personality, if you will. With many brands, we see the discrimination between the product and the individual who is selling it to us; in this case, Freja is playing the role of a girl named "Valentina". So what we learn from the commercial is that buying the Valentina fragrance is like buying the essence of this girl we see ditching the public celebration of her birthday for a night out with friends. She's wealthy and glamorous, but she's not phased by running about through Roma in her heels. She's fun, she knows what she wants, and she will bloody well get what she wants when she wants it. Even if she has to leap out a window.

But I'm not too snazzy when it comes to advertising. The blatant stuff, anyhow. Preferring the more artistic side of things, I have always been a little dismissive of campaigns, with the exception of the odd one that is just beauteous. This one is wonderfully shot, with the dark tones vibrant with a warmth that you feel with the elevation of yellow tones as opposed to blues (which would provide a much darker atmosphere.

Camera views are dynamic, which allow the viewer to feel like they are trotting along through the entire sequence. But this is an important thing: We are always following Valentina, always viewing things from the perspective of someone who isn't quite on her level, whether it be tracking her from above on a terrace, or from across the street. We see her progress, but we are not a part of her world. And what does this do to us? It makes us want to be (I use "us" loosely, because most of the people reading this already wanted that anyway. But I'm just saying, Valentino covered their bases excellently.).

You wanted my opinion. Well that's all I have to say. So I'll throw in Freja's as well. She probably says something about it being "rock 'n roll" (because honestly, doesn't she always?), but I'm sure you will appreciate her perspective as well.

Yeah, so what she said, and what I said, that's all that's been said. So what are you lot saying?

Peace, love, and floating,
Gill Ford

"Via Con Me" is a song by an Italian fellow name Paolo Conte. We like him. 

O! How The Mighty Hath Fallen!

...

Yeah, I'm just kidding. The news was released yesterday via Tweety Bird and fashion journalist Jim Shi that Freja "Face of Chanel" Beha will NOT be the face of Chanel for 2012. Well, he didn't say so explicitly, but he didn't really have to. Whatever, here's the tweet:

I'm guessing you are all well pissed off right now right? Like on a Richter scale, you're the equivalent of that earthquake in Turkey? And to think, you're all just walking about, ready to explode at any unsuspecting stranger...

Well. I understand the anger, truly, I do. Freja has been the Chanel girl for what, the last five seasons? It has become a constant, expected thing. Some of you might not have been there at the beginning of fashion season, but I was, and this is what happened:

Naive Person: "Will Freja open Chanel? Will she close? Will she be in the campaign?"
The Voice of Reason: "Uhm derrrrrr; is the Pope a Catholic?"
Naive Person: "I think he is, actually, yeah."

Of course, the rest went down in history like The Flintstones and now everyone's wondering what the shit just happened. This is the part where I confess that I have NO idea. But somehow, I'm not worried.

Freja has been the Chanel girl for ages, but I think it is really important that we don't become reliant on that single image of her. Despite what advertisers would have us believe, Freja and Chanel are not synonymous. They can exist in unison, or independent of one another harmoniously. It's not as if Freja's career is now over; in fact, I would almost argue that it is quite the opposite: now that Freja is not entirely tied to Chanel, it opens up the opportunity to work for a wider variety of haute couture clients.

Allow me to elaborate on this brilliant little seed germinating in my mind.

For the last two and a half years, the fashion world has been fixated on this notion of Freja being Karl's muse. She is involved with just about everything he does, whether it be magazine editorials, shows, campaigns... even one of those calendars where you strip down and don a strategically-placed yamaclaus as Ms. December in the name of charity. Except that this one had a more artistic spin and was sold to make money for a wealthy tire company in Italy, instead of the children in third world countries.

Golden cod pieces aside, my point is that Freja and Karl have been nigh inseparable for this whole period of time. The problem this poses is that the implicit associations between Freja and Karl, or Freja and Chanel mean that no matter what brand name is on the ad, we will see Freja's face and immediately think "Karl" or "Chanel". I dub this the Lara Stone Conundrum.

For those of you who don't know, Lara Stone is BIG. Big boobs, big lips, big tooth gap. Big eyes that will stare into your guilty little soul. (She used to have a big forehead too, but then her eyebrows rematerialized.) Big attitude: a girl was loitering in front of her once during a show, so she shoved her out of the way. Of the incident, she replied "It was only a few stairs." Lara Stone, to be completely blunt, is sex appeal. And until extremely recently, she had a monopoly on almost EVERY campaign Calvin Klein produced. You used to think "Brooke Shields" or "Kate Moss" when you thought of Calvin Klein, but now it is "Lara Stone".

Fortunately for CK's bank account, this genius marketing ploy goes both ways. If you see Lara somewhere, you don't think "Prada" or "Versus". You think "Calvin Klein". This will take time (and perhaps the new found eyebrows?) to change. So Tom Ford, until further notice, is doing free advertising for Calvin Klein. Just so that you know.

Fortunately for Freja, she has not been as pigeon-holed as Lara Stone. Where the terms of Lara's contract essentially meant she was promoting ONLY Calvin Klein each season, Freja has been busy with campaigns for other labels, not just Chanel. A strong relationship with Valentino has been developing for the last few seasons, as well as a string of H&M and Harry Winston campaigns. Freja is even setting up shop with Denmark's oldest luxury jewelry label Georg Jensen, not just as the company's face, but also as a designer. Earlier this month, she even became a philanthropist, which was totally rad (do we want a post on this?).

Suddenly, Freja and Chanel are looking more like biffles than conjoined twins, am I right?

So in response to the frantic emails pouring into my inbox even as I type this, no, I am not worried. Freja's career will live on for many years, whether she continues to appear in Chanel ads or not. (In fact, chances are that she'll pop up in the eyewear campaign, or maybe even a perfume ad?) Who knows, I wouldn't be surprised if she gets a single-girl campaign for F/W 2012. If Freja and Chanel are done forever, I will happily eat a bolt of tweed, but I hardly think that that is the null hypothesis in this situation.

I, for one, am happy for the girls who did get the campaign. Saskia has been getting a lot of hype the last two seasons, and I am looking forward to seeing how this all turns out for her. And Joan Smalls? When was the last time Chanel had a black girl in their campaign? Racism has been a huge topic in fashion for such a long time, and I think it's great that we are beginning to see some of these barriers broken down.

This is my take on it all, but I know there's a wide range of opinions on this particular subject, so I'll leave the rest to you. If you agree, or disagree, or differ in opinion, I would love to hear what you have to say, and I'm sure everyone else would appreciate another perspective. So please take full advantage of the comment section below!

If you're not comfortable with discussing this at the present time (for whatever reason: shyness, anger-induced silence, carpel tunnel, lack of fingers, whatever), I'll leave you with this: If you can't be happy for Saskia and Joan, be happy for the bright future Freja has ahead of her. She's facing the sun now, but she's definitely not casting any shadows.

Peace, love, and floating,
Gill Ford

P.S.: I'm pleased to see that you are taking full advantage of my email address, and encourage you all to continue to do so as you feel the need. I'll do my best to answer any questions you have, whether they be Freja-related or otherwise. If I'm stumped, I'll try to refer you to someone who's smarter than me (I keep tabs on all three of them) so you can get your business sorted. Today I dealt with some fun issues that included anorexia, lesbians, and what I did on Vladimir Putin's birthday. So you know, anything goes.

P.P.S.: I'm also aware that the night is dark and full of terrors, and you were all left in it for the last five months. So if there is anything that you know happened, or suspect might have happened while you were flailing about like headless chickens, give me a shout and I'll wiggle my fingers about with some scented candles and tea leaves and we'll see what happens.  

The Tale of a Fairy: A Study in Frejanomics and the Catherine McNeil Effect

So, the reviews are already pouring into my inbox and the comment section, and I'm happy to report that you all love me. My ego and I agree that we like you, Freja fans. To be precise, we think each and every individual one of you are a cornucopia of awesomeness (that one's for you, Canadians).

Because I'm just raring to go, I'll chuck this article at you. Written back around the time this blog stopped being updated, it is my own reaction to Karl Lagerfeld's The Tale of a Fairy. On my blog, it generated a fair bit of discussion, and that was just a small group of Freja followers, so no doubt putting it here will give you all something to mull over.

I mentioned a little while ago that this blog would not be about Freja's personal life. I suppose this post makes me a liar, but I think it is necessary to confront this topic specifically at this point in Freja's career, which is quite clearly reaching a tipping point. While initially a sort of cult model, Freja is moving fast towards supermodel status, and with that comes a host of new factors with the potential to influence the future of her life in the fashion world.

So chew on this for a little while. Spit it out if you don't like it. But when you're done, come back and post the bits that got stuck in your teeth. I want to know what the after taste was.

*******

There is little else in the world of fashion that is more exciting than the Chanel Cruise collections, which are shown in wealth-laden/fantastic/breath-taking locations each year. But this event is not anticipated for the clothes so much as for the inevitable euphoria that comes in the form of Kaiser Karl's endeavours into the world of cinema. Last year, he took us to St Tropez with the gripping feature Remember Now. But for 2012, he has really given it his all, travelling down the coast to the Antibes for The Tale of a Fairy (Part 1, Part 2), starring a frighteningly high-strung Kristen McMenamy, a gorgeous-as-ever Anna Mouglalis, and a curiously talkative Freja Beha Erichsen. There's some pretty boys as well.

Karl's filmmaking skills have certainly improved since last season; in terms of the cinematography, it was very well done, and the acting wasn't quite as horrendously embarrassing and discomforting as it was last time around. Of course, nobody really payed any attention to any of that sort of thing. I mean, I would totes magotes have found those facets interesting. I might even have paid attention to the clothes if Anna's numerous admirers were ever wearing any. As it was, I was distracted by the same thing as everyone else, being the Sapphic shenanigans that completely dominated the final 25% of the film, during which 90% of Freja Beha's fans sighed with cathartic satisfaction.

I mean, as scandalous as it is, who really gives a shit that Kristen McMenamy is apparently carrying on with Baptiste Giabiconi, who is apparently her godson? Who cares about how 'pretty' the film looked, or how 'creative' the collection was, or how 'improved' Karl's cinematic skills are? Keeping in mind that we have not been enticed to look forward to this annual event in the expectation of anything Oscar worthy, one would think that the latter might have been noted more by all the highly educated, realistic, and critical viewers who turned up for the affair. As this was not the case, The Tale of a Fairy will be from hereafter referred to as The Time Where Freja and Anna were Pashing in the Lou. Or, for a multitude of others, The Time Where Freja Was Pashing Someone I Didn't Know, But Imagined was Me, in the Lou. 

I don't know what Chanel herself would have to say about all of this, but I have a feeling that it's not really a good sign when the clothes you have made are not just overshadowed, but entirely ignored because you've filmed FBE enjoying the taste of another girl's cherry chapstick. I read an article a few days ago that I found rather interesting, and actually quite relevant to this case here. Under the title "Skinny Again, Crystal Renn," David P Dykes (the irony is killing you all right now, I know) of fashionising.com muses over the famous anorexic-turned-plus-sized model's recent shoot for TUSH with Ellen von Unwerth, and the concept of the "celebrity model," pioneered by (who else) Kate Moss and attempted by various others, none of whom have managed similar success. He notes that "the Catherine McNeil effect" (a.k.a., when the celebrity of a model takes precedence over their work) is one that a number of models have unfortunately fallen victim to as models become ever more interesting to the public. Renn, who is perhaps the most well known plus sized model in fashion right now (seriously, Tyra, shut the fuck up), is remarkably un-plus sized in the shoot. I would particularly like to draw attention to the final part of the article:

[...] when you're a model your career is dependent on helping fashion houses sell clothing and accessories but their target market sees your photos and take in solely the shape of your body, there's a danger for your career.

In the same vein, I am wondering whether Freja's personal life may threaten the longevity of her career. There are many brands making money off of her at the moment (Georg Jensen and Harry Winston, to name a few), and I am curious to know what about her appeal appears to be driving the sales (assuming that there are no confounding variables in the correlations between her being the face of a brand and that brand's sales spikes). Does Freja sell because of her 'look', or does she sell because of the asterix note that reads "lesbian"?

I find it hard to believe that enough people are aware of the numerous rumours surrounding her personal life for there to be any reason but the former. She is (in)famous across the fashion industry and it's followers, but I think it would be ridiculous at this point to suppose that the majority of the general public even know what her name is, let alone what team she purportedly bats for, and that seems to be the best thing for a model. But with Freja's ever-rising popularity and notoriety, I fear that she may find herself falling victim to a similar fate as her rumoured ex (Side note: if this ends up happening, how incredibly tragic is the tale of McBeha? Someone tell Karl. Sure, a tragic film might get you a SAG award, but a tragic film about lesbians? Charlize Theron and Natalie Portman will be the first to attest that those ones win freaking Oscars.). What happens when people do know her name, and even more dauntingly, care enough to investigate what's going on behind the scenes? How will designers (other than Karl, obviously) react to a model who the public views increasingly as "the lesbian model"?

If the most recent pigeon-holing of Freja as "the androgynous model" is anything to go by, labels are hard to shake in an industry where models are meant to be blank canvasses. The boyish cut Freja sported for a couple of years resulted in a drop in her workload that rattled her loyal fanbase. But hair grows back, and once hers did, the pigeon-holing began to happen less frequently, to the point where she is now garnering more attention from designers with more feminine aesthetics. It is my hope that the growing publicity surrounding Freja and her sexuality does not become a limiting factor in what is an already stellar career, but as Dykes so eloquently indicated, fashion is not supposed to be about the model, but the clothes and the message of the brand that model is promoting. Freja is a good model to be sure, but is she good enough for designers to risk including the (sometimes dangerous) term "lesbian" in their list of attributes? I certainly don't care, but then, I am not a market scientist.

Cometh the Catherine, cometh the Freja.

Peace, love, and floating,
Gill Ford

By Way of Introduction

Hello, darling Freja fans...

This is one of the less awkward things I have done in my life, but do not take that to mean it is not an uncomfortable feeling to suddenly take over another girl's blog. My predecessor Rrose Selavy (Chanel bless her soul) has seen fit to leave the Freja Beha blog to me.

As I'm sure you have all been wanting to know for a very long time whether the Freja Beha blog will be continuing, allow me to clear that bit up first and foremost: the answer is YES. Having said that, pertinent readers will note in the byline that this post is not being written by your ever-beloved blogger, but some other person that you've never heard of before, unless you actually read the three or four books she submitted as comments on a few posts here. As opposed to seeing the block of text and making a mental note that reads "tldr". Or you know, maybe you just don't read comments in general.

Well, for those of you in the former group, I am afraid to tell you that chances are optimistic that you should be overwhelmingly pessimistic about what I am going to do to this blog. I am overly fond of words, and do not intend to develop short-windedness any time soon.

Everyone of the latter club, you can stick around. I am very fond of narrow-minded blog readers. Why? Because as long as you're reading what I'm writing, my ego stays bigger than Napoleon's, I keep writing, and the little Frejanites continue to squee. Are you picking up what I'm putting down?

I'm leaving my favorite blog readers for last. These are those readers who I positively adore. It will surprise those of you who have discerned my narcissism to know that these are the readers who are not here for my opinion. These are the readers that are here to discuss. It could be a comment here and there, it could be simply thinking critically about the presented material. Who knows, some of you nutters might even write a thesis on Frejanomics or something.

I say all this because if there is one thing I appreciated about Rrose's blog, it was not just the blogger's opinions, which I always found wonderfully insightful and informative. It was that Madame Selavy encouraged the growth of a community of fans around Freja Beha Erichsen. This meant that visiting her blog was not just an exposure to her musings over Freja's work, but also provided an opportunity to explore the interpretations of other fans who were likewise thoughtful.

This is something that I would like to continue during my residency here. I cannot stress enough how much value I place in the interpretation of art. That is, after all, what we do here. The dedication of this blog to the activities of one model in particular has never meant that this is an avenue for gossip about Freja's personal life. This is not a tabloid. I would prefer the descriptor not-for-profit academic journal. Given that we are discussing the artistic world, I am sure the pretentiousness of that can be excused collaterally.

I am looking forward to blogging for you all with every fibre of my being, though it would seem that Freja has been eating a few Kit-Kat bars of late. I will be keeping an eye out for news of new work from our Danish Dame, but until such a time as any arises, feel free to check out my personal blog at http://notsoswedish.blogspot.com (I post there. Sometimes.). If you are wanting a better idea of what my work with regards to Freja will be looking like, have a peak at http://thebrasch.blogspot.com.

Oh, it just so happens that I have Twitter too @notsoswedish. Do not follow me. I'm dreadfully unhilarious.

If it happens that you hate what you're reading, give me a shout, and I'll see if I can't find a better blog for you to read. Which is a backhanded way of telling you to SHUT YOUR WHORE MOUTH, which is something I would obviously never say unless we were speaking in person. All jokes aside though, I do intend to take your criticisms to heart, and if you have any concerns about my writing, please let me know. I can be reached most directly at notsoswedish@gmail.com.

Well, I guess that's all I have to say to you all for now. Except that you should probably go wax your legs, seeing as you've been reading this for two weeks or so.

Peace, love, and floating,*
Gill Ford

*It all makes total sense to you guys now, doesn't it?

The Full Film

Without further ado, the critical masterpiece that we've all been waiting for:

I was expecting to be be delightfully entertained from second-hand embarrassment, but I actually think Karl made a decent film this time around. I wasn't cringing (that much) and everyone played their roles well. I guess no one was really playing too far out of their comfort zone (unlike Freja as a Chinese peasant girl) so that helped with the flow and execution of this film. Things were more believable and realistic, keeping in mind that the "reality" portrayed is true for like .0001% of the human population. But that's Karl Lagerfeld for you. It's about the glamor, the luxury, the unattainable, and the fantasy.

Would we expect anything less from the Kaiser? No, of course not. And that's what attracts us to high fashion. We can get lost in a world far away from our own. It's interesting that fashion itself can simultaneously occupy a very basic utilitarian role and an escapist role in our lives. It's operating on two ends of the spectrum, which of course brings me back to Freja and the many paradoxes that seem to contribute to her being: modern yet classic, commercial yet high end, distinct yet malleable, and so on and so on. I'm digressing.....I thought she played the Fairy role as best as she could and she did a good job. She looked gorgeous and I'm sure many girls are questioning their sexualities as we speak. Although I wish Karl would stop using her as a gimmick so much. But Freja's obviously more comfortable with it than she was at the beginning of her career, so good for her!

In any case, your thoughts? Did you love it? Hate it? Find yourself wishing you could teleport into Anna Mouglalis's body? Find yourself unable to stop drooling over Mark Vanderloo? Who am I kidding....I know my audience here, so I'm pretty sure I was the only one looking at him and not Freja. ;)

Videos courtesy of Chanel.com and FataleFashionII Youtube

The Tale of a Fairy

Chanel has just released the trailer for it's upcoming short film "The Tale of a Fairy." It looks deliciously full of lolz and I for one can't wait to see it. I need a good laugh right about now.....I think we all do after the craziness that life has thrown at the world: Japan, tornadoes in Alabama, Osama, etc... Freja plays the title role, which of course requires her to frolic around half naked, kissing random women. I guess Karl wanted her to feel comfortable with her role.

Anyway, the film will be shown Monday May 9th in conjunction with the Chanel Cruise show in Antibes. Us plebians will get to view the sure to be masterpiece on Tuesday, May 10th when it plays on Chanel.com. Until then, for your pleasure:

Edit: omg, Mark Vanderloo is going to be in this! I had the biggest crush on him when he did those DKNY ads with Ester Canadas. And I have to say that he's still looks amazing. Ahhhh flashbacks.

Random Bits: Royal Wedding Edition

-I know this isn't Freja related, but damn! How beautiful was that dress? And how absolutely, stunningly, breathtakingly gorgeous did TRH Catherine look!? I'm not one to buy into wedding hype at all, but I couldn't help but to get swept away in the emotion and significance of it all. Yes, I got up early to watch. Yes, I teared up a bit (much to my surprise). Yes, I'm ready for a nap.


-More details about Freja's second consecutive Harry Winston campaign have surfaced. According to WWD:

"In May, Harry Winston is set to launch a new diamond, platinum and yellow gold collection, Lily Cluster, inspired by a Forties floral motif pulled from the company’s own archives. The news here: It’s the first time the company has offered designs in flaxen hues — aside from the occasional special request — since the Nineties...........The Lily Cluster ad campaign, shot by Patrick Demarchelier, will feature Freja Beha Erichsen."

You can see these new jewelry designs in the campaign shot I posted here.


-Freja will be part of the grand, multi-girl editorial for VP's August photographed by Inez and Vinoodh. The week long shoot is taking place in Los Angeles right now, and Inez and Vinoodh have been tumblr-ing candid shots of models all week long. However, the candid of Freja comes from another source (by way of 50mmf12l.tumblr.com):

So far the model lineup for this shoot includes: Lara Stone, Anja Rubik, Arizona Muse, Isabeli Fontana, and Raquel Zimmermann. So basically, all the big guns. If you'll recall, Freja was also included in the editorial for last year's August issue shot by David Sims. She also happened to land that cover. So maybe she'll get a cover shot once again? (Though I think it's high time for a cover to go to Raquel.) In any case, it seems like Alt isn't straying out of her comfort zone in terms of model choice. That's a good thing if your favorites happen to be her favorites. It's not such a good thing if you were hoping to see new and fresh faces (cough Aymeline cough) in the pages of VP.


Now off I go to find super HQ detail shots of that dress.....!

Conventional

Everything about this editorial is conventional, but for some reason I still like it. It's just a very nice change of pace to see Freja occupying such a feminine, common-place, standard role here (whoa, never thought I'd be so receptive to traditional stereotypes.....I must be getting old). In fact, it's kind of weird to see her in such a hetero-normative coupling. So for me, this unexpectedness makes up for any stylistic shortfalls the editorial may have. The novelty of it is exciting since Freja has never been the go-to girl for couple editorials.

State of Grace
Interview Magazine May 2011
Ph: Mikael Jansson
Styling: Karl Templer
Other Model: Tomek Szczukiecki

These images accompany an article about Valentino, so they're meant more as a display of fashion in the most literal sense. It's not necessarily about telling a story or getting the reader lost in some esoteric concept. It's about showing the reader what the article is all about. And so it makes sense that Freja was cast for this story, seeing how she has been a face for the brand two seasons in a row and is set to debut a new fragrance campaign any day now.

I still can't get over the fact that Freja is now pretty much synonymous with the Valentino brand. It just goes to show you that fashion houses, in addition to models, can change their image too. Some people might think they're strange bedfellows, but I've explained before why I think they're a really good fit. And like someone on Fashin so aptly pointed out, "accusing freja of doing only masculinity well is so 2 years ago." Amen to that.

Image Credits: courtesy of fashion_screen livejournal

Tangential News

Here are two news bits indirectly related to Freja. I normally don't post about stuff like this, but I think both bits are pretty important and could potentially impact Freja's future projects.


-Model Whispers broke the news earlier today that Steven Meisel is shooting this year's Pirelli calendar. He's already booked Anna Selezneva to star, giving us good reason to believe he's favoring a more high fashion girl instead of the expected VS/Sports Illustrated bombshell type. (Good news for Freja and flat chested models everywhere...lol) Now that Freja and Meisel are regular collaborators, maybe we'll see Freja in the calendar again this year. We'll have to wait until more news is leaked, but her chances are as good as anyone else's. From always being stereotyped as the androgynous tomboy, to possibly (hopefully) two appearances in the Pirelli calendar? Transformation and career 180 indeed.

EDIT: Apparently now it's Mario Sorrenti. Ugh, this is why I usually stay away from news posts. Boo.


-Fashionista reports that Alex White is leaving W Magazine. It's still a rumor, but if it's true I'll be disappointed for sure. WWD has confirmed it. :( Freja and Alex have worked a lot together, going all the way back to 2005 with this editorial (the second one by M&M). In addition to styling nearly everything that Freja has done for W (including this beautiful gem), she has also styled Freja's Chanel campaigns. It's a pretty big shake up, though perhaps not entirely unexpected. (I think Enninful replacing her is unexpected, but very exciting.) There have been lots of changes at W since Tonchi took over, and rumors of Alex leaving have floated around before. I just thought this was interesting seeing as how Alex and Freja work together quite a bit. So with this news, and news that Carine is taking over styling duties for the upcoming Chanel campaign, I'm not sure where things stand now or if any of this even really matters for Freja. But it's interesting nonetheless....at least to me it is. Tell me I'm not the only freak who's more intrigued by behind-the-scenes wheelings and dealings than I am by simple editorials. I can't be the only over-analyzer, right? ;)


So that's it for now.....like I said, tangential news to Freja, but news still worth paying attention to if you're intent on tracking her career options.

Harry Winston Continued

Since it is the Monday after a holiday weekend (and these kind of Mondays are usually the worst) I thought I'd start it off with a new Harry Winston ad that I saw in the May issue of Harper's Bazaar:

Yup, it's Freja once again proving how versatile and so beyond stereotypes she is now in terms of her modeling. Don't mind her....she's just being fabulous, looking gorgeous, flashing that million dollar smile, selling that high end jewelry and making bank. Glad they decided to keep her around for another cycle of ads. She's proven her worth to them, so it would have been stupid of them to let her go. Now if only a big time beauty company could realize what they're missing out on.......

Image Credits: My scans

Diva

I think a lot of people are feeling some reservations towards the new VP under Emmanuelle Alt. There's no spark, no excitement, no surprises so far. Everything is....safe. Not only does that sum up the new flavor of the magazine, it also sums up Freja's first editorial for the magazine (under Alt) as well. When you think of rockers, music, the stage and gritty atmospheres, there's usually an underlying danger and anticipation of thrill. Yet somehow that's not translating correctly across the page for me.

Diva
Vogue Paris May 2011
Ph: Inez & Vinoodh

I don't know if it's the styling, the photographic aesthetics, or the hackneyed theme. There's just nothing special about this, which is kind of a letdown since we all know music is one of Freja's passions. Having her play a musical rockstar/diva would presumably result in something amazing and charismatic. But instead we get a mish-mash of flat (pun intended) photographs. Hello random yellow/black border on two pics, random color gels on other pics, and the occasional b&w pic throw in for good measure. Freja is the only cohesion I see here, but even so she's nearly overshadowed by all of the other elements. Maybe they were going for a "tour diary" type of theme with snapshots? If that's the case, then the story works better, but it could have been so much more. Especially since the first released image was so promising. Oh well.

At this point, I think VP is playing it safe and (hopefully) marinating on ways to stir up some controversies for the future once the magazine has attained full stability again. But I'm not going to hold my breath. On a positive note, it's always great to see Freja in VP. The magazine will always have a cachet signifying models who are at the very top of the game. And how great is that third shot with the reflective stage floor? Imo, that is the saving grace of this editorial, and that is what's keeping it from being a complete waste of talent like Freja and Inez & Vinoodh.


On an unrelated, but more lighthearted note, some more details about the upcoming Chanel video have surfaced.

"...30-minute movie called “The Tale of a Fairy,” with Freja Beha Erichsen, Anna Mouglalis, Amanda Harlech and Kristen McMenamy, which will be shown in Cap d’Antibes next month during his cruise presentation."

Not going to lie....I'm so looking forward to the delicious, laugh-out-loudness this is going to be. :D

Image Credits: fashion_screen LiveJournal

Twitter Fake

At the encouragement of a fellow blogger, I finally decided to do a post about this to try and remedy what I find to be a disgusting and off-putting situation. As some of you may or may not know, the twitter account @JegFreja is a FAKE. There was another account before (frejabe) that was fake but people managed to get it shut down. However, this new one has popped up in it's place and I find it extremely troubling that some people have the gall and audacity to impersonate other people. How messed up in the head do you have to be??

Maybe there is someone out there reading this who can do something about it? Maybe someone connected to Freja in some way? Agents? Family? Someone? Wishful thinking I know, but I wanted to make a post about this just on the slim, off chance that there really is someone reading this who has the authority to take action: http://support.twitter.com/forms/impersonation

That link is the best solution, and if you're just a fan you can report the account as spam and/or unfollow it. You might be asking yourself why I care so much. Well, I care because the quality and content of the tweets are degrading a public persona that Freja has worked hard to establish over the years. At this point in her career, she's a brand image and something like this could damage that brand. Marketing (be it positive or negative) can be a very powerful thing. Some might say it doesn't matter, or that it's harmless; but in today's world everything matters and everything has an effect, whether it's immediately apparent or not.

If you know anything about the type of person Freja is and how she approaches her career and her private life, you'd know that she would never take to twitter to espouse the banalities of her day. Martha Streck has already confirmed through her real twitter that Freja doesn't have an account. I know other people have been able to confirm this as well. So if you're one of them, please feel free to leave a comment.

This has got to stop. I don't have the power to stop it, but hopefully someone out there does. So please spread the news. Thank you!

On a Roll

It seems like nearly every brand Freja is associated with these days turns to gold. According to WWD, Valentino has reported increased sales:

"Valentino sales in the first quarter are up at least 40 percent and wholesale sales of the fall collection improved 35 percent over last year."

If you're keeping track, that's three brands so far who's sales have gone up since Freja has been featured in their ad campaigns. The first was Harry Winston and the second was Georg Jensen. All the brands represent fairly diverse product sectors and target audiences, which is a good thing because it indicates that Freja's appeal cuts across a wide swath in the high-end market. She's a high fashion model no doubt and her image seems to sell high-end goods very successfully.

It's such a paradox because we usually don't associate an image like Freja's tattooed, rebel one with expensive goods. But I guess the rest of the world that exists outside the model-obsessive bubble doesn't know a thing about Freja other than that she looks good in print.

Oh, and it should be no surprise to anyone that the region where Valentino is seeing the most growth is China. No wonder they went with Freja for the new Valentino perfume campaign. But will they go with her a third time for their ready to wear campaign? I have no idea, but they'd be ridiculous not to.

Coincidence?

Soooo, after finally getting some time to catch up on all the fashion news I missed after a busy week, I came across a few interesting news bits that got the gears in my mind turning. Maybe I'm making something out of nothing, but the following bits of info are interesting nonetheless:

First comes news from tFS that Mert & Marcus were in London this past week shooting the Versace ad campaign.

Second comes a great tip from thoughtful reader Lita Larkin on this old post about seeing Freja in London last week on April 6th.

Now, if you can remember back to this past runway season, Freja walked the Hakaan show for the first time ever, and she showed up at Givenchy again after a long absence. I thought it was interesting back then, but in light of recent events, it seems even more interesting and telling now. Which two photographers have close ties to both brand? Yes, that's right....the same two photographers who just shot the Versace campaign in London....the very same city where Freja was just spotted.

Could it just be a coincidence? Yes. Lots of things are shot in London, and Freja could have just been stopping over on her way to Monaco. On the other hand, Could it mean that she shot the campaign? Possibly. She's always been a Donatella fav and now that she seems to have entered into the good graces of Mert & Marcus and revamped her image into a feminine sexpot, Freja doesn't seem like a far-fetched choice for the campaign. I guess we'll find out for sure when campaign news is officially released. ;)

One Girl

Seven Chanel campaigns overall

Five in a row

Three solo campaigns

One girl

It really doesn't get any better than that. As WWD tells us, the F/W 11 12 Chanel campaign was shot in Paris and styled by none other than Carine Roitfeld. With the darker and tougher collection, Carine styling and Freja modeling, the results should be nothing short of amazing.

But wait, it does get better.....kind of. Depends on whether you enjoy Karl's short films, because he's shooting another one for the upcoming Chanel Cruise collection.

"To wit: Lagerfeld has assembled a slew of his favorite ladies — including Erichsen, Lady Amanda Harlech, Anna Mouglalis and Kristen McMenamy — to star in a movie he is making in tandem with the Chanel cruise collection he will show in Antibes on May 9. It will be shot in Monaco and other locations in the South of France."

With this 7th Chanel campaign under her belt, Freja sits firmly at the top of the modeling world. I started this blog partly so I could vent about what I saw as her wasted potential back in '08 and '09, but now that she's so successful I really don't know what this blog stands for anymore. Maybe it's segued into an homage, or a place to talk about the work free from petty gossip, or a force of writing habit, or.....I don't know. Whatever it is, I'm just so happy and proud that we've all been able to witness the changes, the ups and downs, and the transformations as they've happened.

Three Modern Brides

After a ridiculously quiet April in terms of magazine presence, Freja starts off May with a bang! She has one out of the three covers for Vogue UK's "royal wedding" issue and she shares posing duties for this multi-cover issue with Lara Stone and Natalia Vodianova. This marks Freja's second Vogue UK cover in less than a year.....congrats Freja!

Vogue UK May 2011 Cover
Ph: Mario Testino
Styling: Lucinda Chambers

Mediaweek.co.uk shares the concept of the issue with us:

"The 382-page issue, which hits newsstands on Thursday (7 April), has 152 ad pages – an increase of 40 ad pages compared to last year's issue.

Vogue is offering readers a choice of three covers featuring models Freja Beha Erichsen, Lara Stone, and Natalia Vodianova dressed as brides. The images are shot by Mario Testino.

The issue carries the coverline "Catherine Middleton, the making of a modern princess" and looks back at the magazine's 95-year history of covering royal weddings.

Alexandra Shulman, editor of British Vogue, said: "We spent a great deal of time discussing what our tribute to the marriage of Catherine Middleton and Prince William should be, and we came up with a delicious confection of all things matrimonial, a portfolio of white fashion and a completely indulgent trio of bridal covers with Natalia Vodianova, Lara Stone and Freja as the figureheads for this commemorative issue."

According to latest figures from the Audit Bureau of Circulations, Vogue had an average net circulation of 211,277 for the six months to December 2010, which was up 0.4% year on year."

I make it strong habit not to talk about Freja's personal and private life on this blog. But I do want to very lightly touch on it right now if you'll allow. To have a woman like Freja represent a modern bride, a "figurehead for this commemorative issue" as Alexandra Shulman puts it, is such a wonderful and symbolic occurrence. Even though most of the mainstream public isn't privy to Freja's personal life and preferences, enough people are that having her on the cover of this issue shows a great sign of acknowledgment, progress and acceptance. Modern brides come in all different shapes, sizes, forms and lifestyles. So it's only fitting to have such three different models representing for the "royal wedding" issue, as the new royal couple seem so modern themselves (as far as British royal couples go). I could go on about the significance and meaning of it all, but like I said, I just wanted to lightly touch upon the subject.

Freja has come such a long way in the past year and a half. For a really long time she was pigeonholed and stereotyped into a modeling persona that I didn't really like at all, and I'll admit that it was frustrating to see certain tropes and characters of hers repeat over and over again, while other aspects of her potential were left untapped. But now things have changed drastically and I couldn't be more thrilled. Who would have ever thought Freja would be one of the three models picked to stand for a modern bride on the Vogue UK issue coming out on the eve of the biggest wedding in recent times? It even boggles my mind.

And with Vogue UK circulation up for the year (a year that included Freja's solo cover), it's just more and more good news for Freja, her marketability and her ability to sell. She has really come into her own as a model and a true contemporary icon for this current generation. It is of course too early to tell how indelible her mark will be on the long strands of history, but for the time being we can revel in Freja's successes and what they mean for our modern times, right here and now.

Image Credits: mediaweek.co.uk, vogue.co.uk via tFS memer IAmLordZen

Money Maker

In a continuation from my last post about Harry Winston and strong sales coinciding with Freja's ad campaign for the brand, Freja seems to be on a roll as Georg Jensen has just reported turning a profit for the first time in a decade. As you all know, Freja stars in the Danish Jewelry brand's first major ad campaign. Some choice bits from the WWD article:

"Georg Jensen, the Danish homeware and fine jewelry brand, has turned a profit for the first time in a decade."

"The privately owned company said profit in the fiscal year ended Dec. 31 was 8 million Danish kroner, or $1.5 million, compared with a loss of 128 million kroner, or $24.7 million, in 2009."

"Growth was driven by Asia, not including Japan, and the Scandinavian markets. Growth in the U.S. was in the double digits, the company said."

"The company’s first major ad campaign was unveiled earlier this year, and Garde Due said it would run for the duration of the year. It features the Danish model Freja Beha Erichsen, partially nude and adorned with the brand’s jewelry in a stately looking dining room filled with fruit, cheese, flowers — and silver Georg Jensen tableware."

Ok, so I know Freja's ads didn't appear till the beginning of this year when the brand was already well on it's way towards turning a profit; but still, this is great news. Freja was indeed the perfect choice for their campaign as she both symbolizes the Danish heritage aspect of the brand, and capitalizes on her appeal in rapidly growing markets i.e. Asia. I'm confident she can take the brand's success even further this upcoming year. As a model, part of your job is to sell, and if you're the face of two brands who have managed to have a very successful year, then there's no telling what come next.

Freja has proven her worth in high fashion time and time again, and now she's proving her appeal and worth in a more commercial, more mass market venue. It's the usual transition for a model of Freja's status and level, but I have to admit that even I never saw it coming. If you've been reading this blog you'll know that I hoped for it.....boy did I ever hope for it. But everyone hopes their favorite model will reach industry pinnacles; in reality, few ever do. So for a skinny tomboy with multiple tattoos, an intensely guarded private life, an aversion to public events and parties, and a seeming refusal to play the typical fashion game and typical fashion model role, Freja has sure beat the odds and exceeded everyone's expectations. She managed to come out on top by staying true to herself, and as a fan I could not be more proud.

Harry Winston: After the Ads

In the modeling world we make such a big fuss over campaigns, but rarely do we get to assess how effective they are. So imagine my delight when I came across this article from WWD about Harry Winston jewelry sales. As we all know, Freja fronted their most recent ad campaign.

For the fourth retail quarter ending on January 31st, Harry Winston reported a 60% sales gain and a net income of $9.9 million dollars. Thing were already looking up for the company when they reported their third quarter results back in December. But sales stayed strong throughout the fourth quarter and beat analysts' expectations. So why am I talking about this? Because Freja's ads hit market saturation during this fourth quarter period (Nov-Jan).

Am I saying that Freja is the only reason why sales were so good? No, of course not. Yet I can't help but to think she certainly played a part. After all, she's been proven to sell as Franca has showed us:

"On July, 2010, three fashion magazines used the same Miu Miu dress, Vogue Uk, Elle Uk and W in America. Vogue UK had a model on the cover, Elle UK a singer - Lily Allen - and W Eva Mendes. In England sales were higher. Freja is the new icon for models. Eva Mendes didn't have an impact on W."

And where is a large majority of Freja's fan base located? Asian countries like China, Japan and Korea. Freja seems to have an unexplainable and ferocious appeal over there that perhaps no other model has. Her Asian fans are voracious when it comes to her and you can see that in the sites, forums and blogs that they've set up. Coincidentally (or not), Harry Winston sales in Asia were up 138% while sales in the US and Europe were only up 79% and 27% respectively.

Yes, everyone knows that Asia is the emerging market right now, but since Freja appeals to so many fans in Asia, I'm going to propose that she has great appeal to general consumers in Asia as well. So picking her as the face of the campaign made commercial sense (even though it didn't necessarily make the most fashion model sense at first), and it certainly seems to have paid off as well. Fourth quarter gains, good numbers, increasing sales; Freja and her ads did what they were supposed to do.

Of course, I don't really claim to know much about sales analysis. This is just where my mind went when I read the WWD article. I do consider myself somewhat of a Freja expert though, so that has to count for something, right? ;)

Some day, I'd love to get my hands on some Chanel sales figures......anyway, we should be proud of our girl. And we should also hope that some head honcho of a major cosmetics brand is putting as much thought into the matter as I am. High fashion campaigns. Check. Jewelry campaign. Perfume campaign. Check. Big time beauty contract? To be determined......

A Construction Worker Who Collects Rocks

Since we're sitting firmly in the quiet that comes post show season and pre campaign casting frenzy, I thought I'd share this snapshot of Freja from five years ago:

"Has been modeling for a year. Would have been a construction worker in a nother life. Lives in Copenhagen, Addicted to shopping and sleeping. Collects beach rocks. Q: Which three things would you take with you to a desert island? A: My lover, my bed and a private jet, so I could leave if I got bored."

File this under things I didn't know: Freja used to (or still does?) collect beach rocks. I love digging up old stuff like this because it's so interesting to think of how a person develops and what changes they go through in a lifetime, or even in a matter of a few years. And with models, it's so rare that they're actually around long enough for us to fondly remember their "early years" and look back on their career trajectory with such nostalgia. In this context, 2006 seems like ages ago, doesn't it?

If this snapshot were done today, I wonder what things would change and what things would remain the same? Everything would probably change, because that's what humans do; we change. Even if we look the same on the outside, our daily experiences shift us little by little until we're new versions of ourselves. So I'm going take a venture and propose that this snapshot would read something like this today:

"Has been modeling for 6 years. Would have been a musician in another life. Lives in New York. Addicted to her Balenciaga leather jacket and cigarettes. Collects Guitars." :)

As for the question of things to take to a desert island, your guess is as good as mine. In another five years, maybe things will read in an entirely different manner. But that's all just part of the fun; because in the end, the change and uncertainty is what keeps things relevant and keeps all of us tuned in for the ride.

Image Credits: My scan

Lagerfeld Loyalty

For three years in row now, Freja has been the face of Karl Lagerfeld eyewear. So even though the clothing part of Karl's namesake line has folded, the eyewear component is still going strong as evidenced by these new SS11 campaign images:

Ph: Karl Lagerfeld
Styling: Felipe Mendes
Other Models: Baptiste Giabiconi

It's refreshing to see this kind of loyalty. Yeah I'm biased, and yeah if it were another model I'd probably be annoyed as hell. But there is something to be said for this type of devotion, reliance and familiarity. Especially when everything else in fashion seems to change faster and faster with each passing season. Change is good, but we do need some constant anchors keeping us grounded with our heads on straight. Otherwise, we're just flying about all over the place with nothing to cling on to. So for me, Freja by Karl is a constant. It's a soothing comfort. It is always good? No. Does it always make me feel good? Yes. It's like mac and cheese, chicken pot pie, ice cream sundaes or any other thing we indulge in whenever we just want to shut the world out. Your "comfort food" might not always be good for you, but it always makes you happy. And when (heaven forbid) the day comes that Freja and Karl stop working together, I will be crushed. So let's just hope that day is a long way off into the future. For at a time when the fate of Dior, Givenchy, and possibly a few other design houses lie in such uncertainty, I want my constant now more than ever before.

SS09

SS10

So I say thank you Karl! For your impeccable taste in models, and for your loyalty and support of said models. Now may Freja get the Chanel F/W 1112 campaign....amen.

Image Credits: designscene.net, karllagerfeld.com, 2b Management Facebook via tFS member tentalicious

Numero and Videos

Hooray! We finally have some proper scans of Freja's Numero editorial:

Bal de la Couture
Numero #121 March 2011
Ph: Karl Lagerfeld
Styling: Capucine Safyurtlu
Other Models: Arizona Muse

No wonder Freja and Arizona were photographed together so much this past runway season in Paris. They probably became fast friends after working in such close and intimate conditions. "Why yes, you're naked and pressed up against me....where are you from again? And what's your son's name?" Nothing like some good old fashion nudity and gender bending to bring people together and get them to drop their pretenses.

Starting with a Vogue Italia cover and editorial back in January, editorials in Vogue US and W magazine for March, and now this Numero cover and editorial, Freja and Arizona have worked together so much I'm beginning to wonder if they're a package deal or something. If they were actually at the same agency, the idea wouldn't seem too far fetched.

Anyway, I don't mind Arizona at all. In fact, I'm quite in love with her print work. She's wonderful in front of the camera and I have a soft spot, lots of admiration and respect for single mothers. Every time I see her in another editorial or campaign or whatever, I have the urge to yell "you go girl, you get that money," while Destiny's Child's Independent Women Part 1 plays in my head......but I'm just weird like that. Damn, I used to love that song. Still do!

So back to the work. This editorial is nothing to write home about aesthetically. Though I do think it's quite beautiful in it's simplicity. Nothing to distract from the clothes, yet the subtle interactions of the models make things interesting enough. (And is it just me, or does Karl have a thing for Freja as a guy and conversely, Baptiste as a woman?) I'm just happy to see Freja being photographed for an editorial by Karl again. Maybe he's getting ready for another Chanel campaign? ;) I sure hope so...... And I also hope for more work with Freja and Arizona because they have good chemistry on the page, and they compliment each other pretty well.

In other, semi related news, I have a few videos to post. The first is a behind-the-scenes look at the recent Chanel F/W 11 show via vogue.co.uk. You get a good sense of the atmosphere and a glimpse of Freja towards the end during the runway rehearsal:

The second video is yet another H&M tv spot. I swear they churn these things out like butter, but it's nice to see Freja finally getting her due and recognition on the commercial front. It's something that I've wanted to have happen for quite a while now, so it's awesome to actually see it come to fruition:

Image Credits: scans by tFS member skalty, videos courtesy of vogue.co.uk and hm.com