Freja Beha

Thunder Love Has Struck Us Again

2012-01-31T19:31:00.000-05:00

The darling Anders Christian Madsen (@anderscmadsen) has supplied models.com with previews of the editorials appearing in the upcoming 10th Anniversary issue of DANSK Magazine, and this gives us a second look at what Freja's been up to with model/photographer, Christian Brylle (@c_brylle), who's hair is always trippin' and who's abs are always rippin'. Styling credits go to Anders Sølvsten Thomsen (@anderslondon), who was also on hand for both covers and several of the editorials in the issue.

I am really looking forward to seeing Freja back in DANSK after such a long time. Hell, I'm looking forward to seeing Freja in an editorial in general. When was the last time she got artsy, anyway? I swear, it was like the last time I wrote a bleeding blog post or something...

Anyway, here's the preview shot, drool over it before bed tonight, or before breakfast this morning, or whatever time it is wherever you are. And repeat. I shan't be analyzing this until the full editorial has been released, but until then, please bask in the awesomeness of Scandinavia.

Peace, love, and floating,

Gill Ford

Photo courtesy of models.com

* "Apparitions" was the second single from Raven in the Grave, the fifth record by The Raveonettes. Sumptuously dark and broody, these two Danes have one of the most seductive soundscapes in music today. Fans of the recently popular Warpaint, take note.

Come Back Round, You Sun of a Gun

2012-01-25T10:25:00.002-05:00

In the north, there are some winter days when you wake up to find tumults of rain ravaging the snows you so adore. The pillowy frostings melt away before your very eyes from their bleached perfection until the still-green grass breaches the surface. When the rains stop, naught is left of your wonderland but the bleak and translucent patches of ice and hardening slush, hard to the touch, mottled grey with all manner of impurities. The moment is sad, but the grass is green.

It is not unlike the feeling of waking up to Freja Beha, who has finally done something.

You see, on my phone yesterday, I alighted upon a tweet from a favourite of mine, by the name of Anders Christian Madsen. You may not know him, but he and his delightful sister (Susanne) are who my fashion world revolve around. The two partners in crime are fashion writers for the impeccable DANSK Magazine (of Denmark, don't you know), and also hold the positions senior editor and fashion features director, respectively.

Now, said tweet was of enormous significance to my every day life, mostly because the last thirty-odd every days of said life have not been occasioned by posting on this blog (some of you know why, but the rest of you will find out all in good time). Precisely what it intoned is that our ever beloved Freja will be appearing on the cover of DANSK's S/S 2012 (10TH ANNIVERSARY) issue. Trigger: a smile that explodes.

What this means is that the magazine itself will be contemplative of a myriad of things of import, notably Justin Bieber (he had a Christmas record), Kristen Stewart (Breaking Dawn and all), and Freja, over whom I project the two will be squeeing just as much as Anders does over his weekly dose of CW tween dramas. This is because beyond simply being "dictators of taste," or whatever we are calling the fashion voices these days, these two Danes are fans of fashion and culture, and that never fails to shine through in the pages of DANSK.

So without further ado, allow me to present to you, Freja Beha Erichsen by the phenomenal Christian Brylle for DANSK S/S 2012.

I know right. It's fucking awesome.

Peace, love, and floating,

Gill Ford

Image courtesy of press@danskmagazine.com

* "Sun of a Gun" is the lead single from Oh Land's sophomore record, Oh Land. The former ballerina took the indie scene by storm last year with the record's release stateside after enjoying critical acclaim at home in Scandinavia with her debut, Fauna. Owning the full set, I assure you that you and Alice have never seen (or heard) a Wondøland quite like this.

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

2011-12-24T11:34:00.000-05:00

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

2011-11-13T20:28:00.001-05:00

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

2011-11-06T17:14:00.000-05:00

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!

2011-10-28T00:14:00.000-04:00

...

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

2011-10-26T00:45:00.000-04:00

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

2011-10-25T20:52:00.000-04:00

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

2011-05-10T23:36:00.001-04:00

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

2011-05-05T13:10:00.001-04:00

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

2011-04-29T10:05:00.002-04:00

-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

2011-04-27T19:12:00.000-04:00

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

2011-04-26T19:26:00.002-04:00

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

2011-04-25T08:48:00.001-04:00

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

2011-04-22T13:27:00.002-04:00

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

2011-04-20T13:09:00.001-04:00

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

2011-04-16T07:58:00.002-04:00

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?

2011-04-10T12:06:00.001-04:00

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

2011-04-05T07:41:00.000-04:00

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

2011-04-04T09:34:00.003-04:00

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

2011-04-01T17:28:00.000-04:00

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

2011-03-24T07:09:00.000-04:00

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

2011-03-21T09:20:00.000-04:00

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

2011-03-19T07:05:00.000-04:00

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

2011-03-15T00:03:00.000-04:00

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

Valentino Perfume Campaign!

2011-03-11T07:05:00.001-05:00

Once again, thanks to a comment from one of the amazing readers of this blog, we have some great news to end the month on! Freja just shot a perfume campaign for Valentino!!

The news comes via WWD:

"Director Johan Renck, who has just wrapped filming the latest Valentino perfume ad campaign, starring Freja Beha Erichsen, said he’s eager to work with Swedish actress Noomi Rapace, of “The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo” fame."

Two print campaigns and now a perfume campaign!? Chiuri and Piccioli sure do love her. Anyway, no other details to report as of now. But congrats to Freja for the get. These contracts are what most models dream of and work towards. And thank you to the anonymous commenter for the tip. This blog could most certainly not run without it's lovely and perceptive readers. :)

Side note: To any readers in Japan, or readers with family or friends in Japan, our thoughts and prayers are with you.

The Final Tally - FW1112

2011-03-10T11:14:00.000-05:00

What month it's been. The fashion season is officially over and what started out on such a down beat for Freja fans ended on a high note with a great turnout in Paris! Arguably the most important and most meaningful of the four cities when it comes to impact, important impressions and future bookings. That's up for debate of course.

I'm a little sad that there's no need for a detailed recap like previous seasons since Freja walked so few shows, but oh well! More time to play the campaign guessing game. If you're interested, previous season recaps are here: SS10, FW1011, SS11

FREJA BEHA ERICHSEN
FW1112 TOTAL: 14
FW1112 MILAN/PARIS: 14
OPENED: 3 | CLOSED: 2

London: No shows walked

Milan: No shows walked

New York: No shows walked

Paris:
Alexander McQueen (O)
Balenciaga
Balmain
Celine
Chanel (O)
Chloe (O)
Givenchy
Haider Ackermann
Hakaan
Lanvin
Louis Vuitton
Miu Miu
Valentino (C)
Yves Saint Laurent (C)

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Number of.....

Cities walked: 1
Shows walked: 14
Shows opened: 3
Shows closed: 2
Outfits total: 23

In order of appearance...............

Biggest surprise of the season for me was seeing Freja open McQueen. Show I was most happy to see her at is a three-way tie between Haider Ackermann, Celine and Chloe. The former two because I love the clothes so much, the later one because it was absolute heaven to see Freja open and Aymeline close. Best look was Freja's stunning YSL closing number. Talk about breathtaking. Anyway, another successful season down. I feel like Freja made the right choice by taking some time off early in the season and coming back for the important shows. Standard supply vs. demand. :) And it would have been awkward to see her not walk for Chanel, Louis Vuitton or Valentino since she's in all their current campaigns. For me, not seeing her at her usual NY and Milan shows made me miss her and realize I was taking her a bit for granted. I suppose there is a lot of truth to the saying "absence makes the heart grow fonder."

In any case, much like how there's no crying in baseball, there's no rest in fashion. You can bet all the models are now jetting off around the world trying to secure their placements and bookings for the very fast approaching campaign rigmarole. That being said, I hope Freja scores Chanel again. That dark, masculine collection was tailor made for her. And yes, as much as I'm over the masculine side of Freja, I really can't think of anyone else who would be as great a fit for the collection as she is. Don't let us down Karl. Not now. Lets go for a record 5 times in a row, 7 times over all! I'd also love to see her for Chloe again, and something like Miu Miu. Lots of wishful thinking I know; but with Freja anything's possible.

Image Credits: vogue.it

Redux: F/W 2007

2011-03-08T20:33:00.000-05:00

What a strange season so far. All the places you expect to see Freja (Stella, Isabel) and all the places you don't expect to see her but hope to anyway (Givenchy, McQueen) have switched on us. Her absence at the two aforementioned shows is most certainly made up for by her appearance at the later two. Neither of which she's walked since the Fall/Winter 2007 season back in February of 2007. It's a redux! A strange, surreal but pleasant one.

Givenchy and Alexander McQueen 2007

Givenchy and Alexander McQueen (O) 2011

Amazing how someone can seemingly change so little on the outside over the course of four years. Lets do the time warp again. It's just a jump to the left, and then a step to the right, put your hands on your hips.....whoops sorry, off topic. Models must really have that mysterious and enviable ageless gene.

Anyway, just when you think you know what to expect, Freja changes it up on us again and reminds us to expect the unexpected when it comes to her. In all the time I've been blogging about her, overturned expectations is a constant theme. And yet somehow I'm still surprised each time. Maybe I should just make "Expecting the unexpected since 2005" this blog's motto. :)

Image Credits: style.com, vogue.it

New Directions? Collaborators?

2011-03-06T15:59:00.002-05:00

Paris is nearly over and Freja is there in full force, but the biggest story for me is her appearance at two shows this week. Hakaan and Givenchy, to be specific.

The last time Freja walked for Givenchy was back during the F/W 07/08 season. Four years later she shows up once again on Tisci's catwalk, also having walk for the first time in Hakaan's runway show earlier in the week.

Now what's so interesting about this you might ask? It's no secret that both Hakaan and Ricardo have the blessing and heavy backing of photographers Mert & Marcus and Carine Roitfeld. So what does it mean that Freja showed up at both shows this season? And all of this in light of Carine's recent resignation and uncertain future placement? Maybe nothing at all, other than a simple casting decision. But I'd like to think it means something more in regards to Freja's future editorial and campaign bookings.

Just something to think about and mull over on this Sunday afternoon. Castings in Paris have seemed unpredictable all week so I'm not saying this means anything at all. On the other hand, it would be nice to see another new direction for Freja's career, and new collaborators for her to work with.

Image Credits: style.com, vogue.it

Campaign Videos

2011-03-04T00:24:00.001-05:00

It's a video day today. We have three new videos to go with some of Freja's recent campaigns. First, thanks to a lovely anonymous commenter on the previous post (thank you!), a new Harry Winston behind the scenes campaign video has surfaced:

This videos accompanies the gorgeous and cheerful print campaign that was released late last year. Freja is just as cheerful and radiant on film as she is in the campaign images. Definitely a nice treat for any Freja fan, especially since we get a rare glimpse of her lighter side, with a cute baby and yummy looking cake thrown in for good measure.

The second two videos are part of Freja's recent ad venture with H&M. We already saw two videos featuring Freja in dresses, and now we have this one featuring her in trousers alongside Anne and Martha:

The last video is part of H&M's newly released "The Pants Collection" campaign:

Freja looks particularly great in this video. She's charming, effusive, quirky, and spontaneous. She looks just as comfortable dancing around in those pants as she does strutting down the street in her boots and leather jacket. She's come a long way this past year and I'm just so happy that I get to witness this change in her career direction because it's what I've been longing for. No longer pigeonholed, but instead exploring new avenues, new opportunities and new expressions of her many sides: feminine, commercial, mature, modern, and playful.

Freja is indeed the girl that can seemingly do everything and anything. Her career seems to have rebirths and rejuvenations just as often as she cuts and changes her hair. So where will we be in a year? I have absolutely no idea, but I'm betting that it will be somewhere new, exciting and unexpected. :)

Image Credits: hm.com
Video Credits: Harrywinston Youtube channel, hm.com

Around the World with Ads

2011-03-02T09:23:00.001-05:00

Not only can you see Freja in the pages of mainstream magazines ads for Chanel, Louis Vuitton and Valentino; you can also see her all over the world in ads for regional fashion brands. She has Brasil, Japan and Korea covered with ad campaigns for Santa Lolla, AZUL by moussy, and Obzee respectively.

Pictures come courtesy of tFS and the fans over there with great sleuthing skills:

Santa Lolla (Brasil)

It's so rare to see Freja play the glamorous vamp. This isn't my favorite campaign out of the three, but I respect her uninhibited attitude here. I do find it strange that in order to sell shoes to women, this brand is using a....naked woman. Maybe the difference between marketing to men and marketing to women lies in the model choice. For men, it would have been someone like Candice Swanepoel because it's all about the body. For women, I guess it's Freja because it's all about the attitude, the empowerment and a different kind of sex appeal.

AZUL by moussy (Japan)

Take away Cole Mohr and this would be a simple, beautiful and appealing campaign. Add Cole Mohr and......well, no comment. Freja looks great, and I love her hair here. Although I do feel like buying her a shirt.

Obzee (Korea)

This is my favorite campaign out of the three. You can't beat clean, sleek, modern femininity.

Now that we've traveled the world and back, which campaign is your favorite? And why? I challenge anyone who looks at all three campaigns above to tell me that Freja isn't versatile or capable of a wide spectrum of looks. Those who think she's just androgynous or masculine or tough looking clearly don't pay any attention to the work she consistently puts out. They have an idea of the kind of model Freja is and they can't be bothered to look beyond that idea to the reality of her existence. It takes great subtlety and mastery of skill to be able to go from lounging naked on a couch, to frolicking with Cole Mohr, to power-posing with Amanda Laine with the same believability and effortlessness. That's a true model for you and that's why Freja's still working and kicking ass to this day.

After a quiet few weeks filled with much speculation and no realizations, it's nice to see that Freja fans finally have something concrete to talk about once again.

Image Credits: santalolla.com.br via tFS member locofoco, azul-m.com via tFS member candlebougie, obzee.com via tFS member jess93

She Will!

2011-03-01T13:28:00.001-05:00

After all the speculation and worries, we only had to wait a few days for all our questions to be answered, for Freja finally made her FW1112 appearance today on the Paris runway of Hakaan.

It's great to see her in Paris, walking the shows. The break did her well, as I'm actually really happy to see her face. As they say, absence makes the heart grow fonder. Anyway, as per my usual MO, I'll update on Freja's runway shows only at the end of the city/season, as updating for every show gets pretty repetitive and boring. But don't worry, I'll be keeping track......I'm sure all of us will be keeping track.

Until then, enjoy Paris and the prospect that Freja will walk more shows. :)

Image Credits: vogue.it

Will she or won't she?

2011-02-27T11:31:00.005-05:00

It's been quite entertaining and informative to keep up with all of your comments on the previous post. I guess I didn't realize exactly how much some of you care if Freja walks this season or not. For me, I just kind of accepted the fact that she wasn't going to be walking, welcomed the break from chronicling her season, and took the opportunity to follow the shows more closely. But if Freja is your absolute, hands down favorite model, then I can absolutely understand the unwavering hope that she will eventually turn up this season.

So to stoke that hope even further, models.com has put up IMG's Paris showcards and Freja's is included in the bunch. But don't necessarily take this as confirmation of anything, for Freja had the same showcard for Milan and didn't show up at any shows. At this point, all we can do is wait and see.

Even if Freja ends up skipping the season entirely, her career won't be much affected. She's cemented her status as a top model, working icon and cult figure. She's reached the point that all models hope to reach: the point were her career is self sustaining based on her reputation, extensive oeuvre, and all the hard work she put in for 12 straight seasons. One missed catwalk season isn't going to push her out of the minds of the photographers, editors, and stylists who have worked with her before, and who want to work with her in the future.

Some of you might still remember SS08 when she missed most of Paris, or SS09 when she missed most of Milan and ALL of Paris. That was earlier in her career and she managed to bounce back, no problems. In fact, she came back stronger than ever. I guess if you're a seasoned Freja fan, you've come to expect and learned to deal with her runway absences.

So in the meantime, let's enjoy her Vogue Brasil cover shot by Henrique Gendre, and be happy that she's being given the opportunity to display all the other facets of her modeling abilities. Feminine Freja FTW! ;)

Image Credits: models.com

Skipping the Season

2011-02-24T12:24:00.000-05:00

This post is brought to you entirely by the courtesy of the readers of this blog. :) In the comments section of yesterday's post, some news bits came to light:

-According to a tweet by one of Freja's mother agents, she's skipping the entire show season. The tweet has not been found or linked to yet. I don't know how to even go about searching the vast twitterverse for it, so put as much stock into this as you want. But with her absences at Gucci and Fendi, I believe it to be true. So enjoy the break Freja. It's completely well deserved.

-Apparently there was exhibition of Karl's photographs in Rome on the 15th of February. Video has surfaced from the event, and in it you can catch glimpses of a lot of the work Freja has done with Karl including some never before seen Chanel SS11 ad campaign shots/outtakes.

Screengrab:

Video:

Thanks to the anonymous commenters for the tips!

March Editorials

2011-02-23T09:24:00.003-05:00

Exactly one year after her US Vogue debut, Freja scores her second appearance in the magazine. Is March the Anna Wintour month for doing things out of the ordinary? How else can we explain that Freja's only two times in the magazine have both been in March? Coincidence I guess....

Punk'd
Ph: David Sims
Fashion Editor: Grace Coddington
Other Models: Arizona Muse, Raquel Zimmermann

I never thought I'd be so happy to see Freja jumping against a gray background in US Vogue. :) Maybe because I absolutely love the styling, all three models, and their whimsical facial expressions. When fashion doesn't take itself too seriously, and lets its hair down so to speak, the results can be charming and lovely. The juxtaposition of the absurd faces with the tough modernity of the clothes: leather, spikes and studs mixed with bug eyes, fish lips and exaggerated expressions. You see an editorial like this and you just want to smile.

And thank goodness all three models match each other in terms of ability in front of the camera. How off-putting would it have been to insert some 15 year old newbie who looks as awkward as she probably feels? I know some people don't get the hype about Arizona, but I think she's a dream in print, so I really don't mind her at all. In fact, I find myself right-click-saving nearly all her editorial images. And it's refreshing to see someone older and more mature getting hyped.

Speaking of Arizona, she also poses in Freja's second editorial of the month, along with French model (and my current model love) Aymeline Valade.

The Change Agent
Ph: Steven Meisel
Styling: Nicolas Ghesquiere

The three make such a wonderful team that I find myself lamenting the fact that they only have this one shot. I want more. More. MORE! Eeeek! Lol, can you sense the sheer excitement that I feel from having Aymeline and Freja together in an editorial? I love when my favorite models work together.....I don't know why, I just do. And in some ways, Aymeline reminds me a lot of Freja. They both have this innate toughness that expresses itself in features both androgynous and gorgeously feminine. Both are instantly recognizable on the catwalk with their sharp features and modern lines. Yes both are beautiful in a classic way. Both give off a sense of individuality, maturity, and ease that comes from a fully recognized sense of self. These features are rare and develop over time and with experience. So even though Aymeline is a "new face," she's actually older than Freja and has been diligently working away at the lower rungs of the fashion industry until she broke through this year.

Hmmmm, I kind of went off on a tangent here. Sorry! In sum, Aymeline is like Freja except with blue eyes, a French accent, and strong runway walk. ;)

After a quiet month so far, things are beginning to amp up. And with the start of Milan today and Paris soon after, the promise of more things to get excited about lingers on the horizon. But for now, Freja runway sightings remain elusive. And so they should, since Freja deserves a break after 12 straight runway seasons. Right? So wherever you are Freja, your fans wish you well! Just make sure to show up for at least one show...*cough* Chanel *cough*.

Image Credits: My scans

Numero

2011-02-18T12:42:00.000-05:00

Elsewhere and otherwise, it's not all quiet on the Freja front, for she just landed the new Numero #121 cover with Arizona Muse, shot by Karl Lagerfeld.

The sly smirk on Freja's face gives the cover just the right amount of intrigue. And it plays in nice contrast with Arizona's hard stare. So what would otherwise be a simple, straightforward cover concept is made quite interesting with the interplay of the models' gazes. Don't you feel like you could be intruding on a moment? Like they were just about to whisper secrets to each other. But Arizona is pissed off at your intrusion, while Freja invites it with her coy look.

And how great is it to see Freja being photographed by Karl again? If my memory serves me right, the last time they worked together off the runway was back in December for the Pirelli calendar. But the last time they worked together editorially was all the way back in April for Vogue Germany....nearly one year ago. I have to admit I was getting a bit worried about their editorial hiatus. I don't care if Karl isn't the best photographer, or if his fashion stories can be boring and hackneyed; I just like to know that Freja's still one of his favorites. What can I say? It's brings me comfort and stability when everything else around me changes faster than I can flick through a collection on style.com.

Anyway, are Freja and Arizona fashion's newest "it" pairing? Cover of January's Vogue Italia, editorial in March's US Vogue, and now this? I definitely don't mind as their looks mesh well together, and they seem to be good friends off the catwalk too. And maybe it's only appropriate to pair the two, as Arizona's new star status shines brighter and brighter each day, while Freja's never seems to diminish. Put the two together and it results in a wattage nearly too powerful to resist. And no one seems to be trying.

Image Credits: nmpp.fr via tFS member Dieselmax, vogue.it via tFS member IamLordZen

A Record Falls

2011-02-14T22:51:00.000-05:00

Most of you know that Marc Jacobs showed his F/W 11/12 collection tonight. What most of you may not know is that tonight also marks the first time in Freja's career that she did not walk down Marc's runway. Yes, a record falls tonight.....and another will fall tomorrow night at Narciso Rodriguez.

Marc and Narciso are the only two shows that Freja has walked for every, single season; eleven times in a row. Every September and every February, we could expect to see her grace those designers' catwalks, but her NY absence this season breaks the consecutive appearances. In a small way, it's like the end of an era. Maybe era isn't the right word.....whatever the word is, I find myself swimming in bittersweet nostalgia and lamenting a record broken. But instead of being sad or disappointed, we should reflect on the amazing feat. Eleven. Seasons. In. A. Row. In an industry that likes to change itself every few months, for something to last this long is truly amazing.

How many models do you think have come and gone during that time? How many brands have shuttered? How many new faces have been heralded one season only to be forgotten the next? How much change has happened in these 6 years? I'm not as intimately acquainted with any other model's career, so I don't know what the record is for consecutive seasons walked for a particular designer, but I have to think Freja's 11 for Marc (and Narciso) is pretty high up there. So lets take a walk down memory lane, and appreciate the 11 seasons that we already got, instead of frowning over the one skipped tonight:

SS06

FW0607

SS07

FW0708

SS08

FW0809

SS09

FW0910

SS10

FW1011

SS11 (C)

You were missed tonight Freja, but we'll be looking forward to next season. :)

Image Credits: style.com

NY Out, Europe In?

2011-02-11T10:53:00.000-05:00

It's official. Freja is skipping New York Fashion Week for the first time in her career. The word comes to us from streetstyle photographer extraordinaire Bonae.

"A good source informed that Freja Beha Erichsen is skipping NYFW this season."

Now it remains to be seen if Freja will be skipping the entire FW1112 season, or just the city of New York. Will she show up in London? She didn't walk there last season and she doesn't have a showcard for this city either, but it's where Tom Ford is showing his intimate presentation this time around. Will she make it there? She's not necessarily a favorite of his, so I have my doubts.

That leaves us with Milan and Paris. If showcards are any indication (thanks to reader Julie for the tip!), she'll make her debut there. Possibly in grand style at Gucci, as a friend with a knack for crystal ball speculations jokingly predicted to me. :) All jokes aside, I really do think Freja will wait until Europe to walk. It's nearly impossible to think of her missing shows like Chanel, Fendi, Gucci and Valentino. Right?

So with a European showcard for reassurance, we'll just have to wait a little while to get our Freja fix. In the meantime, enjoy the shows and discover some new girls to follow. As usual, there's plenty of them stomping up and down the catwalks of NY.

Image Credits: imgmodels.com

Model Turned Designer

2011-02-09T18:36:00.000-05:00

To add to the files of "I never thought that would happen," Freja's trying her hand at designing jewelry for Danish brand Georg Jensen. The (interesting) news comes via WWD:

"Fans of Freja Beha Erichsen’s style will soon have access to a line of jewelry designed by the model for the Danish silver house Georg Jensen. Beha stars in the house’s just-released spring ad campaign. “It’s an exciting project. There’s a certain customer that relates to Freja and what she represents,” said Ulrik Garde Due, Georg Jensen’s president and chief executive officer. Featuring gold and silver pieces, the collection will hit the Scandinavian market and the brand’s website in April."

So not only is Freja fronting their ad campaign, she's designing their jewelry. Is there anything she can't do? It will indeed be intriguing to see how the jewelry pieces turn out, as we'll get to see Freja's aesthetic take on things. Will the pieces be minimal, clean and sleek? Or will Freja show us another side to her sensibilities?

What's even more interesting is what this move signifies for Freja and her career. Of course this could just be simple side project done to support a Danish brand. However, I have a sense this is just the beginning of Freja segueing into other things and slowly leaving the wear and tear of the catwalk circuit behind. All that traveling, fittings at all hours of the day, time changes and jet lag.....all of that takes it toll. And after nearly six years pounding the pavement, Freja has more than earned the prerogative to pursue other interests and projects. Fittingly enough, it does seem like a given that once a model reaches a certain level of establishment in her career, she'll try her hand at design. The list of model-cum-designer is almost too long to recall.

So maybe the missing showcard isn't all that confusing after all. Maybe it's just part of a larger picture that has yet to be unveiled to us. In any case, as long as Freja's still in the public eye one way or another, I'm sure all her fans will be happy. And as always, she'll give us plenty to talk about.

The case of the missing showcard

2011-02-08T13:09:00.001-05:00

IMG showcards are finally out, and curiously missing from the pile? Freja's. Maybe not so curious if Freja doesn't plan on walking NY this season, but I really have no idea. It wouldn't come as a huge surprise since missing NY seems to be in vogue, with Abbey Lee taking leave for London.

Or maybe Freja is just at the level where she doesn't need a show card anymore. After all, no showcard doesn't always mean no model. Luckily we only have a few days to find out for ourselves whether Freja will be walking down those Lincoln Center catwalks.

Disappointingly enough, the time that IMG finally decides to spring for a design team is the time that Freja either decides to sit out, or decides that she's too established for a showcard like the rest of them.

If anyone does know what the situation is, feel free to leave a comment.

Vogue Brasil?

2011-02-04T23:03:00.001-05:00

These days I find that I have less and less time to scour the internet for Freja news. Luckily all you wonderful and amazing fellow fans out there never miss a beat and I'm so thankful for that. Today's news comes thanks to long time reader (since nearly the beginning!!) Rian via Vogue Brasil's blog and Google translate:

"In passing through the room of our editorial director Daniela Falcão, gave some of the pages ready March issue of the magazine and praised a lot to cover with the top Freja Beha."

If the translation and my interpretive skills are to be trusted, then Freja will be on the cover of the March issue, with an editorial inside to boot. Can any Portuguese readers out there confirm for sure?

All of this seems very plausible since Freja was only in Brazil for the first time back in December shooting the Santa Lolla campaign. Coverage and news from back then made it seem like she had quite the busy schedule. And if I recall correctly, Brazil's fashion flock caused a bit of fanfare over her. Seeing that she is one of today's top models, it only makes sense that they would take full advantage of her first visit.

So the land of Giselle, Raquel and Isabeli welcomes Freja with open arms. Proof that you don't have to have sexy curves and a sashaying runway walk to gain admirers down there. :)

Coming to a TV Near You

2011-01-29T07:42:00.004-05:00

We first got word back in November, and then confirmation back in December. Now, finally, the H&M TV spots are here.

Freja is accessible, commercial, yet still totally herself. Which one do you like better? I prefer the first spot myself, because at the end of the second one Freja looks like she wants to kill me, or hurt me, or beat me in a staring contest, or all of the above. It would have been nice to see a more playful expression from her to match the youthfulness of the clothing. After all, yellow ruffles and semi jazz hands are pretty incongruous with death stares.

But maybe it's the unexpected pairing that makes it work? Maybe that's what makes people linger over it....what sells the clothes? I don't know, but I do know that I have a sudden hankering for some yellow ruffles to mix into my all-black wardrobe. Or maybe just a black t-shirt with some yellow on it. ;)

Video Credit: hm.com via youtube user BijuBRANDO

Diverge - Converge

2011-01-26T18:13:00.000-05:00

What comes to mind when you think of "Valentino"?
Femininity, luxury, elegance, red, etc....am I right?

What comes to mind when you think of "Freja"?
Androgyny, tomboy, leather, cool attitude, etc....yes?

So how can we reconcile the two? How we can explain Freja's role of prominence for the established high fashion house that represents nearly everything that Freja is not? Two consecutive ad campaigns, lots of runway looks, opening the just held SS11 Haute Couture show......what gives?

Even though the two (fashion house and model) may seem so divergent at a surface glance, I actually think Freja is a wonderfully suitable choice to take the brand into the new decade. She is the perfect bridge between traditional elegance and modern edge. She is accessible and beautiful, but also avantgarde and quirky. Her classic beauty references the past, but the personal sensibilities she imbues into her work scream the present, the here, the now. If a venerable house wants to embrace the ever evolving spectacle of modern life and show that it isn't stifled by it's own history, then Freja is the perfect model for the job. (I suspect this is also why Karl is so taken with Freja for Chanel.)

If you don't change, you die. But change too quickly and you lose sense of your very core being. We're all going through this same balancing act in life; whether we're an old school fashion house, a successful model, or just a mere fan. We're all just trying to find ways to navigate through the confusion of surviving while the world swirls and changes around us. And sometimes, in this madness, disparate elements will converge together to make absolute sense.

Image Credits: style.it

Chanel Haute Couture

2011-01-25T10:35:00.000-05:00

No surprises here. Freja showed up at the Chanel Haute Couture show earlier today wearing three beautiful looks. No special treatment. No opening or closing looks. No smirks. No different hair style. She was just one of the runway girls, and I don't know why but that's utterly refreshing to me. Sometimes you just want to see a model do her job and do it well, without all the fanfare and hubbub that can happen.

The toned down affair, both in setting and in color, was quite beautiful if misleadingly simple. If you get a chance, zoom in on the details and you'll see what distinguishes Haute Couture from RTW and why these pieces cost upwards of tens of thousands of dollars. Freja wore a softened expression on her face to match the mood, instantly drawing up nostalgia in me for the old days. I definitely don't miss seeing that hard, stern glare that used to be her frequent runway companion. What always surprises me with models like Freja (and Raquel, Daria, etc.) is how they manage to seem ageless despite surviving through the rigors of a stressful industry like fashion. I guess the ageless gene, in addition to the skinny, tall, and good skin genes, are what distinguish them from us mere plebeians. ;)

Valentino Haute Couture shows tomorrow....any bets on whether Freja will be there or not?

Image Credits: style.it

Freja Speaks

2011-01-23T17:33:00.005-05:00

Most of the time I post about things that other people have said about Freja. Whether it's from regular fans, photographers, designers or models, there has been a plethora of good things said in regards to Freja. But rare is the time that the tables are turned and Freja gets to do the talking.

The February issue of US Harper's Bazaar contains a story about IMG model manager Jen Ramey. She's at the top of her business and if her name sounds familiar, its because she's guided the careers of Kate Moss and Daria Werbowy. Just think of any top girl at the powerhouse agency and odds are Jen stands behind her success. Lily D? Check. And yes, Freja? Check.

The article is your typical "how I overcame [insert obstacle here] and feel great about myself now" story that fashion magazines are apt to give us every single issue. That being said, Jen admirably lost 120 pounds and overcame a breast-cancer scare. A few of her model clients are interviewed for the article and here's what Freja had to say:

"Jen is one of the strongest women I know. I'm not surprised that she succeeded in what she put her mind to..."

"Jen manages to cut straight to the core. There's never any BS with her..."

Ok, yeah...Freja's not going to win any oratory prizes for her input here, but it was pretty surprising to see her name when I read this story. I knew that Jen was her manager, but I guess I just wasn't expecting any words from the (previously) press shy Freja. I've spent the better part of over two years covering Freja and her career, and in those earlier days backstage interviews, style features, appearances at parties, anything that didn't solely relate to the catwalk or the editorial, were near impossibilities. All I can say is that Freja's come a long way. Now as she enters the ripening phase of her career, I hope she gets the chance to speak more often. It would be nice to cover the things she says, instead of just the things people say about her. :) Anyway, congrats Jen!

Runway Randomness

2011-01-21T12:09:00.000-05:00

Freja popped up in Berlin yesterday, making a runway appearance at the Hugo by Hugo Boss show where she had the honors of opening and closing. Random, no? Then again, to my memory, Hugo Boss always manages to snag a few big name models for their BFW show. I'm sure they pay very nicely. And it's nice to see the return of a sleek and clean runway version of Freja.

Brings back memories doesn't it? Memories from her earlier seasons....

In other runway news, the Haute Couture shows start next week and Chanel is showing on Tuesday, the 25th. So mark those calendars you avid Freja watchers. Bets on what role Freja will play this time? After being singled out during the Pre-Fall show, I wonder what Karl has in store for her this time, if anything at all. Another fact of note is that Karl is once again foregoing the epic proportions of the Grand Palais in favor of more intimate settings at 46 rue de Cambon; not to be confused with 31 rue Cambon, the address made famous by Coco Chanel. So no elaborately huge runway centerpiece this time around. The economy is only showing slight signs of recovery, so excessive consumption is still a bit taboo.

Anyway, all this runway randomness just adds to the excitement about the F/W 11/12 runway season peeking right around the corner.

Image Credits: scans by tFS member Alien Sex Friend, fmd1.com, elle.de

Tears Us Apart

2011-01-20T07:52:00.004-05:00

Ever since I've seen the images from Freja's new Vogue Paris editorial, I've had Joy Division's Love Will Tear Us Apart in my head for obvious reasons. And maybe it's fitting that I do, because I can't get the first image and all it's lingering emotions out of my head.

En Vogue l’Été
Vogue Paris February 2011
Ph: Mario Sorrenti
Styling: Jane How
Other Models (not pictured): Daphne Groeneveld, Daria Werbowy, Joan Smalls, Lara Stone, Natasha Poly, Sasha Pivovarova, and Saskia de Brauw

If you can only dwell on one image from this editorial, make sure it's the first one. Make sure you view it in full size and make sure that you give it a good, long look. For if you do, you will be privy to one of the most touching and expressive moments from Freja's work in a long time. Notice the mascara touched trail of a tear down the cheek and the pain in her eyes. The emotion is tangible, but somehow paradoxically made subtle by the necklace's pronouncement of "tears us apart." All the noise is concentrated there. So if you're not careful you might miss this woman who is suffering such woes that not even being outfitted in head-to-toe Chloe can remedy her sadness.

Never mind that these shots don't tell a cohesive story. They aren't supposed to when they're designed to showcase the past season's top designer looks. Heck, they don't need to when you can find a story in each shot, in and of itself. This is an editorial packed with imagery; a visual punch to the senses. Each frame stands on it's own, each extols different merits, each displays different facets of the model that Freja has grown to become. When you can take any shot, blow it up and make an awesome poster out of it, you know it's good.

It's quite an editorial, and all the models play their parts exceedingly well. I can't remember the last time I liked every component of something so much. If you have to leave Carine, this is surely the way to do it. With a bang instead of a whimper. With the masses wanting more.

Image Credits: scans by tFS member Carla-A

H&M

2011-01-18T23:49:00.002-05:00

Are you there fashion gods? It's me, Margaret. Ok, seriously, my name's not really Margaret, but someone must have heard my repetitive musings on the triteness of Freja and androgyny, because this is everything that I could have ever hoped for and wanted in terms of an antidote.

Smiling and frolicking (sort of) in ruffles and lace? Why yes, of course. Looking easy, breezy and oh so commercial? Most definitely. This is a far, far cry from the rough and tough tomboyish image that made Freja "famous" and won her the adoration of drooling fan girls everywhere. But this is much, much closer to the image of Freja that I fell in love with all those years ago. If this is a sign of things to come in 2011, then color me excited. With a refreshed image comes refreshed ideas. :)

By the way, I must say that Raquel looks amazing with her new short hair. The two of them together in this ad is giving me serious nostalgia for the fashion landscape circa 2006. Those were simpler, purer times; but then again, everything seems that way in hindsight.

Image Credits: zinio.com via tFS member FRANCY ITALY

Kind Words

2011-01-13T07:57:00.000-05:00

Remember this one shot in the New York Times T Style Magazine that came at the very end of 2010? Well, I just stumbled on some words the photographer (Alice O'Malley) said about Freja and the experience of shooting her. They're so lovely that I just had to share.

"Over the years you have developed an amazing body of work featuring your friends, an extended circle of downtown New York artists. How is it for you shooting people you don't know? Is it important for you to create some sort of intimacy? And how do you do this when you only have the subject for say, 40 minutes - or less?
Less! I had 10 minutes with Freja [Beha Erichsen]. She arrived at the Chelsea off a runway show at twilight, and we ran up to the roof to catch the last drops of sun. That’s when I understood the skill of a professional model. Her genius in front of the camera meant that we could make a great picture in only a few minutes. And somehow we found time to talk about the first wave of feminism in America. I always make a connection with my subjects; that's what I photograph, our connection."

Writing this blog makes me forget sometimes (ironically enough) why I like Freja so much. Maybe I get too focused on the words, or trying to come up with something to say. But whenever I read stuff like this, no matter how small or insignificant it might seem, it gives me a jolt and makes me remember "oh yeah, that's why." :) Because she's a great model and she can talk about feminism. But of course, those are just a few of the many reasons why.

Image Credit: nytimes.com

The Year of the Smile?

2011-01-11T10:20:00.000-05:00

Is 2011 going to be the year of the smile? Things seem headed in that direction so far. Three ads in a row now have showcased Freja's radiant smile.....something we didn't get to see much of at all last year save for Harry Winston. And that only came towards the end of the year. Maybe everyone else is getting tired of the same old stuff too (all the toughness, androgyny, rebelliousness), so it's not just me and the few of you who've agreed with me in the past. Or maybe it just took the surprise of the HW ads for more people to realize that "Hey, Freja can smile and she's actually really infectious, effusive and beautiful when she does." Maybe people want to be happy when they see ads because the world is depressing enough as it is. Geez....who would've thought? What a novel concept, right?

We all know that fashion triumphs change, and perhaps this is merely another change in Freja's image--a new phase of her career if you will. Maybe it's a sign that she's isn't going anywhere after all. If there's one thing that Freja and her image makes know how to do, it's how to make her stay relevant. From new girl with the fringe, to rebel girl with the tattoos and short hair, to indefatigable veteran who oozes a calm coolness, to woman with confidence and joy. She's done it all, and the fact that she's done it all makes her still so relevant today.

The rest of the Valentino S/S 11 campaign is below, shot by David Sims. Not too much to say here. Similar to last season's, but a bit more refined, clear and focused on the new house message. It's pretty amazing to think that a "punky" Dane known for her tattoos and tomboyish image is the new Valentino woman now. :) Change can happen and it's up to us whether we want to embrace it or not.

Image Credits: scans via tFS members style_expert, rox_yr_sox, valentino.com via tFS member candlebougie

Freja's Place Within the Cult of the Model

2011-01-10T12:19:00.000-05:00

Freja seems to be getting more and more press these days. Not only does she have an editorial in the February issue of Vogue UK, but she's also discussed quite a bit for an article in the same issue regarding "The Cult of the Model." She seems to be one of the poster girls for our current obsession with models......how wide spread and pervasive this "obsession" is amongst the general public is questionable and open for debate. But among model followers and fashion insiders, Freja has certainly made a name for herself this past year. As someone familiar with her career back when she chopped her hair off and wasn't getting covers and editorials in all the major Vogues, it has been quite the journey of ups and down, elations and disappointments, anticipation and apathy.

Now I can't help but to wonder, has Freja made enough of an impact to withstand the fickleness of the industry, it's constantly changing tides, and the pitfalls of stereotyping and overexposure? Has she made it over the ridge and to the plateau where we can all rest easy knowing that we'll always be seeing work from her, a la Daria, Kate and Giselle? Or has this second coming in career doomed her to a fate similar to the countless other hyped faces who are everywhere one minute and then forgotten the next?

I suspect the answer to this lies in Freja, and Freja alone. It lies in her own goals, aspirations and wants out of life. And it lies in her modeling skills, which are on full and glorious display in this editorial.

Look Forward
Vogue UK February 2011
Ph: Patrick Demarchelier
Styling: Kate Phelan

She has the goods.....whether she wants to use them and for how long is the uncertainty here. It's a total shame that so many casual observers seem to write her off as a one-look pony. If they took the time or effort to truly look, they would discover what we fans have discovered long ago. And they would see that 6 years worth of work creates a book dominated by androgyny, yes, but also full of delightful subtleties, underrated femininity, and untapped potential. Oh yes, Freja is far from a one-trick pony, but I suppose the words of Vogue UK have more gravitas than the words of a simple fan.

"Look at Freja: demure for a Harry Winston ad, accessorized with an innocent smile and a slice of wedding cake and wearing a strapless dress straight out of a fairy tale; for MaxMara, she's a chic young mother in a camel coat about to go shopping down the via Montenapoleone in Milan; she's a girl hanging out at a music festival in skinny leather jeans for Vogue."

After writing about this kind of stuff for so long, I'm just happy these notions are being recognized by sources with a rider reach. Because maybe now I can take a long break.....or maybe Freja will come out with even more work to get me hooked again. :)

Image Credits: scans by tFS member gossiping

A Flood of Ads

2011-01-06T07:51:00.003-05:00

When it rains, it really pours. Much like the deluge that those in California experienced these past few weeks, the fashion industry has seen an out pouring of the campaign variety. And not one to be left out these days, Freja makes her (newly cheery) presence known in campaigns for three brands:

Chanel by Karl Lagerfeld
(Nothing too special, but I guess the formula works for Chanel customers, which is why Karl has stuck with it for the past few seasons. Last two shots are my favorites.)

Louis Vuitton by Steven Meisel

Georg Jensen by ~~Unknown~~ Sebastian Faena

Sometimes I still can't believe how popular Freja got. All of these campaigns? Three Vogue Italia covers within a year? Status as a Meisel favorite? A few years ago all of this would have been unimaginable to me as a fan, and maybe that's partly why I started this blog. Because I just couldn't understand why such a wonderful, versatile, enthralling and intriguing model was being overlooked by nearly everyone except Karl Lagerfeld. So I just had to write about it. And now here we are and Freja is definitely no longer overlooked (but I do not take credit for this, lest you misread my words). She has worked with nearly all the top photographers and been featured in nearly all the major magazines. She also has plenty of stans, tumblrs and sites dedicated to her; enough that I continually question myself about keeping this one running because it feels like there's less and less of a reason to do so.

Anyway, lots of people say that she is overexposed and I actually completely agree. But you know what? I'm just going to go with it because she is a great model (those who say otherwise have no knowledge of her complete oeuvre) who deserves to be acknowledged after 6 years of hard work in the industry, and truth be told I'd rather see her face plastered everywhere than some 16 year old's. The requisite backlash and bashing that comes with this kind of model success has already started in the tFS campaign threads, and I only expect it to get worse. But c'est la vie. You don't survive for half a decade in the industry without developing a very thick skin. And let's face it, most of that anger is displaced disappointment about people's own favorite models not getting certain campaigns or not being featured in certain magazines.

It's no secret that I have my own love/hate relationship with Freja's image in the modeling industry. Maybe hate isn't the right word....annoyance is more like it. I've been guilty of expressing my fair share of criticism, but it comes from a place of respect, admiration and a complete belief that Freja is capable of being more than just the stereotype that she's been saddled with. I think we're seeing signs of a sea change now, as a few of these ads show a new direction for Freja. A direction where she is allowed to be happy and radiant instead of only tough and morose. If so, then this underexposed aspect of her modeling is another welcomed chapter in her already illustrious career. And I hope it means that 2011 will be a year of continued evolution and more surprises, instead of overexposure and hackneyed concepts. Whether I'll write about it as much as I have been is up in the air, and I guess subject to my own whims and boughts of inspiration. Then again, maybe this is all just the post-holidays blues talking, so we'll see!

Image Credits: scans by tFS members gossiping, rox_yr_sox, style_expert

Valentino on Repeat

2011-01-03T15:40:00.002-05:00

The new year brings more good news for Freja fans. She's returning as one of the faces of Valentino for their S/S 11 ad campaign shot by David Sims. You can see last season's campaign here.

"For their Spring 2011 ad campaign, Valentino’s Maria Grazia Chiuri and Pier Paolo Piccioli tapped three of the hottest models of the moment—Freja Beha Erichsen, Caroline Brasch Nielsen, and Julia Saner—to showcase their gossamer-light collection. David Sims shot the black-and-white images in Valentino Garavani’s Place Vendôme home—what the designers call “a poetic and ultra-chic Paris setting.” It is Sims’ second campaign for the house.

“These dreamy black-and-white shots show three different beauties, each with something unique,” Chiuri and Piccioli explain to Style.com. “This is a very feminine, stylish campaign, with a light, playful twist that reveals the Spring 2011 collection’s airy atmosphere and captures the brand’s lifestyle. In cinematic style, we wanted to tell the stories of three different women enjoying private moments in the comfort of their homes.”"

The only shot released so far features newcomer Julia Saner. Freja's and Caroline Brasch Nielsen's shots have yet to be released. This is the third major blue-chip campaign of the season for Freja, which is pretty amazing and shows us that her dominance appears to be continuing strong from 2010 into 2011. If you look at her track record, the SS seasons never seem to turn out as successful campaign wise when compared to the FW seasons. But that seems to be changing this time around. Now to see if this momentum will carry on into the F/W 11/12 runway season, or if Freja will begin to slow down like her peers (see Lily, Raquel, etc...)

Side Note: I know I'm behind on my emails and posting. I still haven't tackled the LV and Chanel campaigns....the Holiday's will do that to you. :) My apologies and I hope to get things back in order these upcoming weeks. Thanks for your e-mails, tips and patience, and Happy 2011!

It's Going to be a Good Year

2010-12-31T11:35:00.003-05:00

No time for excessive words, other than to say that we're being spoiled with a wonderful start to the new year:

The new model of the moment and the veteran model of the moment, together on the cover of Vogue Italia shot by Steven Meisel. Old school, vintage, and nostalgia are just some of the words that come to mind. So how perfect to combine those ideas with two models whose features stand out for their modern sensibilities.

Anyway, no time for over analysis today! Just enjoy the cover and the feeling that Freja isn't going to fade away anytime soon. And enjoy your New Year celebrations! It's the last time to let loose before real life and real responsibilities return on Monday.

Image Credit: vogue.it via IAmLordZen @ tFS

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays!

2010-12-25T11:42:00.001-05:00

I just wanted to take this time to say THANK YOU to all of you out there for visiting this blog and making it the place that it is today. Of course it wouldn't exist without Freja, but more importantly, it wouldn't exist without you. For it is because of your excitement, encouragement, and participation that I continue to keep this going. And yeah, I guess it doesn't hurt that Freja's had an amazing year filled to the brim with great work. (So much so that Design Scene called 2010 Freja's year.) But if you fans weren't so dedicated and loyal, it wouldn't really matter that much, would it? Never underestimate the power of a large and loud fan base, especially in the age of the internet! ;)

So I hope you have a very Merry Christmas, full of good cheer, laughter, and times. If you don't celebrate Christmas, may the simple pleasures of life be enough of a reason for celebration. Thank you all so much, and I look forward to seeing what 2011 will bring to us all.

Random Bits: Hello Holidays!

2010-12-16T17:29:00.000-05:00

Instead of being stuck in the cold east coast snow, I managed to escape for the holidays just in time. Woot! But that doesn't mean I've completely checked out.....yet. So here a few news bits to get you through the rest of the week, until you make it home for the holidays. :)

-Freja just wrapped up shooting in São Paulo for the Brazilian shoe brand Santa Lolla. The shoot took place today and yesterday, and she was shot by Henrique Gendre. Any Brazilians out there with encounter stories to share? (Thanks to reader Gabriela for the tip!)

Behind the scenes at Santa Lolla

-It's the end of the year and you know what that means....lists. Freja's made it onto Vogue UK's Best Dressed List of 2010, accompanied by a quote from uber talented and revered stylist Lucinda Chambers:

"Freja is the ultimate in boy/girl cool. She’s so down-played but everything she wears is exquisite. Every girls wants to look like Freja.”

That's quite an endorsement coming from Lucinda. Freja is 1 out of the 6 models featured on the 20 person list. The others are Edie Campbell, Elisa Sednaoui, Kate Moss, Lara Stone, and Rosie Huntington-Whiteley. (Hmmm, does anyone else think that Vogue UK is determined to make Edie the next big British model export? They put her in December's Star Girls ed, and now they feature her here again, when I can think of lots of other girls more deserving.) Now we wait and see if Freja will show up on any other lists. With the year she had, I'm kind of expecting it to be honest. But we'll see.

-Remember this twitpic that was burning up the blogs and forums a while ago? I got a tip from lovely reader Kate, letting us know that it's for the campaign of a Scandinavian based, fast fashion chain store with a predilection for designer collaborations. But shhhhhhhh, you didn't read it here.

-Lastly, thanks for the shout outs models.com and Unique Denmark! It's quite humbling, and also a bit embarrassing to know that this blog is being visited (and maybe even being read....ha!) by people who actually work in the industry. So thank you for that recognition. I guess it means that I must be doing something right. But all the credit of course goes to Freja for keeping all of us enthralled with her work, and to all you out there for your constant input, encouragement, tips and well wishes. I would have given up a long time ago if it wasn't for you amazing and passionate fellow fans. So thanks most of all, to you!

Image Credits: Noctilux tumblr via tFS member Carla-A

Freja in WWD

2010-12-13T09:25:00.000-05:00

WWD just came out with their end of the year wrap up issue, and guess what? Freja is featured inside with a short article entitled "Great Dane":

"It’s been a busy year for Freja Beha Erichsen. At 23, this Danish model’s career is on a hot streak. And that’s not simply because she’s Karl Lagerfeld’s current muse. Erichsen has popped up in 10 advertising campaigns and shot almost 40 editorials since January. She equally fascinates editors, stylists and designers, and has appeared in five of the past six issues of French Vogue alone.

Erichsen’s tomboy looks — not to mention 16 tattoos — give her an edgy, androgynous mystique. But her charm is also influenced by the attitude she cultivates in her extracurricular activities: The wannabe rock star plays the drums, piano and guitar.

In 2010, Erichsen walked 80 shows and opened and/or closed 30. Lagerfeld summed up her appeal last April: “I just think she is the most modern girl and the most elegant person."

2010 really has been her year and it's nice to see more people recognizing that, including a very industry-news based publication. It's one thing to hear me talk over and over again about how great Freja is, but it's another to hear it from WWD. :) She's been working hard since 2005, always a bit under the radar; but that definitely changed this year. So congratulations Freja. I hope you're enjoying yourself wherever you are. And may the accolades and recognition continue to come in.

Image Credit: wwd.com

More Harry Winston

2010-12-10T15:57:00.001-05:00

Thanks to a few lovely anonymous commenters in my previous post, I was directed to some more shots of Freja's Harry Winston Jewelry campaign, shot by Patrick Demarchelier.

Freja looks so great in these, albeit a bit too airbrushed. But whatever...she's smiling and positively radiant! WWD just came out with a report about Harry Winston's earnings, and now I think I have an idea as to why they went with Freja for the campaign; being the unconventional, but brilliant, choice that she was.

"Increased demand for luxury goods and higher sales from Asian consumers helped the luxury jeweler post a profit of $3.9 million..."

"The engine of this recovery is being fueled by the Far East as Chinese citizens become consumers not only at home, but also in the luxury shopping districts of the developed world,” chairman and chief executive officer Robert Gannicott said on a call with analysts."

Call me crazy, but it seems to me like Freja was picked to front the campaign because she has appeal to the Asian consumer. We all know how popular she is over there, so this just makes sense to me. I don't know, maybe I'm just making connections where there are no connections to make. But all of this is still interesting to say the least....

Image Credits: harrywinston.com via Noctilux tumblr

The Year 2010 in Editorials

2010-12-09T07:20:00.005-05:00

It's that time again. With December already here, and January 2011 (!) fast approaching, it's time to take a look back at the year in editorials. So brace yourself....it's going to be a loooooong list.

Last year's recap is here. It's pretty hilarious to re-read the stuff I wrote back then. I got my wish of Freja appearing in the big three Vogues, and she totally exceeded all my expectations this year in terms of the quantity and prestige of her work. But my one wish for this year is for Freja to show some more range and diversity in her work, just like she did at the very beginning of her career. If Freja continues to work this much in 2011, hopefully she is less pigeon-holed into one role and one "type" of modeling. (And maybe she'll even model some actual clothes and change her hair style too? A girl can dream....)

JANUARY
1. Interview, "Tomas Meier" by Craig McDean, also featuring Hanne Gaby Odiele and Siri Tollerod
2. Vogue Italia, "Runway" by Steven Meisel, MG*

FEBRUARY
3. Vogue Paris, "Vogue-a-Porter" by Inez van Lamsweerde and Vinoodh Matadin, MG

MARCH
4. Purple Magazine (Spring), "Purple Naked" by Inez van Lamsweerde and Vinoodh Matadin, OG**
5. Numoro Homme #19 (Spring), Cover and "Predateurs" by Karl Lagerfeld, also featuring Abbey Lee Kershaw and Heidi Mount
6. Vogue Nippon, "Generation Dreamers" by Terry Richardson, OG
7. Vogue UK, "Cyber Tribe" by Josh Olins, OG
8. Vogue China, "Karl's China Fantasy" by Karl Lagerfeld, also featuring Du Juan, Heidi Mount and Shu Pei
9. Vogue US, "Love at First Sight" by Steven Meisel, MG
10. W Magazine, "Chic Mystique" by Mario Sorrenti, MG
11. Vogue Italia, Cover and "In Grande Stile" by Steven Meisel, OG

APRIL
12. SPUR Magazine, Cover and Style Feature by Martha Camarillo, OG
13. Vogue UK, "Urban Renewal" by Patrick Demarchelier, OG
14. Vogue Germany, "Tango" by Karl Lagerfeld, OG
15. W Magazine, "New York, New York 10021" by Inez van Lamsweerde and Vinoodh Matadin, also featuring Raquel Zimmermann
16. i-D (Spring), Cover and "Freja Beha, The Rock N' Roll Star" by Emma Summerton, OG
17. Vogue Italia, "Shrink to Fit" by Steven Meisel, MG
18. Interview, "Tough Ballerina" by Craig McDean, OG

MAY
19. Vogue Paris Collections (Spring), Cover
20. Vogue Mexico, "Vogue-a-Porter" by Inez van Lamsweerde and Vinoodh Matadin, MG (R)***

JUNE
21. W Magazine, "Best in Show" by Craig McDean, MG

JUNE/JULY
22. Vogue Paris, "Collection Privee" by Terry Richardson, also featuring Lara Stone

AUGUST
23. Vogue Nippon, "The Untold Crime" by Terry Richardson, OG
24. Vogue UK, Cover and "Colour Shock" by Josh Olins, OG
25. Vogue Paris, Cover and "Winter Before Winter" by David Sims, MG
26. W Magazine Korea, Cover by Craig McDean (R)
27. Interview, "Modern Love" by Craig McDean, OG
28. Vogue Mexico, "Love at First Sight" by Steven Meisel, MG (R)

SEPTEMBER
29. Vogue Portugal, "The Untold Crime" by Terry Richardson, MG (R)
30. Vogue Korea, Cover and "Poetics of Body" by Rafael Stahelin, OG
31. Allure Korea, Cover by Josh Olins (R)
32. Vogue Paris, "Neo Belphegor" by Mikael Jansson, OG
33. V Magazine #67, "Uptown and Downtown" by Mario Testino, also featuring Anna Selezneva, Carmen Kass and Sasha Pivovarova
34. Dossier #6 (Fall), Cover and "Cinnamon Girl" by Cass Bird, OG
35. The Last Magazine #5 (Fall), Cover and "Freja and Anja" by Maciek Kobielski, also featuring Anja Rubik

OCTOBER
36. Vogue Paris, "Bal Masque" by Mert Alas and Marcus Piggott, also featuring Crystal Renn, Daphne Groeneveld, Lara Stone and Mariacarla Boscono
37. Vogue Paris, "Think Punk" by Mario Sorrenti, OG
38. Rolling Stone, "The Hot List" by Theo Wenner, OG

NOVEMBER
39. Vogue Paris, "Temps Libre" by Heid Silmane, OG
40. Vogue Paris, "La Geisha" by Terry Richardson, OG
41. Vogue Mexico, "Colour Shock" by Josh Olins, OG (R)
42. Vogue Italia, Cover and "Venus in Furs" by Steven Meisel, also featuring Alla Kostromicheva, Iris Strubegger, Iselin Steiro

DECEMBER
43. Vogue UK, "Star Girls" by Mario Testino, MG
44. VMAN #20 (Winter), "Patti + Robert" by Christian Brylle, OG
45. Pirelli Calendar 2010, "Mythology" by Karl Lagerfeld, also featuring various other models
46. New York Times T Style (Holiday), "Moonstruck" by Alice O'Malley, MG

*MG=Multi Girl
**OG=Only Girl
***(R)=Reprint

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23 Editorials and 3 Covers in 2009 VS. 43 Editorials and 13 Covers in 2010 (20 more eds and 10 more covers, best year by far with 2006 coming in second)
Most Prodigious Month: March with 8 editorials and 2 covers
Most Prestigious Month: August with covers of Vogue UK and Vogue Paris

Photographer Breakdown:
-Meisel (5) (Never thought I'd live to see the day)
-McDean (4)
-Richardson (4)
-Lagerfeld (4)
-Inez and Vinoodh (3)
-Olins (2)
-Sorrenti (2)
-Testino (2)
-Demarchelier, Jansson, Mert & Marcus, Slimane, Sims, and Summerton (all 1)
(Seeing these names written out like this is SO impressive. You go ~~Glen Coco~~ Freja! Though I'd love to see Roversi and Luchford listed again.)

Vogue Breakdown:
-Vogue Paris: Editorials (8), Covers (1)
-Vogue Italia: Editorials (4), Covers (2)
-Vogue UK: Editorials (4), Covers (1)
-Vogue Korea: Editorials (1), Covers (1)
-Vogue Nippon: Editorials (2)
-Vogue US: Editorials (1)
-Vogue Germany: Editorials (1)
-Vogue China: Editorials (1)
(Tsk, tsk Vogue Russia. You're missing out.)

Others:
-W Magazine: Editorials (3)
-Interview: Editorials (3)
-i-D Magazine: Editorials (1), Cover (1)
-Dossier: Editorials (1), Cover (1)
-The Last Magazine: Editorials (1), Cover (1)
-Purple Magazine: Editorials (1)
-V Magazine: Editorials (1)
(To count Vogue Paris, Vogue Italia, Vogue UK, W, and Interview as some of your best clients is no small feat. Four for you ~~Glen Coco~~ Freja!)
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Whew! If you catch any mistakes above, please let me know. And huge THANKS to all the hardworking scanners over at tFS. It is because of their dedication and generosity that we have images of all of Freja's work this past year. It's a tedious, time consuming job so the least we can do is say thanks and give credit (I'm looking at you tumblrs)!

2010 was most definitely Freja's year and she has completely cemented her status at the top and ensured her longevity in the industry for as long as she wants it. Isn't it amazing what can happen in just a year's time? But as happy and proud of Freja and her success as I am, I think we should all be sensitive to the fact that change goes both ways. Who knows what I'll be writing this time next year? And that's why I think I'm so hard on Freja sometimes. I just want to see her doing diverse work because I think that's the best for her career longevity at this point going forward. Sure, it's great to have a persona and a trademark that you're known for. But that can only go so far. So Freja, I think it's time to change it up a bit, get away from your comfort zone, and expand into the full range that we all know you're capable of. And maybe it's time to change the hair as well. Going blond might just be the thing to inject some newness and freshness into your image. Eeek, dare I even say that? Maybe that's too drastic. I don't know. I just think 2011 is the time for something new. Agree? Disagree? What changes would you like to see Freja make this upcoming year, if any at all?

Anyway, congrats on your year Freja. Your hard work, dedication, passion, indefatigable drive, and talent have finally paid off. Now may you land a multi-million dollar beauty contract so you can be comfortable for the rest of your life. Amen.

Chanel Pre-Fall 2011

2010-12-07T18:44:00.001-05:00

As expected, Freja walked for the Chanel Pre-Fall 2011 show held earlier today in Paris. And she closed the Byzantine spectacle wearing a long, flowing coat with matching hair to boot.

Looking a little mean there Freja...

...there, that's better.

When was the last time she missed a Chanel show? Maybe the SS09 show two years ago when she missed all of Paris? Anyway, I'm beginning to think that Karl really sees Freja as the female equivalent of Baptiste. She travels with him, is involved in nearly all of his projects, and she's treated differently from all the other female models. Case in point: the way she was styled for this show. All of the other models had their hair put up in bee-hive bouffants, but Freja had hers down, styled to look the way it always looks nowadays.

I don't know if this special treatment from Karl is a good thing, or a bad thing. Probably a little bit of both. As one of you pointed out in the comments of this post, albeit jokingly, maybe Karl is trying to make Freja and Baptiste into twins....lol. I really just don't know. Why do you think Freja is getting treated differently? Perhaps it's a display of trust and comfort on Karl's part? Or maybe a request on Freja's part? It will be interesting to see how their working relationship further develops in the coming months. After Pirelli and this runway, will we continue to see Freja being used unconventionally? Your guess is as good as mine.

Image Credits: wwd.com

Dressing to a T

2010-12-05T10:17:00.002-05:00

So far I can say that I like Sally Singer at T Magazine way more than I like Stefano Tonchi at W. Who's with me!? Putting Mick Jagger on the cover of your holiday style issue? F-ing brilliant. Featuring Sasha Pivovarova in a style profile? Utterly charming. Including Freja in the issue after a four year absence? Totally awesome, especially since Freja finally looks a bit different and isn't playing her usual rock n' roll, tough girl role. And dare I say it with out suffering retaliation in the form of angry comments about how repetitive I am....but she even looks (feigned gasp, shock, awe) feminine. Imagine that. Must be the dress, heels and languid, soft pose because her hair is still the same messy mop. :)

Moonstruck
New York Times T Style Magazine Holiday 2010
Ph: Alice O'Malley
Styling: Susan Winget
Other Models: Eliza Douglas, Hilary Swank, Kazu Makino, Lakshmi Menon, Maggie Gyllenhaal, Mila Kunis, Sally Hawkins

Like everyone else, I was uncertain about all the staff changes that happened at T and W, but so far it seems like T is coming out for the better judging by Singer's first issue. Rumors are already swirling about W's less than stellar performance under Tonchi, and I can see why. As a subscriber, I can say with honesty that I've stopped reading my issues because the content is just so unappealing to me now. (Kim Kardashian? Katherine Heigl? Is Stefano trying to feature everyone I don't care about?) To say that I miss the old W would be an understatement. But this isn't a blog about magazines, so back to Freja!

I'm so happy that she's in T again! The company that she keeps in this editorial is pretty surprising. Save for Lakshmi, it's a mix of actresses, so I guess it's an honor for Freja to be included in the bunch? I don't know....I'm still trying to wrap my head around that one. I suspect she might actually be friends with the photographer, Alice O'Malley, because there is a paragraph about her photographic approach and how she likes to photograph her friends.

What do you think? Friends? Or just another instance of Freja's fashion star growing brighter? I guess it doesn't matter why, just as long as we have the who, what, where and when. And speaking of, I love the explanation for this editorial:

"What happens when a fierce modern beauty dons a languid nostalgic dress? Enchantment".

Enchantment indeed. Seriously, are they reading my mind? This is exactly the type of story that I've wanted to see Freja in. I only wish she had more than one shot, but one is more than none so I'll take it! Maybe my repetitiveness (though off-putting to some) is finally starting to pay off. By putting it out there in the universe enough, it's finally starting to happen. Or maybe it's just common sense that people will get tired of the same stuff over and over again, so it's good to change up your image and give people something different. My ego would have me think the former is the reason behind this all, but my rationality tells me it's actually the latter. ;) If this is a sign of things to come in 2011, then January can't come soon enough.

Image Credits: nytimes.com via tFS member MissMagAddict

Byzantine

2010-12-03T13:55:00.004-05:00

Just in case you forgot, Chanel's pre-fall show is happening this Tuesday, December 7th. And oh la la, the theme appears to be Byzantine. Guess that's explains why the show is being held in Paris this time around. As powerful as Karl may be, even he can't resurrect a bygone empire for a Chanel show. So don't blame the recession, don't blame an unsteady economy, don't blame consumer uncertainty; blame the Byzantine empire for not being around anymore to provide us with the locale to match the theme. ;)

I think the odds are pretty high that Freja will make it to Paris in time for the show. After donning a codpiece for Karl, he owes her at least that much. But Freja's apparently in ~~China~~ New York right now shooting something (any fans out there know what for sure?), so I guess that means she'll be traveling this weekend....hopefully. Fingers crossed. I don't know about you, but I definitely want to see what Karl puts her in after Pirelli.

Image Credits: chanel-news.com

Pirelli

2010-12-02T10:04:00.002-05:00

All images from the Pirelli Calendar have been leaked. I feel a bit strange posting all of Freja's shots outright on this blog, so you can see the pictures here. (I think I have an irrational fear that the Pirelli police will shut me down, or someone will inevitably contact Google and "flag" this blog for "objectionable" content, ie nudity. Although in my opinion nudity is far less objectionable than violence, but that's neither here nor there.)

Anyway, the good news is Freja is on the Calendar cover! The bad news (at least to me) is Freja is on the Calendar cover wearing a codpiece. A codpiece similar to the one Baptiste is wearing here. In the immortal words of Homer Simpson, "Doh!" I don't really feel like there's any point in elaborating any further on my thoughts about these images. If you've been reading the blog, you'll know what I think. If you haven't been reading this blog, then you're probably just here for the pictures anyway so it doesn't really matter what I think. And anyway, I'm more interested in hearing what you all out there think.

On the bright side, this is yet another fashion accomplishment that Freja can notch on her belt: Calendar pin up girl......sort of? (Not sure how to address it since she's a female playing a male. So Calendar pin up person?) And it is great that she can play both feminine and masculine roles because that ability opens up another 50% of job possibilities to her. More job possibilities means more work. But I just hope to god Freja doesn't dig herself so deep into one role, one stereotype, one image, that she can never get herself out. I have my fingers crossed that the upcoming Chanel and Louis Vuitton campaigns can begin to swing the pendulum back towards the other side so that we can see some kind of balance and a settling at the center. Because after this Calendar, the Vman editorial, Star Girls in Vogue UK, and Think Punk, I'm looking forward to seeing some other facets of Freja. And I'm looking forward to seeing her model some clothes for once. ;) The Freja Exposure Rate is literally off the charts now after this.

Image Credits: pirelli.com originally via tFS member testinofan, before images were deleted from tFS.

Campaign News - LV

2010-12-01T09:23:00.001-05:00

I'm pretty much awe struck right now by this news:

I don't know if it gets any better than this. Kristen, Raquel and Freja by Meisel? Holy crap! Talk about talent overload. I just hope the results live up to the reputation of all those involved. And even if it doesn't, the pedigree of this job is enough to make me so excited and proud that Freja is included. She isn't the first name to come to mind when you think Louis Vuitton, especially since the last few campaigns have conditioned me to think of big name celebrities (Madonna) and traditional super models (Christy). But Freja can do glamorous, and she can do luxury; so under the guidance of Meisel I have high hopes for something great.

With Chanel and now Louis Vuitton on her campaign list, the S/S 11 season is turning out pretty well for Freja. Not as good as last season, but I think most of us know by now that the F/Ws seem to suit Freja and her aesthetic better anyway. And who knows....maybe we'll be surprised by more campaign news. After all, this entire year and has been nothing if not chock full of surprises. :)

Mythology

2010-11-30T14:47:00.009-05:00

Big news of the day is the release of the annual Pirelli calendar in Moscow. With Karl at the helm, is it any surprise that Freja is included this year? You gotta love him for being so loyal.

Back when the news broke in April that Karl would be the photographer, I'll admit I was a bit skeptical about Freja's odds of being included. After all, the Pirelli Calendar is about sexy pin-ups with a high fashion twist. And no matter how versatile I think Freja is as a model, the last thing that people associate her with is sexy pin-up girl. But no matter now, since Karl has managed to pick a theme that allows him to integrate all his favorite models into the calendar: Greek and Roman mythology.

And no surprise here, Freja plays the male roles of Apollo, Pollux and Orpheus. So Karl has managed to both exceed and let down my expectations. Exceed in the sense of his unconventional casting choice of Freja (and even Iris) for this calendar; let down in the sense of his trite role assignment. Freja in a masculine role....wow, never saw that one coming (rolls eyes). At least there is some unexpected gender-bending going on with Abbey as Castor and Anja as Hermes. I like to see models taking on new roles and challenges, and at this point I feel like Freja (through no fault of her own) hasn't been given much opportunity to do so. C'est la vie I guess.

Regardless, I am excited to see what the final images will look like. The images that have been released so far are really beautiful. They're classical in all the right ways, and everyone looks gorgeous--real, physical embodiments of the gods they're asked to play. So I'm leaving myself open to the possibility that I'll be pleasantly surprised, and that roles won't matter in the face of beauty. Your thoughts on Freja and the calendar?

ETA: Here's the first image of Freja

Image Credits: pedestrian.tv

Happy Thanksgiving!

2010-11-24T08:55:00.002-05:00

Hooray for a four day weekend and the official start of the holiday season! My favorite time of the year by far. Are you ready for turkey day, black Friday and cyber Monday? I hope so. Enjoy yourselves and I hope you...

eat a lot of good food...

drink a lot of good drinks...

catch up on your sleep...

finally start that bestseller you've been meaning to read...

and spend quality time with your family, friends and other loved ones.

Image Credits: fashionmag.com, firstview.com, style.it

FTV Countdown

2010-11-21T08:57:00.002-05:00

This is what all fans wait for. A glimpse at the person behind all the clothes and makeup; the person off the runway and behind the scenes.

This season Freja comes in at #2 on the FTV countdown, up a spot from #3 last season. Bear my cheesiness, but she's like a fine wine, getting better with age. ;)

She also takes the top spot for the city of Milan. No interview; just a compilation of catwalk looks starting at 13:30:

Here are a few things that caught my attention:

-It's funny how we go from always napping backstage at Marni, to literally jumping up and down with energy this season @ 1:15.

-Perhaps we should expect a career transition into music very soon. After all, Freja has a DIY home studio with a plethora of guitars, a piano and drums. That doesn't simply sound like something she does casually on her off days--seems more serious than that to me.

-Oh, so those combat boots Freja was sporting everywhere this past season are Balmain. Who knew? So Christophe makes a $1,000 version of something Doc Martens makes for $100. I'm totally side-eyeing Decarnin right now.

-About a year after her initial move to New York, Freja is moving again. This time to Brooklyn. Why does it feel like everyone and their mother is moving to Brooklyn these days? It's not like the rent is any cheaper...

Anyway, it's always a pleasure to watch these videos. Most of the time, models are seen and not heard, so it's a treat when FTV puts these out after each season. If you have some time to kill, take a look at the rest of the girls making up the top ten.

10. Kasia Struss
9. Ginta Lapina
8. Karmen Pedaru
7. Julija Steponaviciute
6. Monika "Jac" Jagaciak
5. Lindsey Wixson
4. Frida Gustavsson
3. Caroline Brasch Nielsen
2. Freja
1. Karlie Kloss

It's a solid list and I'm happy to see girls like Julija and Karmen included. There are others I could do without, but you win some, you lose some.

Image Credits: afashiontale.dk, bellazon. Videos courtesy of Fashiontv Youtube Channel

The Many Faces Of

2010-11-20T08:17:00.001-05:00

My recent post got me thinking about the upside of Freja's deluge of work, and pictures can say it better than words can:

With so much work to be seen, we get a true sense of how versatile Freja really is. In many cases her reputation precedes her and people write her off as only belonging to the tough and edgy category. But all of this work, side by side, really reveals the often underrated subtlety and quality of her transformative abilities. Freja is a model who is capable of giving people what they want, when they want it. She is simultaneously all things to all people, and yet utterly true to herself for we never lose sight of her individuality amidst all the makeup, styling, concepts and characters. She is both chameleon and persona. Malleable and distinct. Once again toeing the line between extremes, existing in the space between where the paradox resides.

This paradoxical quality makes her instantly intriguing, captivating and mysterious. How does she do it? How does she go from punk to glam so effortlessly? This is one of things about Freja that has grabbed a hold of me and will never let me go. So no matter how I much I complain or whine, I could never walk away from a model this talented and hardworking. Can you imagine any one else being able to take on all these different roles so thoroughly and successfully? Any one else who could do it with both aplomb and humility? No? Neither can I.

Image Credits: All credits are in the image file name

Going Commercial?

2010-11-18T07:49:00.006-05:00

Here's something new and possibly commercial. Freja recently shot some sort of TV ad with fellow models Anne Vyalitsyna and Martha Streck. Both Martha and Anne exist more firmly in the commercial fashion sphere, so it will be exciting and interesting to see what kind of project could possibly have these three girls working together. Via Martha's Twitter:

One the one hand you have Freja: androgynous poster girl, high fashion doyenne and a Karl Lagerfeld fav. On the other you have Anne V: current girlfriend of Maroon 5's Adam Levine and frequent model for the utterly mass market Victoria's Secret catalog. Then you have Martha: not necessarily notable for anything in particular, but a model in Victoria's Secret catalogs and on Givenchy runways. The three together certainly make for strange bedfellows, but my interest is definitely peaked! Fingers crossed that it's something uber commercial just for fun of it and for the sake of seeing something different.

(Is that a flowery, feminine dress I see on Freja!? Whoa.)

Also, thank goodness Martha confirmed what a lot of us already knew; the frejabe twitter is complete bullshit and a fake. So report it as spam and maybe then we can get rid of it and its embarrassingly immature tweets.

Anyway, guesses as to what the ad could be for? What do you want it to be for? H&M? Gap? Cadbury candy? What else? And am I the only one dying to see Freja cheese out in some over-the-top holiday ad campaign? Just me? Oh, ok....

Image Credits: twitter.com/marthastreck

Celebrity?

2010-11-16T13:36:00.002-05:00

I finally picked up a copy of the Fall/Winter issue of Bon with Constance on the cover. This Swedish publication has become one of my favorite magazines because it has substantive context and good editorials. It features topics and discussions infinitely more interesting than "How to look good at every age," "10 ways to get the look for less," and "What Hamish Bowles discovered on his 10 day cleanse."

Anyway, this particular issue contains a round table discussion on the recent Fall/Winter 2010/2011 season, and one of the topics covered in said round table is "On the Rise and Rise of Models." Interestingly enough, Freja's picture is chosen as the lead in image for this section:

It was a nice surprise, but when I took the time to think about it, it shouldn't have been a surprise at all. This absolutely jives with all the recent coverage that Freja has been receiving lately, for it seems like she is fashion's current model du jour--the poster girl of model success. It's wonderful for sure, but it also brings bittersweet feelings. I mean, when you're so "of the moment," it's only a matter of time before the moment passes and you're suddenly out of it. Maybe that's my pessimism speaking, but I just don't want Freja to get overexposed and I fear it's happening. Anyway, that isn't the point of this post....sorry to be so scatterbrained. The point is that a few quotes stuck out to me and got me thinking about the issue of celebrity.

Q: "We might think that a lot of models are sort of cookie cutter, completely without personality and importance, but in fact, if you've been on Models.com or the Fashion Spot or Model Manual, there is a fascination with models that seems to be growing. What are your thoughts on this?"

A: "...I don't think this is a fixation on models. It's a fascination with these people and the lives that they lead. Agyness has her music, she has modeling and acting. Each of them is a rock star in their own right. It's a fascination with the celebrity, not the model."

Do you think this is true in Freja's case? And if so, how does this reconcile with her fierce upkeep of privacy outside of modeling? Can Freja be a celebrity when we know essentially nothing about her besides what she shows on the runway, in fashion candids and on magazine pages? Doesn't that just make her simply a model? I've always been curious to know how many people like her for her work, versus those that "like" like her, versus those that like her for her personality and everything it embodies and signifies (the irony of this doesn't escape me considering none of us really know her). I try to focus this blog on the work, and even though I don't really care about all the gossip and whisperings about her personal life, I am fully aware of them. After all, lots of voices whispering together creates a pretty loud sound. So is this the by-product of the celebrity fascination mentioned above? Is the Freja fan domain created out of a fascination with her as a person, instead of the work that she does? Are the two facets mutually exclusive? Or are they rather codependent, with each informing and bolstering the other?

If Freja really was just a model, no one would care about what she did off-duty, what her tattoos means, who she hangs out with, who she sleeps with, etc, etc. But people do care, and I have no idea why they care so much other than to say that models are indeed the new "celebrity." That's disconcerting in a way, because you get a sense that after a while, this fascination begins to come at the price of the work. And this brings me to the second quote from the round table.

"What often happens in fashion, particularly fashion photography, is that everybody is seeking beauty, but with no other thought than combining things that have been approved by everybody else in the industry: best model, best photographer, best studio. All you can think of when looking at the pictures is that they certainly had good salads and sandwiches at the shoot. But it has no charm, no little accidents, no surprises."

In all honestly, this sums up the way I've felt about some (but definitely not all) of Freja's work lately. She's had so much of it since everyone is (seemingly) rushing to capitalize on her popularity and celebrity. But as a result, the moments of awe and inspiration seem diluted. Don't get me wrong....they are still there. But I feel like I have to look harder and longer to find them, and that's frustrating when you feel the pressure to love everything someone does simply because you run a blog about them.

Back when I started this whole thing, I would have been leaping for joy at the success that Freja's had in the past few months. But now that it's here, I can't get that bittersweet taste out of my mouth. As the saying goes, be careful what you wish for, right? And just watch.....if Freja ever disappears I'll be howling with frustration at her lack of new work and wishing to recapture this moment where she was on top. (In the voice of Chandler Bing) Can I be anymore fickle and temperamental? I'll just blame it on human nature and utilize another popular saying: the grass is always greener on the other side.

Your thoughts on models, celebrities, model celebrities, Freja, and fickleness? So sorry for the lengthy, stream of consciousness post, but it's pretty quiet news wise so I thought I'd go a little crazy. :)

Image Credits: My Scan

Acting Break

2010-11-12T07:41:00.001-05:00

Remember this little gem? Yes, the Chanel Pre-Fall video from last year that had Freja portraying a Chinese peasant girl and a Chinese courtesan. Well this year we won't ~~have to suffer through~~ get to enjoy another brilliant piece of film making from Karl because WWD reports that he "...had no time to make a movie," for this year's Chanel pre-fall collection. So Freja won't be in yellow face, or black face, or some other face, to complete Karl's ballsy display of cultural insensitivity. And we won't have to sit through a laughable, but endearing in a weird way, video as we squirm with second hand embarrassment. In fact, it seems like this year is all about modesty and intimacy since the show is not even being held in some far-flung, exotic location as past experience would dictate. No London, Moscow, or Shanghai.

Instead it's being held in the good, old City of Lights.....Gay Paree! Rue Cambon to be exact. Tuesday, December 7th. So mark those calendars, because chances are Freja will be there. Gosh, I can't even remember the last time she missed a Chanel show, be it ready-to-wear, haute couture, resort or pre-fall. Maybe during the infamous SS09 season? Anyway, as WWD reports:

"After taking over every square inch of the vast Grand Palais in Paris for its spring ready-to-wear show earlier this month, Chanel is reverting to more intimate environs for pre-fall. On Dec. 7, the French house plans to show its latest métiers d’arts collection — a luxury rtw line made with the specialty ateliers Chanel owns — where it all started back in 2002: at its Rue Cambon couture salons."

So it seems like Freja fans will get their next fix in just a little less than one month. We might be entering into the holiday season, but fashion never rests. After all, the trends can't set themselves!

Exposed

2010-11-10T07:21:00.001-05:00

So I was looking at the latest VMan #20 preview shots of Freja and Christian Brylle, and one thing stuck out to me. I guess the 1-2-3 punch of these images, the style.com video, and the Vogue Italia images have put nudity at the forefront of my mind, so I couldn't help but to notice a trend here with Freja's work. An inordinate amount of her recent editorials have featured prominent boobage (or lack thereof....however you want to consider it). Basically, I feel like I've been seeing topless Freja A LOT lately, and way more than usual. I'm not sure if this is actually the case, or if it's one of those things that just seems more prevalent the second you're acutely aware of it. You know how that goes; someone mentions pumpkin ravioli to you for the first time, and suddenly everywhere you go you see pumpkin ravioli on every menu, on every food program, in every magazine. What do you call this phenomenon? The sudden proliferation of otherwise unknown concepts? The sudden realization of dormant ideas?

Anyway, I digress. Back to the boobs. I decided to do some good old fashion counting and break it down by the numbers. Here is my not so scientific method. I broke the year into two segments: January through June, and July through December. Then I counted how many times Freja appeared topless/exposed her breasts in editorials that fell within those respective months. Simple as that. I didn't count covers or reprints, and I counted the June/July issue of VP twice. This gives us the Freja exposure rate:

January - June: 3 out of 19 (15.79% exposure rate)

vs.

July - December: 8 out of 18 (44.44% exposure rate)

So I wasn't being crazy and just imagining things. Freja has been more exposed recently. In the first half of the year, we only had Vogue-a-Porter, Purple Naked, and In Grande Stile. In the second half of the year we had Winter Before Winter, Modern Love, Poetics of Body, Rolling Stone Hot List, La Geisha, Temps Libre, Venus in Furs, and Patti + Robert. Notably, the last five editorials came within the past three months. That high level of concentration suggests we've reached the nudity critical mass.

As for the significance of my findings, I really have no idea of their potential significance or reverberations for the scientific...er, I mean fashion community. Perhaps nudity is a trend that comes and goes just like all other trends in fashion: plaid shirts, biker jackets, clogs, camel coats, nudity. Perhaps Vogue Paris is behind all of this, as Freja's exposure rate did increase in tandem with her appearance rate in VP's pages. And we all know how VP loves a good measure of breast. We may never know the exact cause, but the effects are more measurable in terms of fan reaction. Speaking only for myself as a fan, I find all of this nudity to be tiring. But then again, I get tired of things pretty quickly. (I have no idea how I've been able to run this blog for so long. It's literally a miracle.) Heck, give me Freja in three feminine editorials in a row and I'll be calling for the androgyny faster than you can say "tomboy with 16 tattoos." Freja has great range and I would just like to see it utilized more.

I hope you know this post was written with tongue firmly in cheek. I thought it would be pretty obvious, but with the internet you never know. Sometimes you have to spell out things like sarcasm and jest because they don't come across very well in blog form. So......s-a-r-c-a-s-m and j-e-s-t. There, that should make it pretty clear so don't be sending me hate mail about how I'm biased against nudity or something. Because I'm most certainly not. But I am looking forward to seeing Freja model some clothes for once. :)

Image Credits: designscene.net

Freja on Style.com

2010-11-08T16:29:00.002-05:00

OK, the number of comments and e-mails that I've received telling me about this video probably means that you all want me to post it. So here it is:

Thanks to all who informed me of its existence! :) I saw it last week, but didn't think there was anything noteworthy enough to blog about. But I guess general consensus thought otherwise. All I can say is you are a very insistent, but very thoughtful bunch and I do appreciate it. It's comforting to know that if I ever miss anything Freja related, all you wonderful readers will keep me in the loop!

Anyway, like I was saying, there's nothing terribly new or revelatory in this video. It's just nice to get some new candid material every so often, and it's nice to have Style.com recognizing Freja. As time goes on, it seems like more and more fashion outlets are beginning to realize Freja's popularity, so she's definitely well on her way towards cementing her revered status as one of the industry's top contemporary model icons.

Freja seems a bit more demure and polite in this interview, but she comes across just as grounded and as approachable as ever. One of the things I like best about her is that she seems to have a really good head on her shoulders, as cliche as that sounds. Despite years in the industry and all her success, you really get the sense that Freja isn't that much different than she would have been if modeling had not found her. It's this grounded quality that draws fans to her and breeds their intense loyalty. Freja also displays a trademark confidence that we've come to know, but it's tempered by glimpses of a vulnerability. This push/pull is best summed up by this quote about walking for Prada:

"It was definitely nerve racking. I remember being really nervous before, but that's a feeling that goes away. You get used to it and now I've done so many shows. It's pretty simple. You just have to walk so.....it's not so much to get nervous about."

This is why fans love her. She's effortless, comforting, cool and relatable all at the same time.