Thunder Love Has Struck Us Again

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.

March Editorials

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

The Year 2010 in Editorials

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

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
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!)
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

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.

Dressing to a T

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

The Many Faces Of

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

Exposed

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

Repeat Performances

Just some quick thoughts for a Friday morning. As of today, Freja has appeared in five consecutive issues of Vogue Paris. After a dry spell dating back to April of 2008 (when she appeared in the top models supplement) that was only finally broken this past February, Freja has suddenly become Carine's new Daria with two editorials in the just released November issue.

So that's nearly two years without an appearance in the pages of the magazine, and now we're at five issues in a row, seven editorials and a cover to boot? Wow, talk about the tides changing. As fans I know that we're all thrilled, but I think this is just more proof of fashion's fickle tendencies. We tend to forget about that when we're caught up in the excitement of the moment. It's like, "Yay, Freja has a whole bunch of eds. Yay, Carine loves her!" Well, Carine loves her now but how long can this last? Nearly two years (from April 2008 to February 2010) without an editorial. Where was the love then? Do we all have goldfish memories?

Sorry to be such a stick in the mud, but I think it's important to exercise caution and have realistic expectations, especially when we're dealing with an industry built upon a foundation of changing seasons, trends, moments and models. If we get another five consecutive issues, then I'll be very happy to eat my own words. :) On an unrelated note, who else is thrilled that Freja's finally working with Hedi Slimane!? More on that to come later.....

Your Turn

I feel like trying something different today. Since some of you find what I have to say so repetitive and boring, I'm going to save myself all the time and effort that it takes and leave it up to you all to come up with something new and meaningful to say. So if you don't like what's written here, now is your chance to do it your way. Yay! The comments are open. The editorial is below. Be respectful of each others opinions and have fun. :)

Cinnamon Girl
Dossier #6 2010
Ph: Cass Bird
Styling: Gillian Wilkins

Image Credits: My scans

The Beauty of Modern Love

Continuing on her path towards utter domination, Freja has a magnificent editorial in Interview to cap off this whirlwind of a month:

Modern Love
Interview Magazine August 2010
Ph: Craig McDean
Styling: Karl Templer
Other Models: Dan Kling
Casting: Michelle Lee @ KCD

This is just a beautiful story perfect for some escapism. You can lose yourself in the narrative and let the portrayed emotions wash over you. This is as sentimental and delicate as we've ever seen Freja. It's the type of fashion story that seeps into your consciousness slowly, imbuing your mind with thoughts of loves lost, loves who never were, and loves who could have been.

This is so beautiful because of these implied emotions. Love stories have been done many times over in fashion editorials, but when it's done right it hits an emotional chord that makes us forget that what we're seeing has been seen before. Old associations become new, powerful and very raw again.

McDean/Freja is most definitely my new favorite photographer/model combination. The work Freja has done under the scrutiny of his lens has been some of her best. It's been the work that stands out in my mind as superb, and when I think back on the year that was 2010, I'll inevitably return to their collaborations.

There come times when I think I've seen it all in regards to Freja, but then she surprises and delights me with facets and subtleties of her modeling I never knew existed. Whether it's the intensity and sheer dexterity she displayed in Tough Ballerina, or the delicacy and wistful contentment she displays in this story; it's clear to me that her best editorial work happens under McDean's guidance. Feel free to argue with me on that point but you'll be hard pressed to sway my opinion. Oh, and how about giving it up for Michelle Lee? Kudos to her for the brilliant casting and for envisioning Freja in a role most other people wouldn't or couldn't envision.

Freja plays the role here convincingly, and with aplomb. The chemistry she has with Dan is palpable and they could have fooled me. Not to mention they share eerily similar features and have the same type of presence, making the role of lovers that much more distinguished, albeit a little disturbing. I'm always surprised by people who are surprised to see Freja express any type of femininity. The type she displays here is the kind that's ever so slightly tinged with an undertone of modern androgyny (which is itself present in a good majority of models working today), and I think this is what has defined the better part of her career save for a few seasons. However, I suppose that once you cut off your hair and become the poster child for androgynous, rebel bad girl, you can't easily shake that stereotype even if the work you've been doing for over a year is completely counter to that old meme.

Anyway, no boyishness from Freja to be seen anywhere on these pages. All I see is a woman and a model growing into her own self and being allowed to express a different aspect of that self that she might otherwise never get to express. And isn't that what modeling is about? Successfully taking on different roles, but never completely losing yourself in the process? If so, then Freja is most certainly one of the best and her number 2 rank on models.com proves it.

Image Credits: My scans