Models Can be Fans Too

I know some of you are probably disappointed that Freja didn't walk in the big FNO runway show yesterday, but did you really expect her too? Her track record with Vogue (read Anna Wintour) organized events is such that an appearance yesterday would have been completely surprising and out of the ordinary. Never one to show up at the Met Gala or anything of that nature, Freja's partial existence outside the fashion establishment is what keeps her intriguing and mysterious.

Even though Anna doesn't seem to be a fan, there are plenty of other people willing to sing Freja's praises. The latest to join the bunch is supermodel Yasmin Le Bon. You might know her as the wife of Duran Duran lead singer Simon Le Bon....and if you've never heard of Duran Duran, then you're either beyond saving or too young to be reading this blog.

According to Vogue UK:

"It is Vogue cover star Freja Beha Erichsen, however, that gets Le Bon's favourite model vote.

'There aren't many dark-haired, dark-eyed girls around so when they do come about they need to be exceptionally good, which Freja is'"

It's not much, but it's still always nice to hear Freja being admired by people within the industry. Kind of makes me feel like I got it right, you know?

Korea Gets It Right

Let's face it. If we could have our way Freja would be on the cover of every magazine in every country, every month. She came close to something like that in August with her three covers, two of them for major market editions of Vogue, but September is turning out pretty well too...especially if you live in Korea.

I know from past comments left on this blog that Freja has a pretty big fan base in Korea, so good job guys. Way to have her on the September covers of two of your country's magazines. September issues are always a big deal, so I suppose its a coup (and honor) to be on two of them in the same market.

As for the covers themselves, I think Allure made a great choice to reprint a shot from Freja's Vogue UK editorial shot by Josh Olins. It's a story that I've come to appreciate more after I learned about it's inspirations. And seeing it in the actual magazine is amazing as well.

My initial impressions about Vogue Korea are less than stellar. It's a striking image for a cover to be sure, but like someone on tFS pointed out, Freja really does look like an "angry mushroom." But maybe this is an instance where the visual appeal of the cover model is sacrificed for the visual impact of the whole cover image; because graphically, that is a cover that would definitely make me stop in my tracks.

One thing I can say for sure is that Freja continues to show her range and versatility, all while maintaining the essence of what makes her unique and identifiable to her fans. It's a fine balance to be able to strike so well. Going from soft, delicate and gentle, to menacing, forceful and strong. Only a few models can do it so well, and we should all be proud that Freja is one of them.

Image Credits: book.interpark.com via tFS member SheilaM, libro.co.kr via tFS member P i e t r i n n

Random Bits: Inspiration, Encounters and Candids

-Molly Girard Coonan and Alice Barlow, the two people behind new label Barlow, are just like us in that they find a source of inspiration in Freja. Her picture is apparently up on their inspiration board, and they told NY Mag's The Cut that they "like to mix in elements that are both masculine and sexy." Well, if you ask me they couldn't have picked a more perfect source for that type of inspiration.

-I came across a lovely (but oldish) Freja encounter. During the shooting of the editorial "Before the Fall" for Vogue UK August 2008, fashion intern Rebecca got to meet Freja and just recently posted about the experience (complete with pictures) on her blog. Here's a snippet of what she had to say:

"Anyway in between camera flashes and set manoeuvres I found myself, the overzealous intern, engrossed in conversation with Freja and mesmerised by how laid back she was. Personally, I was overwhelmed by the whole experience. I’d acquired my own chauffeur for the day to ferry me to and from the studio, I was immersed in a sea of designer shoes and garments that, no doubt, amounted to more than what I would earn in my life time and I had drinks, CHOCOLATE, and first class food on tap. Freja was, obviously, used to what I wasn’t! and seemed so happy to sit and chat with me about me – oh and tatoos. She has ‘Float’ scrawled across her neck amidst numerous other skin engravings. She informed me that she just floats through life – like I hadn’t noticed."

You can see the pictures over on her blog as I don't feel comfortable posting them on here because I really only came across them by chance.

-Lastly, here's a candid picture of Freja, Abbey Lee and Leigh Lezark back in May at the Chanel Cruise show that was held in St. Tropez. It's still slightly odd to see Freja wearing a "color" other than black. ;)

Image Credits: My Scan

Tom and Rick

-Thanks to two anonymous commentators in this post, I was able to track down some new (to me at least) images of Freja taken by photographer Tom Munro. If anyone has any idea what project they are for, please enlighten us. To my knowledge this is the only time they have worked together and the shots appear to be test shots of some sort:

The thing that confuses me is that they were taken at a time during Freja's career when she wouldn't need to take any test shots. I'd place the images circa 2008 judging by the short hair. But they were categorized under "Beauty" on Tom's agency's site so maybe they were for a campaign somewhere....maybe in Asia? I'm just generally confused because I haven't seen the images until now, and if they were for some kind of campaign I think they would have been more well known.

Sorry for being so ignorant about these images, their origin and their purpose. I normally try not to post about something I can't fully credit and explain, but these shots are so interesting and quite unique in Freja's oeuvre that I just wanted to share. If you look at them long enough they're also quite freaky, and that only adds to their mystery.

-We know Freja is a fan of Rick Owens because she's sports one of his leather jackets in nearly every street style shot, but now it seems like Rick is a fan of Freja's too. Her face is decorating the front of one of his jersey t-shirts.

If any of you huge fans out there have an extra $200 lying around, feel free to knock yourself out. Sorry but I think my $200 will be better off being put towards acquiring anything from this collection. In particular, this complete look. A girl can dream right? I'm sure $200 would get me half of the belt.....

Anyway, not only are designers naming their designs after Freja, they're also putting her on their designs. I guess you know you've made it as a model when you can truly fill a closet with items bearing your name and face. Do you think Freja gets anything in return for her face being used like that? Maybe free leather jackets for life? If so, then I'll gladly lend my visage to Rick anytime.

Image Credits: managementartists.com, luisaviaroma.com via tFS member Psylocke

In China

As some of you already know, Freja was spotted in China recently by some fans. Thanks to a kind e-mail I received from Freja fan Pauline (thank you so much!), I can tell you that the reason she's in China is because she's shooting the ad campaign for a Paris brand called Mo & Co (The site says the label was founded in Paris, but parts of the website are in Chinese and they're shooting the campaign in China. Go figure.)

According to firsthand accounts, Freja was kind and thoughtful, even going so far as to have a cup of water ready for the sleeping fan when he woke up on the flight. The picture below already appeared on tFS, but other pictures must remain unposted at the owner's request. If you read Chinese, I think you can find them somewhere at this address: t.sina.com/xuanzheng. Looks like the site requires registration though.

After a bit of a quiet spell, we're finally getting some new Freja news. Although, she's always been such a private person that I wouldn't take the quietness to mean that she hasn't been doing anything. If there's one thing she knows how to do, it's how to operate completely under the radar considering her level of status and fame within the industry and among fans.

Anyway, thanks again for the e-mail Pauline! And thanks to the fans in China for being so vigilant. Hopefully this is just the beginning of an eventful summer season!

Image Credits: t.sina.com/cn/xuanzheng

Shout Outs

A few mentions of Freja lately in the fashion atmosphere.

Fellow Dane and model Amanda Norgaard talked with vogue.co.uk about walking the SS10 Chanel show:

"There were such incredible models - like Natasha Poly and Freja Beha - backstage and I started to think, 'Ok, this is really good'!"

And Kaiser Karl told WWD why he likes working with Freja so much:

“I just think she is the most modern girl and the most elegant person...”

It's always nice to hear good things about your favorite models. I'm not one for cattiness and drama, so I'd rather hear nice stuff like this instead of backstage dirt. Although....if you know any I would mind it too much if you shared. ;)

And to go along with the small discussion taking place on this previous post about eyewear vs. mainline Chanel campaigns, it seems like Freja will one again reprise her staring role in the former, in addition to sharing the role with Abbey in the later. I definitely can't wait to see what both campaigns will look like. As established by an anonymous commenter in that previous post, Chanel has a history of making the two campaigns entirely different in style and aesthetic. So for all the people out there who were disappointed at the news that Abbey would also be in the mainline campaign, you can take comfort knowing that Freja's lovely face is the only one you'll see staring back at you from under chic Chanel sunglasses.

What a great season this is turning out to be: Chanel Mainline, Max Mara and Chanel Eyewear. And with May 11th and the Chanel Cruise show fast approaching, I can safely say that there won't be any dearth of Freja news.

High Praise

In a video interview about the February 2010 Vogue UK cover shoot featuring Natalia Vodianova, Nick Knight happens to bestow some high praise on Freja.

"Natalia is one of those models like Kate or Naomi or Freja who are just fantastic. They know how to express themselves. First of all they interpret the narrative of a piece of clothing really interestingly. And that's one of the main things the model does. Models are kind of an interesting mixture of very, very good actresses (oh really?) and very good sportspeople."

Check it out @1:20

That's quite the compliment coming from someone who's only photographed Freja for two editorials (Pop Hit for Vogue UK March 2007 and About a Boy for Vogue UK April 2008). She must have made quite the impression in order to have Nick lump her in with models like Kate, Naomi and Natalia (who are arguably the last of the supermodels). I hope this means that we'll be seeing a Knight lensed editorial sometime in Freja's near future. Or maybe they just recently worked together which is why Freja was so fresh on his mind? (Hmmmm.....keep those eyes peeled.)

Lately Freja has been expanding her oeuvre in terms of photographers who she's worked with (think Demarchelier, Meisel, Olins, Richardson, Summerton) so adding Knight to the list again would be quite lovely. If not for an editorial, then perhaps a multimedia project for SHOWstudio? It's been quite a while since the last one Freja did for Knight's online forum that has the the lofty goal of expanding fashion film parameters.

"Writing on the Wall"

Anyway, being a successful model has as much to do with the people who support you as it has to do with what qualities and talents you bring to the table. With regards to Freja, perhaps I focus too much on the later and not enough on the former. I've mentioned Freja fans in the industry before (Alexander Wang, Marcus and David of Rag & Bone, Stella McCartney and artist Chantal Joffe, Vogue UK's Jaime Perlman) but I've done so in a very flippant way. Well, not only are these people fans; they're also supporters and I'm guessing that a good measure of Freja's success is owed to them and the many others in the industry who have supported her since her early years. People like Russell Marsh who gave Freja her first runway exclusive with Prada her first season, Michelle Lee of KCD who repeatedly casts Freja for the Marc Jacobs shows, and Freja's mother agent Jeppe at Unique Copenhagen. Of course, you can have all the right people backing you, but if you don't have the goods as a model your career will fade away just as quickly as it lit up. Luckily, Freja has both components: a strong foundation of supporters and a huge reservoir of talent. This is why she's been successfully modeling for half a decade.

Nevertheless, I'm not so naive and caught up in my own fandom as to think that everyone loves Freja. I know that some people don't get her appeal and I have no trouble understanding and accepting that (but if you're reading this you're probably not one of those people). Luckily the people who count, in terms of models getting booked for work, do get it. The people that have a say in which model we see in whatever campaign, editorial, and runway show all seem to see what we Freja fans see. And knowing that doesn't make me feel so weird about having such a singularly focused blog. I get enough heartache and disappointment whenever I see my lesser known model favs fade, so it's good to be a part of the vast majority when it comes to Freja. You know...if she ever stops working or decides to pull a SS08/SS09 again and partially skip another season, a lot of people are going to be inconsolable. Fortunately things seem to be going in our favor.....for now.

Credits: Vogue UK video via rox_yr_sox @ tFS

Report from the Front Lines

If you can recall, last season we were treated to a lovely first hand Freja encounter by fan Cameo. This season, Cameo is once again on the front lines, bringing us news and pictures. Thanks Cameo!

After Carolina Herrera

After Derek Lam

After Diesel

After Marc Jacobs

I'm happy to report from Cameo that Freja is still as gracious and nice as ever. Freja remembered her from last season, signed her copy of Vogue Italia and stopped to chat with her for a bit. I know that that's nothing outrageous, but it's still nice to hear good stories like this. Despite all her years in the industry and all her recent success, Freja has stayed grounded and real. And that's a true rarity in an industry like this, and something I'll always respect. It's probably the main reason why Freja will always remain one of my favorites.

Btw, if you're going to repost these pictures anywhere, please, please, please credit Cameo. She was nice enough to share so we shouldn't take without giving credit where credit is due. Thank you, and thanks once again Cameo, for giving us insight from the tents! Get some sleep, stay warm and enjoy the rest of your fashion week!

Image Credits: taken by Cameo

More Fans

We have another Freja fan to add to the list. Irish photographer Boo George, who recently shot Freja for Twin Magazine, joins the likes of Stella, Alex and the boys of Rag & Bone in proclaiming his fondness for our favorite androgynous ingenue.

Q: Who are your favourite models?
A: Freja Beha Erichesen, Hannah Holman, Eliza Cummings.

I really don't know why I'm keeping track of stuff like this. In the grand scheme of things it seems kind of trivial and petty, no? But I guess I just find it interesting to see who's a fan of whom within the industry. I also feel like my own fandom is validated when I hear about these actual fashion insiders who are fans--makes me feel like less of a weirdo for having this blog and writing endlessly about someone I don't know. (Although, writing it out like that just now brought the weirdness back.)

Anyway, it's always nice to hear about new fans because it really reinforces all the good things we've heard about Freja over the years; how she's nice, professional, easy to work with and just an all around cool girl. If she were a huge bitch I don't think she'd be around as long as she has been, with the fan base she does have both within and outside of the industry. In all my years of following her career I have not once heard anything bad about her. We're talking countless encounter stories from fans, first hand accounts backstage, casual run-ins, published experiences, etc... And lest you think I'm uber biased, it's not like I have blinders on or anything; I always make it a point to take in the bad with the good. What I'm trying to say is that this is just another reason why Freja has me hooked. Nice people can finish first.

Fans in the UK

Out of all the major Vogue publications, Vogue UK has definitely been the most ardent in featuring Freja in it's editorials. Perhaps this can be attributed to the fact that their art director, Jaime Perlman, is a Freja Fan. The list of fans who work in the industry is growing larger, isn't it? Freja already has the designer market cornered with Alex, Marcus and David, and Stella. Now the magazine sector seems next to fall captive to Freja's undeniable allure.

In addition to her post at Vogue UK, Jaime is also involved in a new online venture called Test. It's "a visual platform that fuses a combination of new and established artists on a constantly changing series of image-led projects." It seems pretty cool so far and already includes a smattering of models like Myf, Katie Fogarty, Daul, Tiiu, and Maggie Rizer. Maybe one day we'll see Freja featured there too. And maybe one day we'll finally see Freja on the cover of Vogue UK as well. Jaime, work you're influence! :)

Stand and Deliver.....Sort Of

I'm going to preface this post by saying that Freja will always be my favorite model. I love the idealized persona she represents, the niche she fills within the fashion industry, her projected sense of complete self confidence, and her resolve to stay true to herself. In many ways I owe my interest in and love of fashion to her, and for that I will be forever grateful.

But I think I'm going through a little rough patch in my Freja fandom. I haven't really liked any of her editorial work in a while and the new Twin Magazine ed is no different.

Stand and Deliver
Twin Magazine #1
Ph: Boo George

I don't know why I haven't been able to get excited about her editorial work recently. I see her eds and I'm happy because she's getting new work. But I save the images out of habit, not because they're so stunning that I just have to have them for posterity. As soon as I saw this new editorial, images from an older one immediately popped into my mind. The slight similarities in mood, makeup and look were striking enough to draw up the comparison. And while I was looking back at this particular ed I remembered what it felt like when I used to love everything Freja did.

Individuallure (excerpts and not the full ed)
Vogue Italia Supplement March 2008
Ph: Paolo Roversi

vs.



vs.



vs.



vs.

This isn't Freja's fault, but the Twin editorial seems over-styled (fashion wise) and over-stylized (photo wise). The contrast and hues, in the black and white images especially, are overly pronounced to the point where they're distracting. And honestly, I'm so tired of Freja playing the same type of role over and over again. She has the talent and range to go more feminine, and I just wish people would give her the chance to do it more often. I realize that it's probably a bit unfair to use Paolo Roversi's editorial as a benchmark, but it shows the freshness, excitement, and inspirational beauty that I miss seeing.

I'm sorry to sound so negative, but maybe letting all of this out will get it out of my system. It's just that the fan adoration for Freja has gotten to be too much for me. The constant chorus of unanimous praise and the near-religious levels of devotion are rubbing me the wrong way and perhaps pushing my fandom in the other direction. I also feel the law of inverse proportion at play here in that the more work Freja gets, the less I get excited. Or maybe this is simply a manifestation of human nature--you always want what you can't have, but the second you get it you want something else.

Then again, as a fan I should be allowed to be critical. In fact, I think it's my duty and just because I don't like all of Freja's work doesn't mean I'm any less of a fan for it. Someone should say that Freja looks tired and worn out in this new editorial. Someone should say that she looks overworked and drained. Someone should say that they can't feel the heart behind the work. Someone should say that it feels like she's just going through the motions, even in the behind the scenes video. But of course, this is all very subjective.

Regardless, blind devotion and complete consensus don't move the world forward. If everyone agrees with everyone else all the time, how do you progress? It's the voice of criticism that challenges the status-quo and makes you reevaluate why you like something or someone. You're forced to take a look at your own positions, and as a result, they can be strengthened and solidified under the critical assault.

And since no one else seems to be capable of being critical (just read Freja's thread at tFS), I guess I have to be my own voice of dissension. Gah!! I'm know I'm such a hypocrite. Here I am talking about fan devotion on a freaking blog dedicated to Freja that I, myself started....just wait, in a few months time I'll probably be proclaiming my love and devotion once again on tFS, complete with the gross overuse of happy faces and hearts. Sorry, but you'll have to put up with my whining until then.

I'd appreciate hearing some of your thoughts on the editorial, whether you loved it, or loved it....or maybe, just maybe, even felt something less than love for it. :) I can get so wrapped up in my own thoughts that I sometime lose sight of the obvious...

But I will end on a positive note. The vulnerability that Freja projects here is amazing, raw and quite touching.

Image Credits: scans by tFS members candlebougie and leggy e11e

Alex Joins the Fan Base

We know Freja loves Alexander Wang as she's been seen wearing his T by Alexander Wang line and carrying his black Donna Hobo bag everywhere during fashion month. She's even been known to stop by his sample sales in NY. Well, now we know the feeling is mutual.

You can add Alex to the growing list of Freja fans in the industry, which already includes the Rag & Bone boys and Stella. At his Barny's trunk show yesterday afternoon, fashionologie got the scoop on Alex's favorite look from his SS10 show:

I feel like everyday I change my mind. But I always seem to come back to Freja's look, she really knows how to bring an outfit to life, which is so important in a model for me.

And the look in question:

Alex has made no secret about how he is inspired by models off duty. So it should really come as no surprise that he admires the coolest one of them all. :)

Image Credit: style.it

I Met Freja - Cameo Lwin's Fan Encounter Story

I don't know about you, but I'm such a sucker for model encounter stories. I love hearing every single detail from who they were with to what they were wearing. So, thanks to the kindness and generosity of a Freja fan, I can share the story of a Freja encounter from a few days ago in New York.

All the credit for this goes to the wonderful Freja fan, Cameo Lwin. If you're going to repost her pictures anywhere, I ask that you please give her credit where credit is due. She was kind enough to want to share her experience and pictures, so please be respectful of that! Thank you.

While visiting New York, Cameo was lucky enough to run into Freja on a few occasions at the tents. In addition to getting some great candid shots, she also had the chance to speak to Freja. Here are her pictures and her story, in her own words.

I’ve known of this model Freja Beha Erichsen, featured in CK in2U and Gucci by Gucci ads since a couple years back. But I just didn’t really "notice" her until my friend showed me the pictures of her after she cut her hair short. I liked her unique style and how she always looked effortlessly cool in any outfit. I’m not a fashion fanatic. I love photography; be it landscape or high fashion editorials, and I simply fell in love with Freja’s pictures. The more I googled her, the more I got hooked.

By chance, I am in New York for Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week Spring 2010, and so I decided to go to the tents to check out all the buzz, and to take pictures of models and celebrities.

I wasn’t feeling well and missed Alexander Wang and Erin Wasson shows on first few days :( I was finally well enough to go Bryant Park for Derek Lam’s show Sunday morning. I sat at the table opposite the backstage entrance of the tent, not so optimistic about my luck to bump into anyone big. I saw familiar faces of some models and I was casually snapping away candid shots of them passing by. Then I saw Freja walk out of the tent. She had her hair and makeup done, but she was still in her usual gear, i.e, t-shirt and jeans. She’s really thin (maybe since she doesn’t wear heels when she’s not working/walking, I think she kinda looked a little smaller compare to some other models with heels), but she look really fit. She sat at the table across mine and was talking to other models and crew. I went over to ask if I could take some pictures and if she would sign my t shirts, which she did willingly. She noted my hands were shaky and asked me if I was cold. I told her I was just very nervous to be in front of her. She laughed and told me there was no need to be. I believe all her fans already know that she has this low sexy voice. She was really warm and friendly. We chatted a little. She seemed genuinely pleased when I said I like her collection of tattoos. She even let me take a video of her saying hi to my friend in Asia, who is a HUGE fan of her’s. She told me to enjoy NY and the rest of the Fashion Week. I went back to sit down, still not believing that I’ve just talked to her. She continued to sit there for a good while, smoking and chatting with other models (Maryna, Heidi and a couple more), and only went back inside just before the show. It seems like everybody loves her and wants to be around her. After the show, she left with Lily D. Anyway, I am a Frily fan, so ... ;)

The next few days when I saw her at the Marc Jacobs, Narciso Rodriguez and Michael Kors shows, she remembered me and greeted me. I was on cloud 9! Every time I saw her, I noticed she was never late for shows. I never saw her running from photographers, or rushing and jumping over the chairs to get to the shows. She walked with a steady pace, always stopping and posing for pictures. Almost every reporter/photographer and fan I got to know during Fashion Week knows who Freja is and likes her. I don’t understand why some call her the bad girl or a rebel. I sincerely believe Freja is the nicest model I’ve ever met (followed closely by Lily Donaldson of course ^_^ ). I also got to meet and take photos of other models like Sasha, Anja, Natasha, Miranda Kerr etc and some celebrities like Eva Mendes and Emily Blunt, but Freja tops everyone…hands down!

Here are some of her pics I took. I know they are not the best quality photos but I'm glad I got them.

It still feels surreal to me that I met and talked to the edgy, stunning girl from the awesome pictures in glossy magazine pages. I adore Freja even more now, and wish her all the best in whatever she does :)

At Derek Lam with Heidi Mount


At Derek Lam with Lily Donaldson


At Derek Lam with Maryna Linchuk


FNO T-Shirt Autographed by Freja


After Marc Jacobs


At Narciso Rodriguez


At Michael Kors

Thanks so much for sharing your experience and photos with us Cameo! I know that all the Freja fans who haven't had the chance to meet her love and appreciate hearing stories from the fans who have. I know I absolutely do. I'm also so happy that everything worked out for you in New York. This couldn't have happened to someone nicer. :) Thanks again!

Image Credits: All Pictures taken by Cameo Lwin

Fans in High Places

It's no secret that Freja has a huge fan base scattered all over the world. However, what's becoming more apparent is that Freja has a huge fan base within the fashion industry as well. The latest to join the club are Rag & Bone designers Marcus Wainwright and David Neville, who have always been very model friendly.

There’s nothing like the backstage at Rag & Bone to immediately make you feel those high school insecurities all over again. With hot, hot design duo Marcus Wainwright and David Neville and their muse Freja Beha looking cool as hell, and male models and hipsters alike sipping on Peroni and smoking cigs, it’s no surprise this collection is a favorite of the cliques du jour. In fact, when I asked Marcus about the inspiration behind the spring collection he said, “It’s very Rag & Bone, it’s Freja.” Can’t argue with that! On a side note, I did see a striking blond model (not one of the Sashas!) crying by the bathroom backstage, with Gucci Westman’s makeup masterpiece dripping down her face, further proof that it’s not easy being beautiful.

Now, I've always thought Freja was more of an Alexander Wang type of girl. She does live in his T by Alexander Wang line of shirts and tanks, but I think it's wonderful that designers are taking inspiration from her uber-cool, laid back personality. She does personify an effortless, cool vibe that many people strive to emanate, yet with Freja it doesn't feel contrived in the slightest.

With fans like these in high places I guess it's only a matter of time before more and more collections become "very Freja" and we all start looking like mini-clones. :)

Image Credits: blog.shopbop.com

Freja Fans are Everywhere

In the current June/July 2009 issue of Interview magazine with Bjork on the cover, there is an interview of artist Chantal Joffe by designer Stella McCartney. While reading this feature, I was pleasantly surprised to see Freja pop up in conversation and in painting.

Picture of the artist in her studio

Here is the intro to the piece to give you an idea of who Joffe is (bolded for the tl,dr crowd), followed by some interesting excerpts:

Women, children and fashion--on paper, Chantal Joffe's interests seem pretty quotidian. But on canvas, where the 39-year-old artist paints shots ripped from fashion magazines, or photographs of friends holding their babies, the feminine world suddenly becomes a dark, loaded, highly sexualized place. Joffe in not a realist. She distorts the women in her frames for ultimate psychological effect. But the subjects rarely seem like victims, even if the brushstrokes are hard and unforgiving. It turns out, Joffe is actually a massive fan of fashion and sees what she does as high celebration. She paints models like Freja Beha, Kate Moss and Lara Stone because they seem to her like storybook characters come to life. Recently, Joffe even collaborated with fashion photographer Miles Aldridge, painting his wife, model Kristen McMenamy, in Joffe's studio, while Aldridge shot film. This paint was included in the artist's most recent solo show, in New York this spring at Cheim & Read gallery. The love of the fashion industry has proven reciprocal. Stella McCartney is one designer who collects Joffe's work. In fact, Joffe has painted all three of McCartney's children (the paintings hand in the Stella McCartney store in London) and even shot models backstage at McCartney's Fall 2009 show in Paris. The two friends caught up to discuss, among other things, why the weird models are always the sexiest.
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MCCARTNEY: Because it doesn't look like one. It looks tome like a celebration of the female form--and that in itself is a connection with fashion.
JOFFE: I don't know where else I would find all of those images of women. And I actually love specific models as well. It's funny, I've been painting Freja a lot.
MCCARTNEY: So you saw her at my show then?
JOFFE: Yeah, it was like meeting somebody out of a book. I mean, I didn't talk to her, and I didn't really want to. She's such an odd character.
MCCARTNEY: Why didn't you want to talk to her?
JOFFE: I thought she might think I was creepy more than anything else. [both laugh] But I like the weird ones. I like the girls who are a little odd.
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JOFFE: When you're looking through a magazine, what makes you stop and think is when you see an image and imagine the narrative that is going on inside of it. Those are the ones I make into paintings.
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JOFFE: Do you pick the models for your show?
MCCARTNEY: I choose them. I have a guy who does casting for me, but we work together. It's funny because whenever someone else is excited about a girl who I am not keen on and I eventually give in, I always regret it when I see her on the runway....
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MCCARTNEY: And yet you paint these lovely, young women who just come across as perfection. You paint perfection sometimes, don't you? When you think of fashion photography, it's a dream. It's like we all want to be those women. We want to wear those dresses.
JOFFE: I don't think I do want to be them. I'm fascinated to imagine what their lives are like, but I certainly wouldn't want to be them.
MCCARTNEY: I don't think their lives are anywhere near a glamorous as you think.
JOFFE: It just fascinates me to be only 18 and to have that life.
MCCARTNEY: Eighteen! They're old if they're 18 in this day and age.
JOFFE: Right. But still I'm interested in the sheer fascination of beauty--beauty is fascinating.

For sake of comparison, the original photographs:

I love art so I was absolutely thrilled to see this. At first glance Joffe's paintings could be considered slightly grotesque but I think that's part of their beauty. I could go on and on about the artistic implications of her work, but I'll spare you...

It's nice to see that there are Freja fans everywhere from all walks of life. Now I feel like my fanaticism is legitimized in a way because I'm in good company and it's being addressed in Interview magazine. And I thought the part where Stella talks about the casting for her show was very illuminating. Freja has walked for her many times so I suppose we can call Stella a fan as well. :) Anyway, if you're interested I've scanned the full article below. Now we should keep our eyes out for more of Joffe's work!

Image Credits: fashionista.com, my scans