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

The Economics of a Fashion Career

Craig Arend of modelsoffduty.com has another interesting interview with a fashion insider. Last time it was founder of Next Model Management, Faith Kates. This time it's Storm Models founder Sarah Doukas, aka the woman who discovered Kate Moss. Freja is never mentioned outright in these interviews, but I always think that what is being said naturally relates to her and to all models. If the models are what draw you to fashion, then it's so intriguing to hear insight and perspectives from the people who deal firsthand with bringing our favorite girls to light.

Here are some excerpts, but read the whole thing if you have the time and are interested in model development.

"...Look at our magazines. Look at the campaigns. They're all celebrities. Actresses. Somebody well known, they take up what, 80-90% of fabulous campaigns. You know that's because that's the power of somebody whose got a name....

But if you're in the business. If you see your chance that somebody can go that route and if they want to, you've got to take it because it's going to be a huge benefit financially to them and it's going to be a benefit to the agency...it feeds on itself. As soon as you do some press, it's unbelievable. You get so many opportunities open. People are calling. It opens doors." (my emphasis)

I know I've mentioned this little theory here before, but I think IMG and the recession are playing a huge hand in Freja's current career status. One thing I've never been able to wrap my head around is why Freja is seeing such a resurgence at this stage in her career. She started off really huge, booking exclusives and only-girl, blue chip campaigns. But as we all know, the lifespan of a model's career is usually pretty short. Most girls only get a few seasons before we unabashedly move on to the next it girl from the next it country. So this is how I see things: Freja had two really good years after her debut in 2005, but then she started to fade away as expected. By the end of 2007, she cut her signature long hair and fringe off, skipped lots of big shows and was booking less print work. By all accounts she should have been done. She should have faded away to the occasional Asian ad campaign and appearance in some random catalog. But she didn't. She came back stronger than ever, but nearly unrecognizable from the simple Danish girl in the Ksubis and keffiyeh that she once was. She was cooler, smoother and more part of the industry than she ever had been before.

She was doing more press, projecting a laid back yet untouchable image, and booking more campaigns than ever before. This career roundabout started happening towards the end of 2008 and gained full momentum during 2009, just as the economy was going bust. We could just chalk that up to coincidence, but I really think more was at play. IMG, being a huge, worldwide company, stood to lose a lot of money in the face of pecuniary caution brought about by worldwide economic panic. So what do they do? Step it up and really make their best girls work. Get the most out of them and really capitalize on their earning power in order to lessen the impact of the recession. After all, the FW0910 campaign season was Freja's best one yet. I know I'm not really doing a good job of explaining my theory, but it all makes sense in my head. And Sarah's quote above seems to give some backing to my thoughts. But of course, it's just a theory because how much can I possibly know about what really goes on?

Anyway, here is another quote from the interview that I think is quite unintentionally funny, especially if you're a Freja fan:

"You know you always get these girls that make a load of money. You know they're fantastic looking girls and they're doing brilliantly. And they're like, "you know what, I'm going to cut all my hair off. I'm going to go seriously edgy. I want you to get me into...." And I'm like "You're taking a massive risk. You're going to ruin your market in the short-term" And it happens. It does happen. I can mention lots of girls who it has happened....I always think, "You should be glad for what you've got. I understand wanting to aspire to better and greater things. But, you could in the short term lose your whole market "

Doesn't it sound like Sarah is specifically talking about Freja here? I know that some people still blame the short hair for her 2008 career slump. That could be the case, but things are rarely that simple and straightforward. I'm sure there were lots of other complex factors at play. Lots of other minute details all combining into one path that has led us Freja to the career she has today. All theories and musings aside, no one really knows what's happened and why but Freja herself. Isn't it fun to speculate though?

Fashion week now. I'll try to update as much as possible, but I'm only going to do updates on the first show Freja walks in each city, and then a recap on the entire city. It's just too repetitive to cover each show because I know all of you will be refreshing tFS every second. Of course, this is all assuming that Freja even walks. Only a few more days before we find out for sure. :)

On Success and Street Style

Craig Arend of Altamira has a really interesting interview with Faith Kates up on his site. As far as modeling goes, Faith is a pretty important figure in the industry considering that she started Next Model Management. Next is home to models like Abbey Lee, Karmen, Anja, Anna J, Catherine and Karlie, so it's definitely one of the heavy hitters agency wise.

The interview is a very good read if you're interested in models and how their careers develop. There isn't an outright mention of Freja, but while I was reading some of Faith's comments Freja did come to my mind:

"...I think that in our world...when a girl starts, if you have one of the three or 4 really important photographers behind you, that's the girls that are making it. So if you have Steven Meisel, you have Mario Testino, you have a Craig McDean, you have a David Sims... you have one of those guys behind you, you're in."

"The photographers and the magazines have all the power. Designers are important, don't get me wrong. They are very important. But I think it goes first with if you can get to the photographer. There are some girls that are really photographers girls."

One of the reasons I admire Freja so much is because she's managed to become successful without the huge support of a major photographer. On her level of modeling, she is the only girl I can think of who's the exception to the rules Faith speaks about above. Coco, Daria, Stam, and Elise all had Meisel's blessing. Catherine was a Testino girl through and through. But Freja? I really believe she built her career by staying true to her own individuality, knowing her strong suits, and playing off of her physical strengths. Yes, Karl is a huge supporter of her now, but at the very beginning of her career Freja made a name for herself on the strength of her modeling abilities. I know I'm biased, but I think that even to non-fans, her charm and appeal are undeniable and her face is truly gorgeous. Her androgynous characteristics merely heighten her appeal in that they provide a complimentary (and perhaps contradictory) contrast to her feminine beauty. Most girls are lucky enough to get the backing of top photographers, but only once in a blue moon is a girl lucky and talented enough to get to where Freja is without their help.

"You don't have to care about clothes...I don't think you have to love clothes. I don't think you have to dislike clothes. I just think you have to know how to wear clothes and know what feels good and right on you."

Reading this brought to my mind Freja's street style. To be frank, I'm bored with the way she looks off the runway because she's utterly predictable. Black, leather, black and more black. But even though I feel this way, I still think Freja looks good every time I see a new street style pic. And it's because of what Faith refers to above. Freja absolutely knows what is right for her and she sticks to it with unwavering loyalty. She doesn't experiment like Iekeliene, Irina, Kinga or Hanne because that wouldn't fit with her modeling persona. She wears clothes that look right on her and probably feel good to her. And she's most definitely mastered the art of minimalist chic with an androgynous flair. This might sound cliched and frivolous, but I really believe that when you feel good and comfortable about the clothes you wear those feelings translate to other parts of your life, and people are innately drawn to that.

I think that if I ever saw Freja wearing a dress off the runway I would laugh. But oddly enough, she looks perfectly normal wearing a dress on the runway. Go figure. It's amazing how much the context can impart the meaning in a situation. Anyway, what do you think about Freja's street style? Why do you think Freja's been able to attain her level of success? Sometimes I think I can be so biased that I lose all ability to even conceive of a different viewpoint, so yours are welcome.

Image Credits: altamira.blogspot

Model Perks

As if being tall, gorgeous and genetically blessed weren't enough, models get to enjoy some additional perks from the job. Many designers will pay girls in trade for walking in their runway shows. With some shows topping 60+ models, it's a way for designers to keep costs down. Now, whether you think this is a fair exchange is another story...

I guess it just depends on how you look at it. For girls like Freja, it's a definite perk. She's established and with 5 campaigns just this season, you could say that she's already set financially. (And often times established girls will actually get paid and then get free clothes on top of that.) For a girl just starting out, it's a different story. Agency fees take up what little she makes on various shoots, so only getting paid in clothes, shoes and/or accessories for endless hours of work (fittings, go-sees, etc...) is pretty much a rip-off. As you get older you begin to realize that one of life's biggest ironies is that things come free to people who can afford to pay for them. And if you can't afford to pay, things will cost you an arm and leg. Comme ci, comme ça...

Anyway, before I veer way off topic, Freja got some awesome perks this season and I'm totally jealous.

Balenciaga Leather Motorcycle Jacket


Rag & Bone Motorcycle Boots

Notice a theme here? Should we be on the lookout for an actual motorcycle now? :) The appearance of the jacket mid-fashion month tells us she picked it up after walking the Balenciaga show. Or it could have been a present, like some jackets last season. And most likely the same goes for the Rag & Bone boots. You can't deny, girl's got good taste.

Image Credits: shopbop.com, matchesfashion.com, coolhunt.net via tFS member slow_hands

Dressing

Only marginally related to Freja, but I thought this was so interesting that I wanted to post about it. A blogger over at Vogue wrote about her experience backstage at Derek Lam, a show that Freja walked.

Sunday morning I get to the tents in Bryant Park at 10:00 a.m. sharp to go backstage at Derek Lam. When I get through the crush in hair and makeup, I reach the dressing area, where I encounter an army of dressers in black. They all work for Barbara Berman a professional dresser who’s doing 55 shows this season (she doesn’t say no to anyone unless there’s a scheduling conflict)—from Oscar de la Renta to Jason Wu to Joseph Altuzarra (she loves helping out the young ones). People travel from all over the world to work for Berman. Today there are fashion students, image consultants, stylists, and others, all looking for experience in the industry, and, says Barbara, “some New York cachet to bring back to their clients.”

Berman, who’s done fourteen New York fashion seasons, takes her job very seriously. All of her dressers have to sign confidentiality agreements: “No Twitters. No Facebook” (in this age of technology, someone with a camera could post photos of the clothes before they even get out on the runway). Plus, none of them are allowed to talk to the press—which I learned firsthand when I tried to ask them questions for this story. Some of Berman’s pros know different languages, and if she knows a model speaks, say, Portuguese, she’ll give her a dresser who does, too.

So it’s no surprise that all goes smoothly on the dressing end. “It’s my job to help the designer have a cool, calm backstage environment,” says Berman. Just as the lights are dimming in the tent, I dash out to watch the show and see Derek’s (and, in a way, Barbara’s) latest work.

Most of the time we're so preoccupied with models and designers that we forget about (or simply don't know about) all the other vital people who toil away behind the scenes. A person like Barbara is so integral to fashion week because without her the shows literally cannot go on. How do you think a model manages to change into 2 or 3 outfits within the span of 12 minutes when I know that it takes me at least 30 minutes to put on one outfit in the morning?

In all seriousness, I hope the spotlight is projected more often onto people like Barbara. I bet she's just full of interesting stories and privy to more gossip than anyone sitting front row. I have so much admiration for people like her who do their job year after year with little to no recognition. That type of dedication and passion deserves as much, if not more, respect than that which we bestow upon fashion's visible personalities.

Here are some old pictures of Freja dressing/being dressed for your time:

Image Credits: fashion_shows, hintmag, celebritycity