FTV Countdown

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

A Matter of Perspective

For me, one of the more notable things to emerge from this past fashion season was the blossoming friendship between Freja and Karmen Pedaru. I've been a fan of Karmen's for quite some time now, and have even tried sneaking her onto this blog multiple times. ;) Needless to say, I was thrilled when I started seeing two of my favs hanging out backstage this season. Before this September, and to the best of my knowledge, Karmen and Freja had not been photographed together before, even though they initially met all the way back in September of 2006. Yes, that's right--September of 2006, nearly three years ago when they both walked the Marni SS07 show where they had looks 45 and 46 right next to each other.

When I realized this, I was quite surprised as I've always thought of Karmen as a newer girl. Her breakout season was only just during FW0809 when she was named a Top 10 Newcomer by models.com, so I just assumed that she's only been around since then. But it turns out Karmen started hitting the high fashion runways only three season after Freja did. So this got got me thinking about the perspectives we have that go into defining a new model, an established model and the role that success plays.

Freja made her runway debut in February of 2005 when she walked for Prada in Milan. Karmen made her debut in September of 2006 when she walked for Christopher Kane in London. Karmen only started a year and half after Freja but I believe most people think (like I did) that she's one of the newer, younger models on the scene because her career seems to be taking off only now. She's definitely not as well known and she doesn't have any major covers or blue-chip campaigns on her modeling resume yet. When you compare her to Freja, the differences are so stark that it's hard to believe they started only three seasons apart.

Yet, things are finally beginning to happen for Karmen after all this time. More people are recognizing her as I've never seen so many new people posting in her tFS thread. She recently starred in the Gucci Eye Wear campaign for FW0910 and she was a semi-exclusive at the show in September. I don't want to jinx things, but being an exclusive is great and usually indicative of future campaign prospects.

I guess if you can take anything away from this, it's that time is only one factor in determining a model's success. Unlike more conventional jobs where you nearly always climb your way to the top by putting in years of work, I would argue that modeling is more dependent on other factors like agents, trends, the whims of photographers and designers, the look of the moment, and good old fashioned luck. I think the career trajectories of Freja and Karmen speak to this. Freja became successful nearly overnight with a Prada exclusive in Milan and bookings at all the top shows in Paris during her first season. Karmen was more of a late bloomer and worked her way through her first three seasons by walking mostly in London before she finally broke through.

Freja and Karmen traversed on two different paths to success, and I think it's interesting how these paths can affect the perspectives we have on each one's experience level and status within the industry. Even though both have been modeling for a few years now, I still think of them in entirely different ways. To me Karmen represents a young, fresh model full of untapped potential. Much like the brands she's modeled for (Y-3, Jill Stuart, Derek Lam, M by Missoni), she's well-respected but definitely flying under the radar. On the other hand, Freja is the established veteran who I feel has been around for so long that I can't even remember a time without her, much like the brands that she's modeled for (Balmain, Balenciaga, Chanel, Gucci, Chloe).

They are both successful in their own rights, and both seem to have career longevity in that they've been around longer than 2 or 3 seasons. When they started hanging out this season I thought it was so cute that Freja was hanging with a newbie instead of just the other vets like Lily and Heidi. Well, my perspective was a little off and after some adjustment, I now see both Freja and Karmen as veterans and true colleagues in every sense of the word. Now I only wonder what took them so long to become friends....

Image Credits: models.com, imgmodels.com, style.com

Circle of Friends

Following up this old post about Freja's model friendships, check out this excerpt from a new interview Abbey Lee did with i-D Magazine:

Living away from home have you found it easy to make new friendships with girls and boys in the industry? Are there other models you're particularly close to?
This job demands constant spontaneous travel with very little notice. That makes it incredibly hard to be reliable and committed to friends so unfortunately I've found it difficult to be part of a friendship family. I'm tight with Miss Daisy Lowe who is like a soulmate, Karlie Kloss is like my baby sister and Cat McNeil is my true mate. I'm also close with Freja when we are both in the same city and Karmen Pedaru. Jonatan Frenk is a male model friend of mine, he has a golden heart so he's especially good for the hard times.

I think it's so sweet that a little model friendship circle is slowly emerging here with Abbey, Freja and Karmen as the major players. It's nice to know that many of the models I admire also admire each other. And it's also reassuring that there's seems to be a support system here, because (as recent events remind us) fashion can be a very tough, lonely and harsh world.

Since all three models now live in New York, all you New Yorkers better keep your eyes peeled for what would be the best model sighting ever. Can you imagine that? Abbey, Freja and Karmen all walking down the street together?

Anyway, here's the full interview for anyone who's interested in reading it (as always, click through to enlarge):

And if you watch the video here, at 2:45 you can hear Abbey talk about her model friendships and at 3:02 you can see a clip of Abbey and Freja hanging out backstage at Sonia Rykiel.

Image Credits: Scan by tFS member Northern Star, video courtesy of lamagnifiquemode @ youtube

Straight From the Mouth

Freja has a little mention in a new interview with Karmen Pedaru on the W Magazine Editor's Blog.

Aside from cookie-baking Karlie, who are your other model friends?
I love Abbey Lee [Kershaw] and Freja [Beha Ericksen]. They are just the coolest girls to hang out with.

Misspelling of Freja's name aside, I think this is adorable. Cool girls flock together like birds of a feather. And it confirms what we already saw during fashion week. Forget Frily, Freidi and all the rest...Farmen is it.

I guess we know who Freja will be hanging out with now that she's moved to NY. Moving cities isn't so bad when you already have friends there to smooth out the transition. :)

Making New Friends

It's no secret I love backstage pictures. I love them because they're usually so chaotic and fun - very different from the serious veneer of runway pictures. I also love them because they give us a good indication of which models are friendly backstage.

Yes, sometime models pose together in backstage pictures because they're in the lineup next to each other, but most of the time you see actual model friends hamming it up in front of the lens. And this season Freja seems to have found some new ones. As much as I love Frily and Freidi, I have to say that I'm a bigger fan of Frabbey and Farmen (although I think those names could use some work).

Karmen is one of my favorite models, and Abbey is in my top ten so I like the idea that Freja is friends with them. And Karmen and Abbey definitely know each other because they're both at Next. I don't know why, but I guess in my perfect world all my favorite models would hang out together like one big happy family. It's a Utopic thought, but the reality actually isn't too far away from it. After all, Karlie, Karmen and Cat all live in the same building and bake cookies together.

In addition to making new friends, Freja's connecting with old ones as well.

Here she is with Iselin back in 2007

And here she is with Iselin this season

They have a great knack for taking a succession of pictures together that perfectly capture the off-the-cuff, playful, fun moments I love seeing so much.

Anyway, I know I'm being a bit naive using backstage pictures to gauge model friendships, but it's all we really have to go on. If these girls aren't really friends in real life, at the very least I'd like to see them in an editorial together. Give me Freja, Daria, Karolin, Karmen and Abbey together and I'd be in heaven. Are there any models you want to see Freja with, either in backstage candids or editorials? What's your dream model lineup?

Image Credits: dazeddigital, gobackstage.blogspot, elle, wwd, vogue.co.uk, sonnyphotos.typepad, nymag, style.it, style.com, celebritycity, fashion_shows

Backstage Fun

Fashion week can get hectic. Running around from show to show, making sure you're on time, going to fittings, trying to catch up with all the people you haven't seen since February. Freja seems to be taking this all in stride like the pro that she is. She can do her job, very well might I add, and still goof off and have fun backstage with her friends.

(Hmmm, where's your hand Heidi?)

And she's making new friends as well. Here she is with Karmen Pedaru.

That's my favorite shot so far. Two of my favorites together...just add Karolin and I'm done. Thanks for finding that picture slow_hands. The Heidi ones above are for you. :)

Image Credits: dazeddigital.com, wireimage

With a Bang, Not a Whimper

And here I thought yesterday was going to be an easy, quiet day for Freja. Well, I couldn't have been more wrong. Freja decided to start off this SS10 season with a resounding bang, walking for Rag & Bone, opening the Arise: African Promise Collective show (strangely enough) and opening Erin Wasson's RVCA show. Only her first day and she already has three shows and two opening slots under her belt? This season is certainly getting off on the right foot.

@ :30, :40 and 1:35

@ :30 and 1:25

Her walk seems little different to me, mostly in the arms. It's subtle, but better. Anyway, can we use yesterday as a good indicator of things to come for the rest of the month? Will the pace of Freja's show season match the explosive pace of her recent editorial work? What other surprises are in store for us? The frenzy of fashion month is back full force and I'm totally on the edge of my seat and completely caught up in the whirlwind, despite my best efforts to maintain some semblance of a normal life. Sigh. I love it though!

I'm also happy to see some of my other favorite girls doing well so far. Karolin Wolter closed Rag & Bone, and Karmen Pedaru was at Preen along with Sara Blomqvist.

I'm kind of curious. Who are some of your other favorite models? Any newbies you think I should check out? Who are you excited to see walk? Speaking of newbies, I think Julija Step is definitely one to watch. She walked Rag & Bone and she's been showing up a lot of other shows. If IMG plays the right cards, I see major stuff for this classically gorgeous girl.

Image Credits: coutorture.com

Teen Vogue

There is a little feature on Freja's street style in the August issue of Teen Vogue:

The section is appropriately titled "Tough Chic" and also features Karmen Pedaru, another model favorite of mine. I think this is probably the closest I'll ever get to seeing them in a shoot together. I like how they're similarly dressed, but the devil is in the details. Freja wears Chanel boots and carries Balenciaga, while Karmen opts for Frye boots and carries Chanel. Freja tucks and Karmen un-tucks, yet both push up their sleeves. Karmen also adds a very cool lariat around her neck and it's small details like that that absolutely have me enthralled with model street style.

I'm sure some people find model street style boring and predictable. You always get a proliferation of black, leather, skinny jeans, heels, tees and it-bags. I don't care how repetitive it may seem--I love it. And if you look closely enough you can always find the little things that make each outfit special and unique.

The best thing about a feature like this is that they give you suggestions for where to shop if you want to re-create the look at home, because not everyone can afford Balenciaga.

Image Credit: Altamira.blogspot.com

Russh

I picked up the old issue of Australian magazine Russh the other day. As I was flipping through it this page caught my eye:

I just think it's funny that they have Freja on there twice. Personally, I think they could have chosen better pictures. But I can't complain about their cover:

It's the reason I bought the magazine in the first place. :) For those unfamiliar with the model, she is Estonia's own Karmen Pedaru.

I know it's not groundbreaking news (Freja and androgyny...what a concept), but since it's been slow I thought I would post it. Anyway, hopefully we'll be getting some new eds soon since it's the beginning of the month and magazines' July issues should start coming out soon. Maybe something in Harper's Bazaar? They usually love Freja. Oh! And we also have Chanel, Gucci and Gap ads to look forward to. Wonder when they'll leak? Givenchy has been the only major brand so far to release images so it's only a matter of time!

Image Credits: Scanned by me.

Looking for beautiful pictures?

Corbis is the site to go to in order to find the most beautiful backstage photos. Case in point:





The first three are backstage at Burberry and the last one is backstage at Balmain. They're all taken by the photographer Delphine Achard. Whoever she is, I think she's wonderfully talented and adept at capturing natural, intimate beauty and I think she has a Freja fixation as evidenced from the singular focus of the pictures above. :) I can't quite put my finger on what makes her backstage beauty pictures different, but they just don't look like all the other ones on other sites. There is something so alluring in the simplicity, perspective and lighting of these shots. I really hope Corbis puts up more backstage photos because you know they will be as wonderful as these are. And the world can always, always, use more Freja beauty pics.


Yes, I know this isn't Freja but I wanted to sneak in another breathtakingly beautiful photo taken by Delphine, of my other favorite model Karmen Pedaru.

Image Credits: corbis.com