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

Hi pretty people! Please accept my deepest apologies for being absent lately, university can be a witch of a different letter. I advise you all to rethink that extremely snarky email you write to a teaching assistant that falsely accuses you of plagiarizing yourself. Though hilarious in its witticisms and wordplay, it may not come off as endearing to some individuals.

This is a roundabout way of telling you that I will be addressing my inbox of praise, marriage proposals, and vicious spam over the holidays with sugar, spice, and/or bitchy delights. Happy farking Christmas to all, and to all a good night!

More importantly, these last couple of weeks have been oddly eventful for Freja, with the announcement of three campaigns and a couple other odds and ends. First up was an appearance in V Magazine's model issue (aka #74, Winter 2011). She was shot by Terry Richardson for the spread, and then cropped into the shot by means of photo shop. Not the most artistic of endeavours, but they put her beside Daria, which is almost too much gorgeous northern starry-ness to handle at once.

We also have a collection of the photos Terry took of Freja for this shoot, courtesy of the man's insistence on documenting every moment he spends with anybody awesome, which is just about everybody he spends moments with. Say what you want about his morals and ethics, but that's one thing that we can be thankful for. (Dear Lady Gaga, I hope you can see how very hard I am trying here. Like really trying.)

Yeah, so that happened, and the Europeans were like "yeh yeh yeh...", and the Americans were like "Gaga, pass the cranberry sauce," and then everyone was like "FREJA HAS BREAST CANCER! THINGS WILL NEVER BE THE SAME AGAIN!". And I, sitting at my computer reading emails in a place that looks a lot like Sweden, just with snow, decided that Freja fans had officially won the Non Sequitur of the Century Award, narrowly beating out everything Jo Thornley has ever said. I mean seriously you guys, what the fuck.

All of this was spurred on by what should have been like really happy news, being the reveal of paparazzi photos of Freja and Arizona Muse in matching Chloe dresses somewhere in California, which was later identified as a shoot for the French fashion house's spring 2012 campaign. But you know, it was an honest mistake by worried fans, so don't worry about this time too much. Just keep in mind that the moment you believe one rumour, the less likely you are to see the next one coming on the horizon.

The moral of this story is that Freja has armpits and a Chloe campaign, not mammogram scars.

So getting back to important business, what do we think about Freja bagging Chloe? Any Sigrid fans totally pissed off? While I commiserate with my second favorite Frenchie, I'm pleased that Freja has gotten another Chloe campaign: she's always been able to carry off the minimalist 70s look rather charmingly.

Finally, we also learned that Freja will be starring in the S/S 2012 campaign for HUGO by Hugo Boss! All that has been released thus far is a solitary photo of her playing at 30 seconds with Sean O'Pry, but there will surely be more along shortly with the German fashion darlings being so promotionally driven.

Well, that's it for now, but I'm sure I'll be back with more news in a mo... If you're feeling  particularly bored between this and the next post, you can play "I spy with my bionic eye something referring to Melanie C" with this post. In the meantime, I hope you all have an excellent Christmakah/Ramadan/Kawanza/Festivus/etc!

Peace, love (actually), and floating,
Gill Ford

P.S.: Hats off to Atlantic Canada for being an excellent Christmas destination. City of Lakes for the win!

Photos courtesy of models.com, terrysdiary, and tFS user Bigmax


* "Think About It" is the lead single from Melanie C's fifth studio album, The Sea, just released the past September. Written and recorded in Copenhagen, it probs would have been even more successful if she released the remixed version (a la "I Turn To You"), but we love the Katy Perry-esque track anyway. The Sea has been quite well received by critics, and is probably one of her better records to date. You should buy it. Not just because it's great, but because Mel is an absolute sweetheart, and we were BFFs at a German airport once in 2007. Sometimes, I'm jealous of me too.

Coincidence?

Soooo, after finally getting some time to catch up on all the fashion news I missed after a busy week, I came across a few interesting news bits that got the gears in my mind turning. Maybe I'm making something out of nothing, but the following bits of info are interesting nonetheless:

First comes news from tFS that Mert & Marcus were in London this past week shooting the Versace ad campaign.

Second comes a great tip from thoughtful reader Lita Larkin on this old post about seeing Freja in London last week on April 6th.

Now, if you can remember back to this past runway season, Freja walked the Hakaan show for the first time ever, and she showed up at Givenchy again after a long absence. I thought it was interesting back then, but in light of recent events, it seems even more interesting and telling now. Which two photographers have close ties to both brand? Yes, that's right....the same two photographers who just shot the Versace campaign in London....the very same city where Freja was just spotted.

Could it just be a coincidence? Yes. Lots of things are shot in London, and Freja could have just been stopping over on her way to Monaco. On the other hand, Could it mean that she shot the campaign? Possibly. She's always been a Donatella fav and now that she seems to have entered into the good graces of Mert & Marcus and revamped her image into a feminine sexpot, Freja doesn't seem like a far-fetched choice for the campaign. I guess we'll find out for sure when campaign news is officially released. ;)

New Directions? Collaborators?

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

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

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

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

Image Credits: style.com, vogue.it

Will she or won't she?

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

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

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

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

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

Image Credits: models.com

NY Out, Europe In?

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

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

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

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

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

Image Credits: imgmodels.com

Vogue Brasil?

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

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

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

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

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

Going Commercial?

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

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

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

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

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

Image Credits: twitter.com/marthastreck

In Milan?

The Burberry Prosum show was today and Freja didn't walk. Fashionologie has an interesting report up:

"According to rumors, last night, Gucci demanded all girls cast in their show fly into Milan, pronto. That means Burberry's usual all-star London lineup — Freja Beha Erichsen and Lily Donaldson among them — were already gone; Burberry did nab Jourdan Dunn and Lisanne De Jong, however."

We know that Freja is both a Burberry and Gucci favorite, walking in both shows countless times throughout her career. However, I suppose this means that she's more of a Gucci girl since she didn't show up at the Burberry show. Makes sense considering she's been a Gucci campaign girl many times while Burberry continues to stick with British faces.

Of course, Freja could have just skipped London altogether to get some much needed rest. She didn't walk in any of the week's other big shows: Julien MacDonald, Christopher Kane, Pringle of Scotland, Jaeger London (the last two being brands that she's done campaigns for in the past). Who knows? I guess we just wait and see until tomorrow if Freja shows up on the Gucci catwalk.....

Covering the Possibility

Been thinking about this for a while now....do you think Freja will land on the cover of Vogue Paris any time soon? I keep going back and forth in my mind, making arguments that say "yes," then promptly defeating them with counter-arguments that say "no." So I thought I'd lay it out.

-Her first and only cover was nearly 5 years ago in November of 2005. Shot by Testino, it was a multi-girl cover also featuring Maria Carla, Natasha, Solange, Vlada and Tasha. Needless to say, a solo spot and proper cover is long overdue.

-The recent issue of Vogue Paris Collections was dedicated to her, resulting in a cover image composed literally of an army of Frejas.

-Not only does Freja have an editorial in the current June/July issue of Vogue Paris, she's also one of the five girls featured in a special supplementary DVD movie shot by the venerable Loic Prigent of "The Day Before" documentary series fame. Short preview clip is up at vogue.fr, and posted below for your quick viewing pleasure. Freja's bit begins at around 4:08, but the whole thing is an interesting watch:

(Translation of what Carine says thanks to tFS member French Cactus: I recently got interested in Freja. She is very aristocratic in her mannerisms, her poses, her walk. She is naturally elegant. She is very professional on the runway, yet she has a certain nonchalance. She has a certain something, she is extraordinary.)

-Freja is the face of Chanel, Max Mara and Balenciaga for the upcoming campaign season so she's sure to be one of the industry's most recognizable models in the coming months. What better way for a magazine to appear on trend than to feature an esteemed model who's career is going just as strong five years in as it was when it first started?

All these factors considered, you'd think she was being primed for a cover right? But maybe it's because of all these factors that Freja won't be getting a cover. Let me rephrase it this way. Are these things indicators that that cover is forthcoming? Or are they consolation prizes in lieu of one? Your guess is as good as mine.

Image Credits: models.com, scan by tFS member vogue28

Campaign Rumblings

Edit: Apparently it is not Freja in Balmain or IM. Sorry for the false alarm. I should know better by now than to perpetuate unsubstantiated rumors, but it's hard not to get caught up in the frenzy. It still doesn't change the way I feel about campaign distribution. Anyway, continue along with your saturdays.....

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Three names, one model......two more campaigns? Balmain and Isabel Marant if you believe the hints and sly suggestions.

And I definitely do. Just take a look at the opening and closing exits in the FW1011 shows, and keep in mind who led the final promenades.

Also remember that Max Mara is already a given....just another brand with strong connections to Carine, Emmanuelle and the VP universe. Need I mention that both Balmain and IM are in that universe too?

Now take a look at the Vogue Paris Collections Cover, and the pieces begin to fit into place.

So the only thing I'm left wondering is, which month can we expect to see Freja on the cover of VP?

But for the sake of covering all the bases, there are lots of other models with three part monikers: Abbey Lee Kershaw, Anna Maria Jagodzinska, Caroline Brasch Nielsen, Hanne Gaby Odiele....but my mind keeps returning to just one: Freja Beha Erichsen.

Am I happy? Yes. But do I have reservations? Of course. I just never think it's a good thing when one model has a ton of campaigns because her work tends to lose impact when it's spread out over so much. And there is a lot of truth to the saying "you have to leave them wanting more." Over saturation usually leads to disappearance of the product or apathy from the consumers soon enough. So I guess we'll just see how this all plays out. Yeah, I know I'm not a very good fan because I should be all like "omg, this is amazing and the best thing ever." But I can't help feeling the way I feel....

The Possiblity of Pirelli

WWD broke the news early last month that Karl Lagerfeld was picked to shoot the next Pirelli Calendar.

A TIRE POWER: Karl Lagerfeld has been tapped to shoot the next Pirelli calendar. “I’ll do it in my studio in Paris. It’s too obvious to have a beach setting,” the designer said backstage at his signature show on Sunday. Shooting is to take place in April, and “all of the top girls” will be booked for the coveted calendar, which has been lensed by the likes of Patrick Demarchelier, Bruce Weber and Mario Testino since it was established in 1964.

Of course this news probably had Freja fans speculating, since we all know that Karl can't shoot anything without featuring her in some way (God love him for it). However, Pirelli isn't something you'd usually associate with Freja, who has a body and demeanor more suited for high fashion rather than a calendar known for sultry femininity and ample amounts of robust nudity.

With the calendar shoot taking place right now, casting bits have been leaking out over the internet. Models confirmed so far include Bianca Balti, Heidi Mount, Isabeli Fontana, Magdalena Frackowiak, and Natasha Poly. Fashionologie also tells us that Lara Stone is rumored to be booked as well. So with two of Karl's favs seemingly present and accounted for (Heidi and Lara), it remains to be seen whether Freja will also be included. After all, she is undoubtedly Karl's favorite female model to work with, so her omission would be unexpected and strange even if she is an unorthodox choice for Pirelli calendar pin-up girl.

I've read that Freja will be included, but nothing is ever 100%. As they say, pics or it didn't happen, right? :) I also want to tread lightly just in case. Anyway, I'm not sure how I feel about this, assuming that it's true. On the one hand, it's great because Freja continues to buck her androgynous stereotype and show her many facets as a model. On the other hand, I'm not sure if she's really the best fit for the type of femininity we've come to associate with Pirelli. And then you also have to worry that Karl will just put her in pants next to Baptiste like he did for the Chanel SS10 runway show. In case you're wondering, Freja doesn't look too shabby in a bikini so maybe I shouldn't feel so dubious about the whole thing:

Besides, Magdalena doesn't necessarily scream sultry, voluptuous calendar girl to me either. And who knows what concept Karl has in mind for the calendar, since the photographer is usually given complete creative control. He could take things in a different direction since he's doing a studio shoot instead of a location shoot like past years'. Regardless of what will or won't happen, it's something on the horizon to look out for. And if Freja is indeed shot for the Pirelli calendar, that's just one more tick off the amazing checklist that is her career. Seriously, is there anything that she hasn't done as a model? Maybe walk a VS show....but that's a whole different story.

Thoughts? Do you want to see Freja in the calendar, or is it too weird to even imagine?

More Word From the Tents....

I thought you all would want to know that I just got another update from Cameo, our intrepid Freja fan who's braving the cold and elements out at the tents. Keep your eyes peeled at Anna Sui, because word around Bryant Park is that a certain someone will be walking that show for the first time ever. This is the same someone that opened and closed Oscar de la Renta earlier today. :) So if things hold true, that will be two brand new runway debuts for two different designers. New York is just full of surprises.

For us Freja fans, all the things we thought would never happen are happening. It's almost too much to handle and too good to be true. Anyway, thanks again Cameo! We love hearing your updates about Freja and it's awesome of you to face the nasty weather in New York. Stay warm!

Marc Jacobs? Maybe Not...

Casting rumors are rampant about the upcoming Marc Jacobs show. TI started the speculation that Marc was taking it to the streets to cast his show. Now, NY Mag chimes in with some more news:

"We're told he wants all the girls to look like Jamie Bochert, and that casting agents may have had a difficult time finding a whole army of them. The girls in the running to be in the show are models with model proportions and signed with agencies, but the Jacobs team may have looked on the street, as well. So the cast of models is likely to be entirely unknown girls."

I wonder what this means for Freja, who has never missed walking in a Marc Jacobs show since the SS06 season. The Marc cast is always very large though. Usually upwards of 40 girls, so despite the street casting and Jaime Bochert lookalikes, we might still see a few models. It would be a shame to see the streak end. Come on Michelle Lee, don't let us down!

Popularity Musings

Thanks to the fabulous work of tFS member candlebougie, we have the "most viewed model" ranks for the month of July and Freja is number one. For the first time since February she beat out Kate Moss for the top spot, and this got me thinking about a few things.

Warning: Essay ahead. I was in a contemplative mood and I just wanted to get these thoughts down so this mega post is more for me than anyone else. I know most people don't want to read a small novel but I thought I'd post it anyway. The following is definitely NOT for the tl;dr crowd.

How and why is Freja so popular on tFS? She's definitely an established model, but by no means is she the most abundant and consistent in her high profile work. Yet month after month Freja's popularity is validated by her ranking on the most viewed list. In fact, I can't remember the last time she wasn't in the top two.

Compare her to Kate Moss and it's an even more incredible achievement. Kate is extremely well-known and in the media spotlight all the time. Her every outfit and every move is scrutinized by the public and captured by the paparazzi. Her boyfriend is Jaime Hince of The Kills, and she's involved in a lot of high profile collaborations with high ranking people. My friends who know jack shit about fashion know who Kate Moss is for she is the last of the supermodels. Freja is practically the exact opposite and I would give you a hundred dollars if you found someone on the streets of Boise, Idaho who knows who Freja is.

So how can we explain her popularity? Is it because she has a strong and recognizable "personality" within the industry? Everyone knows her as the rebel girl, or the cool, laid-back girl that you'd want to kick it with on a lazy saturday afternoon. She's so unassuming and I think this makes her easy to identify with. Most other models have an air of inaccessibility and refined glamor. You admire them, but you wouldn't necessarily want to chill out with them. Can you picture yourself going to a concert with Snejana? Biking with Magdalena? Watching a movie with Vlada? If you come across this way, you're not going to be super popular. Yes, every model has fans, but I think Freja's personality in the industry garners her more fans who remain very loyal.

Another aspect of all this could be attributed to notions of sexuality. (Side note: There has never been any official comment on Freja's sexuality so everything regarding the topic is complete speculation and hearsay.) That being said, let's face it. We've all heard the rumors and whisperings. Even without official confirmation, many of us assume that Freja is gay and I think this plays a role in creating and sustaining her popularity.

Gays and lesbians have traditionally been marginalized in society and generally lack positive representation in the media. This has of course changed dramatically in the last decade but there is still a very long way to go. For lesbians it is particularly difficult to find other successful, visible, lesbians to identify with. There are shows like the L Word, but that is clearly glamorized fiction. As I write this the only real-life lesbian with recent media coverage I can think of is Chastity Bono. And no offense to her, but she doesn't exactly solicit a positive response from people. I don't see tons of women (lesbian, bi, straight) clamoring to be like her or forming fan groups for her.

Freja, on the other hand, is beautiful and extremely successful in her profession. There is no drama surrounding her and she is not involved in crazy public antics. By all accounts she is intelligent, polite and just a normal woman (not to say that Chastity Bono isn't, I was just using her as an example). I would argue that she is a rare role model for other lesbians to look up to. If this is indeed the case, these feelings of admiration and respect would breed extreme loyalty, which in turn could account for her popularity. As it stands there are so few lesbians to identify with that when there is one people will cling to her for dear life.

Another important factor in this is that Freja has kept mum on her sexuality. This allows both those who think she's gay and those who think she's straight to continue believing what they believe without tarnishing Freja's reputation in their eyes, one way or another. Was Amanda Moore as popular back during her hey day, as Freja is now? Does anyone know? I thought I read somewhere that she became less popular after she came out, but that also could have just been a symptom of timing and her career already ending organically since she did come out quite late.

Lastly, I really do think Freja's fans in Asia contribute considerably to her popularity numbers. I don't think we'll ever know how many fans she has over there but I do know there is a very strong Asian contingent on tFS and on her official site. They're fanatical in a way that could be off-putting to some, but I really think it's just a matter of cultural differences. There was discussion about this recently on Freja's tFS thread but at this point it's all just opinion. Much like this whole essay has merely been my opinion. If anyone has any thoughts to add or opinions of their own on the subject I'd love to hear them.

I still don't really know why Freja is so popular on tFS. It could be a combination of the things I mentioned, or none of them at all. Regardless, it's an interesting phenomenon to think about and if you've read this far, I thank you and give you multi-tasking Freja for your time:

Image Credits: Celebritycity

Oh, fashionista

Did anyone else see the poll they have going on at fashionista? It's pretty hilarious, and I'm kind of surprised they went there. But they aren't above posting a few rumors now and then so maybe it isn't that surprising.

Anyway, the final round in our face off is coming soon. If you haven't already put in your vote for Round 2, you can still do it here.

Biker Freja says happy weekend!

Image Credits: vmagazine.com

London Fashion Week News

Interesting news tidbit: Jonathan Saunders is going to show his collection in London this upcoming season. He joins the likes Burberry, Pringle of Scotland and Matthew Williamson in moving his show to back to LDN in order to celebrate the 25th anniversary of London Fashion Week.

Apparently, he may not be the last designer to announce such a return. We should expect some more announcements soon, as there are supposedly "talks going on with other big names who we're confident will come back," said Harold Tillman, president of the British Fashion Council.

I wonder who he could be referring to? Maybe Alexander McQueen? Or Stella McCartney? And what does this have to do with Freja? Well, she's never walked in London before, yet most of the shows moving there so far are ones that she traditionally walks in (with Burberry being the most consistent runway job).

Does this mean that we might see Freja make her first appearance on the British catwalks? Or does this mean less runway shows for her in the other three cities? She was just in London recently so it's not like she's never been there for work. But I wonder, will she break tradition and part with what I'm sure is her much needed rest week between New York and Milan to walk all the shows now showing in London? Or will the upcoming SS season be just another disappointment for Freja fans like her past two unexpectedly truncated SS seasons? I guess these are just some more questions that we won't get answers to until September. Sigh. At least as Freja fans we're used to being patient between sightings. Still sucks though.

Burberry Prorsum FW0910


Pringle of Scotland SS09


Jonathan Saunders FW0910

Image Credits: Style.com

Keep Your Eyes Open

Thought I'd do a recap of things to look out for in terms of Freja's upcoming work.

-She recently shot something with Sasha on the streets on NY. Judging by the pictures on tFS, it's probably for an editorial.

-She was in Monaco two weeks ago where Karl Lagerfeld shot her for an editorial to appear in an upcoming issue of Harper's Bazaar.

-She was in London recently, hopefully shooting something for Vogue UK (see post below).

-At some point in the near future (as stated in her blog post) Freja is off on a bigger round trip to NY and Paris. If it happens this month, I think it will be for some print work. If it happens in July then it's possibly for the couture shows which start on July 6th I believe.

In response to a fan question on her website, Freja stated that she would be attending the Roskilde Festival this year, but that ends on July 5th. So that leaves plenty of time for her to jet on over to Paris and stomp down the couture catwalks. Whew! I'm tired just thinking about all those airline miles being logged. But as fans, we have a lot to look out for and look forward to.

LDN

If you read Freja's blog yesterday you probably caught this little bit of info:

After a couple of beautiful relaxing days by the saltwater pool in Monaco, I have now moved on to London for a few days off and also a few days of work.

Wonder what she could be working on over there? I was thinking about this (probably way too much) and I really hope she shot an editorial for Vogue UK because her past work with the magazine is simply outstanding and it aptly showcases her versatility and skill as a model. Take a look at what I mean:

Going back to Freja's early days in 2005 with a colorfully vibrant, Moroccan-themed shot, she's strong enough not to be overshadowed by the clothes and setting.

Then in 2006 she exudes a very appealing and soft femininity.

As we move into 2008, in a complete 180 degree turnaround, Freja delivers her famous androgynous charm with two editorials in the same issue.

And the most recent editorial Freja shot for them in August of 2008 displays a mixture of both androgyny and femininity, coupled with fantastic interplay between her and Lily.

If Freja is indeed working with Vogue UK again I can't wait to see what the final product will look like. I love the range that they have allowed to her thus far, unlike for example Vogue Nippon and their androgynous, black and white eds.

I should reiterate that I do not know if Freja is indeed shooting an editorial for Vogue UK. This is just my hope and the result of my deductive reasoning. Why else would she be working in London? Most of this season's ad campaigns have already been shot so it's safe to assume that she's not shooting an ad. I'm not sure about foreign brands, but I figured those would most likely shoot in their own respective countries or in NY.

I could be wrong, but NY is a more well-known city on the international fashion scene. You have lots of photographers and creative, industry types based in the city. So if a brand like Moiselle was going to shot anywhere beside Hong Kong, I would place my bets on NY over London. Same goes for the foreign versions of Vogue and Numero. So unless Freja is shooting in London on a specific location instead of in a studio, it makes sense to conclude that she's shooting for Vogue UK. I guess I'll just have to wait a few more months to find out if I'm right. :)

Did you also catch this other little tid-bit from her blog post?

packed for 4 days in Monaco and now have to do a bigger roundtrip to Paris and then New York

Trips to Paris and NY for more work? I think the timing of this is good as we are in between seasons so a busy schedule during the off months hopefully means a busy schedule come runway time. Also, aren't couture shows coming up!?

Image Credits:
mfilomeno.com via tFS member static
westwood.yculblog.com via tFS member sylen
Scaned by tFS member Manuva
fashionising.com

Some News?

When I started this blog I never intended to participate in the perpetuation of any gossip. If you're a hardcore Freja fan you already know where to go to read about rumors and such. I wanted this blog to concentrate on Freja's professional work and the role she plays within the fashion industry. That being said, I do love gossip as much as the next person and this is why I read The Imagist on a daily basis. Their "scoup du jour" pieces are almost always spot on and they do like to ruffle the fashion feathers by posting juicy tidbits here and there.

Recently they had this little mention of Freja.

That is what I meant by my taking Manhattan life for granted. What other places give you sporadically, Manhattan gives you daily. Our long and langurous lunch stretched on until twilight, at which point Lily Donaldson slipped downstairs from what I assumed was her building (you know the one on the corner of Kenmare and Lafayette). Vogue Paris stylist Julia von Boehm in hardcore hard fashionista mode slumped down on the outside bench just as Freja whisked by and it was nice to see all the kids out basking in Cafe Select's unharried ambiance.

This is the kind of gossip I feel comfortable mentioning because I feel it could be work related and it seems pretty harmless. It's also rooted in a first person sighting so it's hard to debate. Freja has been in New York a lot recently. But the blurb above refers to this past friday, May 1st and the last time we knew of her being in NY was at least two weeks ago.

So what I wonder is has she been in the city this whole time or is this the result of multiple trips? What project could she be working on if any? Are the Lily D and Julia von Boehm sightings related to Freja, or just a coincidental convergence of fashion faces? The Imagist is pretty ambiguous, so I'm not going to jump to any conclusions yet. But wouldn't it be nice to see Freja in Vogue Paris again? It's been a while.

Now, please understand that this long rambling post doesn't mean I don't want to be informed of Freja gossip. If anyone out there reading ever has something they want to share, feel free to e-mail me. Address is in my profile. I'll keep it on the down low. I promise! :)

And for your time, a recent picture of Freja in NY from jdvision: