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

Valentino Haute Couture

In somewhat of a surprise, Freja walked in and opened the Valentino Haute Couture F/W 10.11 show earlier today in Paris. Surprising because it was her first time walking for Valentino HC, and not so surprising because she is one of the current faces of the brand (the two other campaign girls - Monika Jagaciak and Tati Cotliar - walked the show as well).

Earlier I asked, "who is the new Valentino woman?" Well, maybe it's Freja. Having her both open the show and star in the campaign sends quite a modern message for a house so usually bound with classicism, don't you think?

Anyway, it's great to see her on the HC runways, first at Chanel and now at Valentino. Gives me the confidence to presume that we'll see Freja dominate the ready-to-wear runways comes September. Even if contemporaries like Lily, Lara and Heidi are slowing down in their runway work, Freja seems to be going full speed ahead; just the way we fans like it! Although that doesn't mean that the truncated seasons of SS08 and SS09 aren't still fresh in my mind. I'll never forget those...they've scarred me somewhat and no matter how well Freja does, a part of me will always be scared that she'll disappear again.

Image Credits: style.it

From Denmark to Paris to ?

We all have our traditions. Usually around this time of year most Americans are fresh off a weekend of grilling out and watching fireworks in celebration of the July 4th holiday. Freja, on the other hand, always seems to find herself jetting from Denmark to Paris around this time of year; going from crowded, dirty concert tents to immaculate, luxurious runways.

The Roskilde music festival is arguably one of the biggest draws on the European festival circuit. Freja was there last year decked out in some Alexander Wang, and seemingly not one to break with tradition (or give up on her love of music), she was there again this year also decked out in Alexander Wang.

Coincidentally, I happen to own the same green A Wang vest and let me tell you, it's amazing. (I swear I bought it before I knew Freja had it! Contrary to what you may think, I'm not that type of fan.) As soon as I saw the look on Iselin during the SS10 show, I just knew I had to have it. The best thing about it is the long, draping back made of black nylon. The panel wafts up in the air as you walk, kind of like a cape. So just picture Freja walking around, made even more imposing by a black cape trailing behind her. Pretty cool.

Anyway, judging from the blog post of the person who saw her at Roskilde, she was there on Friday, July 2nd. But yesterday, July 6th, saw her in Paris walking the Chanel Haute Couture F/W 2010 show just like last year.

No surprises here. You can always count on Karl and Freja. They're like Archie and Jughead, Sonny and Cher, Turner and Hooch, Inez and Vinoodh. ;) I may have ragged on some of their past collaborations, but I am truly grateful for their relationship. It's reliable and comfortable; a rarity in the fashion world where seasonal change triumphs.

Freja didn't open or close, but she had one of the last showstopping looks. From an Alexander Wang green military style vest to Chanel sequins and beading, Freja effortlessly moves from one look to the other. I never find myself surprised at the way she looks. No matter the setting, no matter the context, no matter her surroundings, Freja always looks like she inherently belongs. She never looks like she's out of her element; but rather, she always looks to me as if she's completely in it. And that's the mark of a true model.

So where next? From Denmark to Paris to the next job, wherever it may be. Here's hoping it's a good one!

Image Credits: fromthedeskofphyllis.blogspot.com, boohyouwhore.com, style.it

St. Tropez Fun

It was great to see Freja back on the runway again. Despite donning three disparate looks, I thought she looked refreshed, comfortable and happy to be walking. Then again, who wouldn't be happy getting whisked away to St. Tropez this time of year to walk on the beach and play Chanel themed Bocce Ball?

The rest of the cast was made up of a mix of old and new models, all who seemed to be having a blast walking (mostly) barefoot around the cafe like beachfront setting. No matter what you think about Karl and his designs, he sure knows how to put on a good time for everyone, audience and models included. (There's a reason why Chanel is the one show that most models want to walk.)

We saw all of the usual suspects walking, but we also saw the likes of Crystal Renn, Tanga Moreau, Marloes Horst and Veroniek Gielkens making for one very interesting, unexpected and diverse cast. But diverse only in age, body shape and industry experiences. Racial diversity was glaringly non-existent, which is especially surprising to me since we're coming off a FW1011 runway season that saw breakthroughs for a wide variety of girls from different backgrounds: Lais Ribeiro, Joan Smalls, Mengyao Xi, Sun Fei Fei and Carla Gebhart immediately come to mind. Where were they?

Anyway, Karl's full film "Remember Now" also premiered in conjunction with the runway show:

There is surprisingly little of Freja to be seen throughout, which could be a good thing or a bad thing depending on how you look at it and taking into consideration the Paris-Shanghai film. For me, this film was definitely less cringe-worthy and actually pretty enjoyable. I'm going to attribute it to the fact that there was less talking and more dancing/partying. Taken for what it is--a tone piece meant to showcase the attitude of the collection--the film delivers and the models do a great job. Karl isn't pretending to be Spielberg here, so as long as you recognize that it's pretty easy to revel in the sheer entertainment value of it all. And I have to say that I laughed so hard when Uncle Karl made his cameo. Never change Karl....never change. And never stop using Freja for your work. It's something I've come to expect and frankly, depend upon. It's reliable and it comforts me, and that's a very rare thing to find in this industry that thrives off of trends and constant change. So even if I do complain sometimes, it's out of love and appreciation.

Your thoughts? Am I the only one who didn't mind the film? Thoughts on the runway casting? Did your favs walk? Didn't you think Freja looked good?

Image Credits: wwd.com

Closing Moments

This great candid shot comes to you courtesy of Bobby who runs the blog Fotovalise. He was kind and thoughtful enough to share this with me, and now he's letting me share it with you. If you love model candids you most definitely have to check out Fotovalise, especially since Bobby just posted some of his shots from Paris. Lots of models there that you'll recognize but also some that you might not, which I love. I feel like most photographers tend to ignore the lesser known models which is really a shame, but Bobby does a great job of capturing a wide and diverse swath of the fashion flock.

This picture of Freja impeccably captures her unbridled joy moments after finishing Miu Miu, her last show for the FW1011 runway season. Can't you just feel the relief and sense of accomplishment shining through on her face? The perfect picture of someone ready to celebrate, utterly at ease, and without a care in the world. Bobby has tons of more pictures like this one on his blog, including another one of Freja whom he likes to call the "mighty Freja Beha." No arguments there. It certainly takes a mighty model to walk 46 shows and put out 12 editorials in the span of 2 months. Thanks so much Bobby! Also, please respect his wishes and do not repost his pics at tFS. Thanks!

Anyway, to go along with the "final moment" of Freja's season captured above, I thought it would be fitting to post some final show moments from throughout the rest of the season. Sorry for all the themed posts recently....chalk it up to a by product of my humanities educated, tendency to search out broad, connecting concepts....

The final moments of a show, where all the girls come out in one last processional walk, serve as a functional last look for all the buyers and press sitting in the audience. Makes sense because it accords people the opportunity to solidify their ideas and discern the broader theme of a collection and a designer's vision. When captured, these moments make for beautiful pictures (check out the stunning location for Dries), and cute instances if you pay attention. Proof that it ain't over until the last girl steps off the catwalk.

So much of how we view shows is one look and one girl at a time, but the final runway promenade gives us the rare opportunity to see the total vision and complete cohesion. I love it even more in videos because you also get the see the looks from behind when the girls turn around to walk back. We wear clothes in 360 degrees and designers design clothes that way too. Pity that we can't see them that way on style.com as well. Maybe one day....

Another thing I love about these final runway moments is that we can see how all the girls compare to each other in terms of height. It's only when I look at these types of pictures that I remember things like Amanda Norgaard is only 5'8", and Karlie Kloss, Frida Gustavsson and Ylonkal Verheul are veritable giants who make other models look short.

Is anyone else as fascinated with model boards and final walk pictures as I am? Or am I kind of being weird here? I guess that to me, these type of things show us glimpses of fashion's inner workings, and I just love trying to figure how things work.

Image Credits: candid via Bobby at Fotovalise, cobrasnake, corbis, coutorture, fashionologie, style.it, vmagazine

Dominance

If you've been keeping track, Freja's opened and/or closed 13 shows so far this season. She's coming awfully close to her SS07 season's career best of opening and/or closing for 17 different shows. This dominance on the runway is completely amazing and more than a little mind boggling. It's not like Freja's the new "it" girl. This is her 11th season now, which is ancient in modeling time. And it's not like she's still walking 5 shows a day. Her opening and closing rate is even more impressive when you consider the relatively small number of shows she's done, as compared to a girl like Jac who's done a lot more. I can't even begin to come up with a reason for all of this, so all I'm going to say is wow.....just wow.

This dominance isn't just limited to the runway though. It's extends into magazines as well. Freja's final "March Magazine Madness" editorial count comes to 6 and 1 cover. It's 8 and 2 covers if you count the seasonal editions of Purple and Numero Homme. Think about how ridiculous those numbers are for one month's worth of magazines! Freja has literally been bursting off the pages of all the major pubs: Vogue US, Vogue Italia, Vogue UK, Vogue Nippon, Vogue China, and W Magazine. The only major one that's missing from that list is Vogue Paris, but she had that covered in February. And the work just keeps coming with an upcoming editorial in the April 2010 issue of Vogue UK. Amazing, and tiring. Hopefully this all translates into some good campaigns for the FW1011 season.

After coming out of nowhere with 5 campaigns during the FW0910 season, Freja only scored Chanel during the SS10 season. Ha...listen to me. Only Chanel? Having a Chanel campaign would be any model's dream, and I talk like Freja had to settle for it. I shouldn't be so greedy and obnoxious sounding. Anyway, having lots of runway and print work is good, but campaigns are what matter in terms of model money and status. So I really hope that all of Freja's hard work during the past few months is not all for naught, and that she is well rewarded. Frankly speaking, I would be thrilled if she only booked Chanel again, because holding that campaign 3 seasons in a row (5 times total) is unheard of. Come on Karl, don't let me down now! I know I like to give you shit, but it's all in the name of love. I know you've been Freja's biggest supporter throughout her career so please don't stop now.

But of course, I can't help but to hope for some other campaign. Something new. Something unexpected. Something wonderful. And I think it could be possible now that Meisel is photographing Freja. I want to throw out some brand names, but I'm going to restrain myself because it's way too early to be speculating about campaigns and I don't want to jinx anything....although it's not like I have that kind of power. Anyway, if you're willing to take the risk, I'd love to hear your campaign wishes for Freja. ;) And we only have two days left to see if Freja can break her own record of openings/closings, so savor the moments because FW will be over before you know it!

New York Underway

She didn't disappoint! Freja walked in the Alexander Wang show earlier tonight.

Looking as formidable as ever, Freja was the third girl out after Natalia and Iselin. Not bad shoes to follow, right? Discounting her absence at Rag & Bone yesterday, it's good to know that some things are still predictable and constant. Kind of brings me a peace of mind amid all the unrelenting craziness that is fashion week. With so many new model faces to learn, names to remember and new collections to browse, it's just reassuring to know that you can count on certain things to happen. Like my favorite model walking in the NY show I always look forward to the most.

Now let's see if my other predictions for shows walked come true....

Image Credit: elle.com

Chanel Haute Couture SS10

Freja opened the Chanel Haute Couture show today, firmly entrenching herself as one of Karl's favorite female models, not that there was any doubt about this in the first place. Was this any surprise? Did we expect any less? After all, I would say that Freja is now the female equivalent of Brad/Baptiste, but I don't mean that with any derision. It's just a fact of the fashion world that I've come to accept and even enjoy because of the comfort and dependability it brings. Fashion cycles are always so rapid and turnovers always so quick, that it's quite refreshing to know you can count on the Freja/Karl relationship. And Karl seems less territorial with Freja so she's free to work with other people as recent work can attest to. I may complain and I may whine, but I do always look forward to seeing Freja walk down that Chanel runway.

Karl gave hints that the show would be "neon baroque" but I thought it was more "Bride of Frankenstein in outer space during the springtime." I guess that doesn't make nearly as good of a sound byte and it's quite a mouthful to say. Although I can see where Karl is coming from because the color palate for this collection is quite bright, especially compared to last years' all white spring Haute Couture show. And the presence of high, fluffy collars and culottes brought in that baroque feel.

My Bride of Frankenstein reference comes from the hair, especially with those silver streaks running throughout. And all the metallic accents and accessories, but specifically the shoes, give me that outer space feel. There just seemed to be a general sheen and shinyness to the whole show, most ardently and ferociously summed up by the final look.

Regardless, it was a stunning collection. Not my favorite, but some looks were just so beautiful.

And it was nice to see a mixture of both old and new girls. You had Freja, Heidi, Isabeli, Lara, Anja and Abbey (with her taking honors as the bride) on the one hand. Then Lisanne De Jong, Mirte Maas, Jenny Sinkaberg, Marlene Szoka (!!) and Valerija Kelava (!!!) on the other. I love seeing new girls for Chanel and I'm happy that some of the more unexpected, but no less exceptional, girls got to walk.

Image Credits: catwalking.com, coutorture, moviechopshop.com

Better Pictures

Here are some higher quality pictures from yesterday's Chanel show. As usual, click through to enlarge. And according to style.com, Freja closed the show. Well...technically Baptiste closed it, but Freja was the last girl out. So she's continuing on her roll with Karl and Chanel. So much so that she's nearly becoming synonymous with the modern Chanel woman, and I'm undecided as to whether this is a good thing or a bad thing.

I guess it's great for Freja and her financial stability. Maybe not so great when it comes to other designers being able to envision her for their labels. I don't know, I guess we'll see.

Image Credits: style.com

Forays into Acting

I love you Freja, but I hope you're not one of those models who wants to transition into acting. Considering that you've probably never had any formal training, and that music seems to be more of your passion, I do think this was a valiant and commendable first effort on your part. However, you should probably stick to your day job.

Then again, you shouldn't be penalized for the execution of this concept. I'm sure it was pretty hard for you to identify with the roles you were asked to play seeing as you're from Denmark and not from China. A Chinese girl and a Chinese courtesan aren't characters I would ever relate to you, but I suppose such details as ethnic authenticity don't matter to the Kaiser. And I'm sure it was hard to recite that choppy and ridiculous dialogue with a straight face. I know I would have been laughing my ass off if I had to pretend I was talking to Coco Chanel.

Anyway, what matters here is that Karl is once again supporting your career and that is something I will always commend him for doing, no matter how bored I get seeing you only work with him. I gotta wonder though, does he have you and Baptiste under contract as part of his official traveling entourage? If so, does this contract maybe have a clause somewhere that allows you to work with other people like Nick Knight, Paolo Roversi, Camilla Akrans and Solve Sundsbo? I certainly hope so.

Starting @ 6:00


Starting at the beginning and going until 2:45


Starting @ 2:50 and going until 4:00


This was quite entertaining, but I'm much more impressed by the runway pictures from the show:

Karl always knows how to transport us to another world. It's escapism at it's best when we need it the most. While the quagmire in Afghanistan escalates, the debate on health care reform continues on, and the global economic downturn dominates, we can always count on Karl (and the fashion industry in general) to give us a world where these concerns don't exist. For this reason, most people consider fashion to be a frivolity. But it is precisely because of this reason why I consider fashion to be an absolute necessity.

Your thoughts on the vid? Freja's acting ability? The show? Freja working with Meisel (I still can't believe it)? And thanks to all the people who left comments telling me that the vid was up. It's sweet of you all to think of me, but I am a member at tFS so I already see the news as it's posted. Sorry, but I just can't update this blog instantaneously. So just because I don't post about something doesn't mean I don't know about it. Often times I'm waiting and thinking about what I want to post and how I want to post it. I don't want to post for the sake of posting....and isn't that what Freja's thread at tFS is for? ;)

Image Credits: wwd

Walking and Talking

If you're too busy during all the fashion month chaos, I guess the runway can be another good place to catch up with your friends, right? Here are Freja and Marina during the Sonia Rykiel final walk at 8:00:

And here are Lara and Freja during the Hermès final walk at :58.

Maybe this is something you only perfect and feel comfortable doing after a few seasons on the catwalk. After all, you have to be able to talk over all the noise and not lose focus so that you fall in your heels. :) It kind of breaks the fourth wall though, don't you think? Nevertheless, people do say that fashion should be more accessible, so I guess this is one way of doing it. And I wonder what was so interesting in either instance that couldn't wait till backstage...

And off topic, but this warrants a mention: Congrats to Freja for moving up the models.com rankings! A four spot leap up was bound to happen sooner or later with the help of those five FW0910 campaigns. If she keeps it up this season, I think she's in the running for top three! Maybe even top two once Raquel vacates the number one spot and moves to the icons list.

Recognition

Freja's amazing season, especially in Paris, is getting recognition elsewhere. :) Nice to see other people keeping tabs and appreciating. She really did notch things up a lot in La Ville-Lumière. Now we just need to keep this momentum going into campaign season....

Update: Must be a slow news day. Freja's getting recognition for her presence off the runway too. :)

Runway Hazards

Going with the fan theme, someone at fashionista likes Freja and was lucky enough to speak to her at Narciso Rodriguez.

Post-show, Freja said she was terrified she’d trip and fall on her dress’ long train (though of course she walked seamlessly) and if I hadn’t ended up talking to Narciso that would’ve been the highlight of my day.

The dress's train did looked treacherous, but it was beautiful. Take a look:

Freja is such a pro on the catwalk after countless seasons now. But the pros still fall from time to time (hello Angela Lindvall) so it's good that Freja isn't getting complacent and still worries about things like this.

Image Credits: vogue.co.uk, fashionista.com

NY Fashion Week

The schedule for the tents is up! NY fashion week will start Thursday, September 10th and end one week later on Thursday, September 17th. Keep in mind that this schedule just lists designers showing in the tents at Bryant Part. Shows will be going on at locations all over the city including Milk Studios. A full schedule should be released soon.

All you New Yorkers out there better get your cameras ready and keep your patience in check. Models will start descending on the city in droves, so if model watching is a hobby, this is prime time for you. And with any luck and some help from this instructional, you could probably become internet-famous yourself, for all the big street style photographers will also be out in force.

Aren't you excited!? I predict a season of quality, not quantity, for Freja. Expect to see her walk an average of one show a day. She'll no doubt make her first appearance at Rag & Bone which is usually held on the first Friday. You can also bet on her walking for Alexander Wang. Beyond that and it's a bit harder to pin down. Her NY schedule is always a bit more unpredictable than her Milan and Paris schedules. There are always a few surprises thrown in, and this is why the month of September is so exciting and nerve-racking.

Are there any shows you're just dying to see Freja walk in? Do any of you plan to stake out spots in Bryant Park? If so, I wish you good model-spotting luck and hope that you report back!

Chanel Haute Couture

As expected, Freja walked for Chanel Haute Couture earlier tonight. Other perennial Karl favorites like Milana Keller, Snejana Onopka, Sasha Pivovarova and Denisa Dvorakova were there as well, along with newer girls like Sigrid Agren, Karmen Pedaru and Toni Garrn. Very fitting considering the collection was like a greatest hits both old and new of Chanel.

Freja had two looks and disappointingly her face was covered up in one of them. The second looks was a little more comical, but it did show off her amazingly long legs.

At first Karl's inspiration for the collection was reported to be "floating panels." But then we got another report saying the inspiration was more 70's nightclub. In looking at the complete collection, I can see both aspects very clearly.

Many of the dresses did indeed have panels of fabric floating down the back. Olivier Theyskens favored a similar idea while he was still at Nina Ricci. I like to think of the look as business in the back, party in the front. :)

And Karl's use of embellishments and sequins give off a Studio 54 disco vibe. Hence, the 70's nightclub reference.

The backdrop of the show was four big bottles of Chanel No. 5. You can always count on Karl to be ostentatious and over the top. Lara was the bride this time, and according to Derek Blasberg she and Baptiste kissed to close the show. I guess that's one way to leave an impression, and it also probably explains why Freja did not make her third appearance as the Chanel bride.

Haute Couture shows are still going on, but I don't know how likely it will be for Freja to walk in any of the remaining shows. We'll see though. She's always full of surprises.

Image Credits: catwalking.com, fashionologie, style.com