Dressing to a T

So far I can say that I like Sally Singer at T Magazine way more than I like Stefano Tonchi at W. Who's with me!? Putting Mick Jagger on the cover of your holiday style issue? F-ing brilliant. Featuring Sasha Pivovarova in a style profile? Utterly charming. Including Freja in the issue after a four year absence? Totally awesome, especially since Freja finally looks a bit different and isn't playing her usual rock n' roll, tough girl role. And dare I say it with out suffering retaliation in the form of angry comments about how repetitive I am....but she even looks (feigned gasp, shock, awe) feminine. Imagine that. Must be the dress, heels and languid, soft pose because her hair is still the same messy mop. :)

Moonstruck
New York Times T Style Magazine Holiday 2010
Ph: Alice O'Malley
Styling: Susan Winget
Other Models: Eliza Douglas, Hilary Swank, Kazu Makino, Lakshmi Menon, Maggie Gyllenhaal, Mila Kunis, Sally Hawkins

Like everyone else, I was uncertain about all the staff changes that happened at T and W, but so far it seems like T is coming out for the better judging by Singer's first issue. Rumors are already swirling about W's less than stellar performance under Tonchi, and I can see why. As a subscriber, I can say with honesty that I've stopped reading my issues because the content is just so unappealing to me now. (Kim Kardashian? Katherine Heigl? Is Stefano trying to feature everyone I don't care about?) To say that I miss the old W would be an understatement. But this isn't a blog about magazines, so back to Freja!

I'm so happy that she's in T again! The company that she keeps in this editorial is pretty surprising. Save for Lakshmi, it's a mix of actresses, so I guess it's an honor for Freja to be included in the bunch? I don't know....I'm still trying to wrap my head around that one. I suspect she might actually be friends with the photographer, Alice O'Malley, because there is a paragraph about her photographic approach and how she likes to photograph her friends.

What do you think? Friends? Or just another instance of Freja's fashion star growing brighter? I guess it doesn't matter why, just as long as we have the who, what, where and when. And speaking of, I love the explanation for this editorial:

"What happens when a fierce modern beauty dons a languid nostalgic dress? Enchantment".

Enchantment indeed. Seriously, are they reading my mind? This is exactly the type of story that I've wanted to see Freja in. I only wish she had more than one shot, but one is more than none so I'll take it! Maybe my repetitiveness (though off-putting to some) is finally starting to pay off. By putting it out there in the universe enough, it's finally starting to happen. Or maybe it's just common sense that people will get tired of the same stuff over and over again, so it's good to change up your image and give people something different. My ego would have me think the former is the reason behind this all, but my rationality tells me it's actually the latter. ;) If this is a sign of things to come in 2011, then January can't come soon enough.

Image Credits: nytimes.com via tFS member MissMagAddict

Model Stereotypes

Look! It's Daria, Lara, Sasha, Freja and lots of your other favs all in one editorial! Too bad it sounds so wonderful that it's just bound to disappoint. For things in life are never as good as they sound.....or are they?

Star Girls
Vogue UK, December 2010
Ph: Mario Testino
Styling: Lucinda Chambers
Other Models: Angela Lindvall, Carmen Kass, Claudia Schiffer, Daria Werbowy, Edie Campbell, Georgia May Jagger, Karlie Kloss, Kate Moss, Lara Stone, Lily Donaldson, Naomi Campbell, Natalia Vodianova, Sasha Pivovarova, and Stella Tennant

Freja's Part:

I kind of wish all the model were in one breathless group shot a la Annie Leibovitz and those awesome Vanity Fair covers of the early 2000s. I used to love those covers so much. They were so enchanting and fantastical. (Of course, that was also at the height of my Hollywood fascination so maybe that's why they seemed so awesome to me. But in hindsight they're still pretty kick ass. Not like those photoshop-of-horrors Vogue US top model covers.) Anyway, with each girl in this editorial being shot individually, it's difficult not to reduce each model down to some stereotyped version of herself. But short of photoshopping everyone into one picture, individual shots are the only way this concept would have worked. Can you imagine the nightmare it would have been to coordinate the schedules of Naomi and Kate, not to mention all the other models as well!? Eeesh...nightmare almost seems like an understatement.

Anyway, we have Sasha as eccentric fairy queen, Natalia as ballerina, Lara as vamp with boobs, Freja as androgynous rocker, Karlie as American sporty, etc, etc. If you look closely, you'll even find that the stereotypes are exploding out from the text descriptions of each model. Lily is an English Rose? Wow, never, ever heard that one before. As trite as this all is, I suppose it fits the theme of this editorial. They're taking the characteristics that made each girl famous and highlighting them. I assume that Vogue UK is similar to Vogue US in terms of market demographics, so the uninformed masses who know little to nothing about these models can look at their pictures and surmise the role they fulfill within the industry--the very role that made them all "stars." (But don't ask me what Edie Campbell is doing here after completing only half of a runway season. That hardly qualifies as star material.) If you already know everything there is to know about these girls (or if you run blogs or tumblrs on any of them), this editorial will most likely be comme ci, comme ca. I feel like we've all seen these pictures and poses from all these models in some form or another many times before.

Even if I'd rather see all these girls play outside their usual roles, I get it. A magazine like Vogue UK has to walk the fine line between commercial appeal and high fashion credibility. How else are you supposed to introduce these models to a public who possibly knows nothing about them? You have to make them recognizable, that's how. You have to present them in ways that might hit on some flicker of recognition in the viewer's mind. And at the very least, everyone looks pretty good, and it is a nice introduction to star models if you know nothing about them. And of course it's a great honor for Freja to be included. We can't ignore that Vogue UK has been one of her biggest and most constant supporters, even when times weren't so good. I will never forget how excited and relieved I was to finally see Freja show up in a magazine in Before the Fall, after a summer of literally no work back in 2008. Ever since then, I've always had a soft spot for Vogue UK. (On a semi-related note, I think Lucinda Chambers is a Freja fan and part of the reason why she's featured so much in Vogue UK. They've worked on a number of eds together, and Lucinda also styles the Marni show and we all know that Freja is a Marni runway fav.)

There is one thing I absolutely love about this editorial and it's the title page. It's extremely whimsical, interesting and creative. Just looking at it makes me smile. It's such a nice touch, and it elevates the whole editorial by tying everything together. Otherwise, the photos look choppy and unrelated. But with all the autographs on the front page, it feels like a collection of pictures some fan gathered together into a book. Subsequently, this fan was then lucky enough to meet all of his/her favorite models and collect all their autographs. And whenever you or I finally pick up this magazine in real life, we'll kind of have a fan book of our own. I like that thought, and I like the relational and tangible aspect of it. I don't know if it was intentional, but it's a neat way to engage the viewer.

Image Credits: Scans by tFS member gossiping.

Long Awaited

This is another one of those times I'm cursing myself for not checking off the box next to "French" on the list of courses to take in school. If anyone has any significant insight into what the narrator, designers or other people in the video say about Freja, please feel free to share. In the meantime, just some thoughts on "Les Filles en Vogue" and huge thanks to tFS members Valentine27 and FrenchCactus for graciously taking the time and effort to upload the film and share it with all of us.

PART 1:

PART 2:

PART 3:

Models are poked and prodded backstage so much more than I ever thought they were. It must drive them crazy to basically have no personal space for the duration of the shows. And it's interesting to note that three is Freja's lucky number. Hence the three lines tattooed on her finger and the three circles on her wrist. Any other threes you can think of?

PART 4:

Freja is so relaxed and so nonchalant about everything. I can see why she's so appealing to the people she works with and for. There is a calming, soothing nature about her that comes across so well here. I can only imagine how attractive it is to be around in real life especially during a hectic show season. But I think it's important to note that this nonchalance should not be confused with apathy. Even though Freja may not show it in conventional ways, I do believe that she is invested in and enjoys her job as a model. In the past five years I think we've seen her accept her own role in the industry on her own terms. It was a process that took time and the onset of maturity--two things not often granted to models.

PART 5:

She's deeply entrenched in the midst of all the action, but her demeanor is such that she appears to be floating above it all, slightly detached. She personifies the meaning of her tattoo "float" to such a perfect degree. And now I understand why it's on such a prominent location of her body.

PART 6:

After watching this all, the following quote is what particularly stuck out to me:

"I don't think you should let anyone dictate what you should do with your own body. You do sell your body as a product but it's still yours. I mean.....my body....I get to do with it what I want."

What an interesting thing for a model to say, and perhaps the reason why Freja has been labeled as the "rebel" throughout her career. You can sense the conflict that she must feel towards her role as a model. One the one hand, it's a job that has given her success and access to the comforts life can offer. On the other, it has required her to give up part of her autonomy and individuality. Relatively speaking, it's a tough position to be in and there's an implicit struggle in Freja's words and a yearning to reconcile the two conflicting factors.

The sentiment Freja shares about her body is a perfect microcosm of the feeling that I (and I think many of you) have towards the fashion industry as whole. There's an internal conflict that perhaps all of us feel towards fashion at one point or another. Assuming that you're open-minded and liberal (as most people in fashion tend to be) the industry's tendencies towards sexism, racism, ageism, and sizeism are all political and social issues we fight against in our daily lives and denounce in our beliefs. Of course women should be treated equally and schools should be integrated. The color of skin shouldn't affect a person's place in life, nor should the size of their waist or the wrinkles on their face. Yet you look at the fashion industry and all those things are reflected back in the worst possible ways. (i.e. Terry Richardson, white-washed runways, the fact that a size 4 is considered to be "curvy," etc...) But because this is fashion and we love it and get so much enjoyment from it, we accept it's negative aspects in ways that we'd never allow in other avenues of our lives.

I don't know....maybe I'm only speaking for myself here. Although I do feel that this is the same type of conflict that Freja expresses in regards towards a model's relationship to her own body. We might appear to be complicit with the industry's discriminations, but hopefully we'll actually end up being subversive in the end. Just like Freja tattoos her body to regain the autonomy she loses every time she's required to become the "blank slate," I hope that some of us will leave positive marks that eventually change the industry's way of doing business.

On a less serious note, I have to say that I'm in love with Sasha now. I nearly died from laughter when they show her at the very end trying to close her beat up suitcase plastered with random stickers. She comes across as such a lovable, genuine, fragile, yet strong woman. She's an individual through and through and I find her personality incredibly endearing and addictive. As a matter of fact, all the models come across very well. Vogue Paris has a wonderful feature on their hands, and I sincerely hope they decide to do this at least every year, if not every show cycle. It's a win-win for everyone. More press for the magazine, more press for the models, and more fodder for the increasingly model-obsessed fans like us out here.

And Freja, I know it's your body and all, but geez girl.....at least try to pace yourself with the smoking. Your fans want you around for a long time to come!

All in all, my expectations were met with this film. It was entertaining but also thought provoking. It changed some of my opinions, but for the better. And it instilled in me an even deeper sense of respect and awe for the models who are able to endure and persevere season after season. What about you? Your thoughts? Changed opinions? Anything?

IMG & W

The upcoming June issue of W Magazine has an editorial featuring some of the many great models on the roster of IMG in a Fall fashion preview. Running the gamut from industry legend (Liya) to newly crowned it girls of the moment (Julija & Sam) and everyone in between, Freja manages to snag the opening shot for the whole story:

Best In Show
W Magazine June 2010
Ph: Craig McDean
Styling: Alex White

This marks only the fourth time that she's worked with McDean. The last time they worked together resulted in this brilliantly dynamic editorial for Interview magazine. And even though there's just this one shot for W, it's another great one. What better way to drawn in an audience than with a captivating, beautiful, and distinct face? Now frame that face with gloriously curly hair, and a fuzzy gray sweater and you have the perfect picture of Fall.

Even though I wish Freja and McDean would collaborate on more only-girl editorials (3 out of the 4 times they've worked together have resulted in one-shots like this), having something short but sweet is better than having nothing at all.

I also have to wonder if this is the last time we'll see Freja styled by Alex White? With Stefano Tonchi now at the helm of W, Alex's position there is uncertain as staff shuffles are likely to continue happening. And that's really too bad because Freja has been a consistent fixture in W under Alex's styling hands. But perhaps she'll continue styling for Karl and Chanel, and perhaps Freja will keep on landing Chanel campaigns. One can only hope for the best, since this is most likely the last time we'll see Freja in W for a while now that Tonchi wants to take the magazine in a different direction. Think more "lifestyle" (read: celebrities) and less "fashion" (not that there was even that much to being with). Yeah, I'm a little bitter.....

Oh well, more international magazines it is!

Image Credits: imgmodelsblog.wordpress.com

V in NY

(Edited to add HQs)

Live From New York
V Magazine September 2009
Ph: Mario Sorrenti

Well, we finally know what these candid shots were for....a new V Magazine editorial co-starring Sasha, shot by Mario Sorrenti! I just think it's refreshing to see a new take on shooting in the streets. I'm a sucker for unique perspectives and city shooting. And I'm happy to see Freja back in the pages of V and working with Sorrenti again.

Early on in Freja's career you couldn't flip through V without seeing her. Most notably, she had that amazing cover with Daria and Gemma and this sexy editorial also shot by Sorrenti. Nice to see some things returning to fine form. She's been working with such awesome photographers lately. Terry for Purple Magazine, Willy for Vogue Russia and now Mario. I really like it when she's paired with edgier, riskier photographers instead of the more conventional ones. The resulting work is way better and I think it pushes Freja to her modeling boundaries.

ETA: Too bad these shots aren't in color. That would have been something to see. The last two shots are my favorite. I love how the lines of Freja's and Sasha's bodies compliment the lines of the city landscape. And everything about the last shot is arresting and completely captivating. Notice the Ed Hardy Energy Drink cans on Freja's head a la the FW0910 Alexander McQueen show? Brilliant! Especially when you see it paired with the FW0910 Balenciaga look and it's reliance on drapery. I could go on, but I think I'll do another post after I have some more time to digest and analyze. :)

Image Credits: vmagazine via tFS member TERRYWORLD, amazon.com, style.com

Who Wore It Better?

Well, scans are already out of the new editorial. That was super fast, especially compared to last time and the days it took to see scans of the Vogue Nippon editorial. Credit goes to tFS member chanelnumber5 for scanning so quickly. It's a studio editorial showcasing the complete looks of designers from Milan. So this means that Freja shot another editorial with Sasha that we'll see somewhere else!

The editorial is quite beautiful in it's simplicity. No jumping to be seen anywhere, and there is some variation in the perspective instead of only full-body shots. There are no shots of Freja and Sasha together, and the rest of the issue's editorials concentrate on the other cities that comprise the fashion catwalk season. Patrick shot all the city editorials, as well as the cover with Sasha. (Side note: does anyone else think it's time for Vogue UK to give Freja a cover already? She's always in their eds, but never on the cover.)

I think that two veteran models like Freja and Sasha really show how crucial it is to have strong models for a simple studio shoot. Otherwise, the images will be flat and lifeless. As trite as it sounds, you need good models to bring the clothes and images alive.

Since there are only six shots with Freja, and they're all basically full runway looks, I thought it would be fun to play "who wore it better?"

Milan
Vogue UK August 2009
Ph: Patrick Demarchelier


Prada: Freja vs. Stephanie Rad


Jil Sander: Freja vs. Odelia Hoholko


Versace: Freja vs. Julia Kharlaponova


Fendi: Freja vs. Freja :)


Giorgio Armani: Freja vs. Natalia Belova


Moschino: Freja vs. Tanya Dziahileva

Image Credits: Scanned by tFS member chanelnumber5, style.com