The Full Film

Without further ado, the critical masterpiece that we've all been waiting for:

I was expecting to be be delightfully entertained from second-hand embarrassment, but I actually think Karl made a decent film this time around. I wasn't cringing (that much) and everyone played their roles well. I guess no one was really playing too far out of their comfort zone (unlike Freja as a Chinese peasant girl) so that helped with the flow and execution of this film. Things were more believable and realistic, keeping in mind that the "reality" portrayed is true for like .0001% of the human population. But that's Karl Lagerfeld for you. It's about the glamor, the luxury, the unattainable, and the fantasy.

Would we expect anything less from the Kaiser? No, of course not. And that's what attracts us to high fashion. We can get lost in a world far away from our own. It's interesting that fashion itself can simultaneously occupy a very basic utilitarian role and an escapist role in our lives. It's operating on two ends of the spectrum, which of course brings me back to Freja and the many paradoxes that seem to contribute to her being: modern yet classic, commercial yet high end, distinct yet malleable, and so on and so on. I'm digressing.....I thought she played the Fairy role as best as she could and she did a good job. She looked gorgeous and I'm sure many girls are questioning their sexualities as we speak. Although I wish Karl would stop using her as a gimmick so much. But Freja's obviously more comfortable with it than she was at the beginning of her career, so good for her!

In any case, your thoughts? Did you love it? Hate it? Find yourself wishing you could teleport into Anna Mouglalis's body? Find yourself unable to stop drooling over Mark Vanderloo? Who am I kidding....I know my audience here, so I'm pretty sure I was the only one looking at him and not Freja. ;)

Videos courtesy of Chanel.com and FataleFashionII Youtube

The Tale of a Fairy

Chanel has just released the trailer for it's upcoming short film "The Tale of a Fairy." It looks deliciously full of lolz and I for one can't wait to see it. I need a good laugh right about now.....I think we all do after the craziness that life has thrown at the world: Japan, tornadoes in Alabama, Osama, etc... Freja plays the title role, which of course requires her to frolic around half naked, kissing random women. I guess Karl wanted her to feel comfortable with her role.

Anyway, the film will be shown Monday May 9th in conjunction with the Chanel Cruise show in Antibes. Us plebians will get to view the sure to be masterpiece on Tuesday, May 10th when it plays on Chanel.com. Until then, for your pleasure:

Edit: omg, Mark Vanderloo is going to be in this! I had the biggest crush on him when he did those DKNY ads with Ester Canadas. And I have to say that he's still looks amazing. Ahhhh flashbacks.

Diva

I think a lot of people are feeling some reservations towards the new VP under Emmanuelle Alt. There's no spark, no excitement, no surprises so far. Everything is....safe. Not only does that sum up the new flavor of the magazine, it also sums up Freja's first editorial for the magazine (under Alt) as well. When you think of rockers, music, the stage and gritty atmospheres, there's usually an underlying danger and anticipation of thrill. Yet somehow that's not translating correctly across the page for me.

Diva
Vogue Paris May 2011
Ph: Inez & Vinoodh

I don't know if it's the styling, the photographic aesthetics, or the hackneyed theme. There's just nothing special about this, which is kind of a letdown since we all know music is one of Freja's passions. Having her play a musical rockstar/diva would presumably result in something amazing and charismatic. But instead we get a mish-mash of flat (pun intended) photographs. Hello random yellow/black border on two pics, random color gels on other pics, and the occasional b&w pic throw in for good measure. Freja is the only cohesion I see here, but even so she's nearly overshadowed by all of the other elements. Maybe they were going for a "tour diary" type of theme with snapshots? If that's the case, then the story works better, but it could have been so much more. Especially since the first released image was so promising. Oh well.

At this point, I think VP is playing it safe and (hopefully) marinating on ways to stir up some controversies for the future once the magazine has attained full stability again. But I'm not going to hold my breath. On a positive note, it's always great to see Freja in VP. The magazine will always have a cachet signifying models who are at the very top of the game. And how great is that third shot with the reflective stage floor? Imo, that is the saving grace of this editorial, and that is what's keeping it from being a complete waste of talent like Freja and Inez & Vinoodh.


On an unrelated, but more lighthearted note, some more details about the upcoming Chanel video have surfaced.

"...30-minute movie called “The Tale of a Fairy,” with Freja Beha Erichsen, Anna Mouglalis, Amanda Harlech and Kristen McMenamy, which will be shown in Cap d’Antibes next month during his cruise presentation."

Not going to lie....I'm so looking forward to the delicious, laugh-out-loudness this is going to be. :D

Image Credits: fashion_screen LiveJournal