Repeat Performances

Just some quick thoughts for a Friday morning. As of today, Freja has appeared in five consecutive issues of Vogue Paris. After a dry spell dating back to April of 2008 (when she appeared in the top models supplement) that was only finally broken this past February, Freja has suddenly become Carine's new Daria with two editorials in the just released November issue.

So that's nearly two years without an appearance in the pages of the magazine, and now we're at five issues in a row, seven editorials and a cover to boot? Wow, talk about the tides changing. As fans I know that we're all thrilled, but I think this is just more proof of fashion's fickle tendencies. We tend to forget about that when we're caught up in the excitement of the moment. It's like, "Yay, Freja has a whole bunch of eds. Yay, Carine loves her!" Well, Carine loves her now but how long can this last? Nearly two years (from April 2008 to February 2010) without an editorial. Where was the love then? Do we all have goldfish memories?

Sorry to be such a stick in the mud, but I think it's important to exercise caution and have realistic expectations, especially when we're dealing with an industry built upon a foundation of changing seasons, trends, moments and models. If we get another five consecutive issues, then I'll be very happy to eat my own words. :) On an unrelated note, who else is thrilled that Freja's finally working with Hedi Slimane!? More on that to come later.....

Vogue Paris Cover

2010 is turning out to be the year of Freja. Five years after her debut, she's as strong, ubiquitous, and popular as ever. Congrats to Freja and congrats to all the old fans who have stuck with her through thick and thin, and to all the new fans who are just discovering her many facets.

Vogue Paris August 2010 Cover
Ph: David Sims

I'm of course overjoyed that Freja has landed her first solo Vogue Paris cover! But the moment is bittersweet for me because I keep thinking, "What about Raquel!? When is she going to get her cover?" Nevertheless, if the model isn't Raquel then I'm so happy it's Freja for she was long overdue for a solo cover as well.

My initial reactions on the visual appeal of the cover are too affected by my sheer excitement. That stare can sure kill you. However, I will say that I think the cover looks kind of shopped. The fur of the clothes blur Freja's silhouette, making it appear as if her image was cut out and pasted over the background. Maybe HQs will remedy this. I also think Freja is capable of more than what she's conveying on this cover. Perhaps this just isn't living up to my expectations in a month where the Vogue UK cover took me completely by surprise in the best way possible.

Anyway, all of this success couldn't be happening to a more deserving, humble and fantastic model. It's days like these when I'm SO proud to be a fan and proud to run this tiny blog.

Image Credits: relay.fr via tFS member t-rex

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?

Hearsay

Still waiting on footage of the Les Filles en Vogue film to show up. I checked my newsstand and there were plenty of copies of VP with Kate Moss on the cover (which by the way I didn't buy as a form of protest re: Terry - time to put my money where my mouth is!), but no DVD to be seen anywhere.

In the meantime, some tidbits have leaked out from the various people who have already seen the film:

"Freja came across as just plain cool. She has this laid back attitude and she was very friendly as well to Sasha. She spoke a lot about her tattoos and individuality, which I thought was pretty cool."

"She also says that she's the only model she had to convince to do this documentary, she says that Freja is frank, cold and independent. She knows that she's here because she can sells her image and she assumes it perfectly as long as we don't ask her to hide her tattoos with makeup."

If one thread has been consistent throughout Freja's career, it's been her unwillingness to push herself into the spotlight. We rarely see her at parties or fashion galas like the Met ball or the CFDAs. But frankly, this is why I've always taken such an interest in her as a model. She's so successful, and yet she seems so nonchalant about it all.

It's this air of mystery that keeps me intrigued and it's nice to know that despite her recent return to high fashion glory and reinvented personal style, she's still the same woman underneath all that sleek Rick Owens leather and she hasn't let success get to her head.

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

Musings on a Scandal

I debated on whether or not to even blog about this, but it's something that I do want to address. I love fashion a lot, but that doesn't make me blind to the negative aspects of it. The sexual exploitation and power imbalance that can define the relationship of photographer to subject, with the whole scandal around Terry Richardson being the most recent and high-profile example, cause a lot of conflict for me. How can an industry that purports to celebrate the female form and allow women to express their creativity and individuality also allow a man like Terry Richardson to continue working?

The exploitation maybe isn't as obvious the higher up you go in the modeling world, but that doesn't mean it's nonexistent at other levels, and to go on pretending that it is does no service to anyone. I've held my tongue before but this time I want to make my feelings known.

Collection Privee
Vogue Paris June/July 2010
Ph: Terry Richardson
Styling: Carine Roitfeld
Other Models: Lara Stone

This editorial is lazy, flat and trite with a recycled aesthetic to boot. Was there any effort put into this at all? Because it sure doesn't look like there was. And to even have Lara and Freja mimic Terry's personal trademarks (thumbs up, aviators, wide grin) is absolutely distasteful in my opinion. To be honest, I'm just really disgusted. Not because of what the images look like, but because of who's behind them. For this is a case where I can't separate my feelings out and even attempt to look at this editorial objectively. For me, the scandal and subsequent inaction that has been taken towards Terry have left a very bad taste in my mouth. (How can there be no consequences for his actions? Why are women like Anna, Carine and DvF still working with him? What message is this sending to other photographers and models? What message is this sending to young teens?) From now on, the way I regard any of Terry's work will always be negatively colored. Freja's presence in this editorial isn't even a little bit of a saving grace. In fact, I really hate that she's working with Terry a lot more now than she ever was before. She appears to be such a strong individual that it's disheartening to see her working with such a weak one. And to see her even purposely taking on his persona (like in the 9th picture) is just a slap in the face.

And all the people coming to Terry's defense and making up excuses for his behavior just show me how easy it is to turn a blind eye to the truth when it's beneficial to your own self. It shows me how easy it is to maintain the comfortable status quo instead of enacting change. It shows me how hard and risky it is to actually have the courage to speak out against disgusting actions performed by people in positions of power; for inevitably the judgment, scrutiny and blame will unjustly fall back on the victims. It also makes me realize that the job I do in my day to day life, and the industry that I work in are still as needed as ever in the world today. Perhaps even more so because many people now operate under the assumption that everything and everyone is equal, and that we live in a post-modernist, post-racialist, post-feminist, post-whatever other "ist" you can think of world. Well, clearly we don't.....complacency can be a dangerous thing.

I think Tavi said it best and better than I ever could, and no I'm definitely not afraid to admit when a 14(?) year old is more eloquent than I am. You can agree or disagree, you can tell me I'm overreacting, you can call me a typical American prude (even though I'm not objecting to sexualized photography or nudity, just the impetus behind it), you can say whatever you want to say but nothing can change the way I feel about Terry and consequently, his work.

Nevertheless, I do feel guilty for indulging in fashion as a whole when I know that this Terry situation isn't the first, nor is it an isolated, case. After all, aren't I being complicit simply due to the fact that I consume these images? I do feel like a huge hypocritical ass sometimes, but at least I can recognize and admit that. That's something, right? And maybe I'm no better for merely acknowledging it and then moving on and really doing nothing about it. But that's a battle I'll continue to have with myself (rather than attempt to further play out so poorly on this blog). So this will probably be the last time I do a post about Terry's work with Freja, assuming that they work together again. And for the time being I'll just try to focus on all the good that comes from fashion, but I'll still make sure that I'm at least aware of all the bad.

If you've read this all, thank you for indulging me.....I'll step down from my soapbox now.

Image Credits: Scanned by tFS member Valentine27

Dedicated?

The FW1011 issue of the Vogue Paris Collections is seemingly dedicated to Freja. At least that's what you can surmise by looking at the cover above. Army of Frejas in the foreground, huge Freja face looming in the background. All Freja, all the time. I'm not complaining, but I do find it very strange. The cover images for these issues are usually divided between many different models, so I wonder why this one is all Freja?

Perhaps we can expect something else big coming up? Like a cover? Perhaps Carine et al are anointing Freja as the new Daria and so we can expect to see her shot by Inez and Vinoodh for every issue? Perhaps someone at VP is a huge Freja fan like we are? Or perhaps they're just trying to capitalize on the Freja-mania that seems to be so prevalent of late? Am I missing any "perhaps's"? What do you think?

Image Credits: vogue.fr via tFS member CrisGalaxy

Vogue-à-Porter

Freja, if you continue to produce work like this you'll have me fan-girling again like a 12 year old in no time. Whatever it is you're doing, please keep it up because the start of 2010 has been fantastic for your work and your versatility. Not a Lagerfeld-lensed editorial in sight. No androgynous styling to be seen anywhere. It's like you're a new model, and in a sense you are because we've seen you work with Meisel for the first time in your career, and you're back in the pages of Vogue Paris after a few years' hiatus.

Vogue-à-Porter
Vogue Paris February 2010
Ph: Inez and Vinoodh

This is a beautifully shot and composed editorial, and it's something I can get excited about. It's both visually stunning and intellectually stimulating. When you look at this, you can see more than just the clothes, models and setting. You can see and feel a subjective social voice behind it as well. Maybe it's just me and my tendency to over analyze things, but I see an appropriation of the Middle East going back in the tradition of Edward Said and his concept of Orientalism. The clothes are all current yet the setting is devoid of any reference to modern times or technology making the differences (whether actual or merely perceived) between our western world and this eastern one even more stark. There is also a play on the now pervasive tourist snapshot that captures out of place people in extraordinary locations. The collision between western and eastern fashion norms is also apparent in the diaphanous discord between covering up and revealing the skin. There is also the idea of male desire and the male gaze, made even more poignant when one understands the history and role of the harem in middle east culture. These are just some of the thoughts that came to my mind, but I will not expound upon them for fear of boring you (although that's probably too late).

Anyway, I don't believe this is your typical east meets west fashion editorial. There is something different about it and this is what interests me. The setting is far from glamorized. There are no sweeping landscapes or gorgeous vistas. In short, this isn't a travel magazine spread like fashion eds sometimes can be. So I guess I'm left with a feeling of unease after seeing all the images. This isn't a bad thing at all, but I just get an ominous feeling from the confluence of all the elements in this editorial. Something is very unsettling in the way the images are cropped and composed. It's like I want to see more, but I physically can't. Nevertheless, this is just my own reading which is undoubtedly influenced by my limited knowledge of the current situations in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Moving along, Freja looks to be at the top of her game. She's working well with both Lara and Dree, yet she's able to stand out in certain shots. You can feel her glare jumping off the page and straight into your own eyes. It's just so refreshing to see her in something where she doesn't come across as passive, bored or uninvested. The rest of the editorial is quite interesting too. There appear to be three fashion stories going on simultaneously. Although I wonder, why were all the shots pushed together in one big editorial? Why not just have three separate pieces? If you look at each story individually there is enough narrative and cohesion that they stand on their own: Freja, Lara and Dree's shots being one, Daria's being another and the studio shots being the third. Interesting choice by the VP team.

Daria:

Studio:

Your thoughts, comments, insights, criticisms? I'm interested in hearing what other fans think beyond the fact that Freja looks good.

Image Credits: Angelscans and tFS member AngelLover