Tears Us Apart

Ever since I've seen the images from Freja's new Vogue Paris editorial, I've had Joy Division's Love Will Tear Us Apart in my head for obvious reasons. And maybe it's fitting that I do, because I can't get the first image and all it's lingering emotions out of my head.

En Vogue l’Été
Vogue Paris February 2011
Ph: Mario Sorrenti
Styling: Jane How
Other Models (not pictured): Daphne Groeneveld, Daria Werbowy, Joan Smalls, Lara Stone, Natasha Poly, Sasha Pivovarova, and Saskia de Brauw

If you can only dwell on one image from this editorial, make sure it's the first one. Make sure you view it in full size and make sure that you give it a good, long look. For if you do, you will be privy to one of the most touching and expressive moments from Freja's work in a long time. Notice the mascara touched trail of a tear down the cheek and the pain in her eyes. The emotion is tangible, but somehow paradoxically made subtle by the necklace's pronouncement of "tears us apart." All the noise is concentrated there. So if you're not careful you might miss this woman who is suffering such woes that not even being outfitted in head-to-toe Chloe can remedy her sadness.

Never mind that these shots don't tell a cohesive story. They aren't supposed to when they're designed to showcase the past season's top designer looks. Heck, they don't need to when you can find a story in each shot, in and of itself. This is an editorial packed with imagery; a visual punch to the senses. Each frame stands on it's own, each extols different merits, each displays different facets of the model that Freja has grown to become. When you can take any shot, blow it up and make an awesome poster out of it, you know it's good.

It's quite an editorial, and all the models play their parts exceedingly well. I can't remember the last time I liked every component of something so much. If you have to leave Carine, this is surely the way to do it. With a bang instead of a whimper. With the masses wanting more.

Image Credits: scans by tFS member Carla-A

H&M

Are you there fashion gods? It's me, Margaret. Ok, seriously, my name's not really Margaret, but someone must have heard my repetitive musings on the triteness of Freja and androgyny, because this is everything that I could have ever hoped for and wanted in terms of an antidote.

Smiling and frolicking (sort of) in ruffles and lace? Why yes, of course. Looking easy, breezy and oh so commercial? Most definitely. This is a far, far cry from the rough and tough tomboyish image that made Freja "famous" and won her the adoration of drooling fan girls everywhere. But this is much, much closer to the image of Freja that I fell in love with all those years ago. If this is a sign of things to come in 2011, then color me excited. With a refreshed image comes refreshed ideas. :)

By the way, I must say that Raquel looks amazing with her new short hair. The two of them together in this ad is giving me serious nostalgia for the fashion landscape circa 2006. Those were simpler, purer times; but then again, everything seems that way in hindsight.

Image Credits: zinio.com via tFS member FRANCY ITALY

Kind Words

Remember this one shot in the New York Times T Style Magazine that came at the very end of 2010? Well, I just stumbled on some words the photographer (Alice O'Malley) said about Freja and the experience of shooting her. They're so lovely that I just had to share.

"Over the years you have developed an amazing body of work featuring your friends, an extended circle of downtown New York artists. How is it for you shooting people you don't know? Is it important for you to create some sort of intimacy? And how do you do this when you only have the subject for say, 40 minutes - or less?

Less! I had 10 minutes with Freja [Beha Erichsen]. She arrived at the Chelsea off a runway show at twilight, and we ran up to the roof to catch the last drops of sun. That’s when I understood the skill of a professional model. Her genius in front of the camera meant that we could make a great picture in only a few minutes. And somehow we found time to talk about the first wave of feminism in America. I always make a connection with my subjects; that's what I photograph, our connection."

Writing this blog makes me forget sometimes (ironically enough) why I like Freja so much. Maybe I get too focused on the words, or trying to come up with something to say. But whenever I read stuff like this, no matter how small or insignificant it might seem, it gives me a jolt and makes me remember "oh yeah, that's why." :) Because she's a great model and she can talk about feminism. But of course, those are just a few of the many reasons why.

Image Credit: nytimes.com

The Year of the Smile?

Is 2011 going to be the year of the smile? Things seem headed in that direction so far. Three ads in a row now have showcased Freja's radiant smile.....something we didn't get to see much of at all last year save for Harry Winston. And that only came towards the end of the year. Maybe everyone else is getting tired of the same old stuff too (all the toughness, androgyny, rebelliousness), so it's not just me and the few of you who've agreed with me in the past. Or maybe it just took the surprise of the HW ads for more people to realize that "Hey, Freja can smile and she's actually really infectious, effusive and beautiful when she does." Maybe people want to be happy when they see ads because the world is depressing enough as it is. Geez....who would've thought? What a novel concept, right?

We all know that fashion triumphs change, and perhaps this is merely another change in Freja's image--a new phase of her career if you will. Maybe it's a sign that she's isn't going anywhere after all. If there's one thing that Freja and her image makes know how to do, it's how to make her stay relevant. From new girl with the fringe, to rebel girl with the tattoos and short hair, to indefatigable veteran who oozes a calm coolness, to woman with confidence and joy. She's done it all, and the fact that she's done it all makes her still so relevant today.

The rest of the Valentino S/S 11 campaign is below, shot by David Sims. Not too much to say here. Similar to last season's, but a bit more refined, clear and focused on the new house message. It's pretty amazing to think that a "punky" Dane known for her tattoos and tomboyish image is the new Valentino woman now. :) Change can happen and it's up to us whether we want to embrace it or not.

Image Credits: scans via tFS members style_expert, rox_yr_sox, valentino.com via tFS member candlebougie

Freja's Place Within the Cult of the Model

Freja seems to be getting more and more press these days. Not only does she have an editorial in the February issue of Vogue UK, but she's also discussed quite a bit for an article in the same issue regarding "The Cult of the Model." She seems to be one of the poster girls for our current obsession with models......how wide spread and pervasive this "obsession" is amongst the general public is questionable and open for debate. But among model followers and fashion insiders, Freja has certainly made a name for herself this past year. As someone familiar with her career back when she chopped her hair off and wasn't getting covers and editorials in all the major Vogues, it has been quite the journey of ups and down, elations and disappointments, anticipation and apathy.

Now I can't help but to wonder, has Freja made enough of an impact to withstand the fickleness of the industry, it's constantly changing tides, and the pitfalls of stereotyping and overexposure? Has she made it over the ridge and to the plateau where we can all rest easy knowing that we'll always be seeing work from her, a la Daria, Kate and Giselle? Or has this second coming in career doomed her to a fate similar to the countless other hyped faces who are everywhere one minute and then forgotten the next?

I suspect the answer to this lies in Freja, and Freja alone. It lies in her own goals, aspirations and wants out of life. And it lies in her modeling skills, which are on full and glorious display in this editorial.

Look Forward
Vogue UK February 2011
Ph: Patrick Demarchelier
Styling: Kate Phelan

She has the goods.....whether she wants to use them and for how long is the uncertainty here. It's a total shame that so many casual observers seem to write her off as a one-look pony. If they took the time or effort to truly look, they would discover what we fans have discovered long ago. And they would see that 6 years worth of work creates a book dominated by androgyny, yes, but also full of delightful subtleties, underrated femininity, and untapped potential. Oh yes, Freja is far from a one-trick pony, but I suppose the words of Vogue UK have more gravitas than the words of a simple fan.

"Look at Freja: demure for a Harry Winston ad, accessorized with an innocent smile and a slice of wedding cake and wearing a strapless dress straight out of a fairy tale; for MaxMara, she's a chic young mother in a camel coat about to go shopping down the via Montenapoleone in Milan; she's a girl hanging out at a music festival in skinny leather jeans for Vogue."

After writing about this kind of stuff for so long, I'm just happy these notions are being recognized by sources with a rider reach. Because maybe now I can take a long break.....or maybe Freja will come out with even more work to get me hooked again. :)

Image Credits: scans by tFS member gossiping

A Flood of Ads

When it rains, it really pours. Much like the deluge that those in California experienced these past few weeks, the fashion industry has seen an out pouring of the campaign variety. And not one to be left out these days, Freja makes her (newly cheery) presence known in campaigns for three brands:

Chanel by Karl Lagerfeld
(Nothing too special, but I guess the formula works for Chanel customers, which is why Karl has stuck with it for the past few seasons. Last two shots are my favorites.)

Louis Vuitton by Steven Meisel

Georg Jensen by Unknown Sebastian Faena

Sometimes I still can't believe how popular Freja got. All of these campaigns? Three Vogue Italia covers within a year? Status as a Meisel favorite? A few years ago all of this would have been unimaginable to me as a fan, and maybe that's partly why I started this blog. Because I just couldn't understand why such a wonderful, versatile, enthralling and intriguing model was being overlooked by nearly everyone except Karl Lagerfeld. So I just had to write about it. And now here we are and Freja is definitely no longer overlooked (but I do not take credit for this, lest you misread my words). She has worked with nearly all the top photographers and been featured in nearly all the major magazines. She also has plenty of stans, tumblrs and sites dedicated to her; enough that I continually question myself about keeping this one running because it feels like there's less and less of a reason to do so.

Anyway, lots of people say that she is overexposed and I actually completely agree. But you know what? I'm just going to go with it because she is a great model (those who say otherwise have no knowledge of her complete oeuvre) who deserves to be acknowledged after 6 years of hard work in the industry, and truth be told I'd rather see her face plastered everywhere than some 16 year old's. The requisite backlash and bashing that comes with this kind of model success has already started in the tFS campaign threads, and I only expect it to get worse. But c'est la vie. You don't survive for half a decade in the industry without developing a very thick skin. And let's face it, most of that anger is displaced disappointment about people's own favorite models not getting certain campaigns or not being featured in certain magazines.

It's no secret that I have my own love/hate relationship with Freja's image in the modeling industry. Maybe hate isn't the right word....annoyance is more like it. I've been guilty of expressing my fair share of criticism, but it comes from a place of respect, admiration and a complete belief that Freja is capable of being more than just the stereotype that she's been saddled with. I think we're seeing signs of a sea change now, as a few of these ads show a new direction for Freja. A direction where she is allowed to be happy and radiant instead of only tough and morose. If so, then this underexposed aspect of her modeling is another welcomed chapter in her already illustrious career. And I hope it means that 2011 will be a year of continued evolution and more surprises, instead of overexposure and hackneyed concepts. Whether I'll write about it as much as I have been is up in the air, and I guess subject to my own whims and boughts of inspiration. Then again, maybe this is all just the post-holidays blues talking, so we'll see!

Image Credits: scans by tFS members gossiping, rox_yr_sox, style_expert

Valentino on Repeat

The new year brings more good news for Freja fans. She's returning as one of the faces of Valentino for their S/S 11 ad campaign shot by David Sims. You can see last season's campaign here.

"For their Spring 2011 ad campaign, Valentino’s Maria Grazia Chiuri and Pier Paolo Piccioli tapped three of the hottest models of the moment—Freja Beha Erichsen, Caroline Brasch Nielsen, and Julia Saner—to showcase their gossamer-light collection. David Sims shot the black-and-white images in Valentino Garavani’s Place Vendôme home—what the designers call “a poetic and ultra-chic Paris setting.” It is Sims’ second campaign for the house.

“These dreamy black-and-white shots show three different beauties, each with something unique,” Chiuri and Piccioli explain to Style.com. “This is a very feminine, stylish campaign, with a light, playful twist that reveals the Spring 2011 collection’s airy atmosphere and captures the brand’s lifestyle. In cinematic style, we wanted to tell the stories of three different women enjoying private moments in the comfort of their homes.”"

The only shot released so far features newcomer Julia Saner. Freja's and Caroline Brasch Nielsen's shots have yet to be released. This is the third major blue-chip campaign of the season for Freja, which is pretty amazing and shows us that her dominance appears to be continuing strong from 2010 into 2011. If you look at her track record, the SS seasons never seem to turn out as successful campaign wise when compared to the FW seasons. But that seems to be changing this time around. Now to see if this momentum will carry on into the F/W 11/12 runway season, or if Freja will begin to slow down like her peers (see Lily, Raquel, etc...)


Side Note: I know I'm behind on my emails and posting. I still haven't tackled the LV and Chanel campaigns....the Holiday's will do that to you. :) My apologies and I hope to get things back in order these upcoming weeks. Thanks for your e-mails, tips and patience, and Happy 2011!