Chanel Haute Couture

No surprises here. Freja showed up at the Chanel Haute Couture show earlier today wearing three beautiful looks. No special treatment. No opening or closing looks. No smirks. No different hair style. She was just one of the runway girls, and I don't know why but that's utterly refreshing to me. Sometimes you just want to see a model do her job and do it well, without all the fanfare and hubbub that can happen.

The toned down affair, both in setting and in color, was quite beautiful if misleadingly simple. If you get a chance, zoom in on the details and you'll see what distinguishes Haute Couture from RTW and why these pieces cost upwards of tens of thousands of dollars. Freja wore a softened expression on her face to match the mood, instantly drawing up nostalgia in me for the old days. I definitely don't miss seeing that hard, stern glare that used to be her frequent runway companion. What always surprises me with models like Freja (and Raquel, Daria, etc.) is how they manage to seem ageless despite surviving through the rigors of a stressful industry like fashion. I guess the ageless gene, in addition to the skinny, tall, and good skin genes, are what distinguish them from us mere plebeians. ;)

Valentino Haute Couture shows tomorrow....any bets on whether Freja will be there or not?

Image Credits: style.it

Runway Randomness

Freja popped up in Berlin yesterday, making a runway appearance at the Hugo by Hugo Boss show where she had the honors of opening and closing. Random, no? Then again, to my memory, Hugo Boss always manages to snag a few big name models for their BFW show. I'm sure they pay very nicely. And it's nice to see the return of a sleek and clean runway version of Freja.

Brings back memories doesn't it? Memories from her earlier seasons....

In other runway news, the Haute Couture shows start next week and Chanel is showing on Tuesday, the 25th. So mark those calendars you avid Freja watchers. Bets on what role Freja will play this time? After being singled out during the Pre-Fall show, I wonder what Karl has in store for her this time, if anything at all. Another fact of note is that Karl is once again foregoing the epic proportions of the Grand Palais in favor of more intimate settings at 46 rue de Cambon; not to be confused with 31 rue Cambon, the address made famous by Coco Chanel. So no elaborately huge runway centerpiece this time around. The economy is only showing slight signs of recovery, so excessive consumption is still a bit taboo.

Anyway, all this runway randomness just adds to the excitement about the F/W 11/12 runway season peeking right around the corner.

Image Credits: scans by tFS member Alien Sex Friend, fmd1.com, elle.de

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

Chanel Pre-Fall 2011

As expected, Freja walked for the Chanel Pre-Fall 2011 show held earlier today in Paris. And she closed the Byzantine spectacle wearing a long, flowing coat with matching hair to boot.

Looking a little mean there Freja...


...there, that's better.

When was the last time she missed a Chanel show? Maybe the SS09 show two years ago when she missed all of Paris? Anyway, I'm beginning to think that Karl really sees Freja as the female equivalent of Baptiste. She travels with him, is involved in nearly all of his projects, and she's treated differently from all the other female models. Case in point: the way she was styled for this show. All of the other models had their hair put up in bee-hive bouffants, but Freja had hers down, styled to look the way it always looks nowadays.

I don't know if this special treatment from Karl is a good thing, or a bad thing. Probably a little bit of both. As one of you pointed out in the comments of this post, albeit jokingly, maybe Karl is trying to make Freja and Baptiste into twins....lol. I really just don't know. Why do you think Freja is getting treated differently? Perhaps it's a display of trust and comfort on Karl's part? Or maybe a request on Freja's part? It will be interesting to see how their working relationship further develops in the coming months. After Pirelli and this runway, will we continue to see Freja being used unconventionally? Your guess is as good as mine.

Image Credits: wwd.com

Byzantine

Just in case you forgot, Chanel's pre-fall show is happening this Tuesday, December 7th. And oh la la, the theme appears to be Byzantine. Guess that's explains why the show is being held in Paris this time around. As powerful as Karl may be, even he can't resurrect a bygone empire for a Chanel show. So don't blame the recession, don't blame an unsteady economy, don't blame consumer uncertainty; blame the Byzantine empire for not being around anymore to provide us with the locale to match the theme. ;)

I think the odds are pretty high that Freja will make it to Paris in time for the show. After donning a codpiece for Karl, he owes her at least that much. But Freja's apparently in China New York right now shooting something (any fans out there know what for sure?), so I guess that means she'll be traveling this weekend....hopefully. Fingers crossed. I don't know about you, but I definitely want to see what Karl puts her in after Pirelli.

Image Credits: chanel-news.com

Acting Break

Remember this little gem? Yes, the Chanel Pre-Fall video from last year that had Freja portraying a Chinese peasant girl and a Chinese courtesan. Well this year we won't have to suffer through get to enjoy another brilliant piece of film making from Karl because WWD reports that he "...had no time to make a movie," for this year's Chanel pre-fall collection. So Freja won't be in yellow face, or black face, or some other face, to complete Karl's ballsy display of cultural insensitivity. And we won't have to sit through a laughable, but endearing in a weird way, video as we squirm with second hand embarrassment. In fact, it seems like this year is all about modesty and intimacy since the show is not even being held in some far-flung, exotic location as past experience would dictate. No London, Moscow, or Shanghai.

Instead it's being held in the good, old City of Lights.....Gay Paree! Rue Cambon to be exact. Tuesday, December 7th. So mark those calendars, because chances are Freja will be there. Gosh, I can't even remember the last time she missed a Chanel show, be it ready-to-wear, haute couture, resort or pre-fall. Maybe during the infamous SS09 season? Anyway, as WWD reports:

"After taking over every square inch of the vast Grand Palais in Paris for its spring ready-to-wear show earlier this month, Chanel is reverting to more intimate environs for pre-fall. On Dec. 7, the French house plans to show its latest métiers d’arts collection — a luxury rtw line made with the specialty ateliers Chanel owns — where it all started back in 2002: at its Rue Cambon couture salons."

So it seems like Freja fans will get their next fix in just a little less than one month. We might be entering into the holiday season, but fashion never rests. After all, the trends can't set themselves!

I Love You Karl

Yes, you Karl Lagerfeld. You, who have been the biggest and most loyal supporter of Freja. You, designer of Chanel, Fendi and up until this season Karl Lagerfeld. You, drinker of Diet Coke and wearer of sunglasses inside.

It's because of you Freja never faded away, even when she wasn't doing too well a few years ago. It's because of you that we get to see her in magazine ads every season. It's because of you that we can take comfort knowing she'll always be at at least one runway show during Resort and Couture seasons.

Thank you Karl and I love you Karl, no matter how ridiculous you may seem. My favorite model owes a large part of her career status and a record 4th consecutive Chanel campaign, amazing 6th overall, to your constant, unwavering support. I was a little bit worried when it seemed like your favor had swung over to Natasha, but I should know better than to doubt you.

Congrats on six Chanel campaigns Freja. You're a true Chanel woman and the perfect modern embodiment of the brand. I think you've most definitely secured your place in fashion history with this.

Direct from the source:

"Inès de la Fressange, the face of Chanel in the Eighties, will be back on the runway for the French brand at its show on Oct. 5, WWD has learned.

What’s more, Karl Lagerfeld has booked her to appear in Chanel’s spring/summer campaign, along with modeling greats from the two subsequent decades, Stella Tennant and Freja Beha Erichsen.

“She is beyond stunning,” Lagerfeld enthused about De la Fressange. “Also, she is the Parisienne.” Lagerfeld said the advertising shoot would take place in the south of France.

De la Fressange parted ways with Chanel in 1989 after a fracas over her lending her likeness to the French republic. But Lagerfeld and his former muse have recently enjoyed warm relations.

Today, De la Fressange is Roger Vivier’s brand ambassador."

Hello New York

Freja's first show of the season and first show in New York was Rag & Bone, where she did the honors of opening. Guess she's making up for missing the show last season due to illness or something of that nature.

Rag & Bone recently debuted a short documentary film directed by R. J. Cutler (of The September Issue fame) about their F/W 10.11 show held last February. In the film you can clearly see Freja's showcard on their model board, meaning she was most definitely slated to walk.

And all of the other models shown in the above screen cap definitely walked the show. But as we already established from the Hexa by Kuho behind the scenes videos, Freja was out sick. What's past is past, but it's always nice to know what really happened. There are so many unpredictable factors that sometimes it just feels good to be able to get a hold of one old mystery. :)

Anyway, Freja is definitely on the runways of NY but this time she's also out celebrating on its streets. She made an appearance last night at Karl's Chanel dinner feting the re-opening of the Chanel Soho Boutique, just like I hoped she would. Wearing her usual all-black ensemble, Freja looked a bit out of place among the other models who were dressed up in their very best dresses. But hey, would you expect anything else from Freja? Gotta hand it to her....she's consistent and loyal when it comes to her sartorial choices. An old interview she did comes to my mind, where she said that as a young girl she only wore one outfit consisting of Wrangler jeans and white tees. I guess you can lead a horse to water but you can't make it drink. ;)

New York is well on it's way so enjoy the shows! And have a great Fashion's Night Out!

Image Credits: vogue.it, style.it

On the Fire Escape

I am all for progress, change and the democratization of fashion that the internet has brought about. It's revolutionized the industry in a very good way. But sometimes, too much is too much. Case in point: I don't see too much difference between these candid shots from the making of the Chanel F/W 10.11 campaign...

and this actual campaign shot in the current issue of W Magazine...

At the time the candids leaked, I was as happy as anyone else was to get a glimpse of Karl, Freja, and Abbey at work. But now that the ads are starting to come out, I wished I hadn't seen all those candids because the final campaign images seems less special. In fact, some of them look just like the candids but with the "Chanel" logo slapped on them. It's pretty disappointing.

But that's life. You make some sacrifices in order to make some gains. So I guess I sacrificed the element of awe in order to satisfy my curiosity early on with the candids.

Image Credits: My scan, streetlevel.com, rachel_photo flickr

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

First Glimpse of Chanel

Here are the first snaps of the Chanel F/W 10.11 campaign:

Way too early to make my judgment yet, but I will venture to say that things don't look so bad. I don't know what I was expecting with the outrageous collection, but the contrast of the soft furs against the hard, brick and mortar NYC landscape is quite nice. It seems to be one of those odd pairings that end up working--the qualities of one offsetting and enhancing the other's.

I just love the shot of Freja and Abbey together. Their embrace mimics the enveloping embrace of the clothing, and their facial expressions are quite wonderful in their contrast as well. A smirk on Freja's; and impenetrable gaze on Abbey's. Maybe "contrast" is the wider theme at play here. But I won't know for sure until we see the whole set.

Speaking of, I always end up liking the complete campaign after I get to look at all the images, so I'm hoping Chanel sets up a section on their website like they did for last season's Latin Lover campaign. Just from these quick snaps I can already tell that I'm inclined to like this campaign way more than the Max Mara campaign. And yes, if Fashion Week Daily is to be believed, those images are indeed the Max Mara campaign and not part of a lookbook. What a letdown....

Image Credits: snaps by tFS member nothingless

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

Whetted Appetites

Don't forget.....Chanel Cruise show tomorrow, and premiere of the full Remember Now short film on Chanel News at 7:30 pm CET, meaning 1:30 pm EST. To get yourself ready, check out the trailer above if you haven't yet, and watch for glimpses of Elisa, Freja, Anja, Magdalena, Karolina, Abbey Lee and Baptiste (natch). Aren't you just dying to see how good/bad/so bad it's good the final product will turn out to be?

Over the weekend, models were dispatched in full force to St. Tropez, including Dorothea, Hanne, Jacquelyn, Sigrid and many more. Add all the girls in the film and the runway is sure to be full of all your favorite models. Short of sitting on a beach in St. Tropez myself, I can't think of a better way to usher in warm weather than catching Chanel Cruise looks on all the girls I've been missing since the end of FW1011. Good job Karl...our appetites are sufficiently whetted and we're ready for the full course!

Ads

Found another Chanel Eyewear ad. No visible tattoos in this one, but it's a striking image nonetheless. Cool, modern, and sleek is just the way I like things. Also, does anyone else find it strange that the eyewear ads are so different from the main ads in setting, theme and aesthetic this season? I thought there was usually some correlation between the two (aside from models), and from what my recent memory can recall there has been. But not this time around. The Chanel eyewear ads appear to exist as a separate entity this season....not that I'm complaining.

And while we're on the subject of ads, Freja also has the campaign for Korean brand Voice of Voices. Their site isn't easy to navigate, so be forewarned.

Typical stereotype of Freja as the tough, androgynous model. I'm ok with this just as long as it's not the only type of work we see from her, and it hasn't been thank goodness. The poses are a little too contrived for my tastes, but it's nice to see Freja work globally in other markets. I know she has a huge fanbase in China, but does she have one in Korea too? Anyone know? Freja has worked for other Korean brands before, like System in SS06 and again in FW0809, so I tend to think she does.

Image Credits: My scans, vov.co.kr via tFS member ERIKIMISUN

Chanel Eyewear

I was flipping through the current issue of W magazine and saw this new Chanel Eyewear ad.

It's slightly different from the one we've already seen:

And only the fourth image to be released from the set which already includes:

Maybe there's more? Maybe that's it? Who knows? I do love the sterile, minimalistic vibe of these shots. Pick a good, beautiful model and let the product speak for itself. No need for additional flurries and distractions. The cool, calming color tone also helps these ads pop out when you're flipping through a magazine. But I couldn't help noticing the concept recycling that Karl uses here, not that there's anything wrong with that.

Numero #81, March 2007

Anyway, you know you're living in the 21st century when a brand synonymous with tweed suits, old ladies and No. 5 perfume prominently and regularly features a model with highly visible tattoos in it's ad campaigns. I'm just loving the fact that they didn't airbrush out or cover up Freja's in the shots. They lend just the right amount of edge and bring just the right amount of modernity to such a traditional and established brand image. Society has come such a long way in terms of the acceptance of tattoos. They're not the social taboo they once were even just 10-15 years ago. And Freja really is a model that exemplifies these times because she's been able to have such a successful career despite of (or maybe because of?) her tattoos. Set her up 10 years earlier and I don't think she would have worked.

Now, perhaps she's just the very rare exception to the rule, but I do feel like I see more and more models proudly showing off their body art: Isabeli, Snejana, Karmen, and Abbey Lee immediately come to mind. Though it remains to be seen whether another model with such visible tattoos will come along and attain the quality and sustained level of success that Freja has. And I can't think of anyone else that came before her. Maybe Omahyra Mota but I don't think she was as successful as Freja is.

Perhaps Freja's career is just the product of hard work, and a lucky confluence of factors that line up only once in a lifetime. Your thoughts? Will tattoos become commonplace? Or is Freja really the only model that can get away with this?

Image Credits: My scan from May 2010 W Magazine, youkioske via Flashbang @ tFS, scan via fearless123 @ tFS, imgmodels.com, frejabeha photobucket

St. Tropez - 8 Months Later

Last week WWD and Fashionologie told us that Karl and Heidi Mount would be in St. Tropez this week to work on another short film for the Chanel Cruise Collection set to show in May.

"He’s zooming down to Saint-Tropez to shoot a minimovie for Chanel’s cruise show on May 11. It will feature model Heidi Mount and French actor Pascal Greggory."

Well it turns out that Freja and a handful of other models are in St. Tropez too, presumably all working on that Chanel short film. Pictures have surfaced of Abbey Lee, Freja, Heidi Mount, Karolina Kurkova, Leigh Lezark and Magdalena Frackowiak all walking around in what I assume are looks from the upcoming Cruise show:

Curiously missing from Karl's crew is Baptiste. But perhaps he's still hard at work on that upcoming album. That's the only reason I can come up with for his absence at both last month's Chanel campaign shoot and this month's set in St. Tropez.

I have all my extremities and appendages crossed in the hopes that this film will be better and more culturally sensitive than the last Chanel short film that Karl did for the Paris-Shanghai Pre-Fall Collection. Not that we have much to go by from the pictures above, but things are looking good so far.

Oh, and as the title of this post says, Freja was in St. Tropez about 8 months ago if you can remember. She was there last August with Karl, but I really can't recall why.

It must be nice to be a part of Karl's entourage. Gotta wonder though--with the Cruise collection showing on May 11th, and most European air travel currently debilitated by a cloud of volcanic ash, will Freja, Karl, Heidi and co. just stay in St. Tropez for the rest of the month? And since Leigh and Karolina are also in the film (and not Chanel runway regulars), can we expect to see them walk the Cruise runway as well? Sometimes the more you know, the more you realize how much you don't know. Oh well. At least we know what Abbey, Freja, Heidi and Magdalena will be doing May 11th.

Image Credits: bauergriffin via VogueElle Addict @ tFS, fashionologie, plejada.pl via slow_hands @ tfS, WENN via ERIKIMISUN @ tFS