New Image Roundup

One of the aspects of Freja's modeling that keeps me enthralled is her malleability. Whatever the aesthetic, whatever the concept, whatever the project, she always manages to fit the look. It's a quality that all the top models have, and I think it's something that is both inherent and earned through time, perseverance and dedication to craft.

This past week gave us three new sets of images that could not be more different in terms of tone, atmosphere, rhythm and styling. Once you see them all, side by side, there's no denying that the model who ties them together is talented and nearly effortless in the ease with which she adapts to her surroundings. Even if you don't like Freja (but why would you be reading this blog if that were the case?), you cannot deny that she's extremely good at her job. After writing about her and analyzing her for as long as I have, the fact that she still manages to surprise me is a very rare and special thing indeed.

-Mo & Co Edition 10
Parisian brand based in China? Anyone know more about the company? Anyway, here we find the sleek, modern warrior version of Freja complete with bright light weapon. Get in her way and she will destroy you.

-Dossier by Cass Bird
Freja will supposedly be on the cover of bi-annual publication Dossier, photographed by Cass Bird. Cass photographed the lovely Daria spread for the Spring 2010 issue, and if Freja's is anything like that then I know all the fans will be thrilled. Here we have the au natural, mother earth version of Freja. She's a vegan, loves horses, wears hemp clothing and possibly lives in a commune...or somewhere in Brooklyn.

-MaxMara Eyewear
This is still my least favorite campaign of the season....possibly even of Freja's entire career, but these eyewear shots are much better than the clothing shots. This is glamazon Freja. She's the woman who can afford Balenciaga and thinks recessions only apply to hairlines.

All joking aside, these three sets display the versatility that we as fans have lately come to enjoy....and I hope will continue to enjoy for a long time to come.

Lastly, big thank you to Betty at models.com for the shout out. She's been a big supporter of this blog, linking me a few times already, and I truly appreciate the acknowledgment. I don't really advertise this place that much because I figure if anyone is really interested in Freja, they'll find it sooner or later. And I'm not really into self promotion, and this blog isn't my job....it's honestly just a labor of love. Plus there are so many other great blogs out there that I feel honored to have any attention bestowed onto this one when the only worthy thing I've done is pick a model to write about who has an unparalleled, successful career. So thanks again, and thanks to all of you for being such great readers, supporters and contributors. I guess I'm just really lucky that Freja decided to work a lot all of a sudden! :) If she ever stops.......well, I don't want to even think about that!

Image Credits: gagameister.blogbus.com via tFS member francyayo, cassbird.tumblr.com, maxmara.com via tFS member Carla-A

The Eyes Have It

In light of the new Tom Ford Eyewear campaign, I think now is the perfect time to look back on Freja's illustrious track record in eyewear campaigns. If one thing is for sure, it's that her face was seemingly made to wear any eyewear no matter the size or shape. And yet we never lose sight of the fact that it's Freja behind all those different lenses, for her distinct nose and pronounced cupid's bow are true defining features that render her recognizable to even the most casual fan.

Hugo Boss SS06


Gucci SS06


Gucci Resort 0607


Gucci SS07


Gianfranco Ferre SS08


Joop SS08


Emporio Armani FW0809


Karl Lagerfeld SS09


Roberto Cavalli SS09


Chanel SS10


Karl Lagerfeld SS10


Tom Ford FW1011

Once again I feel like Freja is coming to define another paradox. She's subtle and malleable enough to model a wide variety of images, yet she's also distinct enough to be recognizable as an individual. It's this constant push pull between extremes that continues to make her so intriguing to me. And it provides endless fodder for all the rambling I do on this blog.

Anyway, I really do think that eyewear is one of the categories where Freja shines. When you see the structure and angles of her face in the different ads, there's just no denying that that face is a true model's face. Am I biased? Yeah, I most definitely am. But I also think that she wouldn't have been featured so many times for eyewear if something wasn't working. After all, the existence of all these campaigns and the people behind them must mean that I'm not alone in my thinking. Now I can't wait for the Chanel FW1011 eyewear campaign.

Image Credits: sources can be found in the image file name

The Birds

Tom Ford Eyewear F/W 10.11
Ph: Tom Ford
Other Models: Nicholas Hoult

Now that the full campaign has been released, you can see why Ford went with a model like Freja this season. The eccentric, yet gorgeous qualities of her face perfectly mirror the dichotomy contained within the campaign images. There's a dialogue (and maybe even struggle) between maliciousness and absurd camp. The ravens are clearly meant to be a threatening element. Anyone who has seen Hitchcock's The Birds can attest to that.

Yet the facial expressions of both Freja and Nicholas betray, and even embrace the menacing aspect of their surroundings. "Why yes, birds are about to peck my body but I'll just act like they're nothing more than some harmless butterflies. And look! I'm even going to kiss one. Nevermind that another one just tried to eat my nipple."

Freja is just the type of model to carry this off. She's gorgeous no doubt (as 5 years in the industry and countless campaigns and eyewear ads can attest), but she's also quirky enough that she's not just another boring, beautiful face. There's an intelligence in her look that some people often write off because they just can't comprehend it. Or maybe they've only ever known Freja as the androgynous, tomboy model so they can't look past thair narrow way of thinking. Yet, all of the work she's done for the past year or so has countered that old image of herself, and some people still won't see her as anything more than the androgynous one. Sigh. I guess that's the power of having a unique image while all your peers kind of blend into one big blond hair, blue eyed Eastern European mass. But I digress...

The campaign aesthetic is a bit unexpected, but overall the images still retain some of the glamor we've come to associated with Ford's name. Chalk it up to the styling and dark, moody nature of the setting. All of this sure makes for one memorable campaign. I have a feeling that people are either going to love this or hate it, but one thing they won't feel is apathy. You have to love that about Tom Ford and his campaigns, for they always push boundaries. And in the cautiously recovering economic climate, isn't that a good thing? Isn't passion the one thing that all designers are trying to ignite in their customer base and the general public?

Image Credits: tomford.com, thepassionatemoviegoer.blogspot.com, best-horror-movies.com

Tom Ford Eyewear

In other news, add one more campaign to Freja's impressive list this season:

"Tom Ford liked directing actor Nicholas Hoult in “A Single Man” so much that he recast him again in the role of fashion model. Ford photographed Hoult and model Freja Beha Erichsen in London for his fall campaign, composing the images with ravens. Hoult models Tom Ford men’s wear and eyewear, while Erichsen wears only eyewear and a strategically placed scarf. The new campaign breaks in the International Herald Tribune during Men’s Fashion Week in Milan and will run in September books."

I believe this marks their first time working together, as Ford had already left Gucci by the time Freja started walking its runways. This is a rather interesting choice for Ford. No offense to Freja, but she doesn't really fit the mold of a typical Tom Ford beauty. But maybe that's what he's going for with this campaign; he wanted to put forth a different aesthetic and move away from the extremely glamorous and sexy vibe he's so well known for. Or maybe this campaign will see Freja transforming into someone we've never seen before. After all, this past year has given us lots of unexpected moments and pairings as we've seen Freja's career rise to heights and achievements previously thought to be unattainable for her.

Images should be released shortly so I guess we'll soon find out the reasoning behind this interesting casting choice. I'm thrilled of course, but I still find it pretty strange to go from girls like Anna Maria Jagodzinska and Caroline Murphy....to Freja. Whatever, get it girl!

This or That?

It's a battle of the SS10 Eyewear campaigns. Both feature Freja and Baptiste. Both photographed by Karl. But one is dark, the other is light. One is sleek, the other is tousled. Which do you choose?

Karl Lagerfeld SS10:

Chanel SS10:

I think both sets make for striking images, especially when you see them in magazines. Haven't seen the KL ads yet, but the Chanel ones definitely stick out to me because of their insistent brightness. Interesting that Karl would choose to go completely dark for his namesake brand. I think it's rather fitting as I've always thought KL had a darker, more severe (in the German tradition) type of aesthetic message. And since the same two models are featured, the use of light and dark serves to develop a much needed distinction between the two brands. Although, if forced to choose, I'd probably go with the KL ads. I love how Freja and Baptiste's faces stand out against the black. And those ads really show how well they can work together.

Image Credits: designscene.net, my scans

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