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

Freja by Hedi

It's no secret that a lot of Freja's recent work seems lackluster to me. This editorial is really no different. I don't love, I don't hate it, I just.....see it. One thing I am thrilled about is that Freja finally got the chance to work with Hedi Slimane. But maybe finding out that he shot this before I actually saw the final product was setting me up for disappointment. I was hoping the editorial would turn out to be something more like Hedi's Girls, but instead we got Freja half naked in a weird looking, blond wig.

Temps libre
Vogue Paris November 2010
Ph: Hedi Slimane
Styling: Carine Roitfeld

If you haven't noticed by now, I have a tendency to let very small, aesthetic features on the surface determine my like or dislike for an editorial. For all the analysis and serious thought I profess to do on this blog, I can be quite shallow. One of the main reasons I hate "Think Punk"? The hair. One of the main reasons I don't really like this editorial? The hair. (Though I will say that Freja's posing here is pretty exquisite and beautiful.) This shallowness is not something I'm proud of, but at least I recognize it and I'm not afraid to admit it. After all (and maybe we don't like to admit it) shallowness is a characteristic pervasive throughout all of fashion....and perhaps it's also a characteristic that largely defines it.

It's probably not very fair of me to compare this to Hedi's Girls, because that editorial signifies so much for me. It was one of the earlier ones that really affected me and made me see the beauty of the human body and made me take fashion photography seriously. It basically sealed the deal in regards to my love for fashion and models like Daria and Raquel. I was following fashion before it, but after it I was really following fashion.

Anyway, I was talking with a friend about my recent apathy and she made some really good points that I'm going to sum up here. Let me make this clear: I don't like that I feel so apathetic and I don't want to feel this way. Freja is my favorite model and I've been running this blog for two years now. Apathy is not a good thing to feel if you're in my position. After expressing these worries, this is what my friend had to say, in a nutshell. Back when Freja wasn't working so much, each editorial that she had felt so special and amazing because they were so few and far between. I loved and appreciated them so much because I was just happy to see new work from her. But this year Freja has been working a ton, and it's hard to keep up that level of excitement and wonder when she's putting out new work practically every week. To be honest, it gets downright exhausting, and everything starts to blend into each other because there's just so much of it.

I feel like such a little punk complaining about all the work Freja gets....lol. It's like the so-called plight of the rich; complaining about problems only rich people have, while the majority of the population is just getting by. I'm sure Snejana fans would love it if she had even 1/8 of the amount of work Freja is getting right now....hehehe. Any model would be lucky to have the career that Freja has, and any fan would be over the moon if their favorite model was as successful as Freja is. But perhaps it's just human nature to never be satisfied, even if things are going your way 100%. Or maybe it's just my nature? I don't know. If anyone else has similar feelings please do speak up.

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Also, in case you didn't know Freja has another editorial in this issue of Vogue Paris. But in lieu of posting the ed and promoting the photographer, I'm going to leave you with this instead. (Be sure to click and enlarge the image so you can read the text.)

If this controversy is enough of a cultural zeitgeist that people who draw comics recognize and incorporate it, that's definitely saying something. The fashion industry should be utterly ashamed. People completely unrelated to and outside the industry feel the need to address this issue, while everyone within continues to ignore it. Yeah, that's bullshit. This is just one of the many things I hate about fashion, in addition to it's failure to deal with questions of racism on the runway, eating disorders in it's models, and the legal age limits of its newfaces. I also hate that despite all of this, I still follow fashion and can't seem to stop. Makes me feel so guilty and complicit to horrible things I would not put up with in other arenas of life. :( If you want to see the editorial, you can find it on tFS.

Image Credits: scans by tFS member Valentine27, ontd via racked.com

Think Punk, Think Again

Oh boy. I'm going to try and make this short and to the point. Seeing that Paris Fashion Week just started, I think we'd all rather dwell on that than this.....

Think Punk
Vogue Paris October 2010
Ph: Mario Sorrenti
Styling: Emmanuelle Alt

This editorial challenges me for sure. It challenges my tastes, it challenges my notions of beauty, it challenges my ideas of Freja. I never thought it would be possible to make her look so unattractive and harsh. I'm trying really hard to find some redeeming qualities in this, and not to let my own personal notions of beauty determine whether this editorial is good or bad. But it's really difficult for me to get past the way Freja looks. Call me shallow...I don't care.

I get the impetus behind the editorial concept. I'm familiar with the whole punk scene and it's history, but I'm just disappointed that we get this in the 90th Anniversary Issue of Vogue Paris. My expectations were raised so high....maybe too high. On the other hand, I know I should just be happy that Freja is included in the issue (twice!). And I suppose that she is even further expanding the range and testing the limits of her look and portfolio. Love it or hate it, it's most definitely something that pushes the boundaries of her modeling work. And it contributes to the notion that she's one of the most versatile models working today. Not many can go from this, to this so easily and effortlessly.

Despite the harshness of Freja's look, her hair, the styling, and everything; I admit that I am impressed with the little moments of softness in the last shot above and the first shot below. Maybe I'm just reaching for anything good, but I see a tenderness there that's actually quite alluring, and not always present in Freja's other work.

Sigh. What do you guys think? Maybe some of you are better at looking past the obvious and finding the beauty beneath. For as they say, beauty is in the eye of the beholder. Although, one thing I cannot and will not stand about this editorial is that it further entrenches Freja within certain stereotypes that have followed her around for the past two years. Yes she's tough. Yes she's cool. Yes she can be androgynous. Yes she has tattoos. We get it already. Now it's time to move on and show us other sides to her modeling persona, instead of repetitively highlighting this one. But I guess all models have a shtick they can't get away from....Lara and her boobs immediately come to my mind. And maybe that's a good thing because it means the model is memorable and the model is known. In such a fickle industry, I guess that's all that matters....or is it??

Image Credits: Scans by Carla-A at tFS

Two for One

Two stories, two similar surface appeals, two different reactions....

Starting with the good. Vogue Paris + Mikael Jansson + old French horror story set in the Louvre = me taken totally by surprise

Neo Belphegor
Vogue Paris September 2010
Ph: Mikael Jansson
Styling: Anastasia Barbieri

Have to admit I wasn't too excited about this editorial when I first saw the preview snaps, but after seeing these images I've completely changed my mind. The patina of these shots are manipulated in just the right way that they add to the overall chill of the story. The dark aura and elements enhance the myth of the story and the feeling of dread you get from the potential threats lurking in the shadows. Freja is sinister, the panther is eerie, and if you look at the images in just the right way under just the right light, you'll get slight shivers up your spine.

Even though I'm already tired of the new model stereotype of Freja as the tough, dark, mysterious, cool girl (although I suppose it's better than being solely the androgynous girl), it plays well in this particular editorial. Freja makes for a great villain, and she's emoting well, especially in the shot where she's sitting down. Yes, the dangerous but glamorous femme fatale role is a bit trite, but when it's done well I don't mind seeing it again.

It's Freja's third time working with Jansson, but we have yet to see color work from the two of them. Luckily Freja has a face with angles and planes perfectly capable of expressing wide range and depth without the aid of the color spectrum. Just take a look at the history of their work together and you'll see (Pop Magazine part 1 and 2, Interview Magazine). So maybe all the b&w is deliberate...like a careful case study over time. I absolutely can't wait to see this in print, because 99.99% of the time editorials look better when they're in print and in your hands instead of on your computer screen.

Now another b&w editorial, but with a less positive outcome in my mind.

Uptown and Downtown
V Magazine #67 September 2010
Ph: Mario Testino
Styling: Sarajane Hoare
Other Models: Anna Selezneva, Carmen Kass, Sasha Pivovarova

Too bad Freja's first collaboration with Testino since early 2007 had to be this unremarkable story. Not a fan of the deer in headlights look, messy hair, and fur and feathers galore. I much prefer Sasha and Carmen's "uptown" shots, where the studio setting (although usually boring) provides a good contrast to the clothes, hair and makeup. Freja and Anna's "downtown" shots are too busy for me. Too much to look at, too much of it being pushed in my face, too much to distract me. What's the point? What's the purpose? What's the message? Why does Freja look so confused? How many licks does it take to get to the center of a Tootsie Pop? The world may never know....

Freja, I love you and your work, I really do. But I have to wonder....does modeling treat you badly? Are you unhappy with your job? Because why the hell can't we see you smiling and in something happy? If I only had your recent editorials to look at, I'd think the world was approaching its end or something. I know it's not your fault. You're doing the best with what you're given in the parameters you're allowed to work within. But I hope people give you chances to expand beyond and move away from this, just like they finally gave you chances to move away from all the androgyny. Until then, I'll just be happy that you're getting work with a wide range of photographers and people, but too bad you don't look more happy about it. :)

Image Credits: Scans via tFS member Carla-A, vmagazine.com

Range and Power

Not much to say about this that hasn't already been said better and more effectively by someone else. And with all the work that's been coming out at such a rapid pace, I'm pretty worded out anyway. I know right? Can you believe it? Besides, we all know you're here for the pictures and not for the words I write. And I should probably be more cognizant of that, instead of taking advantage of it, so this will be (relatively) short.

Winter Before Winter
Vogue Paris August 2010
Ph: David Sims
Styling: Carine Roitfeld
Other Models (not pictured): Aline Weber, Crystal Renn, Daria Werbowy, Frida Gustavsson, Iselin Steiro, Isabeli Fontana, Monika Jagaciak, Joan Smalls

Versatility, variety, variation, volatile, etc.... Freja demonstrates the qualities that make her one of the top models working today. Effortless and organic, this editorial has it all. So many of the shots are capable of standing on their own, each telling a story and sending a powerful message. All leaving an indelible impression on my mind at least. Whether it's humor, rage, or power, there's an extremely emotional aspect to all of the shots. And with such a range it's hard to be bored or disappointed.

All of the other models featured in this are superb as well. I love this mega designer showcase editorial so much more than last year's one photographed by Inez and Vinoodh. Each model here brings a unique dimension and perspective to the different vignettes. And these vignettes break up any potential monotony that might arise from shooting head-to-toe designers looks. Check out Aline, Crystal, Daria, Frida, Iselin, Isabeli, Jac and Joan if you haven't already. Definitely a must buy issue.

Freja's had so much work recently, but what I'm most impressed with is that this work has stretched her abilities and displayed her adaptability and ease in front of the camera. And this particular editorial is like a summation of her range and skills in one short story. From tough androgyny, to glamorous femininity, and everything (and every role) in between, she's shown us that models only get better when they're allowed to expand beyond their stereotypes.

Image Credits: Scans by tFS member Carla-A