Hexa by Kuho - Behind the Scenes

Thanks to a lovely (but anonymous) commenter in this post, I was directed to these behind the scene videos of the preparations leading up to the F/W 10.11 Hexa by Kuho show held back in February. I don't know how you guys find this stuff, but I'm sure glad that you do and that you're kind enough to share! I've said it before and I'll say it again, this blog would be nothing without you readers. :)

Kuho is a well known designer in Korea. Last season marked his debut show in America and Freja had the honors of closing said show (no surprise there as Koreans really seem to be turning out to be her biggest fans). Since these clips are subtitled in Korean, my guess is that they're part of a documentary released over there. I think there might be a few Korean readers out there....if so, do any of you know where this is from? Or what it's for? EDIT: It's a behind the scenes feature that came on a supplement DVD with this month's Korean Harper Bazaar.

This second part is very interesting because you can see Freja all throughout looking as if she's about to pass out. She's doubled over a lot of the time, surrounded by people who are fanning her. Since I don't speak a lick of Korean I have no idea what's really going on, but it's obvious she wasn't feeling well before the show.

If you can remember all the way back to February, you'll recall that Freja did not walk in Rag & Bone, which was very unusual since she's usually a regular and David and Marcus are fans. She also showed up on the model board for Yigal Azrouel, yet she did not walk that show either. Both shows were held on that first Friday of NYFW, a day Freja missed completely. But she showed up on Saturday at Alexander Wang. So.....what happened in between the Hexa show that Wednesday and the Alex Wang show that Saturday?

Models are just regular people, albeit very tall, very beautiful, very slender people. They have off days, they get bitchy, they get impatient, and they get sick. I think this is just a case of the common cold. It seems like Freja got sick, took a few days off (which would explain her absence at certain shows), and then came back to have her best runway season in a long time. So now we have some kind of idea of what happened back in February. Although 6 months later, it really doesn't matter, does it? I guess this means that all of you who were freaking out over Freja losing favor with the Rag & Bone boys can rest easy now. ;)

Anyway, thank you anonymous commenter for the lead, and to youtube user dmdkd10 for uploading the videos!

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?

FTV

Are you still feeling withdrawls from the F/W runway shows ending? Lucky for you, FTV has started uploading their videos onto their youtube account. We're talking dozens of them from this past season and from older seasons too. They have videos of runway shows, front rows, backstage, parties, recaps and of course their infamous Model Talks.

If you have patience and a good chunk of free time, browse through and I'm sure you'll find some Freja clips or something else that interests you. If you love seeing what the backstage of a show looks like, then FTV's youtube channel is your new best friend. Just a small taste:

Roberto Cavalli F/W 10.11 Backstage @ 1:04, 1:22, 2:45

Max Mara F/W 10.11 Backstage @ 0:22, 0:32, 1:36

Not only do you get a good sense of what it feels like backstage; you also get to see a lot of different models as they get prepped, making these videos a haven if you're into model street style as well. Furthermore, you get the chance to hear different, lesser known models talk, which is always an enjoyable and surprising thing.

It seems like FTV is going through their Milan footage now, so hopefully this means Paris footage isn't too far behind. And after that, perhaps another batch of Model Talks vids? Fingers crossed.

In Two Minutes

I saw this backstage video from the SS10 Isabel Marant show and felt that it perfectly captured the range of emotions and feelings associated with putting on a runway show. In a neat little two minute package, we get to experience the calm before the storm, then the gradual rumbling of activity as the models are prepped, then the frenzy that occurs backstage as those models rush about to change, then the elation and utter joy that the end of the show brings.

Glimpses of Freja are present throughout, but I particularly like this video because it shows us an aspect of fashion shows that we rarely get to see. You always hear about how crazy it gets backstage as a show is going on, but this is the first video that's actually given me some sense of that. And I'm sure that sense is heightened at least ten times in real life. All the running around, the reckless abandon with which you have to approach changing in public, all those people prodding, poking and invading your personal space...

So at the end of the day, I think it would do us all well if we remembered that models are just doing a job and fashion is just a business that comes with it's own stresses, trails and tribulations. The glamor is what we're allowed to see (or maybe just what we choose to see) but the other aspects are there. You just have to dig around a little to find them.

Alexander Wang Backstage

The full Alexander Wang backstage video is up, but there isn't that much more Freja to be seen. Regardless, it's a very well done video (Sorry for the bad upload quality. You can see a better version on the site itself under Collections < Spring 2010 < Backstage Video). The mood and music-can't go wrong with the Chromatics-are pitch perfect in conveying that air of coolness that pervades anything Alexander Wang. And I love seeing the juxtaposition of the calm, orderly runway walk next to the mad, dash backstage run. Not to mention that this was my favorite collection from last season so I'll take any excuse to see it in motion once more.

Alex's clothes are usually a hit or miss with me, but there was something so attractive about the way he did American sportswear that I just fell in love (despite the outrageous prices). The color palette, drape of the fabrics and overall feeling of levity made the clothes easy to relate to and wearable. And watching this video you get the sense that the models really felt comfortable, and that they were the ones wearing the clothes and not vice versa. After this SS10 collection I'm anxious to see what Alex has in store for FW1011. Hopefully it lives up to his hype. What about you? Any collections that you're particularly looking forward to?

Oh, btw, speaking of collections, Marc Jacobs is going to be live streaming his new one on his website, Monday February 15th at 8pm EST. Freja hasn't missed a Marc show in.....ever, so keep your eyes peeled. Don't you just love how the industry embrace of technology has the added reward of instant gratification for us?

Video courtesy of alexanderwang.com

News Bytes

-To coincide with the arrival of spring accessories on his e-commerce site, Alexander Wang is releasing a behind the scenes video of his SS10 runway show. Style.com has a short preview which you can see above. It's only 45 seconds and you can see Freja about 16 seconds in. The full version will be released Monday on Alex's site, and if the preview is any indication, it looks like we'll get plenty of Freja to satisfy our backstage curiosities.

-Freja moved up a rank to a solid number 4 on models.com Top 50 Models list. Lara, Anja, Natasha, Sasha and Raquel are the only ones before her. If I recall correctly, Freja's career high position was number 2, but I could be wrong. Any one remember? Anyway, as long as she keeps working at the same pace and level that she's been at for this past year, I don't see any reason why her rank wouldn't gain one or two more spots. However, I'm not sure she'll ever reach the number 1 spot. Freja's a wonderful model, but let's be realistic; you have to be damn near iconic (I'm talking within the industry here, not just with fans) to reach that spot and her quantity of work just doesn't add up. If Meisel shoots her for a Vogue Italia cover, US Vogue puts her on their Models of the Moment issue, Nick Knight features her on ShowStudio monthly, and she lands blue-chip ad campaigns beside Chanel then we'll talk. Until then, it's not gonna happen. (Prove me wrong Freja, because I would be happy to eat my words.)

-You can see preview images of Freja's new Vogue Nippon editorial shot by Terry Richardson here and here. Being that the images are low quality, I'm pretty much ideologically opposed to everything that Terry Richardson stands for, and I need a break, I'll spare you the long write up about this ed...not that any of you were dying to read it in the first place I'm sure.

-New York Fashion Week officially beings in 12 days on February 11th! We'll likely see Freja touch down for her first show Friday night at Rag & Bone...that is, assuming she's going to walk this season. I don't see why she wouldn't, but with Freja I've always come to expect the unexpected. And the SS08 and SS09 seasons are always fresh in the back of my mind, making me hold my breath in hope that she doesn't unexpectedly skip out again. We'll see. After all, life's pleasures are derived in anticipation.

Image Credits: imgmodels.com

All's Quiet

Things have been very quiet on the news front recently, and I imagine that they'll remain so as things slowly grind to a halt in preparation for this week's Thanksgiving holiday. Chanel events will be taking place in China, but it remains to be seen whether Freja will be present for any of the festivities.

So I'd just like to take this time to wish everyone a Happy Thanksgiving! Enjoy the time spent with family and friends. Enjoy stuffing yourself silly with the requisite turkey, stuffing, mashed potatoes and gravy. And most of all, enjoy your four day weekend. :) I hope everyone travels safe and stays healthy, happy and warm.

And if watching football after eating turkey isn't your thing (it's definitely not mine), you can always check youtube for all the videos that fellow fashion fans have graciously uploaded. There are some great backstage ones (with small glimpses of Freja) from...

Lanvin


Balmain

Chloe

Videos courtesy of youtube user Yanihartonen

Saturday Morning Videos

In a follow up to yesterday's post about Freja and Alexander Wang, here's a video that shows us Alex has indeed been an admirer of Freja for a very long time now. Thanks to commenter parisxsummer for the heads up!

At 2:14 you can see pictures of Freja's Fall 2005 Self Service editorial on Alex's "mood board" for his FW0809 show. Fittingly enough, Freja ended up opening that show in a very memorable sheer number with a downtown death stare on her face that summed up the mood of the show perfectly.

This was arguably the show that put the Alexander craze into full throttle, so it's nice that Freja was a part of it in more ways than one.

And now here's a completely unrelated, but highly adorable video of various rehearsal clips from the past season. Some of the models' faces and reactions are priceless. This is the type of stuff I always look forward to--when the glossy facade gets taken down and we get to see the reality behind the runway.

Freja @ 1:30, 1:40, 2:38 and 2:48

I love that we get to see bits of the girls' personalities. The human element really comes across and reiterates to us that these models are just regular teenagers/young women with irregular jobs. It's relatable and fashion can use more of that, especially in this recession.

Anyway, watch the whole video because there are so many hilarious moments. I was laughing so hard at how Kasia misdirected Alla at the end. And I think Mirte and Amanda's reactions at the Missoni rehearsal were endearing. That Missoni show seemed like a pain to rehearse!

Image Credits: style.com

Candids and Spy Cams

Candid pictures of Freja at fashion events are few and far between, so I just had to post this one I came across in the September 2009 issue of Interview Magazine. It was taken by Derek Blasberg back in July when Freja was in Venice for the Chanel Cruise collection. We saw another picture from the after party, but this one features Lara in addition to Freja and Heidi.

(Full page)

(Cropped version)

Talk about deadly stares...if looks could kill, these would definitely do the job. :)

And speaking of Chanel, you have to watch this video from the SS10 collection. Freja isn't in it, but it's the most interesting and entertaining 4 minutes I've seen in a long time. They put a hidden camera in the hair of model Nastya Karzan, and through this you get to see what it's like to be backstage amid all the craziness. I just love the contrast between the discombobulated flurry of activity behind the runway and then the organized composure of the crowd in front of the runway. Two very different sides to the same coin right?

I also love how small everything seems from Nastya's perspective. This is such a great idea that I'm surprised we haven't seen it done sooner. Leave it to Karl...no matter how bizarre he seems sometimes, he always manages to push the boundaries.

Morning Video Roundup

Now that the shows are over, don't forget to check youtube for all the videos that are uploaded/will be uploaded in the next few weeks. There is a plethora of great stuff out there, and for most of us this is closest we'll ever get to being backstage ourselves.

After Karl Lagerfeld @ 1:15 (Freja Speaks)

Valentino Backstage @ 1:38

Versace Backstage @ :45, 3:00, 4:28, 4:50

Most of this footage consists of very quick glimpses, but hopefully we'll get a proper FTV interview later on. Those usually take a lot longer to pop up...sometimes not even until next season, but they're definitely worth the wait. Fingers crossed...