Freja Speaks

Most of the time I post about things that other people have said about Freja. Whether it's from regular fans, photographers, designers or models, there has been a plethora of good things said in regards to Freja. But rare is the time that the tables are turned and Freja gets to do the talking.

The February issue of US Harper's Bazaar contains a story about IMG model manager Jen Ramey. She's at the top of her business and if her name sounds familiar, its because she's guided the careers of Kate Moss and Daria Werbowy. Just think of any top girl at the powerhouse agency and odds are Jen stands behind her success. Lily D? Check. And yes, Freja? Check.

The article is your typical "how I overcame [insert obstacle here] and feel great about myself now" story that fashion magazines are apt to give us every single issue. That being said, Jen admirably lost 120 pounds and overcame a breast-cancer scare. A few of her model clients are interviewed for the article and here's what Freja had to say:

"Jen is one of the strongest women I know. I'm not surprised that she succeeded in what she put her mind to..."

"Jen manages to cut straight to the core. There's never any BS with her..."

Ok, yeah...Freja's not going to win any oratory prizes for her input here, but it was pretty surprising to see her name when I read this story. I knew that Jen was her manager, but I guess I just wasn't expecting any words from the (previously) press shy Freja. I've spent the better part of over two years covering Freja and her career, and in those earlier days backstage interviews, style features, appearances at parties, anything that didn't solely relate to the catwalk or the editorial, were near impossibilities. All I can say is that Freja's come a long way. Now as she enters the ripening phase of her career, I hope she gets the chance to speak more often. It would be nice to cover the things she says, instead of just the things people say about her. :) Anyway, congrats Jen!

FTV Countdown

This is what all fans wait for. A glimpse at the person behind all the clothes and makeup; the person off the runway and behind the scenes.

This season Freja comes in at #2 on the FTV countdown, up a spot from #3 last season. Bear my cheesiness, but she's like a fine wine, getting better with age. ;)

She also takes the top spot for the city of Milan. No interview; just a compilation of catwalk looks starting at 13:30:

Here are a few things that caught my attention:

-It's funny how we go from always napping backstage at Marni, to literally jumping up and down with energy this season @ 1:15.

-Perhaps we should expect a career transition into music very soon. After all, Freja has a DIY home studio with a plethora of guitars, a piano and drums. That doesn't simply sound like something she does casually on her off days--seems more serious than that to me.

-Oh, so those combat boots Freja was sporting everywhere this past season are Balmain. Who knew? So Christophe makes a $1,000 version of something Doc Martens makes for $100. I'm totally side-eyeing Decarnin right now.

-About a year after her initial move to New York, Freja is moving again. This time to Brooklyn. Why does it feel like everyone and their mother is moving to Brooklyn these days? It's not like the rent is any cheaper...

Anyway, it's always a pleasure to watch these videos. Most of the time, models are seen and not heard, so it's a treat when FTV puts these out after each season. If you have some time to kill, take a look at the rest of the girls making up the top ten.

10. Kasia Struss
9. Ginta Lapina
8. Karmen Pedaru
7. Julija Steponaviciute
6. Monika "Jac" Jagaciak
5. Lindsey Wixson
4. Frida Gustavsson
3. Caroline Brasch Nielsen
2. Freja
1. Karlie Kloss

It's a solid list and I'm happy to see girls like Julija and Karmen included. There are others I could do without, but you win some, you lose some.

Image Credits: afashiontale.dk, bellazon. Videos courtesy of Fashiontv Youtube Channel

Freja on Style.com

OK, the number of comments and e-mails that I've received telling me about this video probably means that you all want me to post it. So here it is:

Thanks to all who informed me of its existence! :) I saw it last week, but didn't think there was anything noteworthy enough to blog about. But I guess general consensus thought otherwise. All I can say is you are a very insistent, but very thoughtful bunch and I do appreciate it. It's comforting to know that if I ever miss anything Freja related, all you wonderful readers will keep me in the loop!

Anyway, like I was saying, there's nothing terribly new or revelatory in this video. It's just nice to get some new candid material every so often, and it's nice to have Style.com recognizing Freja. As time goes on, it seems like more and more fashion outlets are beginning to realize Freja's popularity, so she's definitely well on her way towards cementing her revered status as one of the industry's top contemporary model icons.

Freja seems a bit more demure and polite in this interview, but she comes across just as grounded and as approachable as ever. One of the things I like best about her is that she seems to have a really good head on her shoulders, as cliche as that sounds. Despite years in the industry and all her success, you really get the sense that Freja isn't that much different than she would have been if modeling had not found her. It's this grounded quality that draws fans to her and breeds their intense loyalty. Freja also displays a trademark confidence that we've come to know, but it's tempered by glimpses of a vulnerability. This push/pull is best summed up by this quote about walking for Prada:

"It was definitely nerve racking. I remember being really nervous before, but that's a feeling that goes away. You get used to it and now I've done so many shows. It's pretty simple. You just have to walk so.....it's not so much to get nervous about."

This is why fans love her. She's effortless, comforting, cool and relatable all at the same time.

A Contributor

Here's a little addendum to the Interview Magazine editorial I just posted. Continuing on with the trend of model emerging as a personality in her own right, Freja's featured in the "contributors" section of the magazine:

Even if the model appears in the main editorial, she doesn't always get this spotlight. In fact, it's more a rarity than a common occurrence. I think the models that get this feature are ones like Kate Moss, Lara Stone and Daria Werbowy. So no matter how inconsequential something like this may seem, I think it's a pretty big deal and speaks loudly of Freja's rising status as a model.

Image Credits: My Scan

More Than a Clothes Hanger

Maybe my perception is a bit skewed, but doesn't it seem like models are once again back in the spotlight as individuals with personalities? Definitely not back to the level of the 1990's Supermodels, but no where near as cold and dismissive as the early 2000's felt. These days it feels like people everywhere want to hear what models have to say, wear what they wear, and follow every turn of their career.

I know this is all anecdotal evidence, but the model threads on tFS are exploding with hyper activity. Just think of a model (besides Freja) in your head and you can bet that someone has created a "fuckyeah" tumblr in her honor. It just feels like models at all levels of the industry are gaining in recognition and success (i.e. Rosie HW cast in the new Transformers movie and models edging out celebs in campaigns). Does it feel like this to anyone else, or is it just me?

I realize that my perception might be more than a bit skewed because I keep up with a lot of agencies and new models for fun (yes, for fun...I'm weird like that), so I always have models on my mind. And maybe this is why they seem to be more prominent to me, buoyed along by an internet culture conducive to the cultivation of niches that are otherwise too specialized to have warranted attention before. We can practically trace Freja's career from the very beginning, with only a few holes here and there. But with a model like Missy Rayder, who's career height came before the internet played such a huge role in fashion and models, the early days of her career aren't nearly as well documented. I guess what I'm trying to say is that I sense a new era where models are once again becoming celebrities in their own right.

The eminent Cathy Horyn seems to sense a small part of this as well. Just read the opening sentences of her write up on the Valentino HC show:

"A thick mob of people, mostly young and nearly all clutching cameras, stood in the blazing 6 p.m. sun outside the entrance to the Valentino Show in the Place Vendôme. They extended to the curb, and guests had to walk through a narrow path the onlookers seemed reluctant to provide. Liz Hurley was inside, in a pretty fuchsia slip dress, but most of the other V.I.P.’s were young socialites and, of course, models. The throng was waiting for them, a glimpse of someone famous and beautiful."

So maybe I'm not too off the mark here. For when did a model like Freja, a model who isn't Kate Moss or being touted as the next big thing a la Lara Stone, become popular enough to garner a two page cover feature in one of the big Vogues?? Just think about it for a moment, and you'll see how amazing it is all things considered. She's popular to be sure, but definitely not what you would call "mainstream." So the fact that Vogue UK put her on their cover and wrote a feature story on her says something, don't you think? Model as an individual. Model as a voice. Model as role model. Model as more than just a clothes hanger.

A few excerpts stuck out to me:

"Face to face, Freja's personality is harder to discern. Although she embodies an intoxicating cool, she's shy, reserved and defensive about her privacy in a way that doesn't invite girly conversation. While her slouch suggests someone who isn't entirely at east with her five feet 10 inches (she was 5ft 9in by the age of 12), she has fantastic command of her body in front of the camera."

Taking the above into account, I wonder how Freja would feel if she knew this blog existed? Now I'm SO glad that I've always made it a point to stay away from her private life and focus instead on her work. But if she's as private as they say she is, even such an intense focus on her work is probably disconcerting. People say work is work, but as a model your work is your body. You model long enough (do anything long enough for that matter) and it becomes part of you, nearly inseparable from the way you define yourself. So maybe the intense scrutiny over Freja's work on this blog constitutes a different kind of invasion of privacy? I don't know. I haven't received any ceased and desist letters yet so.....

"'Freja is entirely her own person,' says photographer Josh Olins. 'I love to photographer her. What you see at first is this tough boyishness, but then comes something else, a sensitive, softer side. She's beautifully androgynous.' For all this boy-talk, though, Freja is very pretty, with baby-soft olive skin, a high forehead and deep brown eyes that flicker when her fringe skims her lashes. 'Freja's innate sense of style somehow translates into the way she is photographed,' adds Vogue's fashion director Lucinda Chambers. 'She is one of only a handful of models who have this unique combination of a strong personality and look, while at the same time being a total chameleon.'"

I knew I loved Lucinda for a reason. This is exactly what I've been saying, and what I try to explore, on this blog. I feel justified, and not so crazy for posting all my long babbling posts. :) Anyway, the article is a great read so make sure to check it out if you haven't already. There are lots of great tidbits about Freja in there, including bits about her upbringing, her family and her hobbies. She comes across very well on the page, just like she did on film. Memorable, funny and endearing enough to convert the naysayers and win over new fans.

Image Credits: scans by tFS member fearless123

The Economics of a Fashion Career

Craig Arend of modelsoffduty.com has another interesting interview with a fashion insider. Last time it was founder of Next Model Management, Faith Kates. This time it's Storm Models founder Sarah Doukas, aka the woman who discovered Kate Moss. Freja is never mentioned outright in these interviews, but I always think that what is being said naturally relates to her and to all models. If the models are what draw you to fashion, then it's so intriguing to hear insight and perspectives from the people who deal firsthand with bringing our favorite girls to light.

Here are some excerpts, but read the whole thing if you have the time and are interested in model development.

"...Look at our magazines. Look at the campaigns. They're all celebrities. Actresses. Somebody well known, they take up what, 80-90% of fabulous campaigns. You know that's because that's the power of somebody whose got a name....

But if you're in the business. If you see your chance that somebody can go that route and if they want to, you've got to take it because it's going to be a huge benefit financially to them and it's going to be a benefit to the agency...it feeds on itself. As soon as you do some press, it's unbelievable. You get so many opportunities open. People are calling. It opens doors." (my emphasis)

I know I've mentioned this little theory here before, but I think IMG and the recession are playing a huge hand in Freja's current career status. One thing I've never been able to wrap my head around is why Freja is seeing such a resurgence at this stage in her career. She started off really huge, booking exclusives and only-girl, blue chip campaigns. But as we all know, the lifespan of a model's career is usually pretty short. Most girls only get a few seasons before we unabashedly move on to the next it girl from the next it country. So this is how I see things: Freja had two really good years after her debut in 2005, but then she started to fade away as expected. By the end of 2007, she cut her signature long hair and fringe off, skipped lots of big shows and was booking less print work. By all accounts she should have been done. She should have faded away to the occasional Asian ad campaign and appearance in some random catalog. But she didn't. She came back stronger than ever, but nearly unrecognizable from the simple Danish girl in the Ksubis and keffiyeh that she once was. She was cooler, smoother and more part of the industry than she ever had been before.

She was doing more press, projecting a laid back yet untouchable image, and booking more campaigns than ever before. This career roundabout started happening towards the end of 2008 and gained full momentum during 2009, just as the economy was going bust. We could just chalk that up to coincidence, but I really think more was at play. IMG, being a huge, worldwide company, stood to lose a lot of money in the face of pecuniary caution brought about by worldwide economic panic. So what do they do? Step it up and really make their best girls work. Get the most out of them and really capitalize on their earning power in order to lessen the impact of the recession. After all, the FW0910 campaign season was Freja's best one yet. I know I'm not really doing a good job of explaining my theory, but it all makes sense in my head. And Sarah's quote above seems to give some backing to my thoughts. But of course, it's just a theory because how much can I possibly know about what really goes on?

Anyway, here is another quote from the interview that I think is quite unintentionally funny, especially if you're a Freja fan:

"You know you always get these girls that make a load of money. You know they're fantastic looking girls and they're doing brilliantly. And they're like, "you know what, I'm going to cut all my hair off. I'm going to go seriously edgy. I want you to get me into...." And I'm like "You're taking a massive risk. You're going to ruin your market in the short-term" And it happens. It does happen. I can mention lots of girls who it has happened....I always think, "You should be glad for what you've got. I understand wanting to aspire to better and greater things. But, you could in the short term lose your whole market "

Doesn't it sound like Sarah is specifically talking about Freja here? I know that some people still blame the short hair for her 2008 career slump. That could be the case, but things are rarely that simple and straightforward. I'm sure there were lots of other complex factors at play. Lots of other minute details all combining into one path that has led us Freja to the career she has today. All theories and musings aside, no one really knows what's happened and why but Freja herself. Isn't it fun to speculate though?

Fashion week now. I'll try to update as much as possible, but I'm only going to do updates on the first show Freja walks in each city, and then a recap on the entire city. It's just too repetitive to cover each show because I know all of you will be refreshing tFS every second. Of course, this is all assuming that Freja even walks. Only a few more days before we find out for sure. :)

On Success and Street Style

Craig Arend of Altamira has a really interesting interview with Faith Kates up on his site. As far as modeling goes, Faith is a pretty important figure in the industry considering that she started Next Model Management. Next is home to models like Abbey Lee, Karmen, Anja, Anna J, Catherine and Karlie, so it's definitely one of the heavy hitters agency wise.

The interview is a very good read if you're interested in models and how their careers develop. There isn't an outright mention of Freja, but while I was reading some of Faith's comments Freja did come to my mind:

"...I think that in our world...when a girl starts, if you have one of the three or 4 really important photographers behind you, that's the girls that are making it. So if you have Steven Meisel, you have Mario Testino, you have a Craig McDean, you have a David Sims... you have one of those guys behind you, you're in."

"The photographers and the magazines have all the power. Designers are important, don't get me wrong. They are very important. But I think it goes first with if you can get to the photographer. There are some girls that are really photographers girls."

One of the reasons I admire Freja so much is because she's managed to become successful without the huge support of a major photographer. On her level of modeling, she is the only girl I can think of who's the exception to the rules Faith speaks about above. Coco, Daria, Stam, and Elise all had Meisel's blessing. Catherine was a Testino girl through and through. But Freja? I really believe she built her career by staying true to her own individuality, knowing her strong suits, and playing off of her physical strengths. Yes, Karl is a huge supporter of her now, but at the very beginning of her career Freja made a name for herself on the strength of her modeling abilities. I know I'm biased, but I think that even to non-fans, her charm and appeal are undeniable and her face is truly gorgeous. Her androgynous characteristics merely heighten her appeal in that they provide a complimentary (and perhaps contradictory) contrast to her feminine beauty. Most girls are lucky enough to get the backing of top photographers, but only once in a blue moon is a girl lucky and talented enough to get to where Freja is without their help.

"You don't have to care about clothes...I don't think you have to love clothes. I don't think you have to dislike clothes. I just think you have to know how to wear clothes and know what feels good and right on you."

Reading this brought to my mind Freja's street style. To be frank, I'm bored with the way she looks off the runway because she's utterly predictable. Black, leather, black and more black. But even though I feel this way, I still think Freja looks good every time I see a new street style pic. And it's because of what Faith refers to above. Freja absolutely knows what is right for her and she sticks to it with unwavering loyalty. She doesn't experiment like Iekeliene, Irina, Kinga or Hanne because that wouldn't fit with her modeling persona. She wears clothes that look right on her and probably feel good to her. And she's most definitely mastered the art of minimalist chic with an androgynous flair. This might sound cliched and frivolous, but I really believe that when you feel good and comfortable about the clothes you wear those feelings translate to other parts of your life, and people are innately drawn to that.

I think that if I ever saw Freja wearing a dress off the runway I would laugh. But oddly enough, she looks perfectly normal wearing a dress on the runway. Go figure. It's amazing how much the context can impart the meaning in a situation. Anyway, what do you think about Freja's street style? Why do you think Freja's been able to attain her level of success? Sometimes I think I can be so biased that I lose all ability to even conceive of a different viewpoint, so yours are welcome.

Image Credits: altamira.blogspot

Unusually Conventional, Conventionally Unusual

So I picked up the latest issue of Bon magazine, mostly so I could have this stunning Sara Blomqvist editorial. As I was flipping through the rest of the issue, an interview with Rick Owens caught my eye. I love designers interviews because I like getting informational nuggets about their inspiration, design process, and casting process especially. Much to my delight there was a whole bit about Rick's casting for shows and his views on the beauty of models working today.

What kind of models do you like for a show?
I have a casting director. And...casting directors sometimes have priorities that aren't mine. The fashion people will notice if you are using what are considered the best models in the business. And if you try doing anything too tricky with the models, it starts putting you into a territory of being like a young designer.
But I'm very happy usually. Because, I mean, among those people there are very wonderful, fantastic girls. And if you notice, I don't use girls that are that unusual. I use the same girls that Prada uses, that all of these people use. I just take all their make up off. Because I like to see just the skull. Cause they are like alien creatures already. When you see them without the make up and without the clothes and everything, or when I put them in my clothes, they are like these wonderful insects. They are just incredible. So I don't really have any complaints about them. I just take the make up off and turn them into Rick Owens girls.

You use a lot of models from the agency Supreme. Paul Rowland, the founder of the agency, describes their edgy, unconventional beauty as "intelligent". He means that you have to be smart to appreciate it. Do you agree?
Well, I think...The fashion world that we are working in is an extreme fashion world. We can't use conventional beauty because it has been done, and done, and done. It's impossible to be interested in conventional beauty when you reach the very sophisticated level of aesthetics that high fashion is. So you have to look for something else. And that's what's happened. We've created a beauty that's a little...It has to be inaccessible in order for it to be interesting. This is about creating a dream; it's about moving forward and experimenting and exploring. So yeah, in that context these girls have to be unusual, they have to be esoteric, they have to be exotic, they have to be special. And that moves beyond conventional beauty. So, you know, there's a place for conventional beauty, but high fashion is not it.

This part excerpted above was accompanied by the following picture of Freja...

...which got me to thinking. Where does Freja fit into this scheme of esoteric vs. conventional beauty? I've posited before that she's one of the few models who can so effortlessly navigate the extremes: high fashion/mass market, masculinity/femininity, and classic/contemporary. My initial thought was that she can do the same in this case; she can be either conventionally beautiful or unusually exquisite depending on the occasion and needs of her employer. However, after some careful thought I think that instead of embodying both qualities, Freja defines the aesthetic paradigm shift Rick talks about in the above quotes.

We have moved on from the conventional to the unusual; so much so that the unusual can seem like the conventional ironically enough. What I mean is that the parameters of beauty within the fashion industry have shifted so that the old notions of classic and conventional beauty are nearly obsolete. Like Rick said, they still have their place within our world but just not in high fashion.

Freja is hugely popular and widely considered to be one of the more naturally gorgeous models out there. Yet she is an unusual beauty. She has a very pronounced cupid's bow, strong and hard jawline, sharp nose and lots of visible tattoos. Set her in the 1950s and she would not be anyone's standard of beauty by any means. But in our modern times, she is conventional enough that brands like Gap and H&M have used her in campaigns that must appeal to the largest swath of people possible. She is a living, breathing, moving example of the fashion industry moving forward, pushing boundaries, experimenting and redefining the ways we measure beauty.

And so, when the unusual becomes the conventional, we start to see an emerging beauty that's more extreme that what we knew before. The recent proliferation of models like like Meghan Collision, Jaime Bochert, Ranya Mordanova, and the existence and mission statement of Supreme demonstrate this. Perhaps it's only a matter of time before we move even further to the left in terms of beauty (like we have started to do with Lindsey Wixson). Or perhaps, like fashion is oft to do, we will move cyclically back to old standards and norms. Regardless of what happens, I think Freja will always have a place because for once she's treading firmly in the middle of two extremes.

Videos to Tide You Over

Since today will probably be a relatively quiet day (maybe Michael Kors and Proenza if we're lucky but I have my doubts) here are some videos to hold you over.

This first one comes to you thanks to super.modulaire over at tFS:

Is it just me, or does anyone else hear a slight British accent? I don't know my accents very well, but I guess a Danish accent could be similar to a British one. I also love how Freja is rocking Dior Homme sneakers. Although, as the campaign girl for J Brand Jeans you would think she'd schill a little for them instead of extolling the greatness of Acne Jeans (which, by the way, are really great jeans). Daria always mentions Lancome products in her interviews, but I suppose there is a difference between being a spokesmodel and being a model in the campaign.

I just stumbled across this second one of Freja backstage at Rodarte getting her makeup done. It seems like quite the intense process.

New York Fashion week is almost over. Can you believe it? Time absolutely flies.

New Interview

Freja is getting quite chatty these days in a departure from her usual reticent ways. There is a new interview up at W's Editor's Blog. It's short and doesn't really contain any ground breaking news, but here are some interesting excerpts.

"Look for her in a fashion portfolio by Inez van Lamsweerde and Vinoodh Matadin in our upcoming October issue."

Hooray. I'm glad that we'll get to see Freja back in the pages of W. And I'm glad that she's still working with Inez and Vinoodh a lot. Although this does makes me wonder why she wasn't in the 64 page editorial extravaganza in August's Vogue Paris. That ed featured all of Inez and Vinoodh's favs except for Freja. Maybe she was off shooting something else at the time? There's something to mull over.

"We're going to L.A., San Diego, the desert, Las Vegas and Burning Man."

Burning Man's dates are August 31st to September 7. New York Fashion Week dates are most likely going to be September 11th to 19th. So no conflict of interest there, thank goodness. I'm ready to see Freja storming down catwalks again. Hopefully she'll be rested, relaxed and raring to go after her road trip vacation.

"I'm always in an Alexander Wang t-shirt or tank top and Acne jeans."

As the face of J Brand jeans, you'd think she'd shill for the product a little more. :)

On a related note, this interview is just one more to add to the recent proliferation of Freja interviews including one for Danish Elle and one for a Russian TV channel:

Maybe these are just a by-product of Freja's status as an established model. Or maybe she really does have a new regard for the industry...one that's not so nonchalant and distanced. We'll see what September brings.

A is for Androgyny

Happy 4th of July weekend to all the Americans out there! And if you're not in the US, I'm sorry you don't get a three day weekend. Maybe this will help get you through the day.

I came across an old issue of Interview magazine with a Freja editorial inside. We saw scans but I remember them being a little iffy, so I've re-scanned because it's a beautiful editorial.

A is for Androgyny
Interview Magazine September 2008
Ph: Mikael Jannson

Note the presence of Sara Blomqvist, a rising young model from Sweden. You can currently see her in the new FW0910 D&G ad campaign, and you can expect to see her on many of the big runways this upcoming season. She had a good showing last season opening Missoni and closing Miu Miu, but I think (and hope) she'll really break out this season.

Sara presents a welcome alternative to the current dominating crop of Eastern European blonds. She's edgy and unique with a feminine touch, much like Freja. And she's absolutely wonderful in editorials like this and this. With such presence like that, I really hope we see much more of her, hopefully in another editorial together with Freja. They make such a striking and strong pair.

And she's a Freja fan as well! Here is what she said about her in a Pony Ryder interview:

PONY RYDER: You did an editorial with model star Freja Beha. How was it? Any tips from the star herself? How do you think you fit in the photo-story with Freja, who has such a unique look?

SARA: I love Freja, she is SO beautiful! The shoot was quite intimate, since we were hugging and looking into each others eyes in almost every picture, but it was fine. She is such a pleasant person! I think we looked really good together, didn't you? :P

I know I always say that I'm tired of seeing Freja in androgynous shoots, but when it's done right and so in-your-face I just love it! Happy fourth and stay safe!

Image Credits: My scans

Interview in Danish Elle

Thanks to slow_hands over at tFS (and Google translate), we have this short interview Freja gave recently to Danish Elle. There isn't much in the way of new information, but that's to be expected in a piece like this. It's still a cute read and I've done my best to write it all out and clean up the mistakes left in by Google translate:

She kick started her career in 2005 at an exclusive show for Prada and has since been on the catwalk over 200 times for designers such as Christian Dior, Miu Miu and Louis Vuitton. Additionally, she has decorated the covers of Vogue, Numéro, and V – and now Danish ELLE. She has been a campaign model for Gucci, Balenciaga, Chanel and others, and Karl Lagerfeld is so thrilled with the Danish beauty, he also has appointed her as the campaign model for his own brand Lagerfeld Gallery. And once again hip brand Jaeger of London has her as their face this season. ELLE asked Freja...

HOW DO YOU STAY HEALTHY?
I always try to eat healthy and varied. I eat lots of fruits and vegetables, supplemented with good, big man steaks!

WHAT HAS BEEN YOUR GREATEST CATWALK EXPERIENCE SO FAR?
That was in 2007 when I walked the Chanel Haute couture show at the Grand Palais in Paris. I wore a beautiful dress, and Cat Power played live.

WHAT HAVE YOU ON WHEN YOU GO OUT?
Black tight jeans, a black top, a black jacket, high heels and a simple makeup.

WHAT IS YOUR MUST HAVE BEAUTY PRODUCT?
A fragrance oil from Narciso Rodriguez.

WHAT IS YOUR BEST ADVICE?
Enjoy life!

ELLES CHOICE
Freja is the biggest model in Denmark right now, ranked number 11 in world ranking list of models on the site models.com. She is a fantastic model, but she is not classically beautiful. Rather, she has a very special and androgynous look - and some edge. And she's a very professional model and a pleasure to work with, says ELLES fashion editor, Sille Henning.

I believe the Danish Elle cover referenced in the interview is this one:

I only have this small picture, so if anyone has a bigger image I would be forever grateful if you let me know. This image came out during the height of the FW fashion month frenzy back in February so it was probably lost amidst all the fervor over new runway pictures.

Also, Congratulations to Freja who won the Dansk Award last night! I'll post later when more pictures hopefully surface.

Image Credits: elle.dk