Random Bits: Hello Holidays!

Instead of being stuck in the cold east coast snow, I managed to escape for the holidays just in time. Woot! But that doesn't mean I've completely checked out.....yet. So here a few news bits to get you through the rest of the week, until you make it home for the holidays. :)

-Freja just wrapped up shooting in São Paulo for the Brazilian shoe brand Santa Lolla. The shoot took place today and yesterday, and she was shot by Henrique Gendre. Any Brazilians out there with encounter stories to share? (Thanks to reader Gabriela for the tip!)

Behind the scenes at Santa Lolla

-It's the end of the year and you know what that means....lists. Freja's made it onto Vogue UK's Best Dressed List of 2010, accompanied by a quote from uber talented and revered stylist Lucinda Chambers:

"Freja is the ultimate in boy/girl cool. She’s so down-played but everything she wears is exquisite. Every girls wants to look like Freja.”

That's quite an endorsement coming from Lucinda. Freja is 1 out of the 6 models featured on the 20 person list. The others are Edie Campbell, Elisa Sednaoui, Kate Moss, Lara Stone, and Rosie Huntington-Whiteley. (Hmmm, does anyone else think that Vogue UK is determined to make Edie the next big British model export? They put her in December's Star Girls ed, and now they feature her here again, when I can think of lots of other girls more deserving.) Now we wait and see if Freja will show up on any other lists. With the year she had, I'm kind of expecting it to be honest. But we'll see.

-Remember this twitpic that was burning up the blogs and forums a while ago? I got a tip from lovely reader Kate, letting us know that it's for the campaign of a Scandinavian based, fast fashion chain store with a predilection for designer collaborations. But shhhhhhhh, you didn't read it here.

-Lastly, thanks for the shout outs models.com and Unique Denmark! It's quite humbling, and also a bit embarrassing to know that this blog is being visited (and maybe even being read....ha!) by people who actually work in the industry. So thank you for that recognition. I guess it means that I must be doing something right. But all the credit of course goes to Freja for keeping all of us enthralled with her work, and to all you out there for your constant input, encouragement, tips and well wishes. I would have given up a long time ago if it wasn't for you amazing and passionate fellow fans. So thanks most of all, to you!

Image Credits: Noctilux tumblr via tFS member Carla-A

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

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

In China

As some of you already know, Freja was spotted in China recently by some fans. Thanks to a kind e-mail I received from Freja fan Pauline (thank you so much!), I can tell you that the reason she's in China is because she's shooting the ad campaign for a Paris brand called Mo & Co (The site says the label was founded in Paris, but parts of the website are in Chinese and they're shooting the campaign in China. Go figure.)

According to firsthand accounts, Freja was kind and thoughtful, even going so far as to have a cup of water ready for the sleeping fan when he woke up on the flight. The picture below already appeared on tFS, but other pictures must remain unposted at the owner's request. If you read Chinese, I think you can find them somewhere at this address: t.sina.com/xuanzheng. Looks like the site requires registration though.

After a bit of a quiet spell, we're finally getting some new Freja news. Although, she's always been such a private person that I wouldn't take the quietness to mean that she hasn't been doing anything. If there's one thing she knows how to do, it's how to operate completely under the radar considering her level of status and fame within the industry and among fans.

Anyway, thanks again for the e-mail Pauline! And thanks to the fans in China for being so vigilant. Hopefully this is just the beginning of an eventful summer season!

Image Credits: t.sina.com/cn/xuanzheng

Track Her If You Can

You have to really love traveling if you want to be a top model. Just check out this little time line I've put together of Freja's whereabouts in the past few months. Consider it my own version of "Where In the World is FBE?"

Late May/Early June: Monaco for work and some relaxation time
Early June: London for work and play
Week of June 8th: New York for reasons unknown, but most likely work
Week of June 15th: Paris, ostensibly for work with Heidi Mount and Karl
Thursday, July 2th - Sunday, July 5th: Roskilde Festival in Denmark
Tuesday, July 7th: Chanel Haute Couture show in Paris
Thursday, August 6th: Mads Norgaard show as part of Copenhagen Fashion Week
Tuesday, August 11th: Saint Tropez in France with Karl Lagerfeld

Coming Up...

Sometime in August: Road trip to Los Angeles, San Diego, and Las Vegas
Monday, August 31 - Monday, Sept 7: Burning Man in Black Rock City, Nevada
Thursday, September 10th: New York Fashion Week

And then soon afterward, London (perhaps), Milan and Paris. Whew!

Decked out in A. Wang at the Roskilde Festival in early July


Walking around Saint Tropez on Tuesday in head-to-toe black, possibly as a purposeful foil to Karl's mostly white outfit. :)

Whoever says being a model is easy has never had to endure a grueling schedule like this. Sure there's down time and you're in exotic locales, but traveling in general tires your body out and messes up your Circadian rhythms. Continuous travel like the kind Freja undertakes results in a persistent, nagging sense of exhaustion. You jet setters out there should know what I'm talking about. Needless to say, after tracking Freja for just three months and seeing where she's been, I'm exhausted and for once not envious of her. I traveled just two hours from my home into the country this past weekend and the trip has already thrown off my whole week....yes, I'm a wimp.

How many frequent flyer miles do you think Freja's racked up in just these past few months? Even crazier still is that she's about to log tons more miles during the upcoming fashion month. I guess this means you better stay tuned for more installments of "Where In the World is FBE?"

Image Credits: euroman.dk, fromthedeskofphyllis.blogspot.com, zimbio.com