Fashion Weeks

It's been very quiet lately, but that's definitely not unusual for the month of August. Nearly everyone is on vacation, resting up for the hectic month of September when models begin to descend en mass upon the cities of New York, London, Milan and Paris for the Spring/Summer 2011 runway season.

To get you excited (and prepared), you can browse the schedule for New York here. Those are just the designers showing at the tents (at Lincoln Center!!). Lots of designers are showing off-site so don't fret if you don't see Alexander, Marc, Jack or Lazaro on the list. Here's hoping Freja continues on with her amazing streak from last season. Any shows you're particularly excited to see her walk? Hoping to see her walk? Will be shocked if she walks? I'm excited for Alexander Wang, Marc Jacobs and Narciso Rodriquez. I just love Alex always, and Marc and Narciso are the only two shows that Freja has never missed walking for since her debut. Talk about amazing streaks....those two can't end!

Even though it's been a quiet August, there's always a fashion week going on somewhere in the world. And this time it's happening in Freja's home country. Copenhagen Fashion Week starts today and lasts until Sunday. Freja won't be walking, but that's no excuse to miss out if you love fashion and models. After all, it's where Freja got her start before landing internationally on the Prada runway. And it's where we'll most likely see new talent trying to make their marks before the September shows begin. Caroline Brasch Nielsen had a good debut last season at CPH before breaking out in Paris, and subsequently making it on to many top ten newcomer lists. If you're a model watcher than I would definitely keep your eyes peeled. Those Danes are always quite lovely and perfectly in line with the modeling zeitgeist.

Maybe August won't be so quiet after all. :)

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

On the Beauty of Magazines

I finally got around to picking up a copy of Freja's Vogue UK. My encounter with this particular issue is just going to reiterate how important I think it is to buy actual magazines because the viewing experience is so much more enriching and fulfilling than just seeing the images online. The colors seem more vibrant, the glossiness of the paper adds dimension and having a tangible object in your hands makes the images look better......at least to me. You're also privy to more information about the images you're viewing, making for a more robust experience. Case in point: The editor's letter and contributors pages tell us what people think about Freja, and they tell us about the context and inspiration for her editorial.

I feel like I was destined to love this editorial because it combines two of my (and probably the vast majority of twenty-something females') interests: art and fashion. I know this isn't a novel concept by any means, but I feel like rarely do we get to see the connection and conversation between the two so pronounced as it is in this editorial. Josh Olins took his cue from English figurative painter Euan Uglow. Knowing this tiny, but significant, fact changes things completely. I now look at the editorial with new eyes and the images take on new significance, especially when compared with their inspirational source:

If you read about Uglow and his artistic process, Olin's photographs don't seem so simple in their appearance anymore. My previous thoughts on the editorial read Freja's positions and poses as the best way to display the clothes. But I found this particular bit about Eglow's working methods particularly enlightening:

"Planes are articulated very precisely, edges are sharply defined, and colours are differentiated with great subtlety. His type of realism has its basis in geometry...."

That's from his Wikipedia page. (I have better researching skills but considering my lack of time and library resources, that will have to do.) Freja was posed that way to emulate the figures in Uglow's work. The planes, sharp edges and colors also happen to be great ways to show off new looks for the upcoming season. :) Fashion and art intersect in so many ways that it's a pity the same respect and scholarly seriousness hasn't been accorded to fashion like it has been to art....but that's a whole other story.

In case you want to know, here's what Josh said about Freja on the Contributors Page:

"I'm really glad my first cover is with Freja. She's beautiful but boyish, and has this great repertoire of innocent and feminine expressions. She'll sit down and look grumpy, but when you take the picture she looks captivating."

And here's what Alexandra Schulman said in her Editor's Letter:

"We all admire Freja for her distinctive looks, which stand out amoung the sea of pretty, tawny-haired models that often prevail on the catwalk. Photographer Josh Olins's shoot, featuring autumn's off-beat colour mixes, is the perfect vehicle for her boy/girl allure."

Mentioning Freja and "boyishness" has become too easy and trite that's it's completely lost all meaning for me. I wish people would start to move away from that because it dilutes the meaning of the term, and frankly I think it's a misuse. In her modeling work I really don't see how she's more boyish than any other model. Hilary Rhoda and Isabeli Fontana (no offense to them) have the manliest jaws in the industry but they're both considered "sexy." Maybe the term is in reference to her body, but in editorials where she's wearing clothes to cover that up it becomes a non-issue. Maybe it's in reference to her demeanor in person and on set, and for that I have no factual basis to judge that on. It just don't get it, so please someone enlighten me. Moving on....

This instance just strengthens my resolve to continue buying magazines because the industry cannot die out. If I had not bought this issue I never would have read about the Uglow reference. It would be a travesty to lose the print industry; not just magazines but books as well. Having something in my hands forces me to read it and absorb it more than I would have if it was just on the screen. (The irony of me using a digital method to communicate this message isn't lost on me.) Technology is wonderful and it gives us so many things, but to completely lose the preciousness and uniqueness of certain experiences in the haste towards progress and technological trends would be a huge mistake. It doesn't have to be one or the other. People can have i-Pads and e-readers and still buy magazines and books, with both mediums working in concert to create a complete and total experience. Or maybe I'm just too old-school and living in a dream world....

Image Credits: Scans by tFS member fearless123, artnet.com, marlboroughfineart.com, telegraph.co.uk

Random Bits: Inspiration, Encounters and Candids

-Molly Girard Coonan and Alice Barlow, the two people behind new label Barlow, are just like us in that they find a source of inspiration in Freja. Her picture is apparently up on their inspiration board, and they told NY Mag's The Cut that they "like to mix in elements that are both masculine and sexy." Well, if you ask me they couldn't have picked a more perfect source for that type of inspiration.

-I came across a lovely (but oldish) Freja encounter. During the shooting of the editorial "Before the Fall" for Vogue UK August 2008, fashion intern Rebecca got to meet Freja and just recently posted about the experience (complete with pictures) on her blog. Here's a snippet of what she had to say:

"Anyway in between camera flashes and set manoeuvres I found myself, the overzealous intern, engrossed in conversation with Freja and mesmerised by how laid back she was. Personally, I was overwhelmed by the whole experience. I’d acquired my own chauffeur for the day to ferry me to and from the studio, I was immersed in a sea of designer shoes and garments that, no doubt, amounted to more than what I would earn in my life time and I had drinks, CHOCOLATE, and first class food on tap. Freja was, obviously, used to what I wasn’t! and seemed so happy to sit and chat with me about me – oh and tatoos. She has ‘Float’ scrawled across her neck amidst numerous other skin engravings. She informed me that she just floats through life – like I hadn’t noticed."

You can see the pictures over on her blog as I don't feel comfortable posting them on here because I really only came across them by chance.

-Lastly, here's a candid picture of Freja, Abbey Lee and Leigh Lezark back in May at the Chanel Cruise show that was held in St. Tropez. It's still slightly odd to see Freja wearing a "color" other than black. ;)

Image Credits: My Scan

Quick Recap

Just in case you've lost track, here's a quick recap of all of Freja's current work:

AD CAMPAIGNS:
Balenciaga by Steven Meisel
Chanel by Karl Lagerfeld
MaxMara by Mario Sorrenti
Tom Ford Eyewear by Tom Ford
Valentino by David Sims

EDITORIALS:
Best in Show, W Magazine, June 2010 by Craig McDean
Collection Privee, Vogue Paris, June/July 2010 by Terry Richardson
The Untold Crime, Vogue Nippon, August 2010 by Terry Richardson
Colour Shock, Vogue UK, August 2010 by Josh Olins
Modern Love, Interview, August 2010 by Craig McDean
Winter Before Winter, Vogue Paris, August 2010 by David Sims

COVERS:
Vogue Paris Collections F/W 10.11
Vogue Paris, August 2010 by David Sims
Vogue UK, August 2010 by Josh Olins
W Magazine Korea, August 2010 by Craig McDean

RANDOM BITS:
Chanel Haute Couture F/W 10.11 Accessories Video
Paparazzi Shots in Soho on 7/21/10
Ridiculous and ludicrous article from Jezebel about Vogue UK cover
Vogue UK cover getting even more press

It's been a very busy few months, and the S/S 11 season isn't even here yet!