Art and Commerce

I've never been this underwhelmed by Freja's presence in an editorial. Perhaps my expectations were raised too high when I first heard about the ed. How can you go wrong with Inez and Vinoodh shooting Freja and Raquel? The first preview image seemed promising, even though Freja was relegated to the role of masculine, androgynous model once again. Even though it's a hackneyed role for her, Freja still could have been amazing, especially with Raquel playing the counterpoint.

What we get instead is Freja confined in the background, mostly as a prop. She doesn't even change outfits. The two main players in the editorial are clearly Raquel and all the amazing contemporary art. Both deliver so well that I wonder why Inez and Vinoodh even used Freja at all? She's a great model, so I'd rather have them take advantage of her skill then stick her casually in the back because that's just a tease.

Anyway, this editorial is long, but really amazing despite Freja's underwhelming presence. The art history lover in me is thrilled by the artists and pieces included. And Raquel shows how amazing she is once again, and why she's been in the industry for so long. You'd be hard pressed to find someone better than her to emulate and interact with the art the way she does.

Art and Commerce
W Magazine October 2009
Ph: Inez and Vinoodh

Image Credits: My Scans