A Modeling Model

One of the things I enjoy the most about Freja's recent panoply of editorials is that they have given us the opportunity to see her work with people she doesn't normally work with. Patrick Demarchelier is the example here, and even though this new editorial isn't the most brilliant breakthrough of Freja's career, it is solidly decent, something different and shows us another side to her modeling skill.

Urban Renewal
Vogue UK April 2010
Ph: Patrick Demarchelier
Stylist: Lucinda Chambers

I'm a big fan of Lucinda's work and this editorial is no exception. It also helps that I absolutely love, love, love the trend towards modern, wearable, minimalistic clothes that real women who have real jobs can seamlessly integrate into their existing wardrobes (thank you Phoebe Philo!!). The clothes are straightforward and the styling, photography and model poses coincide with that aesthetic. Freja was the perfect girl for this shoot because I think her face personifies the mood of the layout; sleek, refined and modern, but not at the expense of being interesting.

Sure, it isn't ground breaking, but not every thing has to be. Sometimes you just want to see a good fashion spread with desirable clothes modeled by someone who knows what she's doing. Someone who's using her body in the best possible way to display the clothes. And lest we forget, that is the foundation of Freja's job after all, and she's damn good at it. For all the focus that's put on her personal life, who she's seen with and what she looks like off-duty, I can't help but feel that her abilities as a model are just an afterthought. I hope I'm wrong about this...and now that I think about it, that's probably the best summation as to why this blog exists. It's to bring the focus back to the work! Sorry for the tangent....

Anyway, Patrick's style can get very boring and repetitive, but under the styling hands of Lucinda I think this editorial is able to escape the mundane pitfalls of being just another plain studio edit. His style is distinct though. I see similarities between this editorial and the editorial that resulted from the last time Freja and Patrick worked together.

Proof that a photographer's direction has a lot to do with the way a model models? Yes, I definitely think so. Proof that Freja takes direction well and it easily malleable to different visions? Yes, I absolutely think so. Her body and her face are the creative vehicles and here she shows us that they are tuned up and in fine driving form.

By the way, who else thinks that Freja is waaaaay past due for a Vogue UK cover? Alexandra Shulman, the Freja fans are watching you. Don't let us down! You too Jaime Perlman. I know you're a fan....make it happen! (Hey, the return to femininity eventually happened after I griped about it many times last year. Maybe this will happen too, after I spend all of this year complaining about it. Ha!)

Image Credits: Beautiful scans of April issue of Vogue UK by tFS member fearless123, other scans by me

Clearing the Air

I debated on whether to post about this, but I just had to get this off my chest and clear the air. Someone made a comment on this old post I wrote, and it has really been nagging at me ever since. The fact that there might be some people out there who don't think I appreciate the readers of this blog really irritates me. However, looking back now, I can see how my tone and intent in the last paragraph of that post may have come off negatively. It horrifies me to think that other people might also feel that I'm being bitchy or rude, so I want to apologize if I came off sounding that way as it was truly not my intent.

I started this blog as a personal creative outlet and never did I think it would get the reception that it has. I'm still very much perplexed as to why some of you willingly submit yourselves to my long-winded, rambling posts but I never, ever take it for granted. I appreciate the fact that you spend your precious free time reading and commenting, and I hope I've never given the impression otherwise. Believe me, I know my place here and I hold absolutely no illusions as to the reasons why this blog even has readers in the first place. Those reasons can be summed up in two words: Freja Beha. I just happened to pick a good topic to write about and I know that people's excitement and love for her are the only reasons I'm lucky enough to have this blogging voice.

So perhaps I shouldn't have been so hasty with my wording in that post, but I just meant to say that I do read Freja's tFS thread so I am aware of any new material posted over there. The enthusiasm and thoughtfulness that causes so many of you to leave comments and write me e-mails is very touching and I do appreciate it, more than you will ever know--I simply cannot reiterate that enough! But I just physically can't post about everything the second we hear about it. That's why we have tFS in the first place--to post quickly and objectively about fashion news as it happens. This blog is different and I make no qualms about it being totally subjective. Because of that, there will be times when I offend people with my opinions. However, to come under scrutiny for my intentions due to something as simple as my semantic choices is unexpected and quite jarring, but I now realize it's another inevitable consequence I must deal with.

I suppose this misunderstanding is no one's fault but my own, seeing that as of late I seem to have lost that sense of wonderment and awe that would have previously caused me to react in the same way, i.e. by wanting everyone to know everything about Freja. I can identify with that feeling of thrill and perhaps I'm a tad envious of those of you who are still in possession of it. Because I do remember what it felt like to get really, really excited about everything Freja did. I mean, I was excited enough to create this blog in the first place. But I guess I've just moved out of that honeymoon phase and into the long-term relationship phase where I'll have ups and downs. Maybe my fatigue came through in that post? I don't know...

So at this point I'm just happy that some of you want to share your excitement with me, and that you find this blog welcoming and useful as a place where you can express any opinions you have about Freja. Consequently, I will remember to be more respectful of that in the future. That's what I want this blog to be. A place of more substance and less surface gloss, where you can dissect the minutiae or expound upon general impressions.

I just had to address all of this because I don't want anyone else to assume I'm ungrateful for the readers of this blog. I absolutely welcome criticism of my opinions, the way I write or the blog layout, but for anyone to presume I don't appreciate the readers out there is what's discouraging to me. Especially when at this point, the readers are the main reason I keep this blog going. If you've managed to read this far, I'm thoroughly impressed and I thank you for reading and indulging me. Hopefully you have a better understanding of where I'm coming from and why I blog so that misunderstandings about my intent can be circumvented in the future.

Normal Freja posts will continue tomorrow. :)