Chanel Pre-Fall 2011

As expected, Freja walked for the Chanel Pre-Fall 2011 show held earlier today in Paris. And she closed the Byzantine spectacle wearing a long, flowing coat with matching hair to boot.

Looking a little mean there Freja...


...there, that's better.

When was the last time she missed a Chanel show? Maybe the SS09 show two years ago when she missed all of Paris? Anyway, I'm beginning to think that Karl really sees Freja as the female equivalent of Baptiste. She travels with him, is involved in nearly all of his projects, and she's treated differently from all the other female models. Case in point: the way she was styled for this show. All of the other models had their hair put up in bee-hive bouffants, but Freja had hers down, styled to look the way it always looks nowadays.

I don't know if this special treatment from Karl is a good thing, or a bad thing. Probably a little bit of both. As one of you pointed out in the comments of this post, albeit jokingly, maybe Karl is trying to make Freja and Baptiste into twins....lol. I really just don't know. Why do you think Freja is getting treated differently? Perhaps it's a display of trust and comfort on Karl's part? Or maybe a request on Freja's part? It will be interesting to see how their working relationship further develops in the coming months. After Pirelli and this runway, will we continue to see Freja being used unconventionally? Your guess is as good as mine.

Image Credits: wwd.com

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

Acting Break

Remember this little gem? Yes, the Chanel Pre-Fall video from last year that had Freja portraying a Chinese peasant girl and a Chinese courtesan. Well this year we won't have to suffer through get to enjoy another brilliant piece of film making from Karl because WWD reports that he "...had no time to make a movie," for this year's Chanel pre-fall collection. So Freja won't be in yellow face, or black face, or some other face, to complete Karl's ballsy display of cultural insensitivity. And we won't have to sit through a laughable, but endearing in a weird way, video as we squirm with second hand embarrassment. In fact, it seems like this year is all about modesty and intimacy since the show is not even being held in some far-flung, exotic location as past experience would dictate. No London, Moscow, or Shanghai.

Instead it's being held in the good, old City of Lights.....Gay Paree! Rue Cambon to be exact. Tuesday, December 7th. So mark those calendars, because chances are Freja will be there. Gosh, I can't even remember the last time she missed a Chanel show, be it ready-to-wear, haute couture, resort or pre-fall. Maybe during the infamous SS09 season? Anyway, as WWD reports:

"After taking over every square inch of the vast Grand Palais in Paris for its spring ready-to-wear show earlier this month, Chanel is reverting to more intimate environs for pre-fall. On Dec. 7, the French house plans to show its latest métiers d’arts collection — a luxury rtw line made with the specialty ateliers Chanel owns — where it all started back in 2002: at its Rue Cambon couture salons."

So it seems like Freja fans will get their next fix in just a little less than one month. We might be entering into the holiday season, but fashion never rests. After all, the trends can't set themselves!

Better Pictures

Here are some higher quality pictures from yesterday's Chanel show. As usual, click through to enlarge. And according to style.com, Freja closed the show. Well...technically Baptiste closed it, but Freja was the last girl out. So she's continuing on her roll with Karl and Chanel. So much so that she's nearly becoming synonymous with the modern Chanel woman, and I'm undecided as to whether this is a good thing or a bad thing.

I guess it's great for Freja and her financial stability. Maybe not so great when it comes to other designers being able to envision her for their labels. I don't know, I guess we'll see.

Image Credits: style.com

Forays into Acting

I love you Freja, but I hope you're not one of those models who wants to transition into acting. Considering that you've probably never had any formal training, and that music seems to be more of your passion, I do think this was a valiant and commendable first effort on your part. However, you should probably stick to your day job.

Then again, you shouldn't be penalized for the execution of this concept. I'm sure it was pretty hard for you to identify with the roles you were asked to play seeing as you're from Denmark and not from China. A Chinese girl and a Chinese courtesan aren't characters I would ever relate to you, but I suppose such details as ethnic authenticity don't matter to the Kaiser. And I'm sure it was hard to recite that choppy and ridiculous dialogue with a straight face. I know I would have been laughing my ass off if I had to pretend I was talking to Coco Chanel.

Anyway, what matters here is that Karl is once again supporting your career and that is something I will always commend him for doing, no matter how bored I get seeing you only work with him. I gotta wonder though, does he have you and Baptiste under contract as part of his official traveling entourage? If so, does this contract maybe have a clause somewhere that allows you to work with other people like Nick Knight, Paolo Roversi, Camilla Akrans and Solve Sundsbo? I certainly hope so.

Starting @ 6:00


Starting at the beginning and going until 2:45


Starting @ 2:50 and going until 4:00


This was quite entertaining, but I'm much more impressed by the runway pictures from the show:

Karl always knows how to transport us to another world. It's escapism at it's best when we need it the most. While the quagmire in Afghanistan escalates, the debate on health care reform continues on, and the global economic downturn dominates, we can always count on Karl (and the fashion industry in general) to give us a world where these concerns don't exist. For this reason, most people consider fashion to be a frivolity. But it is precisely because of this reason why I consider fashion to be an absolute necessity.

Your thoughts on the vid? Freja's acting ability? The show? Freja working with Meisel (I still can't believe it)? And thanks to all the people who left comments telling me that the vid was up. It's sweet of you all to think of me, but I am a member at tFS so I already see the news as it's posted. Sorry, but I just can't update this blog instantaneously. So just because I don't post about something doesn't mean I don't know about it. Often times I'm waiting and thinking about what I want to post and how I want to post it. I don't want to post for the sake of posting....and isn't that what Freja's thread at tFS is for? ;)

Image Credits: wwd