Commanding Presence

There are some models who cannot walk to save their lives but whose strength lie instead in their ability to pose and convey a certain mood within an editorial. Arizona Muse illustrates why she is one of US Vogue's favourite faces of the moment in this David Sims lensed editorial. Muse stars alongside actor Jeremy Irvine in this military-inspired shoot styled by Grace Coddington. Muse and Irvine get swept up in a grandiose 20th Century romance set amidst a dramatic countryside landscape made all the more imposing by the omnipresent grey clouds looming over the horizon. Muse's stoic presence, divine profile and silhouette, and androgynous beauty, command each editorial image that she appears in.  

Imposing Presence - Arizona Muse

Jeremy Irvine & Arizona Muse

Arizona Muse

Arizona Muse & Jeremy Irvine

Jeremy Irvine & Arizona Muse

Arizona Muse & Jeremy Irvine

Arizone Muse & Jeremy Irvine
US Vogue - November 2011
Photographer -  David Sims
Source - fashiongonerogue.com

Leader of the Pack

Brazilian bombshell Raquel Zimmermann is one of the few models of the current generation who has managed to continually enthral and inspire designers, stylists and photographers through who her uncanny ability to reinvent herself with each and every editorial appearance. Paris Vogue's November 2011 issue features is Zimmermann rocking it out in the latest haute couture finery in front of Inez van Lamsweerde and Vinoodh Matadin's lens. Zimmerman literally leaps of the pages in a series of high energy poses and facial expressions whilst bringing a touch of humour to the Emanuelle Alt styled editorial.

The Inimitable Raquel Zimmermann

Raquel Zimmermann
Paris Vogue - November 2011
Photographer - Inez Van Lamsweerde & Vinoodh Matadin
Source - models.com

Cruise Mode

V Magazine's Model Issue serves up four alternate covers featuring eight of modelling's most illuminating faces captured by Terry Richardson. Joan Smalls, Daphne Groeneveld, Saskia de Brauw, Candice Swanepoel, Sui He, Hanaa Ben Abdesslem, Lindsey Wixson and Bambi Northwood-Blyth are paired off wearing the best of the Cruise collections styled by Carine Roitfeld. The models sport fluorescent eye shadow, candy-coloured spandex leggings and vibrant prints to brighten up the dreary Winter months ahead. Models appear to be making a come-back as cover subjects with Roitfeld anointing Smalls et al. as the "next generation of supermodels." Speaking with WWD, Roitfeld enthuses, "These eight girls are unique. It's their diversity that makes each of them, to me, truly modern. They bring a new energy to fashion."

Candice Swanepoel & Joan Smalls
V Magazine - Issue 74
Photographer -  Terry Richardson

Daphne Groeneveld & Saskia de Brauw
V Magazine - Issue 74
Photographer - Terry Richardson

Sui He & Hanaa Ben Abdesslem
V Magazine - Issue 74
Photographer - Terry Richardson

Bambi Northwood-Blyth & Lindsey Wixson
V Magazine -  Issue 74
Photographer - Terry Richardson
Source - models.com

Showstopper

Toronto native Kate King backed up her stellar Spring/Summer 2011 debut, amassing an incredulous 63 shows at the Spring/Summer 2012 collections. Listed by models.com and COACD as a Top Ten newcomer for the past F/W 2011 season, the auburn haired beauty snagged a Dolce Gabbana campaign in the process, alongside established stars Isabeli Fontana, Liu Wen, Constance Jablonski, Maryna Linchuk and Jac Jagaciak. Eighteen year old King recently switched representation from Elite to Ford Models and is being heralded as one of the most exciting prospects in recent times.

Backstage at Alexander Wang S/S 2012
Image courtesy of Interview Magazine
Source - thefashionspot.com

Championed by influential casting agent, Natalie Joos, who recollects in an interview with V Magazine, "When Kate King walked into my pre-casting for Fashion Week for FW11, my tireless attention shifted. She was this tall, mousy shy girl who reminded me of Ruby Aldridge. But she had a strong, rare kind of beauty, great hair and her walk was flawless." I couldn't agree more with Joos assessment of King. For me, King is a real standout and possesses an air mystery due in part to her olive skin tone, amber coloured eyes and angular bone structure. Looking at King, it's difficult to ascertain her heritage. It's this air of intrigue which makes her all the more alluring and memorable.

Mysterious Girl
Photographer - Craig Arend
Source - thefashionspot.com

Kate King
Photographer - Shirley Yu
Source - thefashionspot.com

In an interview with the Cut, King alludes to her mixed British and Guyanese lineage, when asked if there is anything about the fashion industry that she would change. "Being that I'm a medley of different races, I would love the runways to continue integrating different races and bodies." King is part of an eclectic group of second season girls who are stamping their mark on the fashion industry. Speaking with the Cut, King lists compatriots Sui He and Emily Baker as her tightest buddies, "Emily is so sweet...She's probably one of the girls I'm closest with. I also clicked with this Chinese model Sui He. She's 22, but she looks like a baby." One things for sure, King is certainly no cookie cutter beauty either and with her willowy 178 cm tall runway perfect proportions, is likely to be make an indelible impact in the years to come.

Alberta Ferretti - S/S 2012
Photographer - Yannis Vlamos

Giles - S/S 2012
Photographer - Alessandro Viero

Michael Kors - S/S 2012
Photographer - Yannis Vlamos

Hervé Leger - S/S 2012
Photographer - Yannis Vlamos

Prada - S/S 2012
Photographer - Monica Feudi

Proenza Schouler - S/S 2012
Photographer - Monica Feudi
All runway images courtesy of style.com

Breaking the Mould

V Magazine's up-coming model issue promises to be a humdinger of an issue if this preview editorial is anything to go by. Daniele Duella & Iango Henzi photograph modelling's most alluring faces in the latest haute couture offerings. Saskia de Brauw, Emily Baker, Joan Smalls, Candice Swanepoel, Zuzanna Bijoch, Aymeline Valade, Kristina Salinovic and Valerija Kelava round up the diverse cast of beauties. With an emphasis on individual beauty and diversity at the recent Spring/Summer 2012 collections, it appears that the fashion industry may finally be responding to market demand for models who are distinguishable from one another and who represent beauty in all of its guises.

Candice Swanepoel, Aymeline Valade & Joan Smalls

Kristina Salinovic

Emily Baker & Candice Swanepoel

Joan Smalls, Emily Baker & Zuzanna Bijoch

Saskia de Brauw & Aymeline Valade

Valerija Kelava, Kristina Salinovic & Aymeline Valade
V Magazine
Photographer - Daniele Duella & Iango Henzi
Source - thefashionspot.com

Boulevard of Dreams

During Paris Fashion Week, casting agent Andrew Weir captured some of the standout faces of the Spring/Summer 2012 season as they descended on Boulevard Montmartre. Paris is the last stop on the S/S 2012 Fashion calendar and following a month of relentless castings, fittings and sleep deprivation, it's no wonder these girls look as though they could do with some R&R. I was in Paris for the final days of fashion week and sighted several harried models scurrying all over the city in a state of flux.

Aymeline Valade

Elsa Sylvan

Gertrud Hegelund

Dempsey Stewart

Zuzanna Bijoch

Daphne Groeneveld

Kelly Mittendorf

Wjociech Pastora & Magdalena Frackowiak
Photographer - Andrew Weir
All images courtesy of weirdiary.com

The Rebirth

Puerto Rican native Joan Smalls is patent proof of what stellar model management can do for a models career. The evolution of Smalls has been anything but an "overnight success story". Smalls first came under my radar back in 2008 when I spotted her in Elite's online portfolio of models and in a V Magazine spread on "Powerhouse Model Agencies" which featured Smalls as part of Elite's line-up. At the time, I can recall noting Smalls' promise and wondered why she was being relegated to banal appearances in Liz Claiborne ads, Nordstrom catalogues and less prestigious editorial exposure for the likes of Cosmopolitan. Smalls' runway appearances were limited to smaller shows at New York Fashion week for the likes of Benjamin Cho and Heatherette. Here was an incredibly beautiful girl with stunning features and dimensions, yet her career was stalling before it had even started.

The Last Magazine - F/W 2011
Photographer - Karim Sadli
Source - models.com

Paris Vogue - February 2011
Photographer - Mario Sorrenti
Source - models.com

Paris Vogue - February 2011
Photographer - Mario Sorrenti
Source - models.com

V Magazine - July 2010
Photographer - Mark Abrahams
Source - models.com

In 2009, Smalls switched representation from Elite to IMG Models and her management team set about revamping her portfolio with new test shots, repositioning her in the market as a classically beautiful girl with a distinct high fashion edge. The time and resources vested in their new protegé paid dividends with Smalls landing a Spring Givenchy couture exclusive in January 2010. Hoping to capitalise on the buzz surrounding Smalls' Givenchy exclusive, IMG set about promoting Smalls to the hilt, sending her on a round of go-sees to a wide-cross section of casting directors and stylists including Andrew Weir, Russell Marsh, Michelle Lee, Karl Templer and Melanie Huynh. Backed by a management team who recognised her true potential, Smalls delivered the goods, booking Anna Sui, Prada, Burberry, Gucci, Valentino, and Yves Saint Laurent amongst others in her pivotal breakthrough Fall/Winter 2010 show season.

Industrie Magazine
Photographer - Rachel Chandler
Source - industrie.nowmanifest.com

Smalls is now indisputably one of the fashion industry's most coveted faces, appearing regularly in blue chip publications including all international editions of Vogue, V Magazine, W, i-D Magazine, and in campaigns for Givenchy, Stella McCartney, Gucci, Roberto Cavalli and the GAP. In early 2011, Smalls reached the pinnacle of any model's career by signing a lucrative cosmetics contract with Estee Lauder, becoming a spokesperson and global ambassador for the cosmetics giant. Smalls success is a testament to her hard work ethic, perseverance, charming personality and to her management team at IMG. In an interview with the T Magazine, Smalls is asked whom in the (modelling) industry she most identifies with, to which she replies tellingly, "models who have worked their way to an admirable career and have taken their time to get there."

Thierry Mugler - S/S 2012
Photographer - Filippo Fior

Max Mara - S/S 2012
Photographer - Yannis Vlamos

Gucci - S/S 2012
Photographer - Monica Feudi

Carolina Herrera - S/S 2012
Photographer - Yannis Vlamos

Hakaan - S/S 2012
Photographer - Marcus Tondo

Donna Karan - S/S 2012
Photographer - Yannis Vlamos

Givenchy - S/S 2012
Photographer - Yannis Vlamos
All runway images courtesy of style.com