sports illustrated: Chanel

Showing posts with label Chanel. Show all posts

Wednesday, January 11, 2012

The Power of Persistence

Karl Lagerfeld enlists the exceptional modelling talents of Joan Smalls and Saskia de Brauw for the Chanel Spring/Summer 2012 campaign. Combining pure physical strength, grace and beauty, de Brauw and Smalls are a vision of elegance as they pose on various gymnastic apparatus set amidst the picturesque landscape of the Hotel du Cap Eden Roc on the Cote d'Azur. The serene-like poses held by de Brauw and Smalls are a testament to the resilience and determination of the two models who are now only just hitting their stride professionally as models following years in the industry.

Smalls who has modelled since 2007, spent her early modelling days posing for catalogue clients such as Nordstrom. de Brauw's early forays into modelling in 1996 left her unfulfilled personally and professionally, leading her to focus instead on her education. In 2010, de Brauw decided to give modelling another shot based on the encouragement of a friend who happened to be a make-up artist. Both Smalls and de Brauw received the masterstroke of approval from designer Riccardo Tisci who cast the models to appear in the Givenchy presentations and have not looked back since.

Saskia de Brauw & Joan Smalls

Joan Smalls

Saskia de Brauw

Saskia de Brauw & Joan Smalls

Saskia de Brauw

Joan Smalls

Saskia de Brauw

Joan Smalls & Saskia de Brauw
Chanel - S/S 2012
Photographer - Karl Lagerfeld
Source - fashiongonerogue.com

Saturday, October 15, 2011

Frontrunner

The Milan and Paris show circuits are notorious for being particularly tough markets for newcomers to crack. Twenty year old Karo Mrozkova however emerged from the fracas as the most coveted newcomer of the Spring/Summer 2012 season. With a staggering 50 shows to her credit, the luminous Czech beauty ticked all of the right boxes, gliding down the runways for the likes of BCBG Max Azria, Band of Outsiders, Carolina Herrera, Herve Leger, Theysken's Theory, 3.1 Phillip Lim, Rodarte, Acne, Antonio Berardi, Jil Sander, Dolce Gabbana, DSquared, Just Cavalli, Lanvin and Chanel. Represented by Marilyn Model Management in New York, the statuesque 180 cm tall blond bombshell is a dead ringer for Hana Soukupova and Filippa Hamilton with a dash of Grace Kelly thrown in. I am certain that Mrozkova's classic blonde haired, blue eyed look will make her a frontrunner when it comes to casting campaigns for the season ahead.

Classic Blonde
Photographer - Unknown
Source - thefashionspot.com

Marie Claire Czech Republic - Issue Unknown
Photographer - Dennison Bertram
Source - thefasionspot.com

Photographer - Jacob Sadrak
Source - jacobsadrak.blogspot.com

Photographer - Unknown
Source - thefashionspot.com

BCBG Max Azria - S/S 2012
Photographer - Yannis Vlamos

Just Cavalli - S/S 2012
Photographer - Yannis Vlamos

Lanvin - S/S 2012
Photographer - Yannis Vlamos

Gianfranco Ferre - S/S 2012
Photographer - Marcus Tondo

Theysken's Theory - S/S 2012
Photographer - Gianni Pucci
All runway images courtesy of style.com

Friday, October 14, 2011

The Unstoppable Sui He

Chinese model Sui He tops off an incredible Spring/Summer 2012 show season with a history making cover appearance for W Magazine's November 2012 art issue. Lensed by Max Vadukal with art direction by Chinese contemporary artist Ai Weiwei, the cover features Sui He being wrestled to the ground by two unknown assailants. The cover image and accompanying editorial shot in New York, is reminiscent of Weiwei's photographic work from the Eighties Tompkin Square riots.

The Unstoppable Sui He
W Magazine - November 2012
Photographer - Max Vadukal
Art Direction - Ai Weiwei
Source - models.com

Sui He's appearance on the cover of W is a first for models of Asian descent and is likely to cement He's status as a true contender amongst the new generation of models. He was one of the stand out faces at the Spring/Summer 2012 shows, appearing at only the most coveted shows including Altuzarra, Donna Karan, Prabal Gurung, Michael Kors, Peter Som, Oscar de la Renta, Antonio Berardi, Acne, Max Mara, Dolce Gabbana, Costume National, Hussein Chalayan, Thierry Mugler, Lanvin, Hermes and Chanel. He's pristine beauty, killer physique and versatility in front of the lens have her marked as one of the "it" girls of the season.

Thierry Mugler - S/S 2012
Photographer - Filippo Fior

Bottega Veneta - S/S 2012
Photographer - Yannis Vlamos

Prabal Gurung - S/S 2012
Photographer - Monica Feudi

Donna Karan - S/S 2012
Photographer - Yannis Vlamos

Max Mara - S/S 2012
Photographer - Yannis Vlamos

Antonio Berardi - S/S 2012
Photographer - Alessandro Viero

Hussein Chalayan - S/S 2012
Photographer - Filippo Fior

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

Paris Escapades

I must apologise for the scarcity of posting of late but I have been making the most of the last few weeks of Summer by travelling abroad to Spain, France and Denmark. I was in Paris for the last few days of Paris Fashion Week and was treated to a smorgasbord of model sightings including Sigrid Agren and the very lovely celebrity model Alexa Chung. I was very proud to see a number of Australians blazing a blistering trail on the Parisian catwalks. The biggest surprise for me was Miranda Kerr, who cemented her status as a model with true high fashion cred by appearing in no less that seven blue chip shows. Kerr made up for her no show at Balenciaga with sublime appearances at Christian Dior, John Galliano, Chanel, Viktor & Rolf, Loewe, Stella McCartney and Lanvin.

Miranda Kerr
Australian Harper's Bazaar - November 2012
Photographer - Simon Lekias
Source - fashiongonerogue.com

John Galliano - S/S 2012
Photographer - Filippo Fior

Loewe - S/S 2012
Photographer - Marcus Tondo

Chanel - S/S 2012
Photographer - Yannis Vlamos

Lanvin - S/S 2012
Photographer - Yannis Vlamos

Stella McCartney - F/W 2012
Photographer - Yannis Vlamos

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

Friday, July 22, 2011

Colour Blind

Editorials featuring all-Black or all-Asian model casts have been all the rage since Vogue Italia's Black Issue hit newsstands in July 2008. US Vogue, US Harpers Bazaar, Allure, Interview, i-D Magazine, Vogue Italia, Vogue China and Russian Vogue have all since featured editorials with models grouped according to ethnicity. Whilst it is commendable to see a broader cross-section of racial groups represented in fashion publications, I am not convinced that editorials which segregate models based on their skin pigmentation is the solution to the on-going debate over the lack of diversity in fashion.

Is the singling out of a particular racial group in editorials a mere gimmick or does it signify real progress in the move towards a fashion industry that is more inclusive? If Chanel's recent Resort show is any indication, I would hazard a guess that the fashion industry has a long way to go towards understanding and embracing the concept of diversity. Out of the 74 looks featured in Chanel's Cruise collection, not a single black model was featured in the line-up. I look forward to the day when it is the norm to see fashion editorials and runway shows in which multiple ethnics groups are represented rather than just the odd token Asian or Black model amongst a cast of Caucasians.

Jeneil Williams & Aminata Niaria

Sedene Blake

Aminata Niaria & Jeneil Williams

Sedene Blake, Aminata Niaria & Reina Montero

Reina Montero, Jeneil Williams & Sedene Blake

Sedene Blake & Jeneil Williams

Shena Moulton, Jeneil Williams & Aminata Niaria
Vogue Russia - July 2010
Photographer - Terry Tsiolis
Source - thefashionspot.com

Friday, July 1, 2011

On the Prowl...

The Fall/Winter 2011 campaigns continue to surface with Givenchy, Chanel and Versace delivering a veritable smorgasbord of delectable visual treats. The three fashion houses present delightfully modern and emotionally engaging images which will surely attract the consumer dollar in the months ahead. Karl Lagerfeld captures Freja Beha Erichsen perched inside a photo booth posing as a feline. Styled by former Vogue Paris Editor-in Chief Carine Roitfeld, the campaign's playful, youthful vibe is a welcome departure from Chanel's traditionally staid imagery.

Freja Beha Erichsen
Chanel - F/W 2011
Photographer - Karl Lagerfeld
Source - models.com

Freja Beha Erichsen
Chanel - F/W 2011
Photographer - Karl Lagerfeld
Source - fashionologie.com

Donatella Versace enlists Mert Alas & Marcus Piggott to capture models Saskia de Brauw and Sean O'Pry for it's Fall 2011 campaign. The dark, cinematic imagery is a distinct departure from Versace's trademark overtly sexy iconography. The selection of models clearly heralds a directional shift for Versace with Donatella revealing in an interview with WWD, "For me, it is expected to have the blond girl, the sexy girl, and this is what Versace meant recently, but I thought about how in the past, when Gianni used girls like Kristen McMenamy and Stella Tenant, everyone was always saying 'Wow, this is not a Versace girl, she is not blond.' Sometimes you need to renew yourself to work better and to make a little bit of a push."

Saskia de Brauw
Versace - F/W 2011
Photographer - Mert Alas & Marcus Piggott
Source - models.com

Sean O'Pry
Versace - F/W 2011
Photographer - Mert Alas & Marcus Piggott
Source - models.com

The Givenchy Fall 2011 Campaigns pulls out the big guns with Mert Alas & Marcus Piggott teaming up with powerhouse stylist Carine Roitfeld to shoot some of modelling's most iconic faces. Naomi Campbell, Rob Evans, Natalia Vodianova, Kristen McMenamy, Maria Carla Boscono and Jonathan Marquez glare and scowl down the camera's lens whilst unleashing a lion's roar. The experience and emotional range exhibited by Campbell, Vodianova et al. elevates this campaign to a level that is befitting of the extraordinary talent assembled.

Naomi Campbell
Givenchy - F/W 2011
Photographer - Mert Alas & Marcus Piggott
Source - models.com

Rob Evans
Givenchy - F/W 2011
Photographer - Mert Alas & Marcus Piggott
Source - models.com

Thursday, June 23, 2011

Classic Blonde

Before the emergence of Doutzen Kroes, Lara Stone, Daphne Groeneveld et al, the Netherland's was duly represented by supermodel Karen Mulder. Mulder was discovered in 1985 at the age of fifteen year when a friend sent in pictures of her to the Elite Agency's reknowned Elite Model Look competition. Mulder placed second and was swiftly signed onto Elite's books. Standing at 180 cm with honey blonde tresses and classically beautiful features, Mulder quickly ascended the ranks of the modelling ladder working for high-profile clients like Valentino, Yves Saint Laurent, Versace and Calvin Klein. Mulder came to represent the epitome of the classic blonde however with a refined European elegance and sophistication that was missing amongst her American counterparts.

US Harpers Bazaar - March 1994
Photographer - Patrick Demarchelier

US Vogue - March 1991
Photographer - Patrick Demarchelier

US Vogue - Unknown
Photographer - Helmut Newton

US Harpers Bazaar - September 1994
Photographer - Wayne Maser

US Vogue - June 1991
Photographer - Marc Hispard

British Vogue - Unknown
Photographer - Mikael Jansson

US Vogue - April 1991
Photographer - Irving Penn

British Vogue - April 1991
Photographer - Peter Lindberg

Mulder became a regular fixture within the pages and on the covers of high fashion publications like British Vogue, Paris Vogue and American Vogue, and was photographed habitually by influential photographers of the day; Arthur Elgort, Patrick Demarchelier, Peter Lindberg, Francesco Scavullo, Helmut Newton and Irving Penn. By 1991, Mulder had hit her stride professionally, landing multi-million dollar contracts with Guess, Calvin Klein and Chanel cosmetics. Mulder formed part of an exclusive group of supermodels during the nineties including Naomi Campbell, Linda Evangelista, Christy Turlington, Claudia Schiffer and Tatjana Patitz, appearing together on the cover of the 100th Anniversary issue of American Vogue shot by Patrick Demarchelier.

During the latter part of her career, Mulder capitalised on her wholesome good looks by appearing in the coveted Sports Illustrated swimsuit issue and became a Victoria's Secret staple model. Mulder retreated from modelling in 2000 and has gone on record as saying that "From the beginning I hated being photographed. For me, it was just an assumed role, and in the end, I didn't really know who I was as a person. Everybody was saying to me, 'Hi, you're fantastic.' But inside, I felt worse from day to day." Mulder's life post-modelling has since been characterised by personal and emotional issues which have been widely documented in the international press.