Orient Express

Deciding which models and shows to highlight is in itself an almost impossible task. Almost that is, until I saw Australian model Shanina Shaik opening for Jason Wu's Chinese themed collection. Wu, who is in fact Taiwanese and immigrated to Canada at the age of ten, was inspired by a trip with his father to Taiwan. Asking himself "What is Chinese?", Wu came up with three distinct reference points; the military China epitomised by Mao jackets and shirts, the historical China of the Qing dynasty, and forties Hollywood version of China.

To fulfil this brief, Wu enlisted the services of casting director James Scully to assemble a line-up of models who could embody the many sides of Chinese culture as reflected in the collection. The challenge for Scully lay in casting models with strong enough looks and conviction combined with a womanly allure, to pull off the military style jackets, cheongsam dresses and silk tassel earrings. With the gonging of a cymbal, Shanina Shaik entered the fray via a strobe of red light signalling the beginnings of a visual feast. Red hot newcomers Katryn Kruger, Kati Nescher, Julia Frauche, and Marte Mei Van Haaster joined the procession alongside established stars Joan Smalls, Aymeline Valade, Kate King, Emily Baker and Candice Swanepoel. The line-up was one of the most ethnically diverse of NYFW with Cora Emmanuel, Jourdan Dunn, Anais Mali, Liu Wen, Tao Okamoto, Lais Ribeiro and Jasmine Tookes all landing coveted spots.

In the final moments before the show is about to start, Scully corals the models together for a pre-show motivational pep talk informing them, "It is the year of the dragon ladies at Jason Wu and you're his bitches, so make sure everybody knows. We want you confident, strong, gorgeous. I don't book you for your size, I book you because of who you are and you're all beautiful and never let anyone make you feel less than skinny or not big enough. You're all fucking gorgeous and I want you all to feel that way when you go out there and make the show happen." 

Jason Wu's Model Army
Jason Wu - F/W 2012

Shanina Shaik
Jason Wu - F/W 2012

Candice Swanepoel
Jason Wu - F/W 2012

Cora Emmanuel
Jason Wu - F/W 2012

Anais Mali
Jason Wu - F/W 2012

Katryn Kruger
Jason Wu - F/W 2012

Jasmine Tookes
Jason Wu - F/W 2012

Kati Nescher
Jason Wu - F/W 2012

Jourdan Dunn
Jason Wu - F/W 2012

Liu Wen
Jason Wu - F/W 2012

Emily Baker
Jason Wu - F/W 2012

Lais Ribeiro
Jason Wu - F/W 2012
Photographer - Monica Feudi
Source - style.com

Individual Prints

Jourdan Dunn, Anais Mali and Jasmine Tookes feature in a darling editorial for W Magazine's March 2012 issue showcasing graphic prints from the Spring/Summer 2012 collections. Lensed by the super talented Emma Summerton, the divine trio work perfectly in sync to show that there is ample space at the top for models of colour. Dunn, the veteran of the group is a true Brit whilst relative newcomers Mali and Tookes hail respectively from France and the United States. Each model is distinctly individual and has made her own path towards the elite modelling stakes. Tookes has defied fashion industry odds by going in a single year from the pages of Sports Illustrated's rookie competition to the runways of Milan and Paris via a Calvin Klein exclusive. Dunn on the other hand has been a muse to designers and photographers since her early modelling days and is still at the top of her game with the best yet to come. Last but not least, Mali's mixed pedigree of African and Polish lineage translates to global appeal and accessibility in both the US and European market.

Jasmine Tookes, Jourdan Dunn & Anais Mali
W Magazine - March 2012
Photographer - Emma Summerton
Source - thefashionspot.com

W Magazine - March 2012
Photographer - Emma Summerton
Source - thefashionspot.com

Curve Ball

Hervé Leger's Fall/Winter 2012 presentation featured a refreshing line-up of models that kept me guessing with each turn on the runway. Generally each season, you get used to seeing the same predictable groupings of models traipsing down the runways, so much so that it all starts to become a little staid. Not so at Hervé Leger, thanks to the brilliant casting of duo Barbara Nicoli and Leila Ananna who were on the lookout for models with a "straight forward kind of beauty". The only familiar faces on hand at Hervé Leger were models on somewhat of a comeback trail like Kendra Spears, Elsa Sylvan, Yulia Kharlapanova, Irina Kulikova, Ginta Lapina and Marike LeRoux. Citing "eighties glamour" as a reference point, Nicoli and Ananna threw models du jour, Shu Pei Qin, Jasmine Tookes, Kate King, Emily Baker, Julia Frauche, Jacquelyn Jablonski and Juju Ivanyuk into the mix alongside brand spanking newcomers, Tilda Lindstam, Carolina Thaler, Katryn Kruger, Lina Zhang, Nadine Ponce, Sharam Diniz, Daniela Mirzac and Mackenzie Drazan. The combined effect was a line-up which captivated, enthralled and intrigued as much as the Leger's equestrian themed signature bandage dresses.

Tilda Lindstam
Hervé Leger - F/W 2012

Carolina Thaler

Amanda Ware

Katryn Kruger

Julia Frauche

Elsa Sylvan

Lina Zhang

Juju Ivanyuk

Shu Pei Qin

Emily Baker

Daniela Mirzac

Jasmine Tookes

Nadine Ponce

Sharam Diniz
Hervé Leger - F/W 2012
Photographer -
Source - style.com

Art + Commerce

With advertising clients including Prada, Alexander Wang, Louis Vuitton, Balenciaga, Lanvin and Carolina Herrera, it's no wonder boutique agency Production at Art + Commerce attracts the cream of modelling talent at its castings.  PRODn are the masterminds behind the casting and coordination of editorials for the likes of American Vogue, Vogue Italia, Vogue Paris, British Vogue, Love Magazine, W Magazine, Interview, i-D and Numéro. With such an illustrious roster of clients, a go-see at PRODn can propel an up and coming model from relative obscurity to blue chip status in well, less than five minutes flat. 

Maria Bradley

Ling Ling

Jessek

Kelly Mittendorf

Arizona Muse

Gertrude Hegelund

Jasmine Tookes

Sui He

Daga Ziober

Varsha Thapa

Juana Berga

Cris Urena
All images courtesy of artandcommerceproduction.com

Crossing the Line

Former aspiring Sports Illustrated swimsuit model Jasmine Tookes emerged as one of the breakthrough faces during the Spring/Summer 2012 collections. Notching up an impressive 24 show tally which included appearances for Calvin Klein, Vera Wang, Jason Wu, Prada, Versace, Salvatore Ferragamo, Bottega Veneta, Missoni, Nina Ricci, Louis Vuitton, Miu Miu and Balmain, Tookes looked equally impressive on the runway as she does in a bathing suit. The California native made a splash in Sports Illustrated's 2011 online model search competition and has made the seamless transition from commercial to high fashion modelling, thanks in large part to her management team at IMG Models. 

Working it at Louis Vuitton
Source - thefashionspot.com

Wayne Sterling of models.com gives Tookes the nod of approval, listing her as one of the Top Ten Newcomers for the Spring/Summer 2012 season, and makes the astute observation that, "What is the dividing line between 'commercial' and 'editorial?' Whatever it is, Jasmine Tookes blasted past all limitations this season." Tookes has already been marked as  a model with mass commercial appeal with campaign appearances for DKNY, the GAP and Abercrombie & Fitch, and was recently photographed by Ellen Von Unwerth for Vogue Italia and by Thierry Le Goues for French Revue des Modes. 

Commercial never looked so good
Photographer - Unknown
Source - thefashionspot.com

Balmain - S/S 2012
Photographer - Monica Feudi

Prada - S/S 2012
Photographer - Monica Feudi

Calvin Klein - S/S 2012
Photographer - Filippo Fior

Bottega Veneta - S/S 2012
Photographer - Yannis Vlamos

Versace - S/S 2012
Photographer - Yannis Vlamos

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