sports illustrated: Raquel Zimmerman

Showing posts with label Raquel Zimmerman. Show all posts

Wednesday, January 25, 2012

Better With Age

Hot on the heels of Saskia de Brauw and Aymeline Valade comes twenty three year old classic French beauty Julia Frauche. Frauche was the standout star of the Spring/Summer 2012 collections in September with "who's that girl" appearances at Calvin Klein, Altuzarra, Jason Wu, Reed Krakoff, Marc by Marc Jacobs, Gucci, Celine, Balenciaga, Chanel, Chloé, Givenchy, Stella McCartney, Roberto Cavalli, Dolce & Gabbana and Marni. With a show list that reads like the who's who of the fashion elite, you could be forgiven for assuming that Frauche was yet another overnight modelling success story. Scouted at the age of sixteen in the south of France, Frauche had zero interest in modelling and was focused instead on her education. Upon graduation, Frauche relocated to Paris to attend college and was approached again to model. It was at this time that Frauche chose to give modelling a try.

Intermission - December 2011
Photographer - Greg Harris
Source - models.com

Dazed & Confused - January 2012
Photographer - Yelena Yemchuk
Source - models.com

Intermission - December 2011
Photographer - Greg Harris
Source - models.com

Following five years of grunt modelling, scraping by with commercial editorial work and money jobs to pay the bills, Frauche switched representation to Next Model Management and decided to give the show circuit one final shot. In an interview with the Cut, Frauche explains "I have been doing this job for five years and I was like, "Okay this is my last chance. I'm going to try the shows and this is going to be the last time for me." The gamble paid off, with Frauche charming casting agents and designers with her mature outlook and womanly allure. Dubbed "baby Raquel" by casting agent James Scully for her likeness to Brazilian supermodel Raquel Zimmermann, Frauche is self-effacing in spite of the buzz surrounding her new found success. Speaking again with the Cut, Frauche recalls "This season, everyone was like, "Oh you're baby Raquel." But it's a really good compliment for me; I'm really happy about it because I love her. She's beautiful, and I hear she's nice, too."

US Vogue - January 2011
Photographer - Mariano Vivanco
Source - thefashionspot.com

Julia Frauche & Olivier Rousteing
US Vogue - January 2011
Photographer - Mariano Vivanco
Source - thefashionspot.com

Frauche has since landed on the pristine pages of American Vogue, Paris Vogue, German Vogue, Dazed & Confused, Intermission, and French Numero, displaying an insouciance and a versatility that women of all ages can relate to. The recent success stories of models well into their twenties, like Kati Nescher and Frauche, heralds a shift in the fashion paradigm towards models that women can identify with rather than a fifteen year old playing dress-ups. As Frauche reveals succinctly to the Cut, "I was a really shy person when I started, so it took time for me to learn how to communicate with people. I learned by travelling, being by myself all the time. I'm more mature now and I know what I want to do." It is this confidence and innate sense of self, coupled with a beauty that is mesmerising which will have Frauche marked as one of the definitive models of the next generation.

US Vogue - February 2012
Photographer - Raymond Meier
Source - thefashionspot.com

Numero - November 2011
Photographer - Liz Collins
Source - models.com

Saturday, December 17, 2011

A Matter of Principle

Photographic duo Inez Van Lamsweerde and Vinoodh Matadin have released a photographic retrospective of their greatest work to date through Taschen, entitled "Pretty Much Everything". The hefty monograph consists of two volumes, featuring 666 photographs from their work for publications including Paris Vogue, V Magazine, various art projects, and from campaigns for the likes of Balenciaga and Yves Saint Laurent.

Van Lamsweerde and Matadin are well-known for their steadfast loyalty towards a motley crew of models including Kate Moss, Guinevere Van Seenus, Raquel Zimmermann and Daria Werbowry amongst others. Of particular interest is the duo's policy of not photographing models under the age of 18. In an interview with style.com, the pair outline the reasons behind their age conscious decision.

IVL: We saw this happen to so many models, especially with girls. They start at 14 and everyone says to them "Wow, you're incredible. You're so skinny. You look like a boy." And once that girl is 18 and she is finished growing, all of a sudden it was like, "Oh, she's fat."The poor girl. She's just growing. We felt it was unethical to support that. You get judged anyway and it's not easy. You have to really know who you are first. And at such a tender age - between 14 and 18 - you're figuring out who you are.

Style.com: But also I love seeing these girls like Malgosia who get older and just get better.

IVL: Yeah, more beautiful and more interesting. And as they grow, we grow with them. You never get bored of shooting someone that has made an interesting life for herself. What's exciting for us is when someone is not afraid to be someone else, and it takes character to be able to do that.

With the modelling industry's cast away attitude to last season's faces, I have complete admiration for Van Lamsweerde and Matadin's nurturing and principled approach towards their models. The images featured below from the CFDA Journal, illustrate the duo's ability to magically capture each model as a human being rather than an empty vessel ready to be discarded at whim.

Guinevere Van Seenus

Jamie Bochert

Anne Vyalitsyna

Isabeli Fontana

Doutzen Kroes

Dree Hemingway

Candice Swanepoel

Arizona Muse

Raquel Zimmermann

Freja Beha Erichsen

Anja Rubik

Natasha Poly
CFDA Journal Portraits 2011
Photographer - Inez Van Lamsweerde & Vinoodh Matadin
Source - inezandvinoodh.tumblr.com

Friday, October 28, 2011

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

Wednesday, August 17, 2011

Stark Contrast

Steven Meisel shoots some of modellings most compelling faces for W Magazine's September issue. A cast of supers, current tops and faces of tomorrow make up the cast of chameleons assembled for the editorial entitled "Transformers". Linda Evangelista, Raquel Zimmerman, Karen Elson, Jamie Bochert, Jessica Stam, Aymeline Valade, Fei Fei Sun, Guinevere Van Seenus and Candice Huffine pose for a duo of portraits, first as they see themselves and then as their alter egos. The results are magnificent with each model undergoing a dramatic transformation thanks to the creative genius of Meisel and stylist Edward Enninful. The September issue of W marks Enninful's first full issue as the magazine's fashion and style editor, and if this is an indication of things to come I will be anticipating each issue with abated breath.

Linda Evangelista

Raquel Zimmerman

Karen Elson

Jessica Stam

Aymeline Valade

Candice Huffine

Fei Fei Sun

Guinevere Van Seenus

Jamie Bochert

Jamie Bochert
W Magazine - September 2011
Photographer - Steven Meisel
Source - models.com

Dream Team

American Vogue ups the ante for its September issue with an incredible cast of models assembled for a Steven Meisel editorial. Veterans Caroline Trentini, Coco Rocha, Raquel Zimmermann and Jourdan Dunn mash it up with relative newcomers Fei Fei Sun, Mirte Maas, Arizona Muse and Daria Strokous. The spread entitled "Playing to Type" features the Meisel's favourite faces in a myriad of looks based on five distinct personalities; the Romantics, the Modernists, the Artisans, the Bourgeoisie and the Subversives. With styling by Grace Coddington and hair and make-up courtesy of Guido Palau and Pat McGrath, it's no wonder this editorial delivers on every level.

The Modernists

The Subversives

The Artisans

The Romantics

The Bourgeoisie
US Vogue - September 2011
Photographer - Steven Meisel
Source - models.com

Thursday, August 4, 2011

In the Mix

W Magazine remodels the seventies with its March 2011 editorial lensed by Inez Van Lamsweerde and Vinoodh Matadin. Styled by Alex White, the editorial features a who's who cast of modelling talent including Karolina Kurkova, Adriana Lima, Raquel Zimmerman, Anja Rubik, Hind Sahli, Anna de Rijk, Tasha Tilberg, Crystal Renn, Izabel Goulart, Delfine Bafort and Karlie Kloss, decked out in 70's revivalist fashion by Diane Von Furstenberg, Dolce Gabbana, Chloé, Jean Paul Gaulthier and Roberto Cavalli. It's wonderful to see a mix of newcomers, established names and veteran models like Tilberg and Bafort bringing an element of surprise to this 70's glam-inspired editorial.