Trendsetters

Each season, model pundits eagerly await BCBG Max Azria's line-up on Day 2 of New York Fashion Week for an indication of the new faces with the most breakout star potential. The BCBG casting is one of the most anticipated castings for any model hopeful. A favourable impression on head designer Lubov Azria can catapult a model into the limelight with possible appearances at anyone of the three presentations for BCBG, Hervé Leger and Max Azria. Last season, newcomer Karolina Waz opened for BCBG Max Azria, followed by a slew of gorgeous new models including Karo Mrozkova, Valerija Sestic, and Brenda Kranz, interspersed amongst faces of the season Kate King, Daga Ziober, Emily Baker, Zuzanna Bijoch and Fei Fei Sun. 

This season casting duo Barbara Nicoli and Leila Ananna, reveal to style.com that they are on the lookout for a straight-forward kind of beauty, or as Ananna refers to as an "eighties glamour - not the fragile quirky look anymore." Amongst the newcomers at the top of their ones to watch list are Katryn Kruger, Nadine Ponce, Josefien Nielsen and Appoline. The industry's finest were in attendance at the BCBG casting for a shot at the hottest ticket in town.

Sara Blomqvist checks in
Photographer - Craig Arend
Source - altamiranyc.tumblr.com

Time to kill
Source - bcbgmaxazriagroup.com

Fine Company
Photographer - Craig Arend
Source - altamiranyc.tumblr.com

Looking at you
Photographer - Craig Arend
Source - altamiranyc.tumblr.com

In the Bag - Kelly Mittendorf
Source - bcbgmaxazriagroup.com

Light Relief
Photographer - Craig Arend
Source - altamiranyc.tumblr.com

In the Line of Fire - Kelly Mittendorf
Photographer - Craig Arend
Source - altamiranyc.tumblr.com

Sissi Hou
Source - bcbgmaxazriagroup.com

Sui He
Photographer - Craig Arend
Source - altamiranyc.tumblr.com

Andie Arthur & Kate King
Photographer - Craig Arend
Source - altamiranyc.tumblr.com

Element of Surprise

Whilst it's always lovely to see established models like Natasha Poly, Karmen Pedaru, and Raquel Zimmermann booking campaign after campaign each season, every now and then it's nice to see casting directors taking a leap of faith in a newcomer. Valentino's campaign shot by the amazing Deborah Turbeville, features four of modellings up-and-coming talent; Bette Franke, Fei Fei Sun, Maud Welzen and Zuzanna Bijoch. Turbeville's enigmatic photographic style perfectly captures the romanticism and mysterious ethereal-like beauty of Valentino's Spring/Summer 2012 collection. Each of the four models is uniquely beautiful and possesses that indefinable star quality that is campaign worthy.

Maud Welzen, Zuzanna Bijoch, Bette Franke & Fei Fei Sun
Valentino - S/S 2012
Photographer - Deborah Turbeville
Source - fashiongonerogue.com

Hervé Leger enlists photographer Camilla Akrans to capture the exquisite beauty of former America's Next Top Model alumni Fatima Siad for its Spring/Summer 2012 campaign. Siad looks every bit the warrior goddess in a gladiator inspired bandeau dress whilst posing alongside a white horse. The Somali-Ethiopian model has more than earnt her stripes, having branched out on her own in the modelling world, turning heads at the recent Spring/Summer 2012 collections with appearances at Hermés, Dries Van Noten, and Andrew Gn.

Fatima Siad
Hervé Leger - S/S 2012
Photographer - Camilla Akrans
Source - fashiongonerogue.com

Chinese newcomer Xiao Wen Ju scores the campaign coup of the season with an only girl slot for Marc Jacobs. The designer enlists twenty year old Wen Ju to be the first Chinese campaign star for the prestigious label. The Xian native represented by IMG Model Management has been modelling for only a year and has already appeared in Love, American Vogue, French Revue de Modes, V Magazine and Interview. Wen Ju's wide set eyes, doll-like features and petite frame bring a freshness and an element of surprise to the Juergen Teller lensed campaign images. Wen Ju was hard not to notice at the Spring/Summer 2012 collections where she walked for the likes of Louis Vuitton, Loewe, Dsquared2, Missoni, Anteprima, DKNY, Rag & Bone, 3.1 Philip Lim, Cushnie et Ochs , Peter Som and of course, Marc Jacobs.

Xiao Wen Ju
Marc Jacobs - S/S 2012
Photographer - Juergen Teller
Source - models.com

Always A Woman

US Vogue sets the tone for the New Year with a David Sims lensed editorial featuring a cast of models from the past, present and future. The diverse grouping of models brings an element of surprise to Vogue's January 2012 issue with Stella Tenant, Isabeli Fontana, Anja Rubik, Joan Smalls, Arizona Muse, Karlie Kloss, Caroline Trentini, Frida Gustavsson, Edie Campbell, Nyasha Matonhodze, Anais Pouliot, Aymeline Valade, Zuzanna Bijoch and Fei Fei Sun rounding out the eclectic cast. Entitled "Always A Woman", the models look resplendent in the latest Spring/Summer 2012 collections from Louis Vuitton, Jil Sander, Prada, Givenchy, Balenciaga and Dolce & Gabbana.

Anais Pouliot

Joan Smalls

Zuzanna Bijoch

Karlie Kloss

Frida Gustavsson

Aymeline Valade

Isabeli Fontana

Stella Tenant

Anja Rubik

Arizona Muse

Nyasha Matonhodze

Caroline Trentini

Fei Fei Sun
US Vogue - January 2012
Photographer -  David Sims
Source - thefashionspot.com

Coming on Strong

The Spring/Summer 2012 shows were dominated by a select group of second-season models, determined to prove that they are here to stay. Aymeline Valade, Sui He, Nyasha Matonhodze, Emily Baker, Josephine Skriver, Zuzanna Bijoch, Roberta Narciso, Kate King, Fei Fei Sun and Julia Nobis left a blistering trail behind them as they collectively eclipsed the runways of New York, London, Milan and Paris. In an industry which discards newcomers faster than you can say "exclusive", it's reassuring to witness a new generation of models who possess real potential staying power. This diverse group of beauties possess three common denominators; they are all distinctly beautiful, versatile in the looks that they are able to portray, and bring an energy and character to the runway that has been missing in seasons past. If you're looking to put the Super back into the modelling industry, look no further.

Josephine Skriver
Balenciaga - S/S 2012
Photographer - Monica Feudi

Aymeline Valade
Alberta Ferretti - S/S 2012
Photographer - Yannis Vlamos

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

Roberta Narciso
Akris - S/S 2012
Photographer - Alessandro Viero

Zuzanna Bijoch
Chloé - S/S 2012
Photographer - Alessandro Viero

Nyasha Matonhodze
Givenchy - S/S 2012
Photographer - Yannis Vlamos

Emily Baker
Alberta Ferretti - S/S 2012
Photographer - Yannis Vlamos

Sui He
Donna Karan - S/S 2012
Photographer - Yannis Vlamos

Julia Nobis
Alberta Ferretti - S/S 2012
Photographer - Yannis Vlamos

Kate King
Lanvin - S/S 2012
Photographer - Yannis Vlamos
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