sports illustrated

Sunday, October 16, 2011

That Fabulous Baker Girl

New Zealand model Emily Baker has consolidated on her stunning Fall/Winter 2011 debut with a 58 show tally at the Spring/Summer 2012 collections. The 178 cm tall, 17 year old Matamata-native graced the runways of Alexander Wang, Michael Kors, Calvin Klein, Prabal Gurung, Oscar de la Renta, DSquared, Chloe, Givenchy, Chanel and Lanvin. Baker's impossibly razor-sharp cheek bones, piercing blue eyes and chameleon-like beauty have landed her on the list of every influential casting director.

Following her Fall/Winter 2011 debut, Baker nabbed campaigns for Gucci, Dsquared and Tommy Hilfiger, making her one of the most bankable newcomers of the season. Baker's dream run is likely to continue, having been photographed in recent months by Steven Meisel for Vogue Italia, Mert Alas & Marcus Piggott for Interview, and Daniele Duella & Iango for V Magazine. MDC's Wayne Sterling puts it most succinctly "For me the girl posed to nab everything is Emily Baker. In the modelling sweepstakes she is the sensation."

All eyes on Ms Baker
Backstage at BCBG Max Azria
Source - stylebistro.com

Vogue Italia - July 2011
Photographer - Steven Meisel
Source - models.com

Interview - September 2011
Photographer - Mert Alas & Marcus Piggott
Source - thefashionspot.com

W Magazine - June 2011
Photographer - Daniele Duella & Iango Henzi
Source - models.com

Max Mara S/S 2012
Photographer - Yannis Vlamos

Calvin Klein - S/S 2012
Photographer - Filippo Fior

Michael Kors - S/S 2012
Photographer - Yannis Vlamos

Givenchy - S/S 2012
Photographer - Yannis Vlamos

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

Diamond in the Rough

It's no secret that the America's Next Top Model franchise has yet to produce a single credible model in its entire 17 Cycle run. Well all of that is about to change with 24 year old ANTM Cycle 10 reject, Fatima Siad, who caught the eye of casting director Russell Marsh at the Paris Spring/Summer 2012 shows. Marsh cast the Somali-Ethiopian model in the Dries Van Noten show alongside big name models including Karmen Pedaru and Sigrid Agren, and the effect snowballed from there with Siad landing appearances at Hermes, Andrew Gn, Moncler Gamme Rouge and Thierry Colson.

Surprise Package
Arise - Issue 13
Photographer - Itaysha Jordan

Arise - Issue 13
Photographer - Itaysha Jordan
Source - fashiongonerogue.com

Born in Mogadishu, Somalia, Siad had a particularly turbulent childhood, having undergone female genital mutilation at the age of seven. Siad's parents divorced at an early age, and she and her two siblings were raised by her mother. Siad and her mother fled to the US when she was thirteen, following the death of her two sisters at the hands of the Somali army during the civil war.

I'll admit that when I first noticed Siad at the Andrew Gn Spring/Summer 2012 show in Paris, I had no inkling as to her identity nor the ANTM connection. I was enamoured by her refined and elegant features and her immaculate skin tone. I'm hoping that the exposure garnered at the Paris shows will open doors for Siad in the seasons ahead as she possesses an exquisite beauty that deserves recognition.

Andrew Gn - S/S 2012
Photographer - Filippo Fior

Thierry Colson - S/S 2012
Photographer - Unknown
Source - thefashionspot.com

Hermes - S/S 2012
Photographer - Alessandro Viero

Dries Van Noten - S/S 2012
Photographer - Yannis Vlamos

Moncler Gamme Rouge - S/S 2012
Photographer - Marcus Tondo
All runway images unless otherwise
noted courtesy of style.com

Friday, October 14, 2011

America's Sweetheart

America's favourite sweetheart Karlie Kloss turned nineteen this past August and appears to be embracing adulthood, displaying a more provocative side in recent editorials for Allure and British Vogue, lensed respectively by Mario Testino and Terry Richardson. I have always been a fan of Kloss' gamine beauty and was blown away by her seamless transition into adulthood as evidenced at the recent Spring/Summer 2012 shows. Kloss who has been modelling since she was fifteen, looked riveting on the runway as she opened for Blumarine, Jean Paul Gaultier and John Galliano, and closed for Christian Dior, Lanvin, Elie Saab, Blumarine and Rodarte, displaying a sophisticated and stealth-like beauty that is simply breathtaking.

Karlie Kloss
UK Vogue - May 2010
Photographer - Alasdair McLellan
Source - models.com

Puttin' on the Glitz
UK Vogue - November 2011
Photographer - Terry Richardson

UK Vogue - November 2011
Photographer - Terry Richardson

UK Vogue - November 2011
Photographer - Terry Richardson
Source - models.com

Roland Mouret - S/S 2012
Photographer - Yannis Vlamos

Donna Karan - S/S 2012
Photographer - Yannis Vlamos

Christian Dior - S/S 2012
Photographer - Yannis Vlamos

Anthony Vaccarello - S/S 2012
Photographer - Yannis Vlamos

Lanvin - S/S 2012
Photographer - Yannis Vlamos

Hakaan - S/S 2012
Photographer - Marcus Tondo
All runway images courtesy of style.com

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.