Chanel in China

Mark your calendars! There is lots of Chanel related news that Freja fans should be aware of. A new Chanel boutique is opening up in Shanghai, China on November 25th (maybe someone will get their hands on 31 Rue Cambon), and Karl is putting on a Paris-Shanghai fashion show on December 3rd to coincide. According to the show's website, www.chanel-paris-shanghai.com, Karl will debut a short online movie just before the presentation of the collection, much like he did for the Paris-Moscow collection last year. Actual video of the runway show will be put up online December 4th.

Until then, you can find lots of pre-release media and news on the website. There is a "Diary of the Collection" section, which features short videos documenting the creation of the collection from its inception to its finish. There are only two (out of a total of ten) episodes up right now. Neither contains any terribly exciting material, but it's still interesting to see Karl sketching and to get glimpses of the creative processes that go into creating a Chanel collection.

Episode 1

Episode 2


And a possible look from the show

It remains to be seen whether Freja will be participating in any of the events related to this collection's release. She sat out the Paris-Moscow show, which made sense because Karl went with a mostly Russian/Eastern European cast of models. But will he choose to go with an all Asian cast for this show? Possibly, as Asian models like Liu Wen (walking the Victoria's Secret show this year) and Tao Okamoto are very popular right now. And if Karl decides to use only Asian models, will he limit that even further and only use Chinese models? If so, then that means Tao is out.

Perhaps it was easier to cast the Paris-Moscow show base on models' ethnicity, since Eastern European models have been dominating the runways for a few years now. The same can't be said for Asian models, so we might be seeing all the Chanel regulars walking this show instead. And since Karl hasn't been able to do anything lately without Freja by his side, all those Chinese Freja fans might have reason to get very excited.

If Freja does walk this show, I hope she's not paired off with Baptiste like she was during the Chanel SS10 show. It would be nice to see her in regular runway looks instead of androgynous ones that also double as social commentary. Anyway, we still have a few weeks to go before the show, so don't get too excited yet. We don't know if Freja is confirmed so I guess we'll just have to be extra vigilant for any more news.

Image Credits: screen capped by me from chanel-paris-shanghai.com

31 Rue Cambon

Chanel is launching an in house publication entitled 31 Rue Cambon (named after the address of the first Chanel boutique). It is designed and art-directed by Olivier Zahm, who also happens to be the editor-in-chief of Purple, which also happens to be the magazine that published this infamous editorial.

Karl seems to be pulling out all the stops in order to ensure that the house of Chanel will weather these touch economic waters and emerge unscathed. An in-house publication distributed to all stores is something I equate more with the fast fashion of H&M rather than Chanel tweed and 2.55s. But I guess you have to try anything to make sure your customers stay loyal and keep buying. And bringing back a recognizable face (Claudia Schiffer) for the ad campaign also falls in line with this reasoning. The typical Chanel customer would probably recognize Claudia from past campaigns, and she is part of the 90's supermodel clan after all.

Anyway, being that this is a Karl project, you can bet Freja will be all over the magazine along with Baptiste. An early preview already proves this to be true.

Lara, Heidi and maybe even Charlotte di Calypso should also figure into the visual equation, as they seem to be other favorites of Karl's when it comes to Chanel. Zahm is an interesting, and perhaps risky choice to helm the project, but it makes me excited for the final outcome. I definitely want to see what the man responsible for raunchy, full frontal nudity editorials can do with that Chanel tweed and those 2.55 bags. Don't you?

But with the release date unknown and Chanel stores scare, there's no telling when we'll get to see full and proper scans. As is the case with Twin magazine (at least 8 weeks for me), we might be waiting for a while.

Image Credits: purple-diary

Campaign Predictions

Each day more and more campaign news for the upcoming season leaks. And each day I get more and more disappointed. Aside from a few gems like Vanessa Hegelmaier and Kelsey van Mook for DKNY, Ginta Lanpina for Derek Lam, and Jacquelyn Jablonski and Valerija Kelava for Celine, the forecast does not look good if you're model obsessed like I am. Most campaigns are going to celebrities (Madonna), pseudo-celebrities using their last names to cash in on the accomplishments of their relatives (Dree Hemingway, Georgia May Jagger), and the older generation of models (Natalia Vodianova, Claudia Schiffer, Carmen Kass).

As much as the fashion industry prides itself on being a predictor of future trends and styles, it ironically lags behind in adjusting to events that take place in the real world. And so I believe the industry is finally feeling the full impact of the economic recession that started over a year ago, and campaign casting for the upcoming season especially reflects this. Few brands are willing to take risks with lesser known models. And almost all brands are going with familiar and conventionally beautiful faces. So where does that leave Freja? I'm afraid the answer to that question doesn't sound good, as models at her level are seemingly being left out of the shuffle for the most part.

So far she only has Chanel, but it seems to be a supporting role. And I don't think she's likely to repeat any of her other campaigns from last season. Gucci was already shot in Miami (possibly while Freja was still in Argentina) by Mert & Marcus and they don't usually work with Freja. In fact, they've only worked with her once back in 2005 at the beginning of her career. And like Inez and Vinoodh, they make a habit out of using their favorite girls in their campaigns which means Freja is out. Word is that newcomer Jacquelyn Jablonski landed the Gap campaign, which is great news for the New Jersey native, but not great news if you were hoping for Freja to repeat.

We probably won't know who landed Pollini and J Brand until those ads come out, but Pollini didn't even put on a runway show this season so I won't be surprised if they forgo a campaign altogether. But even if they do have a campaign, judging by their history, they would most likely go with a new model as they are not apt to repeat faces.

Not to be pessimistic, but the outlook is pretty bleak. What other campaigns do you think Freja could possibly score, if any? On a positive note, each season she does seem to surprise us by appearing in unexpected campaigns at the last minute. Last season it was Pollini and J Brand. The season before that things looked hopeless but then she showed up in Karl Lagerfeld and Roberto Cavalli. Maybe this season it will be Akris? A brand whose runway show she's opened and closed many times. Or maybe Chloe will bring her back just like Gucci did last season? What do you think? Your guess is as good as mine. At this point, all we can do is sit back and wait.

The Namesake Part II

Thanks to an anonymous commenter, I found out that Freja also has a Marc by Marc Jacobs Ruffle Dress named after her.

It's from an older season, and not very Freja-ish if you ask me. But I guess that's not necessarily the point of naming something after someone. The object doesn't literally have to be inspired by the person. The act of naming can just be a sign of admiration and acknowledgment. And sometimes it's just for fun. There are a variety of possible reasons behind namesakes. Regardless, it's just nice to know that Freja is well-known and well-liked enough to have so many things named after her.

Am I missing anything else? Does Freja also have a small country named after her or something? I actually wouldn't be surprised if there was a small province in China named after her...they do love her a lot over there. :)

Image Credits: net-a-porter.com

The Namesake

First it was Jill Stuart. Then it was Chloe. Now Alexander Wang is the latest designer/brand to name one of his products after Freja. Breaking away from the two before him, Alex decided to go the shoe route rather than the bag route. Behold the Freja Lace-Up Stiletto Boot with Zip Detail:

The second they made their debut on the runway you could hear all the Wangsters and fashionistas alike swooning over the zippered, laced-up, folded-over, seemingly three-shoes-in-one details. They are guaranteed to be the it shoe come spring which means Freja will literally be walking all around us.

It's no secret Alex takes a lot of inspiration from models. He has already named some of his other products after them (most notably the Coco Duffle, although the name has now changed to the Rococo Duffle) and this season also features the Alla (Kostromicheva) Leopard Haircalf Wedge Mule. It was just a matter of time before he used Freja as a namesake since we already know that he's a Freja fan.

How very fitting that next seasons' sure to be most coveted shoe is named after one of fashion's most coveted models. And for once I think the product fits its namesake very well because I can actually picture Freja wearing these and integrating them into her current wardrobe. I couldn't really picture her carrying her Jill Stuart bag:

Nor her Chloe clutch (as gorgeous as it may be):

Alex's shoe gives off the right amount of the downtown, cool girl who doesn't give a shit and looks fabulous without even trying, vibe that fits Freja's sartorial personality much better than the two bags do. What do you think? Would you ever wear or carry Freja? Are some of you going to be making a big shoe purchase come springtime? All I can say is that my bank account is happy my feet can't handle stilettos...

Image Credits: style.com, fashionista, thebagforum (and thanks for the heads up slow_hands!)

Straight From the Mouth

Freja has a little mention in a new interview with Karmen Pedaru on the W Magazine Editor's Blog.

Aside from cookie-baking Karlie, who are your other model friends?
I love Abbey Lee [Kershaw] and Freja [Beha Ericksen]. They are just the coolest girls to hang out with.

Misspelling of Freja's name aside, I think this is adorable. Cool girls flock together like birds of a feather. And it confirms what we already saw during fashion week. Forget Frily, Freidi and all the rest...Farmen is it.

I guess we know who Freja will be hanging out with now that she's moved to NY. Moving cities isn't so bad when you already have friends there to smooth out the transition. :)

From the Archives - Vogue Korea

I was fortunate enough to come across a copy of the March 2009 issue of Vogue Korea with Freja on the cover. I don't believe her whole editorial was ever scanned so here it is for your enjoyment.

Supernatural
Vogue Korea March 2009
Ph: Jason Kibbler

Korean is not in my arsenal of languages so I can't tell you what the interview says. Sorry! I do like Freja's dynamic posing here, although I wish the styling was a little more adventurous. When we finally see scans of the upcoming Twin Magazine editorial, I think Freja will once again prover her versatility as a model. Judging from the previews we've seen so far, her Twin ed falls on the other side of the spectrum in terms of looks.

Image Credits: my scans