The Model Vamp

The 25-year old dutch model, Lara Stone, has been busy. It was a lucky year for her model career. Being the first girl of the Givenchy show and walking the runway of any big name such as Calvin Klein, Zac Posen, Marc Jacobs and many more, the lack of her appearance is just unimaginable. Apart from the runway, she did the Givenchy Campaign and appeared in Paris Vogue several times even gracing the cover of the March 2008 issue - which was major. "Sometimes a girl just touches you," Carine Roitfeld, the magazine’s editor in chief, said. And indeed, Lara is lucky that Carine favors her (especially because she recently stated that she misses diversity in the bunch of today's models). The editorials La Stone did are beyond doubt outstanding. Lara Stone represents high class sex-appeal and brings back the glamour of a 90’s top model ideal. She has a exceptional body combined with a face of female perfection. With regards to photo shoots she is able to represent high-class and low-class, feminity and masculinity, never boring but quite controversial. I recently told my boyfriend that I would definitely fancy her if I was a man. With her 90-60-90 body and her striking face, she reminded me of an excerpt from Frédéric Beidberger's "L'amour dure trois ans" where he wrote that he appreciates if women have "a body of a bitch and a face of an angel". Slashers could counter that Lara has a bit too much of everything but I assume that fashion people agree that she is a one-of-a-kind addition to the fashion world.

Germany's Next For BREE

There might be one canditate participating in Germany's Next Topmodel 2008 who would be really gifted to become a model with regards to appearance as well as behavior (I need to mention this because the main part of the candidates seems to be not familiar with good manners). In the series last week Vanessa won the casting contest to appear as cover girl for BREE BAGS. BREE is a german based brand which has been started in1970 by Wolf Peter Bree. BREE bags stand for quality and functionality as well as real value for money. My first satchel was made out of leather and my mum baught it at their shop. I didn't like it when I was young because all the other kids used to wear SCOUT satchels but my mum insisted because she was never interested in ordinary things. That was my first and last experience with BREE and I think they did not change much since then. This goes along with the negative aspect that the company indeed exists until today but has not been really innovative in let's say the last 15 years. According to my opinion it kept its head above water because of more conservative buyers who look for great quality and less design for a smaller amount of money (I mean the contrary of so called "IT Bags).
I am not a marketing manager but I would assume the collaboration with Germany's Next Topmodel could be a measurement to make this brand more attractive for a younger and trendier group of buyers. The result of the photos is being shown here:
The photos are sexy, colourful and provocative and absolutely controversial with what I would expect from this label. With regards to the model I think Vanessa has done a great first job and Schloss Bensberg (near Bergisch Gladbach, Heidi's home town) has been a beautiful location to do the shoot. Now that I noticed that the "Germany's Next Crew" also produces valuable stuff I am bit reconciled about this casting show, which is the only casting show I ever followed. I am still not convinced about the concept because none of the models who won, ever appeared on a "high class" campaign. Not sure if girls apply for this show being aware of the fact that they will advertise for desperate housewifes catalogues later on in their imminent "career".

What Is It This ...?

Yesterday after my exams I had a little celebration with my dearest female friends in Germany. We sat together in the perfect restaurant, with a perfect three-course-dinner, the perfect Pinot-Noir and a simple, stupid but nevertheless important enaught to discuss topic: Germany's Next Topmodel. As the three of us are very and I mean really very different there were also three different opinions on this topic. I personally have such a feeling of dislike for Mrs. Heidi Klum Marketing Product, that I cannot even express it with words. There is so much superficialty and frugalness based on this person, that I cringe when I see her.

But this is not the worst...therefore I need to release myself from the following words:



Dearest Heidi Klum,


We all know that your so called model career is over since years. It was never a real model career anyway, apart from Victoria's Secret. You were one of the less talented and most successful models that ever existed. I assume John Casablancas told you already.


Now that your so called career is over you are searching for a worthy successor. This is not an easy thing to do especially when she needs to outplay you with tastelessness. The first finalists seemed to be unable to take your place. I agree.


The third season shows now a new face which could be the new "Heidi", a girl called Gina-Lisa or Lisa-Gina. A girl who won Miss-Contests, a girl who is a permanent solarium, a girl who is primitive, a girl who is stupid superficial, ugly and exhausted at an early age. She must be even more exhausted as you are. Nevertheless you live the American Dream with a perfect house in the Hollywood Hills, the perfect husband some other material things. Don't worry Heidi, germans are still proud of you. And to be honest, why should't they? You can even can sell your husband. Some people marry a family and you sell yours. But that's fine in terms of completeness of the picture.

When I saw the photos and especially the video of the "Gina-Miss" I thought, that's her! She is Germany's next topmodel. Who else could represent culture, trends and Heidi better then her. People work 8-12 hours a day why should they listen to qualified TV entertainment? Gina's jokes about her butt are perfect and a running gag in fuddy-duddy offices. She is everything Germany needed. We never had a Katie Price and we never had a Pamela Anderson, but we will have Gina now.

Thanks for that Heidi. Make her your successor. She is worth it!



Sincerely,

Kat

A New Boy In Down...A German Model In Japan

As I am in the mid of my exam preparation I have not much time to post. Unfortunatelly.
I just came over a wonderful article about a german expatriate in Tokyo at spiegel.de. 31 year-old David Schumann arrived in Tokyo to learn about culture, language and of course to have good time. Already on his first days in big Tokyo the guy coming from provincial Bonn was discovered as a model. Being a german model in Japan allowed him to live his life the way he prefers, earn your own living which allows you to study, meet people or dream or work on uneconomical projects. I actually posting about him because I totally agree that his appearance is special. I don't want to repeat that "he was a punk and now a model" blabla, no, I am only referring to his look. He is definitelly not a beauty but special and changeable in such a manner that you will never get bored of his picture. This is at least what a model should look like.

Disruption: OFF BREAK

I shortly have to interrupt my off-break to post about the Diane von Furstenberg Spring-Summer 2008 Womens Ad Campaign I adore.

The campaign is as special as the whole set up:
The famous french photographer François-Marie Banier walked with Natalia through the streets of Paris taking pictures whenever he saw the need for it. No stylists were present - the two of them were working alone.

"We went outside, and just walked around and talked," Vodianova recalled of the day and a half in Paris. "François-Marie would take pictures of me and, sometimes, he saw something special, he would...say, 'Don't move.' Then he would take the picture."

The pictures combine photography, painting and words, Banier adding dashes of color to the black-and-white photographs. A negative aspect of the campaign could be seen in not representing a clothing brand properly. I personally don't think so as fashion is art and why not play with this fact?

A link to an online art gallery along with further information on the project (like the making-of video clips) is available on the DvF Projects Site. It provides a great view inside their work and is a source of endless inspiration.

Von Fuerstenberg's explanation reveals the following: "I loved the idea of telling the story in an online art gallery," she said. "It shares the experience as an insider and preserves the integrity of the project....The film and the images reflect the story beautifully and show the emotion."

The campaign can be adored in March's magazine issues or now:

Look: Magdalena Frackowiak Did A Masterpiece Shoot

Magdalena Frackowiak is starring in the editorial "Intimes Sensations" shot by Paolo Roversi and styled by Anastasia Barbieri - contributing editor at Paris Vogue.

Magdalena Frackowiak was perfectly chosen for this shoot. Her innocent but female face and soft teint remind me of young Kate Moss. Magdalena seems to be one of those woman who appear more and more beautyful the more natural they are styled. The shoot is sexy without being vulgar, permissive without showing too much. Each photo is shot in a cosy environment, which makes you wish to step in the picture (btw one of it was Café La Marine in Paris). The clothes she wears are really classic and simple, not really sexy but she manages to wears them in a sophisticated way. This is all about cocooning in soft knitwear at a cold winter day in Paris staying in a small ancient apartment or having tea in one of the many traditional Paris cafés. So Winter, So Beautyful, So Paris!

To Be Continued...Before And After

Photographers Inez van Lamsweerde & Vinoodh Matadin created a series of photos for New York's VMagazine where the show two faces of the current modes on top. They shot them walking right into the door and then they made a second photo influenced by editors, hair stylists make up an dressed in the new collection for fall. Check out all photos in VMag

Morgane Dubled In Vogue Germany

Last Thursday I baught the german Vogue to have something to read on the train. When I found the lingerie photo shoot with Morgane Dubled I was excited. I planned to make a post dedicated to her phantastic new haircut anyway. I think the photos are really wonderful. They show the violability of a woman without missing the sexual sense. I think Morgane Dubled fits perfectly in this role. Also her new cut is quite nice for pictures like this because Morgane with long hair would be just too much of a perfect Lolita. The cut gives her really the ultimate grinding.

Germanys next Topmodel 2006

I'm so glad to have this blog now to state my opinion on "Germany's next Topmodel" of 2006. There were three finalists at the end. Two of them were looking very "usual" blond hair, healthy look, behaving politely, low key and in line with the concept. There was another one called Jennifer Wanderer. She was different, very quite...nearly shy. She had not the usual charme of the others but she was unique, made the best photos, was best on the cat walk and was the most changeable one. Unfortunatelly she was the wrong one for Germany. I don't now if it is different in other countries but in Germany you don't have to have rough edges. The audience wanted an always laughing happy and friendly girl as a winner who is smiling all the time and who is a worthy successor of permanently smiling ordinary model Heidi Klum - everybody's darling. This is something which makes me sad...why doesn't the unordinary ones get a chance....only one time. I discussed this with my boyfriend. He, as a man of course thaught Lena Gercke as winner was the right one because she would be more beautyful (which means more ordinary in my opinion in this case) and better for this job. I think that at the point of time Heidi and the jury presented the results, they knew that this "unhappy" Jennifer Wanderer would be the better model. It comforts me that both now have a contract with IMG models and that if you look at their bookings Jennifer is defintely the better one! So there is still justice in life...