THE APPEAL OF THE REBEL

I don’t normally get over enthusiastic about models and have never felt the irrepressible urge to discuss their looks or “captivating” talent on this blog. And I’m sure I will be rebuked by my fellow fashion bloggers for evading the subject for so long. If my blog is to be relevant to all my readers, I should address all fashion issues including models. Today, I’ve chosen to diversify a little bit and consider this alternative subject (actually suggested by a loyal reader) and I will say that considering my initial reservations, I did enjoy the experience. I know the road I’m travelling pretty well and there are plenty of signposts along the way providing a rich choice of names to choose from for this post. However, in a sea of commercial successes and dull Eastern European models, Freja Beha Erichsen seems to be the one my eye is most receptive to. She represents a total breath of fresh air in the somewhat confined world of modelling. There’s so much to praise: her boyish and androgynous charm, fiercely sensual and exotic looks, her own magical “modelling” language. She seems very much of her time while also embodying the rebel among more mainstream contemporaries. I love her ability to break old-fashioned fashion judgements with her gentle and almost imperceptible way of interfering with the flow. Her individualism is her most impressive tool, serving as inspiration for the photographer who sometimes will even adapt his or her own agenda to her confident and unique character. Her presence is thrilling, intense and she has no trouble capturing the pace and rhythm of a shoot. The photographs are always infused with Freja’s intensely personal energy, all passion and pensive rebellious eyes. I tend to believe that the photographer is the one playing the prominent part in the creation of a masterpiece but in the case of stories featuring Freja I’ve come to realize that she’s the fundamental creative thread. Myths exert a powerful influence in the world of fashion, and the myth of the rebel is one of the most powerful.

All photos courtesy of The Fashion Spot.
Shot by Javier Vallhonrat
Vogue UK Sept 09