Modeling Journey

Just in, are these candid snaps of photographer Terry Richardson with three of modelling's most gorgeous faces. Joan Smalls, Candice Swanepoel and Aussie sensation Bambi Northwood-Blyth pose solo and alongside Richardson for these studio shots. Richardson "thumbs up" studio shots have become his signature trademark and bring a sense of lightness and fun on set. The candid pics also give the models the opportunity to ham it up and to express a side of their personalities that we don't get to see often enough.

Steven Meisel assembles a diverse group of Supermodels and up-and-coming stars for US Vogue's August 2011 edition. The eclectic group consists of familiar and newer faces ranging in age from twenty to forty six years. The cast of models includes veterans Kristen McMenamy, Audrey Marnay, Guinevere Van Seenus, Liya Kebede, Raquel Zimmerman, Karen Elson, together with faces of the moment; Candice Swanepoel, Miranda Kerr, Arizona Muse, Fei Fei Sun and Anais Pouliot. Each model has posed previously for Meisel's lens hence the editorial title "Double take".

Candice Swanepoel and Jon Kortajarena bring plenty of sizzle and pizzazz to Tom Ford's Fall/Winter campaign lensed by the ubiquitous Mert Alas & Marcus Piggott. Proving that her high fashion crossover was no mere fluke, Victoria's Secret Angel Swanepoel trades in her wings for Ford's decadent and sublimely tailored gowns. Swanepoel's recent appearances in Vogue Italia, Vogue Paris, V Magazine and Pop shot respectively by Steven Meisel, Bruce Weber, Mario Testino and Jamie Morgan have heralded a return to models with personality, allure and a more womanly silhouette. I am delighted to be seeing commercial models like Swanepoel being given the opportunity to showcase their versatility and beauty. Swanepoel has certainly paid her dues and is fasting earning a reputation in the fashion industry as one of the sweetest and amiable personalities. 

The process involved in finding the right face for a global campaign is something that Andrew Weir, the founder and creative director of ACW Worldwide has down pat. Weir's magic touch has guided the brand marketing for Calvin Klein, Ralph Lauren, Hugo Boss, Zac Posen and Viktor & Rolf. In the modelling industry, Weir's approval can make or break a model's career, landing her on the pages of  American, British and Italia Vogue, V Magazine, Arena Homme +, and W Magazine, all of whom are on Weir's client list.

In an interview with Lookbooks.com, Weir gives his perspective on the evolution of the modelling industry. "Almost everything is different now. The girls are younger, smaller and interchangeable. When I was first doing shows at CK, we used major, beautiful, top models who had been working a while and moved up through the ranks. The power and strength of the girls from a few years ago has been traded for the brand-new-face-of-the-second. There are usually trends in the demand for new faces every season. Lately there seems to be a lot of clients wanting talent from Holland and Scandinavia. There is a great group of new girls from this region who are impacting the industry at the moment."

Joan Smalls & Andrew Weir Photographer - Unknown Source - thefashionspot.com

Candice Swanepoel & Joan Smalls Photographer - Andrew Weir Source - style.com

When quizzed by Lookbooks.com as to which new model of 2010 made the most indelible impression on him, Weir replies unequivocally "Joan Smalls. She is not a new face. We have been working with her for years. I feel like she is the one 'new' girl who has the most potential long-term for 'off the charts' success. She is that rare face that is all things. She will have fragrance and beauty campaigns. I feel strongly that she will do all the Vogues and many major campaigns and editorials." In an interview with style.com Weir also lists Candice Swanepoel as a potential contender, "Candice is a beautiful girl who sends a hush over the room when she floats in. She reminds me of what the girls were like when I first started in this business."

ACW's annual casting call at the Hudson Hotel in New York attracts hundreds of models hoping to impress Weir and his team. Weir's advice to models attending castings is "I like to see the kids as they are, so if that means they come in with a dirty t-shirt and chewing gum, so be it. I would rather see them come in unprepared and 'real' than the kid who has been over-styled and over-coached by an agency. I am looking for individuals with personality, not a polished version of what someone thinks they should be." The following casting shots taken by Weir aptly illustrate the beauty of models in their natural, unpolished state.

Arizona Muse

Liisa Winkler

Eliza Cummings

Madelene de la Motte

Lily

Bambi Northwood-Blyth

Iselin Steiro

Julia Nobis Photographer - Andrew Weir Source - weirdiary.com

Blond bombshell Candice Swanepoel of Victoria's Secret fame has continued her high fashion crossover at the Fall/Winter 2011 shows with electrifying appearances at Dolce & Gabanna, Givenchy, Christian Dior, Stella McCartney, Fendi, Blumarine, Elie Saab, Viktor & Rolf and Isabel Marant. Swanepoel's transition marks an ongoing trend within modelling which has seen models like Izabel Goulart, Miranda Kerr, Alessandra Ambrosio, Adriana Lima and Rosie Huntington-Whitely who were previously  recognised for their work with more commercial end clients, now being embraced by high fashion magazine editors, designers, and photographers. South African born Swanepoel has been modelling since 2005 and was photographed most recently by Steven Meisel for Vogue Italia and Mario Testino for VMan.

Victoria's Secret high fashion takeover continues with Rosie Huntington-Whiteley's sizzling British Vogue cover and Candice Swanepoel's Vogue Italia cover coup. Swanepoel's crossover from mainstream commercial modelling to the high fashion arena was kick started in 2010, with her editorial appearance in the Winter issue of V Man lensed by Mario Testino. Swanepoel turned more than a few heads, with Testino giving his seal of approval, "Candice is an amazing new find for me. Gorgeous, free, fun. She was awesome and did not feel inhibited. She made the shoot an amazing experience."

Indeed 2010, was the year of the Victoria's Secret high fashion ascension with Miranda Kerr and Alessandra Ambrosio amongst others, making their mark. Kerr landed three Vogue covers (Italian, Spanish and Australian versions of the magazine) and appeared in multiple fashion editorials for US Vogue. Ambrosio transformed into a glamourous Goth for the cover of Love Magazine and was cast in the Dolce & Gabbana Spring/Summer 2011 campaign alongside fellow Victoria's Secret models Isabeli Fontana, Maryna Linchuk, and Izabel Goulart. Victoria's Secret Angels Doutzen Kroes, Chanel Iman, Adriana Lima, Ambrosio and Kerr, were the subject of a feature editorial in US Vogue shot by Peter Lindbergh, dissecting the return of sexy curves to the catwalk. With the lines between commercial and high fashion modelling becoming ever increasingly blurred, what Swanepoel et al prove, is that a little va-va-voom and a whole lot of personality are the just what the world of high fashion needs right now.