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Sunday, 12 June 2011
Born on 5th August 1988, Kendra Spears is part of a growing group of models that are putting America back on top when it comes to producing globally-recognised talent.Originally from Seattle, Washington, Spears began attending Portland State University in 2007 to study sociology. In January 2008, Spears entered Ford’s Supermodel of the World competition. She didn’t win, but Ford was so impressed by her, she was signed with the agency anyway.
That September, Kendra made her international runway debut, walking in high-prestige shows such as Valentino, Lanvin, Gucci, L’Wren Scott and Costume National. Spears got her first cover try in December 2008, fronting the January issue of Italian Amica, with an editorial in Italian Flair the following month.
Hype began to build around Spears – would Kendra’s looks take her into a global, highly lucrative career just like Crawford’s had done twenty years previously? Combining the vintage feel of an Eighties supermodel in a new face meant that Kendra’s profile was only set to get bigger.
In February 09, Spears added new designers to her runway credits, including Dolce & Gabbana, Givenchy, Nina Ricci, Prada and YSL. In March, www.style.com listed Spears as a star on the rise.
Kendra switched agencies in the Spring, making the move from Ford to Next. Changing agencies doesn’t normally make headlines, but on the 6th May, Ford Models sued Next for allegedly ‘poaching’ Spears. Kendra did not allow the controversy to break her focus and continued to work, being photographed for the Spring / Summer issue of Revue de Modes and the cover of British fashion bible Dazed & Confused in July. Kendra made her couture debut the same month, walking in the Autumn / Winter show for Givenchy.
But Spears’ biggest career coup came later that year when she was presented to the fashion industry as one of the faces of the new Prada campaign, featuring alongside Anna de Rijk and Julia Hafstrom.
Prada are known for taking chances on a new face when it comes to their runway shows, but campaigns are a much bigger gamble. Those images are in circulation for months, representing the brand’s ‘big idea’ for that season. Get the casting wrong, and it can spell disaster. But hiring a model that, up to this point, was untested when it came to campaigns was the type of move that could only come from Prada. The label known for risk-taking once again proved its reputation for picking talent. Sporting one of Prada’s most memorable looks, in frizzy hair and waders, Spears doesn’t look like a fish out of water, but completely at ease.
The Prada campaign had the desired effect in launching Spears into the big-time. In September, Teen Vogue featured Kendra as a rising star, and in the same month, Kendra got to open shows for Badgley Mischka and Diane Von Furstenberg. Also appearing for Alberta Ferretti, Cacharel, Calvin Klein, Derek Lam, Oscar de la Renta and Prada, Kendra was making her move from rising star to firmly established.
Closing out the year with a spot as W magazine’s ‘This Week’s Model’, January 2010 saw Kendra hit the cover of Chinese Vogue. Choosing to skip Fashion Week, Kendra padded out 2010 with editorial work, appearing for Japanese Vogue in February, Harper’s Bazaar in July and British and French Vogue in August. This wealth of photographic work proved to be beneficial for Spears when she landed the booking of a lifetime, appearing in the Calvin Klein White Label campaign.
Already experienced at handling a high-stakes campaign with Prada, Kendra was signed up to appear in the Autumn / Winter campaign. Matching the quintessential American ‘face’ with the label that most clearly defines American style, it was a win-win for both parties.
Forget the jeans and t-shirt, think American high-fashion and you find yourself thinking in the sartorial language Calvin Klein has created. Crisp clean lines executed in a palette of neutrals or blocks of bright, bold colour, it is the template of great American design: when in doubt, keep it simple. Klein’s influence may be vast but its effects can be most clearly seen close to home in the work of Michael Kors, Reed Krakoff and Jason Wu.
Modelling these clothes however is far from straightforward. Play it too low-key and you run the risk of fading into the background; overdo it and the whole effect of minimal chic is ruined. These clothes need more than a pulse, they need a character that’s in sympathy with what the designer is trying to achieve. Great modelling isn’t just about embodying a brand’s ideals; it’s about becoming their ideal customer.
The Calvin Klein customer is an easy read; intelligent with sophisticated tastes but doesn’t take themselves too seriously. There are plenty of brands that offer the ‘wow’ factor, but the Calvin Klein customer at this level appreciates good design, but they don’t need their wardrobe to do the talking for them. The selling point of Calvin Klein is in the detail you don’t see.
Kendra’s success at translating Calvin Klein created more runway bookings, resulting in a 33-show season including Prada, Chanel, Fendi, Lanvin, Miu Miu, Stella McCartney and Roland Mouret.
Renewing her Calvin Klein contract in January 2011, Spears also got another blue-chip campaign signing with Diane Von Furstenberg. With Kendra’s ultra-feminine features, she was a perfect sell for the DVF name made on the back of those famous, and much copied, wrap dresses.
Spears also got asked to appear in the campaign for Etro, with Frida Gustavsson and Toni Garrn. The brand has come into its own this season with the resurgence of print for S/S 2011. Every label has its moment, where the feel of the season neatly dovetails with their look. With print and colour being an Etro speciality, this summer will see labels who favour the maximalist approach go super-stellar.
Kendra switched it up in January with a Japanese Vogue editorial named ‘The Legend of Simplicity’. Wearing simple designs, but endowing them with bags of personality, Spears took what she learned from working with Calvin Klein and used it to great effect.
With a body of work that’s visibly growing in diversity, Spears is proving to be more than just the American girl of the moment. Her latest campaign signings – Calvin Klein, DVF and Etro – are testament to how Kendra handles high-fashion. The requirements of a brand like Calvin Klein will be very different to those of Etro, but that’s entirely the point. A model that’s at home in eclectic, bohemian print as she is in clean, minimal lines understands that fashion is rarely pure and ever simple: each new trend taps into another. This kaleidoscopic effect of modern fashion means there is no such thing as an ‘absolute’ trend, untainted by fashion history or other cultural influences. Some designers’ tracks are easier to uncover: Gucci delves into the glamour power-surges of the past, and Miuccia Prada borrows references from Warhol to Baroque. One look at the Prada runway and it’s no surprise that Miuccia is one of the world’s most prolific art collectors.
Spears may have an undeniable resemblance to Cindy Crawford, but her career is proving to be anything but retro. The American model has moved from plain and simple concepts: the minimalist, the beach babe or the girl-next-door. Strip away these preconceived ideas about American beauty, and you get a generation of models that are a whole lot harder to figure out.
Fashion’s striving for a richness and individuality that is at odds with the industry as it was just a few decades ago. There’s no one ‘in’ colour or hem that’s the only fashionable length to be seen in. It was once stated that in the fashion industry, hemlines went up and down like the stock market. Good financial times in the 60’s brought us the mini-skirt. The economic woes of the 70’s saw ankle-grazing maxi skirts as the only way to go.
What does it say about us now when there are no hard and fast rules? Colour is back after a winter of neutrals, but no one shade takes precedence. As to hemlines, the choice as varied as denim cut-offs and maxi dresses, with midi skirts literally sitting somewhere in-between. If fashion’s a mirror, reflecting what’s going on all around us, is it about giving us choice or an unwillingness to commit – a fear of backing the wrong horse? From whatever angle you look at it, fashion has never been more interesting than it is right now. But this relaxing of the rules is good news for the modelling industry.
Assigning models is no longer a process of ticking boxes. A model with a tomboyish look and personal style can get seriously girlie for Chanel and a model with curves to die for can front a label that’s all about simple, no-nonsense lines. There’s a definite shift occurring in how we think about models. With the labels removed, everyone’s a potential perfect fit. Making assumptions about who can do what no longer works for the models making their way up the ladder. There’s a difference between being limited and exclusive: it may be small, but its effects are substantially felt.
Kendra’s old-school charm and her more-than-passing resemblance to Cindy Crawford has given her a head start in an industry where a little hype can take you a long way. But Kendra, like her peers (Karlie, Dree, Jacquelyn and Chanel) is on-target for a career that’s complex and undefinable, and all the more exciting for it.
The current generation of models are lucky because having fewer definitions means fewer limits. As fashion grapples with forming its new, post-recession identity, the models that are breaking into the industry are not only fresh and modern, but ready, willing and able to adapt. Meet the front line of fashion’s evolution.
Sunday, 13 February 2011
Born May 10th 1990, Karmen Pedaru’s career is testament to how paying your dues can really pay off.
Discovered in 2005 at a drama theatre in Tallinn, the Estonian-born model signed with NEXT Models the following year. Appearing for Teen Vogue in June 2006, Karmen debuted at Fashion Week that September, walking for Christopher Kane, Marni and Emporio Armani.
Skipping the February 2007 season, Pedaru returned to the runway in September 2007 opening the shows for Louise Gray and Biba. Also walking for Collette Dinnigan, Louis Vuitton and Stella McCartney, Karmen’s stock was on the rise.
In February 2008, Karmen’s growing confidence on the runway was rewarded with a stellar season, appearing for Donna Karan and Marc Jacobs in New York, in addition to being picked to open shows for Dries van Noten and YSL in Paris.
Her breakout season was noted by the fashion press, with both www.models.com and www.style.com dubbing Karmen a top newcomer. Karmen’s success on the runway translated into credible editorial work, with a spread in Numero photographed by Greg Kadel, and a layout for V, shot by Mario Testino.
In July, Karmen made her debut on the couture catwalks, walking for Chanel, Givenchy, Valentino and Dior. Getting to model couture is an integral part of building that envy-inducing CV. The requirements for haute couture are very specific, but once you’re in, you’re in. The ‘look’ of a couture label tends to be more fixed than its ready-to-wear counterpart. Couture forms the ‘essence’ of the brand, so some elements stay in place for nearly every collection, such as white for Chanel, and red for Valentino. Therefore the faces that wear these looks don’t have to be hired and dropped in such quick rotation. Couture doesn’t just build relationships with its clients; it builds lasting links with its models too. American model Karlie Kloss has been the face of Dior for the past two years because she is one of Galliano’s couture favourites. This has led to Karlie becoming one of the most in-demand models working today. Couture is very much a niche market: corner it, and the search for work becomes that little bit easier.
Karmen experienced this domino effect for herself in September 2008 when she was photographed for Numero magazine by Karl Lagerfeld, just a few months after her debut on the catwalk for Chanel Couture.
The couture connection continued with a shoot for Italian Vogue. Karmen, photographed by Miles Aldridge, appeared in Valentino Couture. A deceptively simple shoot, the heavily-worked couture demanded a focussed performance. It would be a tough ask for a more established model, but Karmen’s quietly assured performance showed the industry she was ready to take on more.
Her ready-to-wear season in September was another triumph, with opening show honours from DKNY, Jonathan Saunders and Rue du Mail. Closing the show for Nicole Farhi and Temperley in London, Pedaru also walked for Alberta Ferretti, Calvin Klein, Chanel, Isabel Marant, Proenza Schouler and Roberto Cavalli – a truly eclectic mix of blue-chip and cutting-edge labels that have come to form the basis of Pedaru’s career.
In early 2009 she was announced as the face of Missoni’s diffusion label and was photographed for the D&G spring campaign by Mario Testino. Following another couture season in January, it was announced that Karmen would become the first model to represent the Derek Lam label in a campaign, to be shot by Solve Sundsbo.
Pedaru walked again in the Autumn / Winter couture season in July, adding Armani Prive to her list of credits. Ending the year with a blockbuster RTW season, and the Autumn / Winter cover of French Revue de Modes, 2010 would manage to eclipse the extraordinary run of success Karmen found in 2009.
In February’s A/W 2010 season, Pedaru signed up for an incredible 55 shows. She opened shows for Tommy Hilfiger, Alberta Ferretti, Dries van Noten and Burberry. Karmen’s placing as the opener (and closer) of the Burberry show would prove to be a pivotal moment in her career. Christopher Bailey’s take on aviator chic proved to be the defining image of the season. Karmen’s photo cropped up time and again in the press, and as the season gathered accolades as one of the best for a decade, Pedaru’s photo became one of the important fashion images of the year.
Karmen’s profile unsurprisingly went through the roof, with editorials for French and Italian Vogue in April; the cover of Japanese Numero in June and the announcement in late summer that Pedaru would become the face of Emporio Armani and Salvatore Ferragamo.
Topping the year off with another 55 show season in September, Karmen got a chance to show what she’d learned in the past 12 months with an editorial for French Vogue called ‘Bal Masque’.
Featuring alongside Anja Rubik and Dree Hemingway, the themes were sensuality, opulence and Parisian glamour. Each concept is tricky enough in itself, but a sultry shoot is a notoriously difficult balance to strike. There’s an absolute (but subtle) line between making a statement and edging over into lads’ mag territory. The almost-mathematical precision in getting it right without sacrificing the mood of the editorial requires a level of skill you can only acquire through experience. The shoot worked perfectly in keeping the pages of French Vogue strictly high-fashion.
Karmen’s career zig-zagged again with another campaign signing, but this time she was asked to appear for the autumn / winter collection for Gap. The quintessentially American label chose to focus on one of its best selling points: denim.
Gap’s series of adverts marketed different cuts of jeans (eg: straight, modern flare, skinny) and used a clutch of top models to sell the goods. The campaign’s emphasis on easy fashion, added a stroke of genius when Gap put names to the model faces which included Alana Zimmer, Anja Rubik, Catherine McNeill and Lily Donaldson. Putting their names to each campaign image made the models immediately more appealing, taking it beyond the usual pairing of model with product, creating a campaign that was a slam-dunk for the iconic brand.
Gap’s light bulb moment worked because there is a certain satisfaction in being able to put a name to a face. The Cindys, Naomis and Christys – the models of the Eighties who were more celebrity than mannequin – are a thing of the past. It’s still possible for models acquire a certain level of fame (Lara Stone for example), but for most models, the trade-off is being known on sight, but not by name. In an age where we know everything about celebrities from their shoe size to their favourite snack, it’s a curious state of affairs.
But this is set to change as our interest in fashion continues to grow. Ten years ago, finding a member of the public who could name the editor of French Vogue would have been a tall order. Ten years on, Carine Roitfeld’s dramatic departure from the magazine in 2010 made headlines across the world.
The models emerging today are working in an industry where the rules are now a work in progress. A large part of that change has been thanks to the internet. Access to fashion – the very latest news, editorials and shows – is now just a click away. This proximity has created a generation who are as familiar with Gareth Pugh and Christopher Kane as they are with Topshop and Primark. It’s a generation who feel comfortable enough with the world of high-fashion to dissect the latest ideas, both with each other and the world at large. This willingness to engage in all things sartorial has turned the industry into something to be actively enjoyed, rather than regarded at a distance.
There are of course misgivings; when every opinion gets equal billing, figuring out what’s really worth your time can be difficult. But ultimately having too much information forces you to be selective. Being able to access everything gives you an immediate idea of what you like, what you don’t, and more importantly, why.
Making fashion a friendlier place to be has proved to be a touch of brilliance, because fashion is all about forming relationships. At the heart of this is the link between us, the consumer, and the model. If we don’t identify with the model, that dress, or that bag, won’t sell. The job of the model is to embody a designer’s ‘big idea’, whether that’s old-school sophistication or avant-garde sleekness, but in getting fashion’s finances back on track, the secret is to be relatable. The day of the uber-groomed supers has gone for a reason; we all want to indulge in that element of fantasy, but the post-recession fantasy is about the business of joy, not exclusion. Fashion’s getting back to the basics of why we buy what we buy: not just to feel part of a ‘club’, but to enjoy the act of choosing and wearing great clothes.
In light of this, the obvious choice would be to hire the money-maker faces. But the faces that are rising to the top aren’t just those starry one-in-a-million faces, but models that have got there through sheer hard work.
Karmen’s rise from ingénue to campaign girl is textbook when it comes to making the move from model to super; some are faces ‘of the moment’, slotting into a mood or look that gets everyone talking. Others make it by stealth, working for years and then suddenly making it big – Iselin Steiro is a perfect example of this. But Karmen falls into the third group: a solid but steady start, which blossoms into regular work on the world’s runway and editorial circuits.
Karmen’s transition from runway regular to the Spring 2011 face of Michael Kors and Gucci has been a process several years in the making, but Pedaru’s star power has lost none of its potency for it. There are some models that just have ‘it’ – that elusive modelling gene – but there’s something to be said for the grafters of the industry.
Karmen’s career will continue to flourish because her years of hard work have given her the skills of a supermodel, with the insight and intelligence needed to interpret fashion for a whole new generation.
HELEN TOPE
Sunday, 21 March 2010
Catherine’s career started in 2003 when she won a local modelling contest. The contest, a collaboration between the Australian magazine ‘Girlfriend’, and the world-famous Cover Girl cosmetics brand, was launched in 1992, and has proved considerably successful: in addition to finding Catherine McNeil, top models Abbey Lee Kershaw and Alyssa Sutherland can also attribute their first big break to winning the competition.
Catherine’s modelling career started small, with two years spent in Australia working on ad campaigns and magazine shoots, and it wasn’t until 2006 that McNeil went to New York to have a meeting with agency NEXT.
Immediately impressed, NEXT signed McNeil and sent her to Paris to meet photographer Mario Testino. The photographer liked Catherine so much that he signed to her an exclusive 6-month contract, photographing her for French and British Vogue.
McNeil’s career began in earnest when she undertook her debut show season in February 2007. Having Testino’s seal of approval, she had a home-field advantage, and McNeil made an equally lasting impression on designers, snagging shows for Balmain, Dior, Costume National, Fendi, Stella McCartney and Viktor & Rolf. In addition to this, McNeil was asked to headline for Alexander McQueen, Missoni, Givenchy and Alessandro Dell’Acqua.
McNeil’s affiliation with Mario Testino continued throughout the year, with Catherine landing the cover of French Vogue (shot by Testino) and a slew of campaign work for D&G, Hugo Boss and Donna Karan, again all photographed by Testino.
Her runway season that September was equally dazzling, including show opener duty for Zac Posen, Carolina Herrera, Thakoon and Preen, with appearances for Chanel, Derek Lam, Gucci, Isabel Marant, Miu Miu, Rag & Bone, Rodarte and Versace. If McNeil was the hottest model-of-the-moment, her CV certainly proved it: she was working with some of the greatest design talent fashion had to offer.
In December, Catherine did an editorial for French Vogue (photographed by Mario Sorrenti), and in early 2008 Catherine worked with him again, this time for the French Vogue calendar. She also appeared in the 2008 Pirelli Calendar, shot by Patrick Demarchelier. Shooting a calendar for a tyre company may seem a surprising choice for a model of McNeil’s calibre, but the decision is not so left-field as you might think. Pirelli has worked hard in recent years to revitalise itself with a serious image overhaul. By hiring some of the top names in fashion, the concept of the Pirelli calendar has been remarketed for a new generation. Still sexy, but with a touch of high-fashion cool, it used the same technique as Victoria’s Secret, and with the same knockout effect.
To prove the point that she could do it all, Catherine went on to have a highly successful couture season, including Chanel, Dior, Lacroix and Givenchy. No model gets to the heady heights of couture without laying the groundwork first, and Catherine’s prep work had now been done. She was not just a fashion girl; she was a model on the rise.
In February 2008, Catherine did editorials for French and American Vogue, plus a cover for Numero magazine. Her influence in show season continued, with McNeil being asked to close shows for Belstaff, Hermes and MaxMara, with additional appearances for designers such as Alexander Wang, Bill Blass, Dries Van Noten, Halston, Herve Leger, Louis Vuitton, Prada and Valentino.
April was a particularly busy month with McNeil shooting her second cover of Numero, and scoring her first cover for Australian Vogue. Fitting in a tremendous amount of editorial and runway work for the remainder of the year, 2008 ended well when Catherine landed another cover of Australian Vogue in November. In December she then worked again with Mario Testino to create an editorial for American Vogue where she featured in a retro-styled shoot alongside ‘Mad Men’ actor Jon Hamm. The 50’s influence played to McNeil’s strengths perfectly, allowing her to channel old-school glamour with contemporary fashion.
However comfortable McNeil appeared in doing retro shoots, she was still very much fashion’s latest it-girl, becoming the face of the Louis Vuitton Cruise campaign in 2009, plus appearing alongside Claudia Schiffer for a Dolce & Gabbana Resort ad, photographed by Steven Klein.
Catherine also landed a significant campaign when she was exclusively signed to represent the new fragrance by Narciso Rodriguez. Already known for his mastery of minimalism, Rodriguez had experienced earlier success with his self-named fragrance and his second try, ‘Essence’, became a worldwide hit shortly after its release in early 2009. A deliberate play on Rodriguez’s fashion philosophy; the clean, modern feel to the campaign was tempered by Catherine’s sensuality, making the perfume, the designer and the model a winning combination.
2009 also brought a considerable amount of editorial work, with Catherine doing fashion spreads for Harper’s Bazaar, V, American and French Vogue in March; Numero, V and i-D in May; German Vogue in August; Australian Vogue in September and finally, Italian Vogue in October.
Catherine’s star continues to rise in 2010, with an already stacked season under her belt, walking for Blumarine, Hermes, Louis Vuitton, Stella McCartney and Prada. Catherine’s appearance in the noteworthy A/W 2010 Prada show especially got the press talking. This season’s Prada show was awash with not only new modelling talent (Barbara Palvin, Samantha Gradoville) but had a few surprises in store. Joining Catherine on the catwalk were Victoria’s Secret favourites Miranda Kerr, Doutzen Kroes and Alessandra Ambrosio.
Sporting retro beehives and pinafore dresses, the look was a million miles away from the uber-glamour of Victoria’s Secret, but this collusion of curves with high fashion was no token gesture. Catherine McNeil’s vintage beauty was ideally situated to the Prada show. Walking the line between the Victoria’s Secret girls and the new model talent, she bridged high-fashion with romance, and if there’s one thing the fashion crowd love more than novelty, its romance.
We often tend to think of high-fashion as having a singular template of beauty, but when made a closer study, the fashion world is more accommodating than we think – as well as Catherine McNeil, there’s room for the ultra-edgy look of Kasia Struss; the glossy girl-next-door (a speciality of Miranda Kerr & Doutzen Kroes); the quirky, youthful appeal of Karlie Kloss and Caroline Trentini, while blondes get represented by models like Hannah Holman and Anja Rubik.
This season’s Prada girl wears 50’s Riviera prints that are so authentic it is easy to imagine them being worn by Grace Kelly whilst engaging Cary Grant in a filmic game of cat and mouse. Florals are given the 5-star treatment by Erdem and for this autumn, style-leader Marc Jacobs has given us a collection of keeper-classics that will make it to the top of any stylish girl’s wish-list.
In times of deep uncertainty, it doesn’t take much to figure out that something comforting and familiar is always going to be a sales-winner. The go-to references of modern retro: strong, classic shapes with soft colours and prints piece together a look that’s as timeless as it is fashion-forward.
By going back to fashion’s past, the industry is securing its future, but more than being a cynical money-making exercise, this new venture into fashion’s back catalogue is an attempt to reconnect with the (considerable) group of style consumers who won’t be doing tribal or sports-luxe this season. Prada’s highly vocal celebration of femininity proves that trends don’t just end with hemlines. With the best will in the world, having a must-have trend on your hands doesn’t necessarily mean victory at the tills. Selling a trend takes more than buzz: personal connection still counts and classic beauty connects across the board.
This new look appeals to the girl whose fashion icons are not just Grace Kelly or Bettie Page, she also rates Paloma Faith and SJP in her softer red-carpet moments. Its feminine made modern: flounces are tempered with a chunky heel; a summer coat is off-set with a low-slung messy ponytail. This fresh take on old-fashioned glamour is what makes Catherine McNeil such a hot ticket.
By appealing to a whole new demographic, fashion is doing more than trying to claw its way out of recession. Recovery is about confidence as much as the balance sheet and this array of heaven-sent fashion has shown that the industry is finally getting its mojo back. Having faces like Catherine McNeil for inspiration is convincing designers that style doesn’t have to be an either / or situation between modern and retro: it can, like Catherine, be a beautiful blend of both. By making retro-fashion relevant, the fashion world is finally letting its inner beauty show, and it really is the start of something new.
Sunday, 14 February 2010
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Raised in Las Vegas, Jessica Miller is high fashion’s showgirl. In continual demand since signing with agency Next in 2000, Jessica proves that it is possible to have a substantial, wide-ranging career by being able to specialise.
Born on 21st February 1984, Jessica took the unusual route to modelling by enrolling in a local modelling school. In 1999, she was discovered by Corrie Singer and was a new face at Next by 2000.
Jessica debuted at Paris Fashion Week in March 2001, walking for YSL, Thierry Mugler and Lanvin. Her career started off impressively enough, but its initial progress was slow. She was a bona fide fashion girl – good enough for the runways of Paris – but the rest of the fashion world had yet to catch on.
It wasn’t until 2002 that Jessica received her big break. Many top models have defining moments: a point where their career goes from 0-60. Jessica’s career acceleration wasn’t just stellar, it went supernova.
Her athletic figure and long hair caught the eye of designer Calvin Klein. Klein, who had spent his life engineering a brand that speaks of easy American style, was already a dab hand at picking out new model talent. His decision to hire a (then) unknown Kate Moss to model exclusively for him in the early Nineties was pivotal, not only for her, but also crucial in terms of shaping a vision of modern youth for an entire generation, spearheaded by the Calvin Klein name.
A fixture of fashion since the Seventies, Klein’s name became permanently fixed in popular culture with the hiring of Kate Moss. The iconic B&W adverts, with Kate’s editorially-perfect face, transformed the brand into something that was universal in appeal. Klein’s decision to hire an unknown face changed the trajectory of modern fashion, and lightning struck twice when he decided to hire another unknown in 2002, Jessica Miller.
Jessica’s laid-back cool lent itself perfectly to the ethos of Calvin Klein. Not only that, she too had a face that could adapt at will. Any runway, any editorial, any brand – it was now Miller’s for the taking.
Her life as a fairly successful but anonymous runway model changed overnight when Klein named Miller the new Calvin Klein girl. She became the name, the face that everybody in fashion had to know. Success for Jessica had just become radically re-defined.
Signing a two-year contract with Calvin Klein, Jessica walked exclusively for the designer in February and September. In March 2002, she scored her first cover of Italian Vogue, and in October did an editorial for Harper’s Bazaar with photographer Patrick Demarchelier. In December, to crown off an incredible year, Jessica got the cover of Numero magazine. Photographed by French duo Inez van Lamsweerde and Vinoodh Matadin, Jessica was covered in glitter. An apt metaphor for fashion’s newest – and brightest – star.
2003 presented yet more opportunities. In February she became a Pirelli calendar girl and was also photographed by van Lamsweerde and Matadin for the cover of French Vogue.
In the spring, Miller became the face of Fendi’s new ad campaign, and scored a double hit in May when she landed the cover of i-D and a coveted editorial for Italian Vogue.
In the autumn, she took part in the couture season in Paris, walking for Chanel, Givenchy, Jean Paul Gaultier and milliner Philip Treacy. She was also named the face of Tommy Hilfiger’s and Givenchy’s Autumn / Winter campaigns.
This body of work culminated in Jessica receiving the Model of the Year award in December 2003 at the International Photographer Awards. The award highlighted Jessica’s ability to develop a rapport with every photographer she worked with. It was not just a professional courtesy on Miller’s part, but a great way of creating a network of people ready and willing to work with her again. Her ability to be a team player also helped in creating some truly great photographs. Jessica’s early success may have been down to her genetic gifts, but what kept her working, was her ability to communicate.
Jessica’s work continued in 2004 with a second Pirelli calendar, and an incredible show season where she walked for over 45 designers. The names that hired her ranged from Marc Jacobs and Alexander McQueen to Viktor & Rolf and Costume National. Jessica’s new standing as the Calvin Klein girl meant that she was fashion’s latest runway star. Her affiliation with photographic work made Miller a popular choice because she immediately knew how to interpret a brief.
In 2004, Miller became the face of Chloe and Blumarine’s ad campaigns, and that was in addition to adverts for Gap and H&M. But in September 2005, Jessica made the startling decision to quit the catwalk. Bearing in mind her knock-out season just one year ago, her decision to leave came as a shock to many.
In 2006, putting runway on hold, Jessica concentrated on landing those lucrative high-end campaigns, and became the face of Chanel cosmetics, plus scoring the campaign for Jimmy Choo.
In September 2007, she appeared in the now-famous Numero ‘Spiderwoman’ editorial, shot by photographer Solve Sundsbo. Suspended in mid-air on wires, Jessica did a series of shots as a bionic ‘Spiderwoman’ character. Clad in skin-tight leather, the shoot was a feat of endurance, referencing Jessica’s comic-book namesake and Angelina Jolie’s super-sexy role in ‘Mr and Mrs Smith’. The photo-shoot drew attention to Miller’s couture-perfect frame and her willingness to literally hang upside down to get that killer picture.
From May 2008 to November 2009, Jessica continued her editorial work with French and German Vogue, i-D and Flair. After wetting her feet at the Chanel Resort show in May 2007, Miller made a triumphant return to runway in 2009, appearing at the Fendi show in Milan, plus walking for Zac Posen and Givenchy in Paris and New York.
A lot can be learned from Jessica Miller. Fearless in her approach to modelling, she has built a diverse career of runway, print and campaign work on learning how to specialise and turn it to her advantage.
Her runway-ready body and waist-length hair have made her a covetable name for both beauty and fashion brands. Miller has worked with firms such as Adidas, Helena Rubenstein, J Brand, Warehouse and De Beers. From diamonds to sportswear, Jessica has excelled in every assignment. Jessica’s decision to concentrate on photographic work has made her highly skilled at determining what’s required. Having a great face and body is certainly no downer, but knowing how to interact with a photographer is nothing short of fundamental: it’s Modelling 101.
Jessica’s ability to respond quickly in photo-shoots has meant that walking away from a highly successful runway career was not an error in judgement. Being flexible enough to switch gears mid-career takes guts, and it’s what has ensured Miller’s longevity in an industry where a model is doing well on a career spanning 5 years at most.
Having a signature undoubtedly helped to launch Jessica’s career. Her long-limbed, aesthetic beauty worked brilliantly for Calvin Klein, and helped her score dozens of editorials, campaigns and covers. But when you have a signature, there is always the possibility you can get cornered and boxed into that one look. Jessica’s decision to switch from runway to print was more than financial: it saved her career from potential atrophy.
Now working as a runway and photographic model, Jessica’s new-millennium take on American beauty continues to sell, ten years after her discovery in Las Vegas.
Miller has recently expressed interest in pursuing acting in the future. Such a leap is certainly possible: Amber Valletta made the move to Hollywood, and film stars Uma Thurman and Diane Kruger once had good careers as models before starring on the silver screen.
Jessica’s ability to work with others may well put her in good stead of achieving those ambitions. She has the potential, like Moss, to have a career that spans across many different media platforms. Resourceful and resilient, Jessica’s not about to be written out of the picture any time soon.
HELEN TOPE
Sunday, 9 August 2009
Their new-found enthusiasm spilled over into the virtual world: blogs, message boards and Twitter provided teenagers with a means to express their deepest fashion desires. Fashion went underground. What teenagers have done with their fashion knowledge is to take it away from mainstream culture and elevate its participants (mainly models) to cult status.
Saturday, 18 April 2009
