Anja Rubik's street style at the March 2010 Paris shows, Anja Rubik's street style at the March 2010 Paris shows again, Anja Rubik's street style at the Feb. 2010 New York Fashion Week shows, Anja Rubik's street style at the October 2009 Paris Fashion Week shows, and exiting the Viktor and Rolf show at Paris Fashion Week in October of 2009
For additional shots of JacJac Jagaciak's street style with Kasia Struss at the July 2010 Paris Couture shows, the story of Jac before and during the Balmain show at the March Paris Fashion Week, Jac Jagaciak's street style at the Feb. 2010 Milan Fashion Week shows, and Jac Jagaciak's street style the October 2009 Milan Fashion Week shows and more!
Stage 5: first look, backstage before hitting the runway
Katrin Wesolowski, production and model line up for Balmain
This Paris Fashion Week, Katrin Wesolowski is busy casting shows and scouting new faces (above with British designer, Henry Holland) while working with La Mode En Images (In House Casting & Production Company for the Balmain show) founded by Olivier Massart. La Mode En Images also works on other various shows during Paris Fashion Week like Givenchy, Balenciaga, Valentino, and YSL to name a few. Katrin was kind enough to grant me backstage access to the Balmain show, which translated itself into a story revolving around model Jac Jagaciak.
I was fortunate enough to be able to catch up with Katrin after the show in between her busy schedule, and get to know her more and what she does as a Casting Agent:
Craig Arend: Thank you so much for taking the time out from your busy schedule of shows to speak with me.Katrin Wesolowski: My pleasure!
Craig: Can you please tell us what you are doing here in Paris for Fashion Week.Katrin: I work as a casting agent for La Mode En Images. It is one of the leading production companies in the fashion business.
Craig: What draws you to this line of work?Katrin: It's such an exciting environment to work in. There are always so many things going on at the same time.
Craig: How did you get your start?
Katrin: Well, I first started as a Stylist Assistant in Milan. I then moved to Paris to assist Julia von Boehm and then worked with Christopher Niquet at MIXTE magazine. In 2006, I left Paris and went home to Stochkolm to work as a Model Agent at Mikas Model Management. I stayed there for 2 years and moved back to Paris to work as a Stylist Producer for Art Partner. I then was called by Patrizia Pilotti of La Mode En Images, who offered me a job to work for her. And I've been working for Patrizia ever since.
Craig: What is a memorable moment that stands out for you in your experience?
Katrin: There are so many, but I'll never forget my first show in Paris. My best friend, Delfina got me in to see Chanel and I was so excited I could cry!
Craig: What are you looking for when you are casting?
Katrin: Castings are so very personal. It truly depends on what each individual client is looking for at that time.
Craig: Where do you see yourself in 5 years?
Katrin: I would love to cast on my own!
Craig: Well, thank you again for finding the time to sit down with me. Good luck with the rest of fashion week!
Jac is already a huge force both on and off the runway. While only participating in runway shows in New York and Milan, she walked in nearly every key show in both cities (33 total shows): from Marc Jacobs and Oscar de la Renta in New York to Prada and Gucci in Milan -- among the many.
She also managed to really solidify her presence as a strong show Opener by opening a total of 7 shows in both cities including such heavy weights as Calvin Klein, Derek Lam, Bottega Veneta, Marni, Emilio Pucci, Etro, and star Milan new designer Marco de Vincenzo. Closing Alexander Wang and Gianfranco Ferre is nothing to sneeze at either.
Off the runway, October has been an amazing building block towards her future success with editorials in Italian Vogue shot by Steven Meisel (October 2009), W magazine shot by Paolo Roversi (October 2009) and an editorial in Numero (October 2009).
Provided that no other obligations interfere, I predict you will be seeing even more of her during the next fashion month (FALL 2010) as she turns 16 in January and will be able to fully participate, without technical age restrictions, in the Paris Fashion Week shows.
As seen leaving the Elie Saab show together on the third day of the Couture shows.
ON DUTY ANALYSIS: ELIE SAAB'S COUTURE SHOW (for fun) I'm no expert on runway show analysis, but I'll go out on a limb and say that Elie Saab was a good value show for the models that got to walk it:
--44 looks --19 different girls, which improves mathematical odds for future face recognition and bookings/casting requests --each girl walked the runway a minimum of two times, double face exposure time at minimum for each girl --6 girls walked the runway three times (Karlie Kloss, Jac, Sigrid Agren, Magdalena Frackowiak, Kasia Struss, Karmen Kass)= triple face exposure time for girls lucky enough to walk three times. --the face of each girl was still recognizable, unlike some shows where the girls face is disguised by makeup and/or costume
While the FW11 Lanvin and Marc Jacobs shows turned out girls wearing spots down the runway, Jac here goes a step further by combining her spotted cut out top with florals like they did in Sportmax. Given that Stella McCartney and Diane von Furstenberg also "spotted" their runways, I think you might be "spotting" similar spots soon.
TREND for SS17: androgynous eyebrows, glamorous metallic eyes, slightly paled out natural skin tone via Pat McGrath. Glossy shine wet look hair via Guido Palau
While editors may have paid attention to how Jac moved to Cuban composer Ernesto Lecuona's Te He Visto Pasar while on the runway at the SS17 Prada show, my curiosity made me wonder how she would've looked wearing her own leather jacket while moving to the other soundtrack Eins Fine Grand by It's A Fine Line -- which is what the musicians themselves refer to as non-conformist (and therefore a better match for her Off Duty look)
