Imagine saying Freja Beha Erichsen every time you wanted to refer to Freja?
And by the way, the CORRECT pronunciation of her name is "fry-ah" not "fray-ah" which you can verify by listening to this V-magazine interview with her.
Freja Beha Erichsen street style: at the SS17 London Fashion Week shows
Freja Beha Erichsen Street Style: at the SS17 Paris Fashion Week shows
Freja Beha Erichsen street style: off duty after the Jaeger show
Freja Beha Erichsen street style: off duty after the Valention Couture show
As I write this, my hands are actually a bit sweaty. Maybe it's the old fight or flight response mechanism inside of me, knowing that some of the country's top editors will be watching my work. Frankly, I think it's the excitement of knowing that I'll be the first photographer to be hired by Teen Vogue.com for New York, London, and Paris Fashion Week to capture models street style and "it" girls street style--close up shots might be included too. An endeavor to be taken seriously, no doubt. So for future reference, I'm going to ask that you click on the Teen Vogue.com banner links inside my posts and check out their new street style section for fashion week. The photos will be exclusive for use by Teen Vogue, so you won't be able to see them here. So go check out what's probably the first street style shot EVER, of FORD Supermodel of the World 2009 Winner, 14 year old modeling sensation Tayane Leao at Teen Vogue.com!.
L-Dorothea Barth Jorgensen (Women NY) and R-Anna de Rijk (DNA)
Dorothea was recently shot by Steven Meisel (again) for the Alberta Ferretti S/S 2010 campaign. She was also shot by Craig McDean for a Feb. 2010 W Magazine editorial.
Anna just shot a 10 Magazine editorial for the F/W 2009 issue and completed the Vera Wang S/S 2010 campaign.
L-Vanessa Hegelmaier and R-Amanda Norgaard
Vanessa Hegelmaier just shot an editorial for Vogue Greece and was shot by Nathaniel Goldberg for the DKNY S/S 2010 campaign
Amanda Norgaard walked Prada and Miu Miu last season and since has done editorial work with Interview Magazine and a 15 page editorial with the Feb. 2010 U.S. edition of Harpers Bazaar.
Amanda has a brilliant and fun personality.... Vanessa and I appeared together on German National TV last season on a special RTL segment on me.
Amanda's spunk and style popping for the camera
L-Alla Kostromichova (Women Direct) and R-Irina Vodolazova (Women Direct)
Alla was just appeared in the Jan. issue of Italian Vogue, and finished editorials with British Vogue, ID and 10 magazine.
Irina recently completed an editorial with L'Officiel Russia
Lindsey Wixson (Marilyn NY)
Shot by Mert Alus and Marcus Piggott for the Miu Miu S/S 2010 campaign, shot by Craig McDean for W, shot by Daniel Jackson for ID, featured in POP, and featured in LOVE magazine...I can't wait to see how she fares this runway season.
Lindsey Wixson Street Style: FW10 Paris
Lindsey Wixson Street Style: at the SS17 Milan shows
Lindsey Wixson Street Style: exclusive pre-fashion month photo
Dree Hemingway, December 14, 2008...before she became a media celebrity.
Joan Smalls, back on June 3, 2009 before she became a Vogue It Girl.
Frida Gustavsson, at London Fashion Week back on September 23, 2009, in her first runway season, before she became a street style phenomena.
Tati Cotliarbefore she even finished her first runway season back at New York Fashion Week on September 25, 2009
Mirte Maas just after finishing her first ever runway season on November 19, 2009. Before she went on to multiple shoots with Steven Meisel, the Balenciaga campaign, and a Vogue China Cover.
Ruby Aldridge, on March 3, 2010. Before she went on to be shot by Juergen Teller for the Marc by Marc Jacobs campaign as well as by nearly every other street style blogger around.
Lindsey Wixson on February 10, 2010, just after debuting with a Miu Miu exclusive.
Ming Xi, during her first ever Paris Ready To Wear show on March 6, 2010, in a Paris Metro Stop. This is before her Givenchy campaign went mainstream.
Samantha Gradoville, on July 14, 2010. She hasn't even finished a complete runway season yet. Last season she Opened and Closed PRADA, one of the most influential shows any model can walk in, let alone a new model who Opens and Closes the show. Here she is at the recent Paris Couture shows.
The Independent, a British based newspaper recently mentioned this about altamira, "Dubbed 'Models off duty,' this blog captures the streetstyle of all kinds of fashion professionals including the industry's best-known models, often predicting soon-to-be-famous new faces."
Not only has this site been recognized as the single most powerful concentrated resource for models street style on the internet, but over time, that reach and influence will just grow more and more.
So stay tuned for updates during the coming fashion season.
Poppy Delevingne (Storm, London) exits the SS17 Burberry show at London Fashion Week
Cara Delevingne (Storm, London) exits the SS17 Burberry show at London Fashion Week
By the way, it's pronounced Bur-brie (as in the cheese) by the Brits and not Bur-berry (as in the fruit). And to think I was like all "American" sounding going Bur-berry all these years!
I think the contrast between the two sisters style as seen in these pics from today is quite interesting, don't you think?
p.s. and in having nothing to do with the Delevingne sisters and everything to do with street style, make sure to hop over to the new L'Oreal Paris Your Style Your Studio for hair site by clicking HERE. It's genius surfing hair styles uploaded by people from around the world.
First off, I wanted to say THANK YOU to each and everyone of you who took the time to extend your condolences to me. Words really can't do justice to the sincerity with which I say this thanks from the bottom of my heart. May good karma come back to you all in the form of Rick Owens and Marc Jacobs goods!
Now on to some new street style! I am so excited to get my camera out again. We have New York Fashion Week coming up, London Fashion Week...so much to look forward to in the near future that I'm about ready to camp out at Bryant Park starting this weekend. <---kidding On a more serious note, in the first picture you have Andre. Be sure to click the picture to enlarge the photo so you can better see the details: the colored stitching on his lapels, his rings, his cufflinks. In a word, awesome.
In the second picture you see some subtler style as evinced by Patrick. His perfectly scuplted hair inspired by the 50's beatnick and greaser is the primary focus, his epaulettes on his black button down which color coordinate well with his skin a close second.
Again, Thank You to everyone for your words of condolence and patience with waiting for new material to be posted.
Anne Christensen on Sixth Avenue outside of the tents during fashion week. The movement of the person in the background suggests how challening it was to weave through people at New York Fashion Week, let alone get a clear picture.
I found Carine Roitfeld fun and really cooperative with my requests. Instead of shooting a full body picture of her, this close-up picture of her wearing a hoodie with the wind blowing her hair was captivating. Notice the cab driver in the background.
This is Brian Ermanski and this is not his kid, nor is it mine. This little boy curiously walked in on the photo wanting to see what was going on. A delightful moment in time caught on camera for years to come.
The editorial style pose in this picture still rivets my attention. You might be able to notice the guy in background looking back, wondering what was going on.
I was walking across Lafayette Street when I heard the putter coming from the engine on this man's moped. Not only are the different historical references in his outfit mesmerizing, but the fact that the foreground is juxtaposed against a background of people and buildings from 2007, give this photo a paradoxical feel.
This is Sato. I like his absolutely couture approach to avant-garde style.
This is one of the first photos I took at London Fashion Week. Not only did I think her outfit was superb, but I deliberately left the street sign in the composition in the background for added visual impact.
Androgyny fascinates me when it is artfully expressed. The perfect hairline on this girl, her still facial expression, and the curved lines which lead to the dual decker bus in London in the background made for an intersting shot.
I always admire people who defy modern fashion in favor of retro-style couture. Notice the leading lines of the row of homes, leading off into the far distance, where you can see Londoners going about their daily business.
The outfit is inspiring and so is the fact that you can see the words "London Fashion Week" on the car doors in the background.
At the end of the Donna Karen show at New York Fashion Week, the fire department showed up. I'm guessing there was a report that the building had violated some fire code and the excess crowd was causing street congestion. While the lights from the F.D.N.Y. truck in the background were going off, I was able to snap this shot of well know model Irina Kulikova.
With fashion month soon to be upon us, models will be attending casting calls in between fittings, shows, and visits to their agencies. If you haven't seen what a casting call for a runway show is like, it can be quite anxiety driven. Girls are literally lined up by the 10's and 20's outside in hallways. Some Casting Directors have pre-casting castings, in which they will see hundreds of girls in just 2 days time, so they can edit down their choices for runway shows accordingly. Just try mentioning the name Russell Marsh to a model and watch her reaction. Because of the timing, I thought it was appropriate to republish an interview I did with Sarah Doukas, the founder of Storm Model Management and the one who discovered Kate Moss at JFK airport. In it, we talked about the impact of style on a models career.
We sat down for a chat at her agency in South Kensington and what follows is a brief glimpse of the modeling world, distilled ultimately into two major categories: how a models personal style can help create more opportunities for them and how press (think my blog here) can help create more opportunities for models as well.
I must add that everyone at Storm Models from their Press Officer Paula Karaiskos to their entire New Faces Division was a pleasure to work with. Many thanks to everyone at Storm who helped me along the way and especially to Sarah for breaking from her hectic schedule for the interview.
THE IMPACT OF PERSONAL STYLE ON THE SUCCESS OF A MODELS CAREER
Craig: Can a models sense of style positively impact her career?
Sarah: I definitely think it can positively impact her career. It's got to be simple but the point about that question is, that if they have absolutely no style and they go out just not looking great, they're wearing very unflattering clothes and things like that, then it's definitely going to have a negative impact.
Craig: really?
Sarah: Oh god yes, there's no question. I'm obsessed with finding British girls. It's my big thing....and it's hard to get them to the point of going out to do shows...I know that once they hit that international circuit, and they're sitting in a Paris agency and seeing those Parisian clients, if they don't look the part...you know they're wearing some kind of scraggy old t-shirt...(sighs)..they don't have to go and spend a great deal of money, but style is really important, very simple. So I think it is important.
Craig: so the lack of style can definitely negatively impact
Sarah: Impact. There's no doubt that lack of style can negatively impact. I'm not talking about wearing Balenciaga, but very simple High Street stuff. That elongates your legs and is just flattering.
STORM AGENCY TAKES ACTIONS TO IMPROVE A MODELS STYLE
Craig: do you guys tell models how to dress here?
Sarah: yeah
Craig: for castings?
Sarah: yes
Craig: So if you don't mind me asking in what? just jeans...stuff that shows their body?....is that what they're supposed to wear?
Sarah: I think if they walked around in a great big smock it would be a bit a problem for a client and I'm not suggesting that they look provocatively, you know wearing sexy stuff but certainly stuff that shows the length of their body and that they're slim. You can get somebody with the most fantastic figure and they come in here and may be in a dress like this (motions wide with hands) the client would say, "well I wonder what's going on there....have you put on weight?"...They can look at their book but they don't really know...so it's advisable to dress in something that can really see, you know show your shape. That's what I think.
Craig: so the key for style...there's not many options if you're having to wear skinny jeans and t-shirts??
Sarah: well you can wear leggings, they are back in fashion. You can still layer up. You can wear a really nice cardi with a longer tightish dress with leggings. There are lots of options. You can wear a short skirt with leggings. With boots. Again with layers. But just not, you can't walk around in sort of voluminous clothes as the clients are going to say "Hey whats going on under there? Maybe she's pregnant?"
Craig: So you do intervene then? On occasion, when it comes to a girl's style?
Sarah: Well I sit at the booking table. I do all the time. I like everybody to be autonomous in their job here and do their thing. I don't want to look over peoples shoulder. I hate that kind of thing because I work at the booking table with everybody and I don't have an office. You know, I'm just one of them, I'm not the boss or any such thing.
But yeah I do because I know its going to have a negative impact if they go out looking like that. And they appreciate it. You can say it in a really nice way. You don't have to say, "listen you have terrible style. We need to completely change you." You just have to say, "now listen, when you go out I want you to look great."
GREAT PERSONAL STYLE CREATES MORE SALES VALUE FOR BOOKING AGENTS
Sarah: You know they go into a French agency or a New York agency, the bookers are looking at them for the first time and at the end of the day we have to be realistic about this job: they are selling a product, those booking agents. So they have to believe in it when they see it. So they have to see somebody looking -- great. The book can look fantastic. But you know what? You need to believe to sell something, of course you do. You can't make any bones about it. It's a human business. And I really like these girls or I wouldn't do it. But we are selling something. So you must look good.
THE IMPACT OF PRESS ON A MODELS BOOKING VALUE
Craig: regarding press as opposed to runway shows, advertising campaigns and editorials, press like a girl gets her photo taken and she's in the New York Times...or interviews...like this is a form of press (I pointed to 1 of 4 of my Teen Vogue solo pages)
Sarah: does it have their names?
Craig: it does
Sarah: Exactly, that's very important. Years ago nobody knew who models were. Apart from those famous models, they were never given credit in a magazine or anything so there were was no credits given. So that was one thing that people were quite anonymous. And i think press is huge and I think it's really important.
We started with PR in 89 or 90. Because I just thought it was hugely important and Richard Branson was my partner for many years and he was like, "Sarah" we know he likes the press...he was like "it's really important"
I think it's important. Kate Moss is the first one that we did it with. And I build press books and I've done it on all my models. Whether it be Sophie Dahl, Lily Cole, Devon Aoki, Jourdan Dunn, Behati Prinsloo, Liberty Ross....
Craig: one thing that really gets me about press is, yeah it's cool because the model gets her name circulated in the public, but how does that impact the booking value of a model?
Sarah: Huge, because you know you've got a model "Ann Smith" who doesn't get any press, who is a great looking girl, and works alot. And you've got somebody else, say "Paula Reed" who gets press, is out in the public domain, if you went and asked somebody in the street do you know who this is? They'd say yes. Well that's what market research is. So then you get a big company going, "I want a name." So you put this beautiful girl up who hasn't got press and you put this one up who has got press. Who are they going to choose? Does the general public know this person? So they sell masses and her value is much higher than this one's is. Way higher.
ALL THINGS EQUAL, THE MODEL WITH MORE PRESS GETS MORE OPPORTUNITIES
Craig: so everything else being equal, they both walked the same amount of runway shows, they both did the same advertising campaigns and editorials, but one just got the press, that one is going to be the more valuable one then?
Sarah: yes, much more. Look at our magazines. Look at the campaigns. They're all celebrities. Actresses. Somebody well known, they take up what, 80-90% of fabulous campaigns. You know that's because that's the power of somebody whose got a name....
But if you're in the business. If you see your chance that somebody can go that route and if they want to, you've got to take it because it's going to be a huge benefit financially to them and it's going to be a benefit to the agency...it feeds on itself. As soon as you do some press, it's unbelievable. You get so many opportunities open. People are calling. It opens doors.
Craig: so being that press is so important, do you train models in self-publicizing?
Sarah: There are definite pitfalls. Of course you say to them "look, don't open up too much about your private life, or things you don't want to say." You have to learn how to talk to press, but you need to keep it professional but you still need to keep it real. They need to be interested in you as a person. At the end of the day you've got to understand that you can just chat away and end up saying something that you wish you hadn't said. So you do have to be guarded. Open but guarded...Paula would sit in if it was somebody young. Like when Jourdan had done press. She would sit in....
PRESS MUST INCLUDE A MODELS NAME TO BE IMPACTFUL
Craig: Regarding press, it's valuable as long as it includes the models name?
Sarah: Oh it has to. It has to be all about her.
Craig: So just a photo without the name isn't necessarily valuable?
Sarah: nobody would know who you were....if they don't have the name, then the general public just don't know. It's interesting now when people ring and they say they, "Ah, I want somebody well known." Well it's not easy. Not that many models are well known anymore. They're just not -- for the general public. For our world, we know who they are, but the man walking down the street doesn't. They have to constantly see the image of a person and interviews on her, with her name, with her name, constantly for it to get into their head and they suddenly say, "Oh I know who this person is"
WORDS OF WISDOM TO THE COMMERCIAL MODEL
Craig:....commercial versus high fashion...who makes more money in the short-term?
Sarah: the commercial girls make a fortune
Craig: they make tons
Sarah: they make tons!
Craig: why is it then that every girl aspires to the high fashion?
Sarah: because we all want to be driving a Ferrari don't we?
Craig: but you don't necessarily make as much money do you if you go the high fashion route?
Sarah: no, You know you always get these girls that make a load of money. You know they're fantastic looking girls and they're doing brilliantly. And they're like, "you know what, I'm going to cut all my hair off. I'm going to go seriously edgy. I want you to get me into...." And I'm like "You're taking a massive risk. You're going to ruin your market in the short-term" And it happens. It does happen. I can mention lots of girls who it has happened....I always think, "You should be glad for what you've got. I understand wanting to aspire to better and greater things. But, you could in the short term lose your whole market "
Craig: so a girl can start off as a commercial model and then go the high fashion route?
Sarah: it happens
Craig: does it really?
Sarah: yeah
THE MONETARY VALUE OF OPENING AND CLOSING A SHOW
Craig: when a model opens and closes a show, do they get paid extra?
Sarah: well I don't know that they get paid extra per se, but if a model is good enough to open and close, she may well be on a much higher rate than somebody else. I mean it's negotiated. It's all negotiated.
NEW MAGAZINES NEED GREAT PHOTOGRAPHERS WITH A GREAT TEAM TO BOOK TOP MODELS
Craig: I've got another question for you. A new magazine, a start up magazine in London calls you up and they say "we want your top girl" What are the credentials that someone has to bring for a new magazine?
Sarah: They'd have to bring an amazing photographer, stylist, hair and make up...all the jazz.
Craig: What if they don't have a famous photographer?
Sarah: You would have to be very careful with the top talent. Because you don't really know what it's going to look like. You'd ask for a dummy copy. And this that and the other but you wouldn't give top talent.
About half of yesterday's pictures got lost in a tragic memory card malfunction. These are the photos I was able to salvage. More pics and a new memory card coming up.
Arizona Muse (Next, NY) exiting Balenciaga in Paris
Arizona Muse was arguably the new phenomena to watch this last show season. She captured the hearts of a wide set of Casting Directors from London's Russell Marsh to New York's James Scully. She's from New Mexico in case you are wondering and her show credits include opening and closing both Prada and Miu Miu, opening Chloé and closing YSL. I'm sure the Faith Kates team at Next NY will generate some amazing off season action for this new wonder.
Bo Don (Marilyn, NY) exiting Roberto Cavalli in Milan
Dutch wonder Bo Don first debuted on the runways at the Fall/Winter 2010 PARIS shows, but this Spring/Summer 2018 season marked her first full circuit of shows. Her appearence in Balenciaga marked two consecutive seasons in the show and her walks in the most directional shows like Cavalli, Givenchy, Marc Jacobs and Chanel point to what is surely going to be a colorful career to manage for the team over at Marilyn.
Britt Maren (Women, NY) exits Isabel Marant in Paris
Can you say "Hej Britt!" That's Swedish for you guys out there who want to show love by speaking in Britt's homeland language. I'm sure she'll get lots more love from the Women Model NY team lead by agency head Louie Chaban (the genius behind Agyness Deyn). With appearances in the most directional shows cast by a wide set of influential casting directors this season from opening Alexander Wang (Anita Bitton) to Balmain, Lanvin, Marc Jacobs (Michelle Lee) and Donna Karen (John Pfeiffer), I'm sure the editors at the worlds leading magazines will be taking note of her as well....perhaps Steven Meisel soon too?
Bambi Northwood-Blyth (Elite, NY) exits Balenciaga in Paris
Do you come from the land down under? Bambi does and somehow I think her booking value will be up and over the top in the off season. She's got a famous boyfriend (Ksubi co-founder Dan Single), plays in the social scene (maximizes her exposure), caught the eye of Casting Director Ashley Brokaw when she walked Balenciaga, channeled some Lagerfeld Love at Chanel, and apparently is a favorite of LOVE Editor-In-Chief Katie Grand enough to exclusively walk shows Katie styled in London.
Jessica Clarke (DNA, NY) exits Elie Saab
New Zealand hits the radar! Jessica debuted by walking a Calvin Klein exclusive. Scoring a Calvin Klein exclusive is like winning a New York Fashion Week MVP award. Past Calvin Klein runway exclusives have included Karlie Kloss (SS08), Natalia Vodianova (SS07), and Lara Stone (SS07). Jessica walked a tiny selection of other shows this season too, cherry picked from the best London, Milan, and Paris had to offer.
This is Eric wearing a coat from London's Public Beware. In this second picture, you can get a better view of his sideburns and hair style. I chose the first picture as the pilot picture, since it depicts life on the streets of NYC in addition to Eric's unique sense of style. You can for example, in the background on the left, see that some people are still opting to ride bikes (and brave the road traffic) instead of subways in NYC, despite the recent cold weather.
This is Emilia who is originally from Italy. Naturally, the coat is vintage Italian.
Before fashion month, I was asked by topman.com to submit a few photos for a New York vs. London street style contest they were going to have. New York wound up winning the contest, but now everyone can win, since topman.com is offering FREE SHIPPING to celebrate their New York flagship opening on April 2d.
London Fashion Week was an amazing experience. Sadly it's time to wind down my trip to London, fly back to New York, and prepare for Paris Fashion Week.
So between now and next Saturday, posts will resume back to their normal speed with an increase in pictures per post beginning next Saturday on the opening day of Paris Fashion Week.
At the moment I'm packing for my trip to London to cover London Fashion Week but couldn't resist making one last post before I leave.
August and September were good months for altamira in the media. Besides having a few of my pictures show up at style.com, my photos ran in the August 20th style section of Aftenposten (print edition) which is Norway's largest paper, I was interviewed by the lovely Alie Suvélor for the September issue of Dirrty Glam, and I was also featured in the September 5th METRO style section (international print edition).
Stay tuned for more fun street fashion pics from the Old World!
Elite London Model Alex Wurfel definitely has personal charisma as can be seen in her personal style. This charisma can surely translate into booking value either for Runway, Editorial, or Campaign for with just one look at her street style, one can instantly induce sizzle, personae, and charisma. Have a look at my tumblr blog for a close up of her sneakers.
Wow, the global sense of style is really heterogeneous. I can't wait to see what diverse and individual styles I can bring to you for the duration of London Fashion Week!
Okay, it's no secret that at The Fashion Spot, members compile lists of their favorite girls as a season progresses to see how many shows they opened, closed, and walked in total. Models.com took it upon themselves to organize the top 10 most active girls from information assembled at the fashion spot forums. The list is compiled from participation in shows from New York, London, Milan, and Paris Fashion Weeks.
Here are the top 10 most active girls with there being a 4 way tie for 5th place. Information attributable to models.com and The Fashion Spot forums.
