MODEL PROFILES: MILOU VAN GROESEN

Born in the Netherlands on April 8^th 1988, Milou van Groesen signed with Women Management in 2008.

Making an immediate impact, Milou was named ‘model of the week’ by www.models.com in April 2008. Switching to Supreme Management in mid-2008, she made her ready-to-wear debut that September, walking for designers such as Vera Wang.

2009 began with editorial work for Japanese Numero and Dazed & Confused, and Milou made her third agency move, signing up with NEXT Models. In the same year, Milou made her big campaign debut, appearing in the Autumn / Winter H&M campaign, appearing with her friend (and emerging new talent), Tao Okamoto. H&M has been one of the first (and best) at embracing fashion’s new international age. Featuring models of numerous nationalities are H&M’s calling card, making each campaign series feel vibrant and current. High-fashion’s drive to woo their newest, affluent customers from around the globe follows on from what retail chains like H&M and Benetton have known for years: diversity sells.

In early 2010, Milou made what would become a career-changing decision. Bleaching her hair and chopping it into a mullet, van Groesen completely transformed. Stepping away from the comfort zone of her long, blonde hair was a brave move for a model that could still be ranked as a newcomer. The change was significant: google any pre-2010 shots of Milou and she is hard to recognise.

The idea of personal transformation as a route to success is still potent within the modelling industry. Fifty years after Twiggy’s gamine crop made her a legend, the idea that a simple change of style can have a seismic effect on your career remains beguiling, and every now and then, another model is added to that very select list. Milou joins the likes of Agyness Deyn who form a small band of models that transformed their prospects virtually overnight. Van Groesen re-emerged in October 2010 to Paris Fashion Week acclaim, opening the S/S Balenciaga show. A new image and agency DNA propelled van Groesen onto the fast track.

In February 2011, Milou was photographed for French Vogue, appearing on the cover of i-D as well. She made her debut for Italian Vogue in March, photographed by Steven Meisel. The editorial, ‘Wasted Luxury’ proved to be a career-defining moment not only for van Groesen but newcomer Saskia de Brauw. Eccentrically styled, this was a shoot designed to make waves. The beautiful detailing of the clothes paired with the element of whimsy in the accessories was quintessential Italian Vogue: daring, unconventional but beautiful. Van Groesen, also appearing in the March issue’s beauty supplement with Julia Nobis, was now one of fashion’s hottest names.

Van Groesen nailed her first Vogue cover a month later, appearing for Japanese Vogue. Modelling with Bambi Northwood Blyth and Fei Fei Sun, this cover was a celebration of fashion’s newest and greatest talents.

The heady pace of Milou’s ascent continued through 2011 with an appearance in i-D and Chinese Vogue. The credits grew even weightier in Autumn, with the announcement that Milou would join Carla Gebhart, Liya Kebede and Juliane Gruner to become the face of Balenciaga’s latest campaign.

Finishing the year with editorials for W and Interview, Milou again reprised her star turn for H&M’s series of winter campaigns. The last editorial of 2011 for Milou was also one of the most meaningful. Photographed by V magazine, van Groesen posed with models also signed by DNA Models. Appearing alongside Anna de Riyk, Dree Hemingway, Emily Baker, Raquel Zimmermann and Siri Tollerod, it was quite clear why van Groesen had found a home with this agency. An agency that houses an eclectic mix of faces from the ultra-feminine Zimmermann to the super-edgy de Brauw, it is clear that DNA has no limits when it comes to beauty: DNA’s refusal to define itself as an ‘editorial’ or ‘classic beauty’ agency has been wholly to Milou’s advantage.

The backing of her agency, and their ability to see van Groesen not just as an edgy, editorial face, is one of the factors contributing to Milou’s biggest signing to date. This Spring, Milou becomes the face of Giorgio Armani. Already having made waves with its previous campaign face, Nimue Smit, the Italian label decided to defy convention again and go with someone entirely unexpected. In this campaign, Milou oozes a cool intelligence, becoming the essence of modern beauty. It is a great campaign that rewrites the rules on androgyny not being flexible enough to incorporate mainstream ideas of beauty. Milou, in this campaign, is very much her own woman but still exudes a sophistication that is pure Armani. Milou is by turns, seductive, enigmatic and feminine. She may have been a left-field choice, but this campaign has proved itself a definitive moment for both label and model.

Milou’s second big moment in this season’s rota of campaigns sees her appearing in Balenciaga’s Resort video. Directed by Steven Meisel, the video also features Jamie Bochert, Miranda Kerr, Zuzanna Bijoch and Louis Vuitton favourite, Nyasha Matonhodze. The repetitive theme of the video borrows from art-house cinema as readily as the pulsating music reminds us of Hitchcock’s nightmarish vision of modern America. A bold, off-centre choice in a season packed with girlish detail, this campaign confirms Balenciaga’s reputation as the thinking girl’s label.

Always dubbed as one of fashion’s androgynous girls, Milou’s career does not hang on a pivotal ‘what if?’ moment. If van Groesen had never gone for that bold haircut, she would still have made it to the highest levels of fashion. Watching her in the Balenciaga video and her confident performance for the Armani campaign, it is self-evident that van Groesen never lacked talent, and would have always become a success.

Her career speaks of a fashion industry that has learned to use beauty in a whole new way: androgyny is no longer permanent and fixed, but something that can break away and move into other areas of fashion. Milou’s work for Armani is a compelling argument of how androgyny can be not only flexible, but influential. The latest campaign invites us to rewire our opinions on a much-loved label. It remains a byword for tailored elegance, but the decision to hire Milou means that Armani now competes on an ideological level with the big hitters of fashion’s avant-garde.

The idea of transformation – the almost fairytale like way in which a model can change overnight from unknown to ingénue – is still one that captivates us. But Milou’s dazzling career is attributable not to a haircut, but to her growing sense of self-belief. Her haircut made have left her with nowhere to hide (it’s hard to imagine anything more visible than a peroxide crop), but this gave van Groesen the freedom to become the kind of model she always wanted to be. The act of transformation which should have pigeon-holed Milou into a career with purely edgy, editorial credits – has widened her horizons with campaigns and editorials that are defiantly, gloriously at odds with her image.

Milou’s transformation did not take place in the salon chair, but at a much earlier point. Her refusal to let her image dictate her career has made her a star: a career rich with credits from every corner of the industry was clearly always Milou’s intention. With bookings from H&M to Armani, van Groesen is well on her way to becoming fashion’s renaissance woman.

HELEN TOPE

MODEL PROFILES - JULIA SANER

Born on the 19^th February 1992, Swiss model Julia Saner entered the Elite Model contest in 2009. Winning first place, Julia signed with Elite’s agency in Paris that same year.

Her catwalk debut took place in September 2010, with Saner debuting at both Milan and Paris Fashion Week. She opened the Valentino show, and appeared in shows for Fendi, Roberto Cavalli, Alexander McQueen, Givenchy and Chanel.

Julia’s impact on the runway was immediate. At 5’11”, Saner was ideal catwalk material. Her win at Elite brought her to the attention of designers, but award or not, Saner still had to prove her abilities on the runway just like every other new model. Luckily for Julia, she and the runway appeared to be the perfect match.

In January 2011, she appeared in her first couture season, closing the Valentino show and walking in the Elie Saab, Chanel, Dior and Jean Paul Gaultier shows. Valentino’s infatuation with the new model was rubber-stamped in when it was announced that she would become the face of its newest campaign, along with Caroline Brasch Nielsen and Freja Beha Erichsen.

The revamp of the Italian label meant hiring fresh, new faces – faces that could lend themselves to the uber-feminine designs of the ready-to-wear line as well as the more challenging silhouettes of the couture collection. Julia proved to be particularly useful for Valentino, with strong features handling the camera beautifully, her memorable face making her both avant-garde and reassuringly classic.

Her runway success translated into editorial work, with spreads in Numero and American Vogue in February. Saner showed off her high-fashion skills in ‘Labyrinthe’, a typical Numero shoot with complex angles and challenging poses. It was a very technical shoot – photographing high-fashion this way can lean towards parody if care isn’t taken. The result was an editorial packed with bold ideas, but performed with subtlety. It was just right.

Her second editorial that month was the Spring / Summer preview in American Vogue. The ‘Gangs of New York’ spread featured every model of note, and Julia got the title page, a huge honour for any model, let alone one who had only been working for six months. With her first cover in March (Italian Marie Claire), Julia also scored another career high with an editorial for Italian Vogue, called ‘Wasted Luxury’.

The editorial saw Julia working with models Saskia de Brauw and Milou Van Groesen. Photographed by Steven Meisel, this editorial was a brilliant reminder of why everyone in the fashion industry looks to Italian Vogue.

Heavily ornate, eccentrically styled with kooky accessories and clashing prints, this was hyper-fashion at its best. It was all in the execution: with Meisel behind the lens, the shoot was kept restrained but purposeful. Looking at the images, you can’t help but rest on details: gold-leaf embossed on a pair of trousers, metallic pleated collars.

The focus is on the beauty of the individual pieces, making this editorial far more user-friendly than you might expect. This isn’t eccentricity for its own sake, but exploring ways of presenting beautiful things. Italian Vogue actively strives to find new solutions to this oldest of problems – keeping the desire alive for brave new fashion. The path more travelled can often seem like a lot less hassle. But it’s the job of Italian Vogue to keep us interested in what’s next; asking us to change our perceptions of what is fashionable and beautiful. No easy task, but when it comes to sartorial persuasion, no-one does it better than Italian Vogue.

With appearances in German and Japanese Vogue in May, Julia appeared in June’s Turkish Vogue, in an editorial named ‘Disniz Dan Biri’. Exuding colour and texture, Julia takes to the street markets to shoot a fashion travelogue that evokes the excitement and unfamiliarity of experiencing different cultures.

It is interesting to note just how many fashion shoots take place on location. It’s not just making the clothes look even better against a stunning backdrop: like travel, fashion broadens the mind. Seen from a fresh perspective, editorials push us to see fashion differently too, encouraging us to try a new shape, a new colour. Fashion has a habit of surprising us, but these editorials offer up the idea that sometimes we should take control, and surprise ourselves.

Julia’s career continues to go from strength to strength in the final months of 2011, with three campaign signings. The first, with Mulberry, sees Julia join forces with Taitana Cotliar in a series of typically bohemian and eccentric images. A success already, the bright leather satchels and pleated skirts featured are visibly making an impact on our buying habits for this autumn.

Mulberry remains one of the most influential labels working today. The ‘Alexa’ satchel saw copies spring up across the high street. Its success in re-defining vintage shapes has made Mulberry a highly competitive force in today’s fashion market. Its brand identity has rocketed in recent years, with the campaigns becoming the label’s calling card.

This season, Mulberry celebrates the British countryside with a series of images that are bold, quirky and unmistakable. Julia’s inclusion in this campaign has already raised her profile in the industry, taking her from runway favourite to campaign star.

Her next signing is with one of fashion’s newest – and hottest – names. Prabal Gurung has already been making waves, becoming a red-carpet must for stars who like their fashion served with an edge.

The last, with high-street chain Karen Millen, shows Julia’s ability to cross boundaries and defy definition. It’s an important asset for a model, but crucial for one who plans to become a fixture on the modern campaign circuit. Mulberry, Gurung and Millen represent three very different campaigns, but together they point to the career Julia will develop.

With a body that can handle the highest of high-fashion and a face built for mass appeal, Saner finds herself well-placed to offer the fashion industry the best of both worlds. She possesses a face that can make high-fashion look approachable, steering it to a new generation, but still satisfies the old-school, avant-garde leanings of the most edgy designers.

The idea that you can tailor a modelling approach to an individual brand or label is nothing new, but what is becoming clear is that it’s by no means set and dried as to which brand requires which approach. It’s not guaranteed that a high-street favourite will need a bright and breezy commercial face, no more than a high-fashion brand will require someone with serious fashion credentials.

With the gap closing between high-fashion and high-street, editorial and commercial modelling have come together to form a third approach, to answer a desire for a new level of sophistication that celebrates our growing fashion knowledge. Look at any of the large high-street stores, and their campaign images, dotted around the store and in the front window, are all using this new approach to create and generate sales.

H&M do minimal sophistication, keeping the clothes centre-stage; Topshop use fashion’s brightest new modelling talents to showcase their latest looks and Zara’s campaigns are a master-class in marketing, owing a debt to designers such as Jil Sander who work on the principle of keeping it simple.

What these brands have gained in sophistication they haven’t lost in populist appeal – many of them are more successful than ever. This shift isn’t just restricted to the British high street either: many high-fashion labels have been revising how they reach out to their customers. Mulberry’s campaigns have piqued mainstream interest, making their products as familiar as any high-street hit. Julia as the Mulberry girl is undeniably high-fashion, but there is an approachability in her performance that helps explain the label’s continuing success while its competitors falter.

While some labels thrive on the unfamiliar, and change their approach every season (such as Balenciaga), others have decided to stick to a formula that develops a sense of cohesion. Labels such as Chloe have streamlined their campaigns, making their dreamy, vintage-inspired images a trademark of their brand.

The idea of not taking yourself too seriously is also a winner for many brands, and has recently been adopted by French label Lanvin. With a campaign video available online, models Raquel Zimmermann and Karen Elson demonstrate some seriously camp dance moves, and the coup de theatre is Alber Elbaz himself joining in the fun. If Lanvin could ever be accused of being too serious, this video goes a long way to redressing the balance.

Just five years ago, these about-turns for such established labels would have seemed unthinkable, but in ensuring their survival, each brand is looking again at how it presents itself to the world. High-street and high-fashion are learning from each other, creating surprises and delights along the way.

What remains steadfast though, is the idea that a good campaign does the leg-work in developing a brand. It’s why designers and companies spend so much in creating that perfect first impression. Right now, fashion needs not just multi-taskers, but faces that go beyond trends; avant-garde, commercial and everything in-between. Breaking the rules in staging campaigns has resulted in a playing field where, quite frankly, anything is possible.

With a career still in its infancy, Julia has already demonstrated she can be that new kind of model that fashion so desperately needs. Her ability to cross boundaries is what will continue to define her career as fashion strives to prove it hasn’t lost its way, but is merely treading new ground. The path less travelled has never seemed so much fun.

HELEN TOPE

MODEL PROFILES: SASKIA DE BRAUW

Born on April 17^th 1981, Dutch model Saskia de Brauw is fashion’s very own comeback kid, re-emerging at the age of 30 as one of its most sought-after faces.

Saskia started modelling in 1996, when she was discovered at the age of 15. Quitting a year later to concentrate on studying art, Saskia returned to the fashion industry in 2010, signing with DNA Models.

Saskia made an immediate splash in the industry when Eres Swimwear decided to replace Lara Stone as their face of the brand, instating de Brauw as their new campaign model.

In July 2010, Saskia was profiled by www.models.com and made her international catwalk debut in September. Walking for Reed Krakoff, Matthew Williamson, Balenciaga, Givenchy and Daks, Saskia was an immediate stand-out. Her debut got the attention of designers and editors alike, and in October, Givenchy’s creative director Riccardo Tisci introduced de Brauw to the then-editor of French Vogue, Carine Roitfeld.

After another successful runway season in February 2011, Saskia’s introduction to French Vogue paid off with a starring role in their summer preview editorial. ‘Et Vogue L’Ete’ was a multi-page special, outlining all the season’s key ideas. The bi-annual season preview is a centrepiece feature for French Vogue, presenting the most important looks, in a manner that’s typical of the magazine’s ethos: bold, creative and fun.

Saskia’s editorial debut was a blaze of glory, softening her androgynous looks for Oscar de la Renta, and revving them up for Miu Miu. She also appeared alongside Daphne Groeneveld, in the pelmet neon skirts from Jil Sander. De Brauw’s headlining in French Vogue was an announcement to the fashion world that this was a model not about to sit in the background.

Saskia’s status as model-of-the-moment was cemented in March when she was invited to appear on the cover of French Vogue; it was the final cover under Carine Roitfeld’s leadership. Labelled ‘Fantasy’, the blush-coloured cover saw Saskia in a frilled collar and jewels. The dichotomy of Saskia’s bold features against such a romantic background made it a fitting adieu for Roitfeld who had championed model talent throughout her stint as editor.

Roitfeld specialised in finding faces that didn’t necessarily ‘fit’, transforming Lara Stone’s career and making Isabeli Fontana a modelling legend. Her support also boosted the careers of Natasha Poly, Daria Werbowy, Arizona Muse and Joan Smalls. Going against the grain is a French Vogue speciality, and what Roitfeld did for modelling during her time at the magazine cannot be underestimated. She recognised that it was not always trends that move fashion forwards, but faces. Saskia, who was her last discovery whilst at Vogue, promises to be another model that helps to define where fashion goes next, and that’s no small legacy.

In the same month, Saskia did cover duty for Italian Vogue, photographed by Steven Meisel. The two covers could not be more different: French Vogue, evoking high glamour and Italian Vogue going for the cerebral vote. Winning hearts and minds is the core business of high-fashion – without that connection, it’s just clothes. Roitfeld understood this very plainly, hence her interest in sourcing the next great face.

Saskia also appeared in editorials for W and Italian Vogue during the month of March. The Italian Vogue shoot, also steered by Meisel, was a symphony of clashing patterns, swirls and stripes. Combined with eccentric accessorising and artisan make-up, ‘Wasted Luxury’ was textbook Italian Vogue.

Appearing for W, de Brauw took on a more expected persona, and performed in a street fashion / punk editorial. Working alongside new faces Eliza Cummings, Jana Knaverova and Bambi Northwood Blyth, Saskia’s features lent themselves perfectly to the hard-core attitude needed to sell punk on a fashion stage.

In June ’11, Saskia made her couture debut in Paris, walking for Chanel and Givenchy. It demonstrated Saskia’s pull in the fashion world: she is 1.5 inches shorter than the average couture model, but her appearance for both couture houses was assured and confident.

Autumn 2011 will see Saskia’s profile reach another level, with two major campaigns. Italian duo DSquared have booked her to appear in their street-cool designs, but the big news is that de Brauw has landed one of the most prolific campaigns in the business: Versace.

Photographed by Mert Alas and Marcus Piggott, Saskia plays against type to become the ultra-feminine vixen that Versace demands. Recalling the hey-day of the label, the Versace insignia is clearly seen on buttons and buckles, but the rest of the campaign marks a considerable shift in semantics for the luxury brand.

For a label that usually hires blonde, uber-groomed glamazons, Saskia marks the beginning of a cleaner, sharper vision for the label’s future. Evoking all its best attributes, and its own brand mythology, Versace is using a different face (in every sense of the word) for a subtle re-brand.

Think of the Italian label and you tend to come up with the same adjectives: glamorous, seductive and super-sexy. All those things are still here in this campaign, but with it, there’s an extra layer of insouciance that makes the designs appear effortless. Everyone knows that the main ingredients of any fashion collection are blood, sweat and tears, but no-one wants them to show up in the final designs. It should look like what it is: inspired.

Saskia endows the Versace campaign with an element of androgyny that directly plays against its previous form. It’s a new direction for Versace and one that promises to bring new admirers. If you found Versace a little intimidating in the past, a little too glossy perhaps, this ad goes a long way to redressing the balance.

Still in terms of credits a relatively new face, Saskia has managed to make herself indispensable. Androgyny is experiencing its first real moment in the fashion spotlight since the mid 1990’s. For a period of nearly twenty years, glamour has been the definitive look – whether that was full-on glitz, or mixed with street style and grunge.

Where fashion goes, models suit themselves to fit. Faces that have been in favour have all suited fashion’s glamorous agenda. What has been missing is a selection of models that are proudly and defiantly off-message. With the arrival of Freja Beha, one haircut really did make all the difference. Her choppy cut took her from one of the pack to one of a kind. It marked the advent of a new kind of model: bold, not classically beautiful, but a true breath of fresh air.

Saskia’s comeback in 2010 could not have been better timed: despite her age placing her at the point where most models are considering their next move, de Brauw is working at the very heart of the fashion industry.

What is genuinely exciting about models like Saskia and Freja is that they are pushing back at the boundaries of what type of project a model can and can’t do. Saskia’s signing with Versace is a perfect example of this: from leather pieces to a Black Swan-inspired feather dress, she moves from flirty and feminine to cool sophistication.

The loosening of the old fashion rules: androgynous face = androgynous fashion, pairing chocolate-box beauties with ultra-feminine looks has resulted in a free-for-all that’s hitting the spot in terms of self-expression and individuality. Carine Roitfeld’s passion for launching faces that don’t fit the current look was an instinct ahead of its time: no-one wants to think of themselves as a fashion formula, and fashion has responded by creating trends that give you room to manoeuvre.

This celebration of individuality and self-sufficiency will be the way forward for the fashion industry and Saskia is part of this revolution, moving from soft and dreamy to angular androgyny in a heartbeat. Never the same woman twice, Saskia’s popularity stems from her ability to multi-task at the highest levels. Compare her covers for Italian Vogue and French Vogue and you could almost swear you’re looking at two models, rather than one. Saskia’s transformation is so complete it becomes modelling from the inside out. Her decision to quit modelling in 1997 to study art has resulted in a stronger and more developed model in 2011.

An avid photographer with her own blog (http://sdebrauw.blogspot.com/) Saskia’s unique outlook also gives her an advantage when it comes to photo-shoots. Knowing that the further you delve into character, the better the result is invaluable to making the most of your time in front of the lens. Also being aware of which angle creates which effect allows Saskia to utilise her face to maximum effect. Her work on film is testament to how crucial it is to know your face and what it can do.

De Brauw’s CV is part timing and part skill – her comeback at the time when the industry was ready for something new is a phenomenal story, but her amazing run of success is more than luck. Her collective skills and experience, and the way she uses them, take her beyond the ordinary and move her into a league of faces that are truly extraordinary.

HELEN TOPE