MODEL PROFILES: MARIA BRADLEY

Born on February 21 1994, Maria Bradley signed with Chicago-based agency Factor Models in 2011. Aged 17, Bradley undertook her first major runway season that September, with a select group of designers including Alexander Wang, Balenciaga, Proenza Schouler, Tommy Hilfiger and Versace.

An individual booking with any of these designers would represent a highly significant achievement for a new model. Collectively, this debut of less than 10 shows may be small, but it’s perfectly formed. Maria walked in the Balenciaga and Versace shows as exclusives – an affirmative nod from two of the biggest, most influential names in fashion.

Leaning more towards the edgier side of fashion’s spectrum, Maria’s success with Balenciaga is understandable, but her booking with Versace is perhaps more of a surprise. Traditionally aligned with high glamour, Versace has recently undergone an image revolution, with its campaign this time last year fronted by super-edgy model Saskia de Brauw. Taking the ultimate glamour-girl label in a whole new direction, coupled with Christopher Kane’s effortlessly cool work at Versus, this Italian powerhouse has toughened up. Compare its campaigns of ten years ago to its latest signing, Elza Luijendijk and it shows how a major label progresses and evolves.

In late 2011, Maria also signed with DNA Models, based in New York. In January 2012, she made her debut for British magazine, ‘Dazed & Confused’. Following that with an appearance in British Vogue, Bradley’s editorial looks were already translating well.

In February 2012, Bradley experienced her first runway season as a ‘must-have’ girl. Clocking up an amazing 50 shows, she worked with heritage brands to blockbuster labels including Chanel, Donna Karan, Gareth Pugh, Helmut Lang, Marc Jacobs, Michael Kors, Rag & Bone, Sportmax, Valentino, Victoria Beckham and YSL.

This roster of bookings has all the hallmarks of belonging to a long-established model. Virtually every design ‘niche’ is represented here, and it’s partly down to Maria’s androgynous looks. Once considered a niche in itself, androgynous models now have the advantage of working in a much more fluid fashion industry. Her features make her ideal for all kinds of work – with a bit of styling she is ready for the high-living glamour of a Michael Kors show; stripped back, she is spot-on for the minimal aesthetic of Helmut Lang.

In March, Maria returned to the editorial circuit again, this time appearing in cult magazine, i-D.  Photographed by Amy Troost, the spread was named ‘Don’t Be a Drag, Just Be a Queen’. Taken directly from the lyrics of Lady Gaga’s single ‘Born This Way’, Maria modelled warrior-woman, tough-as-nails fashion.

In May, Maria took to the runway, this time for resort season. Appearing in resort (or cruise) shows for Jonathan Saunders, Reed Krakoff, Narciso Rodriguez and Alexander Wang, the highlight of the Resort 2013 season was undoubtedly Chanel’s show held at Versailles. Maria modelled in this show, in which Karl Lagerfeld indulged his taste for high-drama. With the models styled in pastels and hi-top trainers, Lagerfeld worked with the classic Chanel dichotomy of masculine and feminine. Scoring serious column inches for its lavish production values, Chanel Cruise is as much an event as the main ready-to-wear shows.

The following month, Bradley made her inaugural appearance for W. Modelling for ‘City Slickers’, an editorial photographed by Craig McDean, Maria modelled the summer trend, sports-luxe. Maria exuded confidence in this shoot, no doubt explained by the fact that her hobbies include football, ski-ing, cross-country running and basketball. In this shoot, Bradley does not need to fake it: her enthusiasm for sport makes her a natural.

Repeated bookings with clients are one way of telling whether you’re on the right track, and Bradley’s career is studded with examples of clients coming back for more. Bradley returned again to the pages of W in July, and in the same month, she returned to ‘Dazed & Confused’, modelling with Prada’s latest it-girl, Katryn Kruger.

In August, Maria shot her third editorial for W magazine, this time in a portrait series called ‘Natural Selection’. Focusing on fashion’s new-season obsession with texture, Bradley worked with models Ophelie Rupp, Ondria Hardin, Jeneil Williams and Laura Kampman.

September’s RTW season saw Maria return to the runway, this time walking for Peter Som, Tommy Hilfiger, Thakoon, Alexander Wang, Prabal Gurung, Belstaff, Vera Wang, Diesel, Michael Kors, Reed Krakoff, Proenza Schouler and Christopher Kane. Look closely, and you’ll see just how many of these names Bradley has already worked for.

Maria’s editorial career took a step up this month, with an appearance scheduled for the October issue of Russian Vogue. ‘Dark Side’, photographed by Ben Toms, sees Maria transform for a beauty shoot that showcases the minimal make-up that’s bang on trend for this autumn. Re-writing the rules on the berry tones usually favoured for this season, this neutral take on autumn beauty is a breath of fresh air. A perfect complement to this season’s decadence; this make-up is low on effort, but delivers full-on impact. Bradley is an ideal choice for this type of shoot, with a very modern type of beauty just right for modelling a very modern type of make-up.

With Bradley now celebrating a year in the modelling world, a sign of just how far she has come in 12 months arrives in the form of bona-fide industry approval. Bradley can now claim to be one of a very elite group of new models, labelled as stars of the future by www.models.com. She joins successful newcomers including current Prada campaign girl Madison Headrick, British beauties Lara Mullen and Rosie Tapner and Givenchy campaign favourite, Dutch model Stef van der Laan.

What is noticeable about the popular website’s list is just how many of these new faces are unashamedly editorial. Having cross-over potential used to be modelling’s Holy Grail; girls who could book Victoria’s Secret as well as Chanel Couture. But, as ever, fashion loves to change its mind. The new season campaign for Givenchy is a textbook case in point in that it is 100% directional in tone. The bold, uncompromising image looks more like a spread for Italian Vogue than a traditional campaign. This isn’t about maintaining a consumer-friendly brand, rather more creating a strong, core identity. In short, Givenchy is marking its territory. A strong, memorable campaign means a boost in sales and good sales mean survival for another year. The face that has to front this, of course, cannot be anything but extraordinary. Brands are clamouring for these newer faces, the faces that aren’t the safe choice by any definition.  This new season is seeing a tide change in how labels are representing themselves: out with familiarity, in with beauty that’s as challenging as it is beguiling.

Maria Bradley joins models such as Madison Headrick and Stef van der Laan to become a ‘statement face’. Bradley can adapt, and brilliantly, but at heart, she is a model squarely focused on the androgynous end of the fashion market. It is here where the greatest revolutions are taking place: androgyny is no longer limited to a fashion sidebar, but it has become the modern industry’s greatest asset. In other words, true versatility.

Bradley’s great run of editorial and runway work is just the precursor to a longer, even more successful career. Bradley is the ideal candidate for future campaigns that will take their lead from Givenchy. Faces that will not only sell, but persuade at a deeper level – it’s only a matter of time before Maria becomes the rising star every label must have.

HELEN TOPE

MODEL PROFILES: MALGOSIA BELA

Born in Poland on the 6^th June 1977, Malgosia Bela is one of fashion’s longest-serving models.

With nearly 20 Vogue covers to date, and an international fragrance launch this Spring, Bela has bucked the trend of short-lived careers, remaining an active presence within the fashion industry, at an age where most models are long into their retirement.

Bela debuted in Paris Fashion Week in September 1998, aged 21. Appearing on the cover of Spanish Vogue a few months later, in early 1999 she was signed to represent Versace.

The label at the time was still easing into the transition of Donatella as Creative Director, after the murder of her brother Gianni in 1997. Donatella surprised many fashion insiders by taking to the business of fashion design far more quickly (and successfully) than anyone could have imagined.

The iconic Medusa head and bold, swirling prints made way for a more feminine turn-of-phrase, with goddess gowns pushing Versace as a red-carpet label. The S/S 1999 Versace campaign spread this concept further, pairing Malgosia with Carmen Kass, Frankie Rayder and Gisele Bundchen. All four models were photographed by Steven Meisel in uber-sexy, slinky gowns that were just begging for their moment on the red-carpet. This was Versace’s new era, and Donatella’s defining moment.

Looking at these adverts, it is clear just how far fashion can shift in the space of a few years. In 1999, fashion was all about full-on Millennium glamour – even boho got the luxury treatment at Gucci with wildly feathered jeans costing upwards of $3000. This was the age of fashion innocence, before world events changed our relationship with clothes for good. Versace’s polished groomed sophistication was at the apex of this movement: this was more than just looking expensive – it took real money to look like this. It is extraordinary to think that only 12 years later, the same label is collaborating with one of the biggest names on the high-street. During the course of Malgosia’s career, fashion really has come full circle.

In March 1999, Bela joined model Maggie Rizer on the cover of Italian Vogue. Following that with covers for French Vogue and Numero, Malgosia began to stack up some serious editorial experience. During the space of 12 months, she appeared on 9 magazine covers, plus spreads for French and Italian Vogue.

The following year, Malgosia took to the runway in earnest, with 46 shows in February 2000 and a mammoth 55 shows in September, including appearances for Balenciaga, Dior, Marc Jacobs, Ralph Lauren and Oscar de la Renta.

Malgosia finally became that full model package in 2006 when she began to book major campaigns. She not only signed with Lanvin, Donna Karan, Louis Vuitton and Marc by Marc Jacobs, but she also began her long-standing association with Chloe. Appearing as the face of their A/W campaign, Bela was rapidly becoming a triple threat.

Adding Chanel Cosmetics to her campaign rota in 2009, Malgosia was still proving to be a strong candidate for catwalk in early 2010 when she walked in the S/S Givenchy Couture show at the age of 33. Bela became one of the faces of Givenchy’s autumn campaign, appearing alongside Mariacarla Boscono and Catherine McNeil. With more editorials for French, Japanese and Italian Vogue, Bela returned as the face of Chloe in 2011.

2011 proved to be a very good year for Malgosia, with more magazine covers including Turkish Vogue and campaigns for Nina Ricci and Iceberg. With back-to-back editorials for French Vogue in October and November, Bela ended the year on a high with an appearance in the 2012 Pirelli calendar. Shot by Mario Sorrenti, Bela models with the likes of Lara Stone, Joan Smalls, Natasha Poly and Saskia de Brauw. Pirelli has worked hard to turn-around the concept of the calendar nude, and the latest calendar presents some truly beautiful images.

Malgosia enters 2012 not with a whimper, but with a bang. With two huge campaigns already to her credit, this year promises to see Bela reach new heights. Modelling for Stella McCartney’s new fragrance, L.I.L.Y, Malgosia applies a lifetime of experience to a very important shoot. Named for Stella’s late mother, Linda McCartney, the perfume ad takes on an added poignancy and Bela models with great sensitivity. It is a brief that few younger models could manage successfully – it is in these moments, that Bela’s age becomes not a barrier, but an asset.

In her status as long-established, Malgosia certainly isn’t alone in the modelling industry. Like her peers, Mariacarla Boscono and Isabeli Fontana, she has continued to work well beyond the usual retirement age for an editorial model.

Those big names returning to the industry – Schiffer, Elson, McMenamy – have found themselves in-demand at the very highest levels of high-fashion. Claudia has worked regularly with Chanel and Kristen made a splash last year when she was featured on the cover of Italian Vogue.

This tide-change has been a slow process, but it neatly coincides with the Gucci generation growing up. The women who wore those $3000 feathered jeans are not so willing to let go of the fashion reins 10 years on. This generation are responsible for a large proportion of high-fashion purchases (both instore and online), and fashion houses ignore them at their peril.

This concentration of spending power has focused the fashion industry’s attention on the issue of age. There’s still plenty to entice younger consumers, but there is a discernible slice of the fashion market now aimed squarely at older fashion fans. It’s not just traditional labels (such as Donna Karan or Michael Kors), but newer design influences such as Reed Krakoff and Haider Ackerman that are providing real style options for the over-40’s.

This is nothing short of smart planning, because an ageing population (and one that is living for longer) places new demands on the fashion industry. As the Gucci generation ages, they will be the test case for how well fashion ages with them. But we don’t even have to wait that long, because in as little as 20 years, the typical ‘look’ of a pensioner will vary radically from our current view of sartorial old age, as the Baby Boomers (those born in the 1950’s), reach their Seventies and beyond.

As our expectations grow, this will undoubtedly affect the faces that are hired to represent labels. Just as many cosmetic brands have realised that selling anti-ageing skincare by using a model barely out of her teens is counter-productive, so fashion will adjust its long-term view in selling high-fashion.

It’s already being seen in new face, Kati Nescher. The German model, already a star of the latest Louis Vuitton campaign, is starting her career at the age of 27. Nescher, despite having a good five years on most models, is being touted as the face of 2012. Classically beautiful and already a dab hand at top-level campaigns, Nescher perhaps is the face of things to come.

With a career still on the rise, Malgosia’s body of work is a perfect example of how a modelling career can be extended, be made more sustainable, rather than a short, bright burst of creativity.

As fashion finds its feet in providing style to an older population, this could have dramatic (and positive) implications for all models. It is entirely possible that in the future we will be discussing models’ careers in terms of decades, rather than years. As the potential for spending on fashion increases, a 50-year-old could have more industry clout than her teenage daughter. The whole balance of consumer power could switch, seeing older customers (with more disposable cash) calling the shots.

Far from being prescriptive, this ageing generation, raised on high-fashion in its high-octane, aspirational phase, will want to continue exploring new trends beyond middle age and well into old age.

To sell to this generation, older models will have to become the norm, not rare cases like Bela and Fontana. It is possible to envisage models like Nescher working into their 40’s and 50’s as standard. It could transform the modelling industry for good, making a career as a model a long-term prospect rather than a job with an expiry date. Age, once seen as the bugbear of the fashion industry, could well become its saviour.

HELEN TOPE

MODEL PROFILES: ANNA SELEZNEVA

Anna Selezneva was born on July 29^th 1990. At 21 years old, Anna is already one of fashion’s most-established names.

Russian-born Anna signed with Silent Management in 2007, making her runway debut that October, walking for labels such as Dries Van Noten.

Her impact on the industry grew rapidly, with Anna scoring opening and closing honours in her next ready-to-wear season, opening shows for Balmain and closing for YSL. A huge hit in Paris, Selezneva also walked for Hermes, Lanvin and Louis Vuitton.

Anna’s fresh-faced classic beauty got her noticed by the magazine industry too, with V ranking her one of the Top 10 Models of Autumn / Winter 2008. Also signing a fragrance contract representing the new Vera Wang fragrance, ‘Look’, Selezneva began to create a serious stir, with consecutive magazine covers in September for both French and Russian Vogue.

The French Vogue cover, photographed by Mert Alas and Marcus Piggott, became a contemporary classic. Anna, evoking supermodels of the Eighties, faced the camera head-on to make an unforgettable impression. Three years later, it has become an image closely affiliated with brand Selezneva: cool, modern glamour.

Anna’s stock began to rise even further, walking in the September shows for Calvin Klein as an exclusive. Her popularity among the world’s designers soared as she was chosen to open S/S shows for Alberta Ferretti, Balmain, Ungaro, plus closing shows for Valentino and Rue du Mail. A slew of editorials followed Anna’s success on the runway, with appearances in V, French Vogue and Russian Vogue.

2009 saw Anna take on even bigger challenges, starting with a shoot with Terry Richardson for the French Vogue calendar. She also made the cover of Italian Vogue in January, working alongside Anna Jagodzinska and Viktoriya Sasonkina. In a cover called ‘Revolution 2009’, Italian Vogue celebrated the explosion of Russian modelling talent with all three models featuring in a high-fashion beauty shot. Wearing flesh-coloured skull-caps, the models worked their Slavic beauty to make a highly original and striking cover.

February saw Anna enjoy her busiest runway season to date, with over 40 appearances on the world’s catwalks. Again opening the show for Balmain (a label gaining in popularity through its revival of the Eighties bold shoulder), Anna also closed shows for Herve Leger, Rodarte and Etro.

She undertook cover duty again in March, this time for Japanese Vogue. Her standing within the modelling industry was cemented when she signed up to front YSL’s fragrance ‘Elle Shocking’. Photographed wearing the famous YSL Le Smoking jacket, Anna’s unique mix of classic beauty and je ne sais quoi helped the fragrance become one of YSL’s biggest success stories.

Filling the next few months with editorials for V, i-D and French Vogue, Anna had her first couture season in July with shows for Elie Saab and Valentino Couture. Her connection with Valentino continued into the autumn, with the opening slot for the RTW show going to Selezneva. Also closing the show for Burberry, Anna was continuing to charm designers from season to season.

Anna ended 2009 with a bang, appearing in a now-famous Italian Vogue editorial, photographed by Steven Meisel. ‘Meiselpic’ was a Twitter-inspired spread featuring top models, past and present. Selezneva’s status moved from newcomer to established, as she took her place among models such as Gisele, Jamie Bochert, Lara Stone and Christy Turlington.

Selezneva began 2010 undertaking another editorial with Italian Vogue. Steven Meisel’s ‘Runway’, took the backstage scenes at Fashion Week and turned them into high-fashion montages. Meisel again used the cream of the fashion crop, hiring new faces such as Gwen Loos and Jac Jagaciak who both got their big break on this epic editorial.

Busier than ever, Anna took on campaign duty for Emporio Armani and appeared in back-to-back editorials for French Vogue, Japanese Vogue, Numero and Harper’s Bazaar. With her credits growing month to month, Selezneva returned to Paris in July to appear in the couture shows, adding Dior and Chanel to her CV.

Autumn 2010 saw Anna take on two massive campaigns for two of the biggest labels in fashion: Ralph Lauren and Versace. An obvious choice for Lauren’s classic palette of Americana, Selezneva was a surprise hit in the Versace ad, working with models such as Iselin Steiro and Valerija Kelava. The ad eschewed the hyper-groomed Versace siren look, favouring a youthful, street-style glamour. It was the start of a new era for the Italian label, working hard to win over a new generation of fans, with the brand going full circle in its reinvention with the hiring of Saskia de Brauw in 2011.

Anna renewed both her contracts with Emporio Armani and Ralph Lauren in 2011, beginning the year with more couture shows (Armani Prive, Valentino and Chanel). Selezneva continued the year with cover and editorial credits, working for French, Russian and Japanese Vogue. The editorials ranged from high-fashion shoots with Hedi Slimane for Japanese Vogue to opulent, fine jewellery spreads for Russian Vogue.

With a strong call-sheet for Spring / Summer 2012, Anna is still proving an irresistible force for many of fashion’s biggest names. Walking for labels such as Chanel, Dior, Isabel Marant and Gareth Pugh, Selezneva remains at the top of her game four years into her career.

The reason for Anna’s ongoing success isn’t hard to figure. Even in an industry built around beauty, faces like Anna’s simply don’t come around that often. Beautiful by any standard, Selezneva has become an established figure in modelling because her perfect proportions make her able to sell virtually any product to anyone. Regardless of whether it’s diamonds to the Russian elite or American style for the devotees of Ralph Lauren and Michael Kors, Anna’s face is a perfect fit every time.

Anna has not only survived in this industry, but excelled because her beauty can handle fashion’s trickier aspects. The prospect of modelling for left-field labels such as Lanvin and Balmain can often mean classic beauty being a liability rather than an asset. Anna is a favourite with these designers because she understands what their label demands, and delivers every time. Her edgier editorials with magazines like Numero and V should by rights belong to quirky, off-beat beauties, but Selezneva convinces because she can play against the commercial aspect of her beauty.

Not afraid to get ugly is what has made Anna not just another beauty, but a true fashion superstar. Challenging, avant-garde work courtesy of Japanese Vogue works a different set of fashion muscles compared to a campaign with Calvin Klein, but mastering both requires genuine insight. Anna’s intelligent approach to each assignment has made her consistently in-demand across the world. She tailors her beauty to every new editorial, campaign or cover, as some will require it takes centre stage, while other bookings will insist that her features be played down.

Success stories like Anna’s are unusual because classic beauty hasn’t been in vogue for some time. We have seen doll-like, Pre-Raphaelite beauty; streetwise androgynous beauty and quirky faces that are all about that one killer feature. Between Lindsey Wixson’s pout and Arizona Muse’s strong, determined brows, conventional beauty hasn’t had much time in the spotlight. Seen as inflexible or even dated, designers have chosen to side-step classic beauty in favour of edgy faces that offer themselves up as a blank canvas. Anna is no blank canvas, but her adaptability in front of the lens has meant that fashion has had to take a fresh look at what was once termed ‘commercial beauty’. With newer faces such as Joan Smalls and Emily Di Donato scooping major campaigns, the line that was once drawn, clearly marking the territory between commercial and high-fashion has now been blurred. It isn’t a case of taking preference of one type of beauty over another: now there is room for both.

Selezneva has succeeded where others have failed because her modern, custom-made approach has made her perfect for high-fashion. Even with a face most would consider essential for working in the fashion industry, Anna comes equipped with the knowledge and awareness that beauty isn’t always enough. Fashion is consistent in its need for change, and being a one-note performer will ensure a career that expires before its time. Anna’s willingness to embrace an aesthetic that plays against her beauty has made her not only relevant, but a contemporary tour-de-force. Anna’s career is a great example of playing the hand you’re dealt. Beauty is a great place to start, but fashion will always ask for something more.

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