MODEL PROFILES: LAURA KAMPMAN

Dutch model Laura Kampman was born in 1994, signing with New York Models in 2011 aged 17.

Kampman made an impact early on in her career, debuting at the S/S 2012 shows, walking for Calvin Klein and Balenciaga as an exclusive. Her noteworthy appearances made her the focus of press attention, with www.models.com featuring her as one of their season’s Top Ten newcomers. 

At just over 5’ 11”, Kampman’s affinity for the catwalk developed in early 2012 when she was chosen to appear in couture shows for Giambattista Valli and Valentino. Also appearing in that month’s British Vogue, she hit a career highlight in February when she landed the cover of Italian Vogue. Models often have to wait years for such an honour – Laura managed it within months of arriving on the scene. The cover, titled ‘Surreal or Real’, aimed at creating a sophisticated glamour. Drawing on the film icons of the 1930’s and 1940’s, Laura embodies those screen sirens brilliantly, conveying confidence and glamour. In Italian Vogue terms, this cover is almost minimal in its styling – it all rests on Laura’s performance. Laura’s cover is a triumph: with nothing to hide behind, all we see is Laura’s skill at being that bold, beautiful enigma. Whether surreal or real, it just works.

Following her stint at Italian Vogue, Laura had a strong ready-to-wear season in February and March, walking for Balenciaga again, she also walked for Alexander Wang, Christopher Kane, Giles, Helmut Lang, Marc Jacobs, Missoni, Rag & Bone, Rodarte, Sonia Rykiel and Versus. Already a theme was emerging in Laura’s bookings: these designers are not only at the top of their game, but they are all designers who specialise in directional fashion - Laura’s edgy look was a perfect match for their aesthetic.

Her early connection with Balenciaga went to the next level when she was booked for their Spring campaign. Photographed by Steven Meisel, Laura worked with Rosie Tapner, Juliane Gruner and Kirstin Lijegren. A Balenciaga campaign represents the ultimate challenge for any model: working a Balenciaga concept is remarkably tough as it relies on nuance. A label known for playing around with ideas, Balenciaga is unusual in that it never makes the same ad twice. Every season Balenciaga hits the refresh button coming up with an image that is completely different to the one that came before; no common factors, no familiar iconography. Every season, it’s like starting from scratch. Tough work for any model, but guided by Meisel, Laura takes charge of the campaign with an authority that is both astonishing and exhilarating.

The knock-on effect of the Balenciaga advert on Kampman’s career was immediate: from June to August, Laura found herself fully booked. In June she shot editorials for W and Japanese Vogue and in July, Laura travelled to Kiev for Dazed and Confused to shoot an editorial with photographer Yelena Yemchuk. ‘Lady Grinning Soul’ (taking its name from the song by David Bowie) saw Yelena return to her hometown of Kiev to construct an editorial that celebrates the oddity and perversity of high-fashion. Inspired by Bowie’s Seventies androgynous glamour, Laura poses as the fish out of water in retro tailoring from Prada and Miu Miu. At odds with her environment, the editorial becomes a moving exploration of the bravery it takes to express identity through image: dressed in these bold prints, Laura is at once both armoured and exposed.

Laura also appeared in the July edition of V magazine, this time for a spread titled #Instaglam. Drawing on the huge popularity of Instagram, the editorial features models including Franzi Mueller and Marte Mei van Haaster wearing the A/W collections.

August was an especially busy month for Kampman, with Laura appearing in five magazines. Shooting an editorial for British Vogue, Kampman appeared in ‘Best in Show’. Photographed by Daniel Jackson, this humorous editorial trades on the adage of dogs resembling their owners. Featuring military tailoring and rich, plum tones, the models have to work hard in order to avoid being upstaged by their four-footed co-stars.

Laura’s second editorial of the month was for Chinese Vogue. ‘Outer Limits’ explored the outsize trend that has returned after years of the waist reigning supreme. Also featuring Codie Young, Tian Yi, Ondria Hardin and Andie Arthur, the best trend pieces were featured, including the Jil Sander blush coat and Marc Jacobs’ ragamuffin hats. 

One of August’s most interesting editorials was Laura’s work for i-D. ‘Hold Hands Be Free Find the Real You’, shot by Amy Troost, was a super-edgy exploration of colours and texture: all about freedom of expression, it tests every rule we think we know about fashion, and by inverting them, we look again at the individual pieces in terms of their worth and appreciate how they can be put together in new ways. It is this envelope-pushing that has informed Kampman’s career to date: more than just a face that fits, Kampman has a connection to this type of fashion, making it not only interesting, but finding the beauty within. It takes a certain kind of model to connect on this level, and Kampman (not even a year into her career) already has it figured out.

Kampman’s reputation for great editorial work was cemented this autumn, with Laura landing a spot in the A/W Topshop campaign. Photographed by Alasdair McLellan, the campaign also features rising stars Ava Smith, Moa Aberg and Melissa Stasiuk. Coupled with the great production values we have come to expect of Topshop’s campaigns, the images lend high-street a high-fashion gloss. 

Laura returned to the catwalk this September with a RTW season including appearances for Loewe, Maison Martin Margiela, Rick Owens, Anteprima, Giorgio Armani, Rodarte, 3.1 Phillip Lim, Prabal Gurung, Peter Som and MaxMara. With the notable addition of Armani, Kampman’s appeal for the edgier design talents continues. With Maison Martin Margiela presenting a collection for H&M this autumn, Kampman’s links with high-fashion and high-street are as strong as ever.

Kampman’s latest credit is an editorial for Pop magazine. ‘A Chanel Moment’ sees Laura transform to become a glamour girl with poker-straight hair, dressed head-to-toe in the latest Chanel collection. Compare this to her work for Balenciaga, and it’s hard to recognise this as the same model. Laura’s capacity to transform so dramatically is a definite asset, and in light of her body of work with fashion’s directional core, is a surprise that will challenge the industry to see her as someone with cross-over potential.

In previous years, versatility was flagged as a model’s ability to switch from commercial to editorial. Editorial was seen as the ultimate challenge; a true test of a model’s abilities. Now it is seen as a given: virtually every element of the fashion industry strives towards an editorial sensibility. Topshop – the kingpin of the British high street – is highly successful, but its campaigns denote a chain that sees itself as firmly leaning towards editorial.  Our love of editorial presents itself in what we now choose to wear: high-fashion details such as the peplum waist and studded slipper shoe, far from being ‘challenging’, are widely available and highly coveted.

With high-fashion being embraced as something attainable, editorial faces are becoming the norm and being able to flip to a more commercial look is being seen as the unique selling point. Laura has entered an industry that has changed significantly over the past five years; copying trends verbatim has been replaced by individual expression: simply put, it’s not what you wear, but how you wear it. A principle clearly demonstrated in i-D’s editorial, layering and mixing textures has become the next step in wearing clothes in a way that expresses individuality. With clothes so freely available both in store and online, buying that one-off piece (without going fully retro) is virtually impossible. The solution? Mix it up.

As fashion trends spark a global following, creating a personal style and stepping away from head-to-toe looks is rapidly being seen as the more modern way to wear clothes. Individuality is the new buzzword for fashion, and as a result, the faces that represent high-fashion have to be just as unique. Laura’s features are perfect for carrying off the cerebral chic of Balenciaga, as well as translating those trends in editorial. 

Kampman’s success is all down to playing to her strengths: it’s more than the sum of her features. Her ability to understand and interpret directional looks is invaluable in today’s fashion industry. As fashion travels ever closer to the edge, pushing us to be ever bolder in what we wear day to day; talents like Kampman will be the best means of passing on the message. Be brave, be individual – and do it now.

HELEN TOPE

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: LARA MULLEN

Born in 1994, Northampton native Lara Mullen was discovered in August 2011. Scouted by agency Premier Management, Mullen was spotted just two weeks before the start of New York Fashion Week.

Premier submitted Lara for castings, and in September the student-turned-model found herself on the catwalk, walking for Alexander Wang, Jonathan Saunders, Celine, Chloe, Richard Nicoll, Givenchy and Dries Van Noten. 

If this wasn’t exciting enough, Lara got booked for the Prada show as an exclusive. Mullen had the good fortune to be in one of Prada’s best shows in years. A show is only as good as its collection, and the S/S 12 collection was very, very good. With Mullen as one of their star turns (newbies selected by Prada tend to get the lion’s share of attention), this was a career-making moment for Lara. The achievement is made all the more extraordinary when you consider that just weeks prior to her Prada booking, Lara was a complete unknown.

Labelled by www.vogue.com as ‘one to watch’, Lara began to book editorials in earnest, landing the cover of i-D magazine in February 2012. Also appearing in a multi-page spread, Lara modelled with Matt Ardell, working looks from the key S/S collections.

In February and March, Lara experienced the effect of being a Prada exclusive. When it came to booking shows for the Autumn / Winter collections, Mullen was a red-hot favourite, appearing in over 45 shows.

The season was a real triumph for Mullen, a bold mix of design talent including Valentino, Balmain, Gareth Pugh, Versace, Marc Jacobs, Marchesa, Calvin Klein, Rodarte, Oscar de la Renta and Prada once more. A bona fide success at every Fashion Week, Lara modelled for the best in the business. To muster bookings from the biggest; Versace, Prada, Marc Jacobs, Valentino, is incredible. But more crucially for Mullen, her booking sheet tells a story of a model who has connected with cutting-edge talent such as Gareth Pugh, Prabal Gurung, Alexander Wang and Christopher Kane. It is this relationship with fashion’s most directional labels that has both shaped and defined Lara’s career over 2012.

March saw Lara take to the cover of British hard-hitter, Dazed & Confused. Named ‘2012: If it’s not exciting, you’re not doing it properly’, the cover heralds the start of a summer that’s all about Britain. From the recent Diamond Jubilee celebrations to the Olympics starting in July, Britain, and all things British, are garnering a lot of attention. On the cover, Lara models a coat and one-piece from Prada’s show-stopping S/S 12 collection, echoing her inaugural runway moment with the Italian label. 

Mullen also appeared in an editorial for the magazine, a major logistical operation requiring an army of photographers and stylists. Wearing Burberry, Balenciaga and YSL, Lara joins models Julia Nobis, Emily Baker, Erjona Ala and the latest Marc Jacobs campaign girl, Marte Mei van Haaster.

Lara’s success has not just been confined to editorials and runway. Preparing to take on bigger challenges, Lara was booked for the new Spring / Summer Topshop campaign. Photographed by Josh Olins and styled by the store’s creative director, Kate Phelan, the campaign also features new up-and-coming faces including Magda Laguinge, Nadine Ponce and Marihenny Pasible. As Lara models Topshop’s on-the-money pieces, including floral silk bomber jackets and printed band T’s, the campaign is almost indistinguishable from those of high-end brands. Topshop certainly doesn’t believe in skimping on the editorial detail: its genius lies in treating high-street design with respect. Its lightning-quick turnover, supplying must-have pieces at a furious pace, means that Topshop can legitimately claim to having its finger on the fashion pulse. Now a key destination for everyone, regardless of budget, scoring the campaign means being a visible presence in hundreds of stores dotted across the globe.

Following an editorial for POP magazine, Mullen also featured in a self-titled feature for AnOther. Photographed by Martina Hoogland Ivanow, Lara appears in a series of editorials, reminiscent of Egon Schiele’s nervy, sensuous sketches. Having an editorial named after you is normally a mark of respect given to a model with more runway hours under her belt. The fact that Lara is already being perceived as worthy is testament to how quickly she has taken to modelling. Some new talents are carefully dipped into the fashion world, a small season to start with and then a few low-key editorials to test the waters. With Mullen, Premier Management made the right call in making a big splash. The clamour for her time at Fashion Week proves that when you’re ready, you’re ready.

Lara made her debut appearance for British Vogue in April, with an editorial called ‘The White Album’. Photographed again by Josh Olins, Lara models an array of white pieces from Marc Jacobs, Jil Sander, Yohji Yamamoto and Chanel. From laser-cutting by Marc Jacobs to the starched, architectural cottons of Raf Simons’ last collection for Jil Sander, the deceptively simple theme displays how complex one colour can be when in the hands of masters. 

Mullen returned to the pages of British Vogue this June, with a high-fashion take on the Olympic theme. ‘Paper Plates’, photographed by Tim Gutt, sees Lara attempting weight-lifting, archery and diving. Blending the beauty and strength of professional sport, this type of high-concept editorial is what British Vogue excels at.

With the world now watching the UK for the next few months, Lara joins a new generation of British models lighting up the world stage. Along with Jourdan Dunn and Nyasha Matonhodze, Lara is flying the flag for not only British design, but British beauty as well. In recent years, most of fashion’s most popular faces have come from other corners of the globe: Lara and her peers are helping to buck that trend.

Lara and Nyasha are especially in demand, with both models this season appearing in major campaigns. Nyasha, a favourite with Louis Vuitton and Balenciaga, is a sure-fire editorial pick and Lara is carving out a career that leans on her individuality, and that’s a very British concept.

We have recently excelled at providing fashion with its newest, edgiest faces. We can also do real, show stopping beauty too: just think of the monumental rise of Rosie Huntington-Whiteley and Cara Delevingne. Ever since the discovery of Kate Moss, the UK has had a point to prove: the problem with striking gold is that expectations circulate and gather pace – can you repeat your own success?

While the face of modelling has altered over the past 20 years – the definition of what constitutes a top model now looks totally different – the desire to scout those new, boundary-pushing faces is as intense as ever.

Premier Management’s lucky find is also Britain’s good fortune. Lara, just months into her career, is already creating waves of interest around the world. She is the rare combination of editorial and commercial: it is just as easy to imagine her fronting a perfume campaign as it is to see her in Italian Vogue. Mullen’s run of success hints at a future that’s there for the taking. Whether she wants to explore those high-fashion roots further, or look at how her unique features can work set against those big-money campaigns, Lara has the potential to trail-blaze a new kind of beauty, already seen in the individual successes of Milou van Groesen, Saskia de Brauw and Marie Piovesan. Against a backdrop of uncertainty, a beauty that can be edgy one moment and then traditional the next, is exactly what the fashion industry appears to be responding to right now. Even newer faces than Lara – Erjona Ala, Elza Luijendijk, Marte Mei van Haaster – are in that very vein: not exclusively editorial, not completely commercial. A true fashion hybrid, it is a formula that looks like it will define the look of the next generation of top models.

However Lara chooses to play her next hand, what’s for certain is that she remains a great ambassador, reminding everyone that whatever we do, Britain does it in style.

HELEN TOPE