Born in the
Netherlands on December 3rd 1989, Bette Franke was discovered at the
age of 14. Whilst out shopping with her mum in Amsterdam, Franke was spotted by
Dutch modelling agent Wilma Wakker.
Franke made
her international catwalk debut two years later, opening and closing the Jil
Sander show in October 2005. Also appearing for Dries Van Noten, Hermes and
Emanuel Ungaro, she was named ‘this year’s model’ by WWD.
Bette’s rise
was meteoric, with two contracts signed in early 2006: one for the new Stella
McCartney fragrance ‘Stella in Two’, and a cosmetics fragrance with YSL. Franke
had signed for two of the biggest brands just a year into her career. Her
distinctive face – an intense gaze coupled with the classic sexbomb pout –
helped to separate her from the slew of European models flooding the industry.
Returning to
the runway in February 2006, Franke added Alexander McQueen, Balenciaga, Chloe,
Givenchy, Lanvin, Marc Jacobs and Prada to her list of credits. She was dubbed
a rising star by www.style.com and scored a role
in the new Dolce & Gabbana campaign. Her big-money signings kept coming with a solo
campaign for Oscar de la Renta and appearances for Calvin Klein and Hugo Boss.
Franke’s
look leant itself so deftly to campaign work, it wasn’t until August 2006 that
her talents were applied to major magazine editorials. Appearing for the first
time in French Vogue, Bette modelled with Jessica Stam and Han Jin. Bette was a
shoo-in for French Vogue, at the time still under the directorship of Carine
Roitfeld. Her sultry looks were perfect for French Vogue’s penchant for paying
homage to icons such as Bardot and more recent faces such as Emmanuelle Beart
and Isabelle Adjani. Described by designer Anna Molinari as having a ‘strong
personality and harmonious curves’, Bette’s charm cast a spell that was clearly
hard to resist.
Bette had
her big runway moment in September 2006, with a mammoth 62-show season. Franke
booked shows with Alberta Ferretti, Balmain, Chanel, Jonathan Saunders, Marni,
Missoni, Roberto Cavalli, Vera Wang and Versace. A year and a half into her
modelling career, Franke was becoming a favourite with the biggest designers in
the world.
Shooting her
second French Vogue editorial in October, in 2007 she continued to make
in-roads with her campaign CV, becoming the face for Blumarine and Celine. Her
career hit another high point in October with her very first appearance in
Italian Vogue. Photographed by Nathaniel Goldberg, ‘Morning Beauty’ saw Bette
modelling exquisitely detailed eveningwear. Beautifully nuanced, Franke gave a
performance that lacked for nothing.
Bette’s
career moved up another notch with a cover try for Japanese Numero in November.
Appearing in the ready-to-wear season in February 2008, Bette booked shows with
Anna Sui, Derek Lam, Hussein Chalayan, Michael Kors and Rue du Mail. It was one
of her most aesthetically-diverse seasons to date, with Bette working the
austere chic of Chalayan with Michael Kors’ Park Avenue glamour.
Bette’s next
RTW season saw her opening shows for Erin Fetherston and Jenny Packham in
February 2009 (long before Packham had the Royal seal of approval). Franke’s
ability to get picked by up-and-coming designers continued later in the year
with Bette walking in shows for Todd Lynn and Mary Katrantzou. Franke ended the
year with consecutive editorials for Italian Marie Claire, by photographed by
Thierry Le Goues.
Normally a
regular on the catwalk, Bette did not return to the runway until September 2011,
but her timing was impeccable. Making her comeback in style, Bette appeared in
54 shows including Alexander Wang, Burberry, Isabel Marant, Nina Ricci, Tom
Ford and Valentino. She returned on top form in a season that was all about
celebrating the feminine. Spring 2012 has already made its presence known, with
pastel colours and delicate fabrics dominating the high-street. This look was just
tailor made to make the most of Franke’s features. While some models offer quiet
consistency, others shine when the mood of the moment coincides beautifully
with what they have to offer. Franke was uniquely placed to take advantage of
fashion’s softer season.
Bette ended
the year with an appearance in V magazine. Profiling her agency, ‘DNA
Powerhouse’ Franke joined current face of Armani, Milou van Groesen, Lindsay
Ellingson, and Victoria’s Secret regulars Doutzen Kroes and Alessandra
Ambrosio.
Bette’s
return to fashion included her biggest couture season to date in January 2012.
Walking for Chanel, Dior, Elie Saab, Giambattista Valli and Valentino, Franke’s
love affair with the runway continued with another huge RTW season of over 50
shows. Franke’s
standing in the industry had lost none of its power, with Bette appearing
alongside new modelling talents in a piece for British Vogue. ‘Spring Forward’
featured the best of the S/S collections, including new faces Romee Strijd,
Kati Nescher and Codie Young.
Her
editorial credits kept coming, with a spread in February’s Harper’s Bazaar and
an editorial for Spanish Vogue in March. ‘Uno, Dos, Tres...Mambo!’ saw Bette
mastering classically fiery prints from Pucci, plus sultry picks from D&G
and Sonia Rykiel.
Then came
Franke’s biggest signing to date. Shot in Mexico by Deborah Turbeville, Bette
was the latest name to become the face of Valentino. Working with Zuzanna
Bijoch, Fei Fei Sun and Maud Welzen, Franke modelled the delicately-worked lace
pieces against the backdrop of ancient ruins. Romanticism writ large, this was
a perfect collision of model and campaign, celebrating Valentino’s new (and
highly successful) exploration of soft, feminine fashion.
Spring 2012
has been Bette’s most prolific season in years, with an amazing 5 campaigns in
circulation. Working with male model Harry Gilliam in the new Hermes campaign,
Bette joins Anna de Rijk for Hogan and is photographed by Mikael Jansson for
Dior Eyewear. Her laser-beam stare comes into its own here, with Bette’s beauty
shining through the ad. In an age of laser surgery and contact lenses, eyewear
is a tough sell. Bette’s performance in this campaign will have you reaching
for your specs.
With two
high-fashion editorials in April’s Dazed & Confused and Dutch Vogue, Bette
has never been in higher demand. Modelling Twenties-inspired flapper fashion
from Gucci, Ralph Lauren and Etro for Vogue and channelling psychedelic pin-up
meets Marie Antoinette for Dazed & Confused, Franke is at the top of her
game.
It’s no
surprise that this has been Bette’s season. Her looks lend themselves so
perfectly to the big trend of the moment that she couldn’t help but clean up.
No-one can deny that Bette’s career has been strong, packed with editorial and
runway credits, but to get to that next level, a little luck can go a long way.
As fashion turned to its more feminine side, Franke grabbed onto that
opportunity, and in the process became one of the most popular models of the
past 12 months.
To be a career
veteran at the age of 22 is only something that could happen in the modelling world,
but Franke finds herself with a career that has never looked better, at a point
where other models are contemplating their Plan B.
Bette’s steady
stream of editorial and runway work has ensured that she is now as hotly
pursued as a newcomer fresh from their first season. Nine years after her remarkable
discovery, Bette’s career is still managing to defy the odds and astonish us
all. A perfect marriage of skill and
instinct, Bette Franke is proof that is never too late to be what you might
have been.
HELEN TOPE
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