MODEL PROFILES: LARA STONE

Born December 20th 1983, Dutch native Lara Stone is one of fashion’s hottest exports. Taken straight from Hollywood’s template of the femme fatale, Lara Stone is the very definition of a 21st century supermodel: bombshell meets mannequin.

She was first discovered in 1995, aged 12, whilst riding on the Paris Metro. But Stone’s career didn’t take off until she entered the Elite Model Look contest in 1999. She didn’t win, but Elite was so impressed with the 16-year-old that they signed her anyway.
Lara switched to agency IMG in 2006, and that January she debuted at the Autumn / Winter Givenchy couture show. She also made her ready-to-wear debut, walking for designers Cacharel, Miu Miu and Veronique Branquinho.

Lara also scored her first major campaign in 2006, managing to scoop an ad for Sisley. Photographed by Terry Richardson, it was the perfect match of photographer and model. If anyone knew how to photograph Lara’s curves and keep it centered in a sense of fashion, it would be Richardson.

The impact was immediate. Stone got the cover of French Elle in May, and was dubbed a favourite of French Vogue. Editor-in-chief Carine Roitfeld remarked that ‘sometimes a girl just touches you’. In an overcrowded industry, even a little ‘x factor’ goes a long way. It would soon become self-evident that Lara had star quality to spare.

October 2006 saw Lara’s busiest runway season to date, with appearances for Burberry, Chloe, Jil Sander, Lanvin and Prada. Her appearance at the S/S 2007 Karl Lagerfeld show also attracted press attention when she tripped on the runway. Even that glitch didn’t stop Lara’s progress: http://www.style.com/ named her (trip or not) their rising star of the season.

In 2007, Lara’s career went into overdrive. She became the face of Givenchy with Hilary Rhoda, signed a cosmetics contract with Calvin Klein and even replaced Kate Moss as the face of Calvin Klein Jeans. She also had the best RTW season of her career, with 62 bookings for the A/W 2007 season. Her appearances included Alberta Ferretti, Balmain, Burberry, Calvin Klein, Derek Lam, Givenchy, Gucci, Louis Vuitton, Marc Jacobs, Prada, Roberto Cavalli and Stella McCartney. It was a resounding stamp of approval.

Lara’s aplomb on the runway sparked editorial fever, with magazines vying for her time. In March, she channelled Sixties icon Brigitte Bardot for a French Vogue editorial. In April, she shot their cover. May saw an editorial for British Vogue (photographed by Mario Testino) and July saw Lara’s first fashion shoot for Italian Vogue. In October, she did two editorials for Italian Vogue and finished off an incredible year with the December cover of Italian Vogue, photographed by Steven Meisel.

In 2008 Lara renewed her contracts with Givenchy and Calvin Klein Beauty, plus signing on to become the face of Just Cavalli. March saw Lara hit the cover of French Vogue again. Her status as French Vogue’s favourite was cemented by an extraordinary run of success, including being cited by them as a top model, along with four editorials; two in the May issue and two more in June.

In July, Lara scored the cover of W magazine, along with Vogue, the most influential fashion magazine in America. Taking on cover duty with Kate Moss and Daria Werbowy, the shoot dubbed ‘Summer Camp’ took the best new design talent (including Gareth Pugh and Rodarte) to Miami, shooting their designs to create an incredible 36-page layout. For Lara, this shoot by Bruce Weber was a career-making moment.

The noteworthy appearance for W landed Stone two more campaign slots: Hugo Boss Orange and Jil Sander. The combination of a face made for editorial and a body built for (sartorial) sin was proving to be an irresistible lure.

Her starring role in many of the top runway shows later that year confirmed her status, including opening honours for the Isabel Marant, Giles Deacon and Christopher Kane shows. Also walking for Balmain, Celine, Louis Vuitton, Marc Jacobs, Michael Kors and Zac Posen, Lara’s ability to morph from a fashion girl, to sex-bomb, and back again, charmed the industry. Taking adaptability to a whole new level, Stone undertook editorials for Japanese and French Vogue in October, and a month later, walked in her very first show for lingerie brand Victoria’s Secret. Fusing a high-fashion aesthetic with mainstream glamour? All in a day’s work.

Lara was rapidly becoming fashion’s newest superstar. To prove the point, French Vogue dedicated an entire issue to the Lara phenomenon in February 2009, with editorials shot by Steven Klein, Hedi Slimane, Peter Lindbergh and Patrick Demarchelier. The other recent example of this happening is with Natasha Poly’s multi-page homage in Russian Vogue.
Natasha and Lara make similar studies; viewed from a distance they should be one-trick ponies, asked to do nothing more taxing than smoulder and pout. But get closer and you see versatile, thoroughly capable editorial models that bring something extra to every assignment.

February was a good month for Stone as show season rolled around. She made a headline-grabbing appearance for Balmain. Rewriting the fashion rule that body-con tends to look its best on the super-slim; Lara appeared on the Balmain runway in a dazzling blue sequinned mini-dress.

Her curves were clearly visible, but she looked incredible. The trend that had up until this point stayed on the sidelines had now become fashion’s latest crush. The press lauded Stone for making the Balmain glamourpuss look finally achievable, and the high street dutifully picked up the thread, making copies of the Balmain / Lara look and sent the body-con trend into the stratosphere.

The show season didn’t end there either. Lara was chosen to close the Marc Jacobs show. Simply as good as it gets in terms of runway prestige; Lara put an end to the claims that her presence was a token gesture, a pacifier for those who questioned whether fashion had really got a grip on the body image issue. Lara wasn’t picked because of the potential for headlines, but like her appearance for Balmain, Lara was chosen because of her ability to enhance clothes without being a distraction.

Lara’s triumph on the runway was followed by yet more editorial scoops, including the cover of Japanese Vogue, spreads for W and French Vogue, and finally in May 2009, she got the cover of American Vogue. Shot by Steven Meisel, it was another modelling milestone done and dusted.
In August, the fashion bible W paid tribute to her in their issue, dubbing her ‘Fashion’s new IT Girl’, if there was anyone left who doubted it. The end of 2009 culminated with not one, but two, magazine covers. The first was another for Italian Vogue, and the second was for British Vogue.

The British December issue was named ‘The Girl of the Year’. Shot by Mario Testino, it was Lara in full fantasy mode. The cover shot was soft, dreamy and uber-feminine. It wasn’t just a celebration of Lara’s achievements, the cover was signposting the year (and decade) ahead. True to its word, fashion has got in touch with its softer side and Lara couldn’t be better placed to take advantage of this shift in fashion semantics.

If 2009 saw Lara as the girl of the year, this coming decade surely belongs to her as well. To date, she has appeared in S/S campaigns for Jaeger, Louis Vuitton, Prada Infusion D’Iris fragrance and H&M swimwear. Couple this with an upcoming A/W campaign for Giorgio Armani Cosmetics, and Lara’s run of success shows no sign of losing momentum.

Being curvier than her peers hasn’t left Lara out in the cold, especially in terms of those all-important, lucrative campaigns. Stone is, just in terms of numbers, way ahead of the pack. The calibre of those campaigns (including Chloe, Jil Sander and Prada) are indicative of her ability to appeal to a wider demographic.

When casting campaigns, design houses don’t only look to the names that are populating the world’s runways or filling the pages of Vogue. That certainly helps, but a great campaign model needs something extra. If it’s a sunny advert for swimwear, coming across as likeable is essential. If it’s selling a bottle of perfume, the model needs to have an allure that’s appealing, not off-putting.

Lara’s brand of sex appeal is aimed squarely at the grown-ups: its Brigitte Bardot meets Veronica Lake, with a dose of worldly-wise Jane Russell thrown in for good measure. Lara’s pitch-perfect ability to charm men and women into buying that perfume explains why she’s in such high demand.

The company you keep in the fashion world says a lot about you. Lara isn’t booking campaigns or features with marginal figures in the industry. Chanel, Givenchy, Prada, Calvin Klein, Giorgio Armani – these names are not exactly obscure references. Lara has worked with the greatest designers, editors and photographers in the business. She may not be the most prolific runway girl, but it’s quality over quantity.

What makes Lara different is that she has tailored her career to her strengths. Her personal stamp – a postmodern Bardot – has worked simply because there is no-one else quite like her. Some come close: the trio of Brazilian supers (Bundchen, Trentini and Zimmermann) all have the market cornered in doing campaigns that call for plenty of sizzle. But Stone is cut a little differently from the standard sex-bomb mould.

Lara is part of a small group of models who can do the blend of coy sophistication peculiar to brands like Prada. It’s a tough ask, and Lara’s strategy of being (and staying) true to herself has paid off. Prada loves different, hence why she is their campaign girl.

Lara deftly translates intelligent sensuality into something fashionable and covetable. She works so well as a marketing ploy because of her high-fashion connotations. There’s little chance of mistaking the Prada girl for an off-the-peg glamour queen.

As influential as she is now, in ten years’ time, expect to see Lara’s legacy throughout the modelling industry. The soft-sell approach to campaigns that clamour for sex-appeal will eventually reconfigure what we think of as ‘sexy’. Think smart, challenging and a little hard-to-read. A unique presence in contemporary fashion, Lara is undoubtedly a model of substance.

HELEN TOPE

MODEL PROFILES: TYRA BANKS

Born December 4th 1973, Tyra Banks has become one of the biggest names in fashion. A truly modern woman, Banks has made her name in modelling and television, bringing the two together to form one of the most successful reality television franchises in history.

A career made of firsts; Tyra signed with Elite Model Management aged 17. Banks’ modelling career began in Paris, when during her first week in the fashion capital; she wowed so many designers that she booked a (then unprecedented) 25 shows – a record for a newcomer.

She became the first black model to feature on the covers of GQ and Sports Illustrated magazines, and only the third African-American model to secure a cosmetics contract. The contract was with Cover Girl, an affiliation that continues to this day with Tyra’s show America’s Next Top Model.

One of the most sought after faces of the Nineties, Tyra was a consistent presence in magazine editorials and did campaigns for brands as diverse as Ralph Lauren and H&M, plus runway duty for designers Bill Blass, Chanel, Oscar de la Renta, Michael Kors and Yves Saint Laurent. Banks also scored numerous magazine covers ranging from Cosmopolitan, Elle, Vogue and Harpers Bazaar. In 1997, she received the VH1 award for Supermodel of the Year, and in the same year, became the first ever African-American to grace the cover of the Victoria’s Secret catalogue.

If Tyra’s career had stopped at this point, there would be plenty to discuss. Her pro-active barrier-breaking paved the way for girls like Chanel Iman and Jourdan Dunn. Banks bridged the gap between commercial and high-fashion like few other models: her work with lingerie brand Victoria’s Secret made her a household name in America, while still commanding respect in the world of high-fashion.

Nearing the end of her own modelling career, Banks began to examine what else was on offer. She did some television and film work, and found her interest in television re-ignited (she had initially planned, before modelling, to go to university to study television production). Tyra came up with the idea of merging her two passions: television and fashion. She would create her own reality show. The concept would be simple: ordinary girls from across America would have the opportunity to audition for the show and a small group would be selected to travel to New York to live and work as models. They would go on photo-shoots, participate in challenges, and every week, one hopeful would be eliminated. The process would be repeated until there was only one girl left: America’s Next Top Model.

The first series (or cycle) was aired in 2003 on a small television network in the States. It was an unexpected hit, and Tyra suddenly found herself in great demand. In 2005, she made the decision to officially retire from modelling to concentrate on her television career, and we all know what happened next.

America’s Next Top Model became more than a successful reality show, it became a phenomenon. Watched in 170 countries, the format was shipped out to 17 countries that now hold their own respective model searches. Many of the contestants have found success, including Alice Burdeu (winner of Australia’s Next Top Model series 2) who has become a favourite on the runways of Europe and New York, walking for the biggest names in fashion, including Marc Jacobs, Lanvin and Alexander McQueen.

The show has captured the imagination of the public and the desire to see the next series shows no signs of slowing down. Six years on, with the 13th cycle due to air in the UK this January, ANTM is still hot property and there are few other shows that can make such a claim.
The real triumph of the show is what it has done for modelling’s PR. Previous to the show, modelling was perceived (rightly or wrongly) as a closed book, but Tyra’s idea to overcome this was to explode myths and break down stereotypes, proving that when it comes to high fashion, the only thing to fear is fear itself. Knocking sideways the idea that models are invariably blue-eyed blondes, the public’s fashion education began in earnest.

You will now be hard-pressed to find a fashion-conscious teenager that doesn’t know the meaning of ‘editorial’. The exploration of the fashion industry, from the inside out, proved to be the show’s calling card. The viewer was given privileged access to what goes on at a photo-shoot, taking an in-depth look at the respective roles of the stylist, photographer and creative director, seeing how they work with a model to create an image. It did modelling a tremendous service in showing that fashion is first and foremost a business.

It also shows the (decidedly unglamorous but very necessary) process of go-sees - another term every teenager is now familiar with. Contestants during every series are expected to visit designers, giving them a real flavour of the day-to-day business of a working model. By attempting to replicate the real-life model experience as closely as possible, Tyra educated both the contestants and the viewers in how fashion really operates.

The show also educated aspiring models as to what the fashion industry wants, and despite its ever-changing perimeters, the essential wish-list stays the same: versatility, personality and an unforgettable walk. Even now, these are non-negotiable if a model wants to make the transition to supermodel.

The secret to the show’s success is that it doesn’t just want to find the next big thing, but a model that can, like Tyra, do it all. A few years ago, the idea of a model that commands the runway, does print work and campaigns, all with equal aplomb, was seen as unrealistic. But Tyra’s insistence on finding girls who could be all-rounders has paid off. Post-recession, the fashion world is looking for ways to pull in more revenue, and the models that are doing well are those who are triple threats.

Take a look at the names of the moment – models like Lara Stone, Agyness Deyn, Chanel Iman and Karlie Kloss. Lara has shot campaigns for Hudson Jeans and is now the Spring / Summer face of Versace; Chanel walked her first Victoria’s Secret runway earlier this month, and Karlie is about to appear in a campaign for Dior. Between them they have sold everything from cut-price cashmere to lingerie, and this is the way ahead. Limiting yourself to one branch of modelling means limiting your money-making potential, and these days, no-one can afford to be elitist.

The decision to allow the public to see the process behind the image was a canny move on the part of Banks. Even though we have seen so much of what goes on behind the scenes, the magic is not lost. The transformative ability to turn an ordinary girl into a goddess with the help of lighting, styling and airbrushing still manages to draw us in. Fashion is no longer just about the polished, finished product.

It is this very process that keeps us watching America’s Next Top Model. Over a decade spent working in the industry has given Banks an insight into fashion is that both knowing and forgiving. Banks has re-aligned people’s expectations of the fashion industry. Fashion is about standing out, not fitting in, and America’s Next Top Model cracks the myth that fashion is about conformity: it consistently celebrates the unusual, the edgy and the editorial.

Tyra’s pet project has transformed the way we see the modelling industry, changing it from a spectator sport to something far more approachable. It’s more than entertainment – it’s given modelling a whole new level of respect. Blowing apart the notion that modelling is for simpletons, the show ardently proves that posing for the camera, as with any skill, is harder than it looks.

In less than twenty years, Tyra’s career has gone from ingénue, to entrepreneur, to media mogul. In 2005, she launched her own talk-show, aimed at young women, and can now count herself as one the most successful models of her generation, with an estimated income of $23 million in 2008 alone.

With news breaking this week that Tyra is to cancel her talk show but continue working with ANTM and foster new projects, where her career goes from here is anyone’s guess. Having left an indelible mark on the modelling world, she has made her fortune by preparing the next generation of models for the challenges that are already being faced by the fashion industry. Far from being out of touch, Banks understands very clearly where modelling and fashion are headed, and what is for certain, is that somehow, somewhere, she will continue to be a part of it.

HELEN TOPE

MODEL PROFILES: COCO ROCHA

Born September 10th 1988, Coco Rocha has secured her reputation on her ability to merge avant-garde with commercial.

Raised in Canada, but of Irish, Welsh and Russian descent, Rocha holds a unique place in modelling history. Combining modern athleticism with unique features that manage to be timeless, Coco represents the best of both worlds.

In 2002, Coco Rocha was discovered by agent Charles Stuart at an Irish dancing contest in Vancouver. Rocha had never previously considered a career in fashion, but she signed with Elite, and began to discover her value in the fashion world.

Rocha’s career started slowly but began to take off in 2006. Her first major breakthrough was appearing in a Balenciaga ad campaign. Wearing oversized platform wedges and a bowler hat, Rocha’s arrival on the fashion scene set the tone for the rest of her career: quirky, original and unexpected.

Her next notable assignment was a shoot with Steven Meisel for Dolce & Gabbana. Famous for being a ‘hit-maker’ in the fashion industry, Meisel has a gift for spotting new model talent. After working with Rocha, Meisel immediately rated her as a model that was worth watching. Website http://www.style.com/ was of the same opinion later that year when they named Coco their ‘rising star’.

The body of 2006 was a collective of great experiences for Rocha. An Italian Vogue editorial with Gemma Ward; a spot in the Chanel Couture runway show and additional shows for Vera Wang and Balenciaga. Coco topped off a brilliant year with an editorial in French Vogue, shot by legendary photographer Terry Richardson.

2007 would prove to be a seminal year for Rocha. Beginning the year by renewing her contract with Balenciaga, Coco also signed up to do a campaign for Lanvin. In February, Rocha achieved two Vogue covers in the same month, posing on the cover of Italian Vogue with Hilary Rhoda, plus an additional cover for Japanese Vogue with Russian model Sasha Pivovarova.

By themselves, these are noteworthy achievements, but in every great model’s career, there is a moment, a tipping point where everything falls into place. This moment came for Rocha in April 2007. She was booked to appear in the Jean Paul Gaultier runway show. Gaultier, charmed by the Canadian, found out about her dancing background and insisted she open and close the show. But Coco wasn’t to walk down the runway: she had to dance it.

Coco’s exuberant bursts of Irish dancing caused a sensation. Anna Wintour dubbed it ‘The Coco Moment’, and Rocha had arrived. The ‘moment’ lasted beyond the initial rush of publicity and translated into very real accolades. The next month, Rocha was featured on the cover of American Vogue. The theme of the cover was already decided: the world’s next supermodels.

Coco was in rarefied company. She shared the cover with Caroline Trentini, Raquel Zimmermann, Sasha Pivovarova, Chanel Iman, Jessica Stam, Hilary Rhoda and Agyness Deyn. Two years ago, these names were specialist knowledge only. Two years on, every one of these names evokes a face, an image and a glittering career. Vogue’s star-spotting was absolutely on the money.

On paper, the concept of Coco as a model should never have worked. Her years of dance training, while doing great things for her posture, should’ve worked against her. Contrary to popular belief, dancers don’t usually make good models, as their training forces them to resist the broken-down, angular poses required to model some of the extreme silhouettes in contemporary fashion.

But Coco took the best of her dance training and channelled it into the requirements of modelling. Applying an intelligent approach to movement, Coco’s popularity with photographers and editors boiled down to her ability to create shapes and lines for the camera.

Look at Coco’s body of work and you will see in her photos that she is a mistress of movement, providing a masterclass in how to create photos that are visually dynamic. Her energy, applied with restraint where needed, translates brilliantly onto film. Rocha is a rare breed: a dancer whose skills adds to, rather than impedes, the modelling package.

In September 2007, she opened a Chanel runway show, scoring the ultimate ‘insider’ job. If you are hired by Lagerfeld, you must be doing something right. In 2008, Coco was photographed for the famous Pirelli calendar by Patrick Demarchelier, and featured in a US Vogue editorial, dressed as famous cartoon characters. Who better to interpret Catwoman and Poison Ivy? Coco managed a difficult task with wit and verve, while still keeping the overall tone fashion-friendly.

Coco’s versatile face made her useable for commercial projects as well as the high-fashion fun. In 2009, she became the face of DeBeers diamonds and has a long-running series of campaigns with YSL skincare and fragrance, plus clothing campaigns for designers as diverse as Zac Posen and Liz Claiborne.

This disparity explains what makes Coco so in demand. She bridges the gap between the worlds of mainstream fashion and the avant-garde. Look again at the list of girls featured on the 2007 ‘Supermodels’ Vogue cover. The list shows how fashion’s take on beauty has shifted over the years. Girls like Agyness, Jessica, Coco and Sasha would’ve been sidelined in the Nineties as purely avant-garde faces.

Over a decade ago, as a model you were either positioned by your agency as an edgy, avant-garde girl or glamour personified. The careers of models such as Stella Tennant and Kristen McMenamy in the 1990s were sharply defined from those of more mainstream girls like Niki Taylor and Christy Turlington. Stella and Kristen did couture, Niki and Christy sold lipstick. Tastes for models would come and go: one year, it was all about the quirky, androgynous models, the next, fashion would celebrate classic beauties. What Coco and her peers represent is a departure from this idea that beauty has to be one thing or the other to be relevant. It has instead been replaced with a merging of the two ideals. Beauty can be just as sellable when it is off-centre, as it is in a Valentino gown.

The idea that a quirky-looking model could be editorial and commercial is something that has only truly evolved through this past decade. The complex requirements of a label like Balenciaga makes certain demands of a model, but now the mid-range labels, and even high-street brands are beginning to catch up.

Retail branding in the same decade has not just had an overhaul; it has been rewritten from scratch. High-street brands such as Reiss, Gap and All Saints are marketing themselves with the same level of sophistication as the designer names, because this is what the consumer now expects. Shopping isn’t just about the clothes you leave the store with; it’s about the whole experience. From the decor to the sales staff, the bar has been visibly raised and those stores doing well are outperforming their competitors because they have embraced everything high-fashion has to offer, including its models. Coco has secured so many contracts with brands on the high street because she offers a taste of high-fashion beauty that is both editorial and relatable.

Coco‘s quirky, off-beat appeal has seen her working with everyone from Gareth Pugh to Gap. Conservative designers love her, legends like Meisel and Wintour are fascinated by her. There is never a sense, in looking at Coco’s career, that there is a place where she doesn’t belong.
Models like Coco represent the future of modelling because they are the very definition of versatility. Seeing someone like Coco succeed shows how fashion has worked, actively and consciously, to become more inclusive to models that fall between the extremes of ‘quirky’ and ‘classic’. Coco’s amazing run of success has paved the way for new models such as Karlie Kloss, who has just signed a deal with Dior. The new girl personified by Coco is avant-garde, and she is establishment: part of the fabric of fashion, she is here to stay. Quirky isn’t a passing phase anymore.

HELEN TOPE

MODEL PROFILES: DARIA WERBOWY

She is one of the most respected names in the modelling industry; but it is extraordinary to think how close Daria Werbowy came to never making it as a model at all.

Born in Poland in 1983, Daria moved to Canada with her family in 1987. Spotted by Toronto agency Susan J. Model and Talent Management in 1997, Daria’s first big break came when she was invited to sign with Elite Model Management in 2001.

Moving to New York, Werbowy began an exhausting round of go-sees with some of the biggest names in the fashion industry. Travelling across Europe, Daria did not find herself being welcomed with open arms. The response to her cool, feline features was lukewarm at best. Her Baltic-blue eyes and spare frame even provoked some to tell her that she would ‘never make it as a model.’

Left devastated by the experience, Daria decided to go home to Canada and rethink her entire career. Not only had the go-sees yielded nothing, but Daria’s first attempt at walking in a runway show came to an abrupt halt too. Her debut was scheduled to take place at New York Fashion Week, September 2001.

The effects of the terrorist attacks on the city are well-documented, and the fashion world was by no means immune. It was as if a switch had been flicked. The way fashion was viewed, and the way it viewed itself, changed overnight.

From that point onwards fashion became a little more considered. What was truly important? What really mattered? True, fashion would never move mountains politically speaking, but that is perhaps somewhat missing the point. Fashion may seem a frivolous exercise in vanity to some, but the importance in carrying on as normal cannot be overestimated. It sends out a message loud and clear: we are not that easily beaten.

Fashion became more balanced in its approach: a little nicer, a little kinder and very gradually, more inclusive. The boundaries of beauty, what was deemed beautiful, were re-classified.

Having just one type of model in favour seemed wasteful and short-sighted. The fashion world took stock: what else was out there? It was this change in thinking that would become crucial to the success of Daria Werbowy.

This willingness to embrace diversity was all Daria needed to succeed. After returning to Canada, Daria rethought her position on modelling. It was too early to throw in the towel. Making the decision to try again, Werbowy made a call to IMG and headed back to New York in 2003.

Three days later, she was walking in a Marc Jacobs show, and just a week after that, Daria found herself doing a shoot for Prada with photographer Steven Meisel. Daria’s moment had arrived. The following years were a whirlwind of runways, editorials, covers and campaigns. To list them all is a dizzying process. It is staggering to think that one person could achieve so much in such a short space of time, but Daria did.

In July, August and October 2003, Daria appeared on the cover of Italian Vogue. The most high-fashion of all the Vogues, landing the cover is the most coveted honour a model can hope for. To land three in one year is simply an extraordinary achievement.

In October 2003, Daria walked in runway shows for designers Jil Sander, Chloe and Alessandro dell’Acqua among others. After many false starts, Werbowy had finally found her stride. The success she encountered over the next few years was carried by its own momentum. In 2004, she renewed her contract with Prada, cementing a connection with the fashion brand that led to her becoming the face of its first ever fragrance.

Shot by Ridley Scott’s daughter Jordan, the television commercial for the fragrance was a landmark in how perfume was marketed. Painstakingly shot across several locations, the advert became a mini-film, watched by thousands on YouTube.

Daria was now the face of Prada perfume. One of the most anticipated beauty launches in modern history, fashion’s worst kept secret was finally out, with Daria’s face on billboards across Europe and America. In December 2004, Daria was put on the cover of ‘W’ magazine, heralded as ‘Fashion’s Newest It Girl’. This wasn’t exactly news for the fashion crowd, but this was Werbowy’s debut, introducing her to the public.

Any hopes of remaining anonymous were quashed in 2005 when Daria was named the face of Missoni and Chanel. Daria was also selected to appear in an YSL campaign, shot by Juergen Teller. These were all big names; any lingering doubts that Werbowy might not have the ‘right look’ for the major players of the fashion world were firmly kicked into touch.

In February 2005, Daria became a record-breaker, setting a new world record for opening and closing the most runway shows in one season. This was an incredible accomplishment. Daria’s ultra-blendable look, the thing that had refused her entry into the fashion just three years earlier, was now allowing her to set the standard for everyone else. Opening and closing 12 shows, Daria was now the face of the moment. Her delicate, Eastern-European face worked so well for any look a design house might require, she found herself in constant demand.

In November, she signed a contract with French beauty brand Lancome, an affiliation that continues to this day. In 2006, she renewed her contracts with Chanel and Missoni, and in 2007, became the face of Lancome’s fragrance ‘Hypnose’. All this work made Daria a very rich girl. In July 2007, she was named the 9th highest-earning model, with an estimated income of $3.5 million. In April 2008, that figure rose to $3.8 million.

In late 2007, Werbowy became the face for prestige labels Valentino and Hermes. With both labels possessing an extraordinary pedigree, this seal of approval from the more conservative end of the fashion spectrum meant a great deal. Daria was no longer just a fashion face. She was part of the establishment.

Nearly seven years into her career, Daria can still beat newcomers to those lucrative contracts and editorials, which pays testament to her enduring appeal. She is not a big name; ‘Werbowy’ lacks the instant kudos of a Deyn or a Moss. But that doesn’t matter. Every success she has attained, every editorial, cover and campaign, has been on the strength of her modelling alone.

That strikingly-original face has made her both rich and respected – not a bad combination. In the modelling world, her enviable career is the pinnacle every new model aspires to. For a girl who was once told she’d never make it in the industry, Daria has proven herself to be one of the most consistent talents working today.

What Daria’s incredible career tells us is the importance of timing. The rejection she experienced in 2001 was not wholly personal, but simply a reflection of what was happening at the time, both in fashion and the world beyond it.

By making the choice to give modelling another shot, Daria was returning to a very different fashion world than the one she left. Everything post 9/11 had changed, and priorities shifted. Fashion was opening up to the idea of new possibilities, and Daria was absolutely in the right place at the right time.

Hard work and persistence certainly play their part in making a great model, but where Daria succeeded was her realisation that while rejection is never easy, it is rarely personal. Daria wasn’t turned down because she wasn’t good enough (she has ample evidence to the contrary), but because the fashion world wasn’t ready for her yet.

Success is a thing that can be measured, but failure is more of a relative term. By that I mean that failure is only failing to the point where you allow it to defeat you. There is no shame in losing out – Daria’s career hit the skids in 2001 and by 2004, she had appeared on three Italian Vogue covers: in modelling terms, the very definition of success.

Her subtle, Polish features which were once so out of step are now a perfect fit. But Daria’s success can be pinned down to something more tangible than plain good luck. She is in fact a model who is solidly tutored in the basics of modelling. She has learned the hard way not to rely on her looks alone. Werbowy has cultivated a signature runway walk that is distinctive but not obtrusive. She has an instinctive empathy with designers, moulding herself to their vision.

She may no longer have to prove herself, but Daria is consistent in producing beautiful, striking images and a runway presence that doubles as a masterclass. She is more involved in being a model, than acting the part for the tabloids. For Daria, the work is the motivation. She came so close to not making it, that slacking simply isn’t her style.

Werbowy is the best kind of role model the modelling industry currently has. Focused, dependable and hard-working, these are not bad things to be. The cover tries, the unbroken runway record, the amazing rota of photographers Daria now counts as friends. None of this would have happened without Daria’s own determination to succeed. That drive to succeed and flourish, more than anything else, is the single most important attribute a model can possess. Forget the face, the body or the walk. Without self-belief, it all counts for nothing.

Sometimes the fashion industry does get it wrong. Daria didn’t experience immediate career gratification on her signing with Elite, and that failure is what has moulded her character on and off the runway. It was failure that sent her back to Canada, which compelled her to return to New York two years later, and it is that failure that has created one of the most successful and enduring careers in modelling history.

HELEN TOPE

MODEL PROFILES: KARLIE KLOSS

Known almost entirely for her signature walk, Karlie Kloss is part of a sartorial revolution introducing high fashion to a whole new audience.

Born in 1992, Karlie Kloss is one of the youngest models working today. Raised in St. Louis, Missouri, Karlie’s first love was ballet. Modelling did not even factor as a prospective career until she was discovered at a charity fashion show in St. Louis. In 2007, she signed with Elite Model Management before moving to NEXT in 2008.

Already confident in terms of movement, Karlie’s age proved not to be the barrier you might expect. She made an immediate and striking impact as she began to book jobs as a runway model.

Instead of imitating the girls-of-the-moment, Karlie walked her own way. Casting her eye line down, Karlie’s walk became an evocative, swaying motion coupled with what has now been dubbed ‘the death stare’.

Karlie’s decision to do things differently paid off: that small tilt of the head ensured that Karlie’s eyes locked with the photographers recording every show. The effect was mean, moody and gloriously menacing. Karlie turned her walk into a performance, creating an incredible and unforgettable catwalk presence.

Karlie’s rebellious swagger soon got everybody’s attention. Bookings for runway shows increased, and Kloss found herself being requested for ad campaigns and fashion editorials around the world. She rapidly became a favourite with designers, working for Chloe, Viktor & Rolf, Marni, Pringle and Marc Jacobs.

Only two years into her career, Karlie has become part of the fashion landscape, appearing in publications across the globe, and her arrival could not have been better timed. Fashion has always been infatuated with youth, but this time round, it taps into something darker, off-centre and with bite.

Karlie and her peers (Ali Michael, Jourdan Dunn, Imogen Morris-Clarke) are fashion’s obsession with the teenager reinterpreted for the 21st century. They are cool and edgy – that’s a given – but more importantly, they are authentic. Being actual teenagers, they are primed for showing high fashion how to do attitude and make it current. Karlie’s Neo-Gothic presence on the catwalk ties in beautifully with the ‘Twilight’ frenzy that is informing many high fashion trends this season. Her enigmatic stare, is unnerving and soulful, and something that would send most vampires scurrying into their crypt.

Fashion needs new faces to keep it inspired and Karlie’s face is proving particularly inspirational. Working for the top designers in the world, she is imbibing their designs with a dose of real-life teen spirit. Karlie’s good fortune can also be attributed to how teenagers are now choosing to interact with the fashion world.

A few years ago, most teenagers (barring the privileged), had very limited access to the world of high fashion. Magazines and advertisers, while using models in their late teens, aimed their efforts at the ready-to-spend market of 20-30 year olds. Still young enough to want that ‘cool’ factor, but old enough to have the means to finance it.

Teenagers’ fashion was largely limited to urban street styles and sportswear. Even with mega-brands such as Topshop, teenage fashion was failing to connect with the design influences affecting the rest of the high street. As it was out of financial reach, it was assumed that teenagers would not be interested in what Oscar de la Renta was producing this season.

This assumption was blown out of the water with the introduction of ‘Teen Vogue’ in 2003. A partner to the world-renowned fashion bible, this magazine took on a bold mission statement: it introduced high fashion to a teenage audience.

The success was immediate and resounding. Teenagers soaked up the new cutting-edge concept: it was sophisticated, but still fun. Engaging with a generation left cold by traditional fashion media, it was a palpable hit.

Pitching high fashion to teenagers in a way that didn’t patronise or preach had a massive rolling effect. Teenagers became far more fashion-literate: not just learning the big names such as Dior or Gucci, but more avant-garde designers such as Proenza Schouler and Zac Posen.
Their new-found enthusiasm spilled over into the virtual world: blogs, message boards and Twitter provided teenagers with a means to express their deepest fashion desires. Fashion went underground. What teenagers have done with their fashion knowledge is to take it away from mainstream culture and elevate its participants (mainly models) to cult status.

The teens who know their Marchesa from their Missoni are using the internet to not only find out more about their favourite models, but to share information with others. This generation is becoming as familiar with Ali Stephens and Rachael Rutt, as the previous generation were with Sonic Youth and Kurt Cobain.

The latest models to make a mark on the industry are becoming celebrities, but in a very different way to their predecessors. Whereas names like Evangelista, Campbell and Turlington became famous when they went mainstream (landing notable cosmetic campaigns), this generation is becoming famous precisely because they are under the radar. Karlie and her peers are acting as style ambassadors, making fashion fun, exciting and relevant.

The virtual world is rapidly becoming responsible for shaping teenagers’ perceptions of the real world. Being online provides a safe, democratic space in which to sit, think and evaluate. What do I think of this? Do I like it? Do I hate it? But far from being a device that separates and isolates, the internet is proving to be invaluable in bringing like-minded people together. It is a tool that will ultimately transform the way we interact with the fashion world, and the way it connects with us.

Karlie’s star is on the rise because she embraces this new concept of celebrity, even making videos for YouTube, demonstrating that famous walk and making high-end fashion more accessible.

In these times, fashion knows that it cannot afford to lose supporters, and now footage of catwalk shows is readily available to view online. You have a front-row seat to the most influential designers on the planet – no sneaking into Bryant Park necessary.

Being more inclusive has proved a success, and letting people in (especially the young; the potential buyers, editors and designers of the future), will end up being crucial to the survival of the fashion industry.

Karlie’s dynamic approach to runway (which would have corrected by an agency 10 years ago), shows how the industry is attempting to move forward and try new things. By allowing Karlie to go against the grain, she has gone to the top of the industry. Her selling point, that unique intensity and drama will ensure her career continues to flourish well beyond this decade. It is an important lesson for anyone wanting to make it to the ‘the top’. If you want to stand out, don’t blend in.

Karlie’s success shows us that fashion is no longer out of touch and out of reach. By welcoming the brave and the new, the fashion world is proving that it is willing to include the people who will shape its future. Whether it’s Karlie packing an emotional punch on the runway, or a fashion magazine stepping up to the challenges of a new century, fashion is all about being on the inside – a concept every teenager is familiar with.

HELEN TOPE

MODEL PROFILES: ALICE BURDEU

Although not a name well known beyond the immediate fashion circle, Alice Burdeu is one of the rare success stories to come out of the reality TV show franchise, ‘America’s Next Top Model’.

The programme, devised by former supermodel Tyra Banks, has been so hugely successful that a number of countries across the world have adopted the format for themselves.

Alice Burdeu, born in 1988, auditioned for Cycle 3 of ‘Australia’s Next Top Model’ in 2007. At 5’ 11” she towered over her competitors. She looked conspicuously out of place – her (newly-dyed) red hair and alabaster skin marked her out immediately as someone different – and someone worth watching.

Despite her painfully shy demeanour, Burdeu produced a body of work that was in a different league. In person, she appeared awkward and bashful, but on film she became bold, daring and in terms of fashion edge, completely on-target.

Burdeu made it to the final and won – Alice was an obvious winner, but she was given some crucial advice by the judges. Her look would not suffice for Australian companies wanting upbeat, sun kissed girls to promote their products. Alice’s future was in New York. She took the advice and travelled to America. She impressed Elite Model Management so much they signed her up immediately.

Six months later, Alice debuted at New York Fashion Week. Her list of catwalk credits proved she was no slow-burner. Straight out of the gate, Marc Jacobs, Proenza Schouler and Marchesa all booked Burdeu. For any working model, it would be impressive – but for an absolute beginner, it was an extraordinary coup.

The advice she had been given was absolutely right. Her delicate, editorial look of pale skin and a shock of red hair which looked so out of place on ANTM was a perfect fit for high fashion.

Following New York Fashion Week, the successes began to mount up. Burdeu took part in a D&G campaign shot by Mario Testino, scored 3 Australian Vogue covers and a multi-page editorial spread with British Elle. She became the face of Blumarine Resort, and won another ad campaign (this time with Sonia Rykiel). Getting noticed by the fashion press, Alice was profiled in http://www.style.com/ as a rising star, with http://www.models.com/ capping off the year by naming her one of their Top 10 newcomers to the industry.

This heady whirl of achievement is dazzling, but is all the more surprising considering Burdeu’s background. Eleven seasons in, the original ‘’America’s Next Top Model’ has, to date, failed to produce a model of Burdeu’s calibre.

The reasons for this disparity are not entirely straightforward. The fashion world has seemed reluctant to take on previous winners, with many being forced to branch out into acting or presenting in order to get noticed. Maybe there was an assumption that if someone needed the springboard of a television show, they couldn’t be up to much as a model.

Burdeu wrong-footed this assumption from the get-go: her editorial look propelled her to the top of the industry. However, Burdeu has made it to the top because she is both the exception and exceptional.

Her mournful, Isobel Archer-like quality has made her a favourite in Europe because she embodies that sensibility so completely that it is impossible to resist. Burdeu possesses the ability to seamlessly translate trends with intelligence and insight, and this instinct cannot be taught.

The fact that she has been, so early in her career, accepted into the fashion clan, makes it clear that a good model can be coached, but a great model cannot. Alice’s level of success shows that being a winner in real-life remains very much hit-and-miss. While it can be a rude awakening for some contestants, it is a reminder that the level of success Burdeu has achieved is a rare thing indeed.

ANTM is a television phenomenon, and has done a stellar job in opening up the modelling world to a much wider audience. Once a ‘closed book’, teenage girls know what a ‘go-see’ is, and what constitutes a good portfolio. While this knowledge can only be a good thing, ANTM has also changed the way people view the modelling business.

With a 12-week format, contestants compete against each other in a bid to win a 1-year modelling contract handed out at the end of the series. But while the prize is guaranteed, success is not.

Alice’s meteoric rise proves that the reality show can breed winners, but Burdeu succeeds where so many others have failed because she listened to her instincts. A quick study and willing to not only listen to advice but act on it, Burdeu’s star shines as brightly as it does, because she left the show knowing that a ‘success story’ does not end when the cameras stop rolling. To truly excel takes more than just ticking boxes. Ambition is not nearly enough.

As her demand continues to grow, it is probable that Burdeu’s link with the modelling contest will someday be forgotten. A hit in Paris, she is already working with the biggest names in the fashion world, clocking up runway miles for Lanvin, Alexander McQueen and Louis Vuitton.

The fashion industry‘s welcome to Alice was so immediate because they recognised something special. Burdeu’s awkward stance lends itself perfectly to high-fashion runway, and her bird-like features sit comfortably in what is considered beautiful right now. It is not a face that belongs on a sunscreen commercial, but an intriguing face that inspires more by giving away less. Fashion loves romance, and Alice has that magic – the indefinable something that engenders desire. She tells a story, and we want to know more.

Not resting on her laurels has ensured Burdeu her part in fashion’s future. She has taken the prize and won the game because, quite simply, she is the real deal.

HELEN TOPE

MODEL PROFILES: Ali Stephens

Just when you think you have fashion all figured out, it has a habit of going and changing on you. It’s all part of its charm.

For the past two years, the high fliers of the modelling industry have been faces who pack a punch. Edgy, confrontational and even controversial, these faces are unforgettable and dynamic.
They lend an age of cool to any designers’ clothes, and it is their personality, rather than versatility, that sells. But fashion operates in cycles (or seasons if you prefer), and every face has a shelf-life.

In March 2007, a teenage girl from Utah was discovered by an agency scout whilst out shopping with her family. Six months later, Ali Stephens (now signed with Elite) made her debut at the Spring / Summer Prada show in Milan. To put it into perspective, it is the equivalent of winning an Oscar for your first film role.

Stephens was an instant hit, and a very new look for the industry. She was 16 years old, tall, lean and classically beautiful.

Previously, Ali (born in Salt Lake City in 1991), who had spent all of her energies in winning cross-country competitions for her school, and thinking about which college to apply to, found herself, after a chance encounter at a mall, at the epicentre of a fashion frenzy.

Designers were immediately struck by Stephens’ fresh-faced look and clamoured to sign her up for shows. Just two years on from being discovered, Ali can now claim Chanel, Balenciaga, Givenchy, Louis Vuitton, Nina Ricci and Miu Miu among her catwalk credits. Appropriately for a runner, Ali Stephens has taken the fashion world at phenomenal speed.

Using her skills as a cross-country champion, Stephens learned the ropes quickly and overtook her competitors. She now excels – the girl who was once a self-confessed fashion novice now cites Balmain and Alexander Wang as her favourite designers. Knowing the industry is vital for succeeding in it, and an important lesson Ali learned fast. Fashion-literacy is something no model can afford to be without.

Ali’s popularity among designers is attributable to her versatile look. Rolling out high-profile campaigns for design houses as prestigious as Calvin Klein, Chloe, Missoni and Prada Sport, shows that Ali’s strength is moulding her image to whatever the brand requires. It is Modelling 101, but perversely, the hardest principle to master with any degree of success. To be truly versatile is not just down to genetic blessings (although it doesn’t hurt), it goes hand-in-hand with hard work: perseverance and listening to what a client wants. Ali makes every campaign shoot work because she is believable and equally convincing in each ‘role’.

That dedication to getting it right is why she gets re-booked time after time. Ali is part of a wave of models that team edge with effortless beauty to embody the best of both worlds. Ali Stephens is the Classic American who outperforms them all – she taps into the aesthetic of clean-cut, all-American girl who is transformed by a gown or a pair of sunglasses into something entirely new.
It is this transformative effect, the tomboy-to-fashion-princess moment that is at the core of what makes fashion compelling. Fashion, when it’s right, can change the way we feel about ourselves, and that transition spells magic.

For the industry now struggling to maintain consumer interest, it is this pull that keeps costumers coming back for more. The addictive quality of ‘who can I be today?’ is hard to beat, even in tough times like these.

Stephens’ ability to shift from dreamy-eyed ingénue to Label Mabel shows that her career is secure. She can adapt herself to any trend, past, present or future.

When fashion refers to the term ‘All-American’, it conjures up images of bronzed skin, athletic build and frankly excellent teeth. It is bold, winning and practically impossible to resist. Chalk it up to the current wave of nostalgia for the quietly-assured sophistication of models like Christy Turlington (who herself is experiencing a career second act at the moment), or the fact that America finally has everyone on-side again for the first time in nearly a decade, but the popularity of girls like Ali Stephens is not by chance.

Ali’s look harks back to the classic American model, very much of value during the late Eighties and early Nineties. A girl like Ali sells product not by shock value, but providing a timely reminder that fashion is about making women feel beautiful. There is something to be said for a model that is not a trend-setter, but a trend-interpreter. She shows us how it can be done, and this, going beyond all the hype and window-dressing, is what designers crave most of all.

By using aspirational models like Stephens and Turlington, fashion is tapping into the desire to create, not compromise. No-one feels threatened or offended by the Turlington-brand of beauty: it creates desire in male consumers, but does not alienate the woman looking to make a luxury purchase. For any client, this is a win-win situation, which explains why this look keeps reappearing with every new generation of models. In selling terms, Stephens’ look is both reliable and consistent in achieving sales, and that is something everybody wants.

If she wants, Ali can have a career as long-lived as Christy Turlington and Erin Wasson. Whatever else is happening in fashion, this type of look will always be in favour, and therefore, in demand. Stephens’ career, already well-starred, will sprint ahead over the next five years, while other, more ‘of the moment’ faces may stall as the whims of fashion change against them.

From fashion-unknown to the top of everybody’s ‘must have’ list within the space of two years, Stephens has proved herself the ready successor to Turlington. Her success is down to more than good timing, or plain good luck. With her willingness to learn, and learn fast, Ali Stephens is part of a generation of girls who are smart, timeless and headed straight for the top.

HELEN TOPE

AGENCY PROFILES: ELITE

Their name means prestige and privilege; the best. It is a tough remit to live up to, but Elite model management has secured itself an unshakeable foothold in the modelling industry.

First, the statistics:

Elite is a 35-agency-strong network, managing over 800 models across 5 continents.

It has bases dotted all over the globe, including New York, Milan, Paris, Barcelona and Copenhagen.

It is responsible for the most influential model-scouting process in the business. The ‘Elite Model Look Contest’, launched in 1983, has found some of the most significant names in the industry, and in turn, has helped shape the look of successive generations of models. What Elite finds, the fashion world wants.

Elite’s list of clients includes Chanel, Dior, Versace, Prada, Yves Saint Laurent and Louis Vuitton. With a client roster like this, there is no chance of an Elite model working under the radar.

A year’s contract with Elite is offered as the grand prize to contestants of ‘America’s Next Top Model’. It is a prize beyond monetary value in terms of what it can do for a new talent’s career, which is goes some way to explaining why the competition between the contestants has a tendency to get a little ugly.

Elite has also recently celebrated its 5 millionth booking – perhaps the most impressive statistic of all.

Elite has a stellar pedigree within the modelling community – a history based on its unflinching pursuit of excellence. But it still tempts the best of new modelling talent onto its books. Recent signings have included two of the hottest names in contemporary fashion: Ali Stephens and Coco Rocha.

The process of an agency can be best understood by the career trajectory of one of its brightest stars – and Coco Rocha is in danger of eclipsing them all.

Born in Canada in 1988, growing up, Rocha had no real handle on the world of fashion. It wasn’t until she was discovered by a modelling scout at an Irish dancing contest, that Rocha began to learn her own value in terms of high-fashion currency.

Signed with Elite, Rocha met with photographer Steven Meisel, which lead to a Vogue Italia cover in March 2008; the highest accolade the industry has to offer any new model. Elite’s expertise in nurturing young stars, coupled with the agency’s heady international presence within the fashion world, ensured that Coco’s rise within the ranks was unimpeded.

She racked up appearances on numerous catwalks for designers such as Prada, Marc Jacobs, Dolce & Gabbana, Balenciaga and Chanel. With such an impressive hit-list, anyone this much in demand must be doing something right.

Where Elite succeeded with Rocha was taking her from fashion girl to the fashion girl, and in doing so, they played to her rather unusual strengths. Securing her a spot in the Jean Paul Gaultier A/W 2007 show, Coco knocked everyone sideways with an unforgettable appearance. Gaultier found out about her dancing background and insisted she start and finish the show – an honour in itself. But she wasn’t to walk down the runway – she had to dance it. Her exuberant Irish dancing caused a sensation, with American Vogue dubbing it the ‘Coco Moment’.

Signing Rocha was a particularly smart move for Elite. Her popularity with fashion editors and photographers boiled down to her unflappable instinct when it came to interpreting stories for editorial shoots. Her intelligent approach to movement and an awareness of how the body creates lines and shapes on camera can be directly attributed to her dance education.

Normally, a model with dance training doesn’t do that well. His or her formal training with emphasis on good posture gets in the way of creating avant-garde shapes and just doesn’t translate on film that readily. But Coco had the best of both worlds, and together they worked in perfect harmony. Rocha had the modelling instinct, and that is what has kept her, and her agency, ahead of the pack.

Elite have surpassed their competitors by being bold enough to take risks on signing faces that do not necessarily fit the fashion mould. On paper, Coco Rocha was a potentially shaky investment. The disparity between dancing and modelling alone would have put many other agencies off that contract. But Rocha is a rare breed; a dancer whose skills add to, rather than impede, the modelling package.

Elite has risen to the top by focusing not on the good, but on the great. In aiming for the best, they have achieved a level of success unrivalled in the industry, and it was all done on instinct. Yes, industry know-how played its part too, but listening to an instinct, however wrong it may seem, is what has put this agency at the top of the game. Elite acted on that instinct when signing Rocha, and it is that very same instinct that is responsible for each and every of one of those 5 million bookings.

HELEN TOPE