MODEL PROFILES: ANAIS POULIOT

Born in Canada on May 7^th 1991, Anais Pouliot is set to make the transition from catwalk to campaign this year, emerging with the potential to become one of the most striking beauty faces to hit the industry in years.

Discovered at the age of 14, Pouliot signed with Trump Models in 2007. Later that year, Anais scored her first campaign, working for See by Chloe.

Pouliot didn’t make her runway debut until February 2010, walking for John Rocha, Betty Jackson, Lacoste, Miu Miu, Peter Jensen, Twenty8Twelve and William Tempest. Working with some of the most talked-about young designers in the business, Anais made a great first impression, walking in Paris for Miu Miu as an exclusive.

In June 2010, Anais modelled for the resort presentations for both Miu Miu and Prada in New York. Resort shows are fast becoming more than appetisers to the main Spring / Summer and Autumn / Winter events. The fashion industry is beginning to realise that the four seasons are not as clearly defined as they once were. Trans-seasonal clothes that bridge summer to autumn, winter to spring, are selling incredibly well. The provenance of the layering trend can be traced back to the need for fashion that can accommodate rapidly-changing temperatures. It’s paved the way for a looser feel when it comes to trends, explaining why airy, translucent white is being featured in the A/W 2011 collection for YSL, and how lightweight tweed jackets inspired by Isabel Marant are selling all year round. As our weather gets more extreme, fashion’s adapting by being freer with its once hard-and-fast rules.

Anais’ breakthrough season occurred in September 2010. Working in 36 shows, she walked for established names such as Chanel, D&G, Marni, Prada and YSL, plus newer labels such as Christopher Kane, Holly Fulton, Mark Fast, Mary Katrantzou, Peter Som and Versace’s newly-revamped diffusion line, Versus.

Pouliot’s striking appearances on the runway circuit got her noticed by magazines, and in November Pouliot had her first major editorial, appearing in W. Photographed by Paolo Roversi, the editorial named ‘Family Circus’, was an epic winter fantasy starring Lindsey Wixson, Arizona Muse and Britt Maren. Ethereal and downright gorgeous, it was a perfect starting point for Anais.

In February 2011, Pouliot’s editorial career went international, with a spread in Japanese Vogue. Appearing almost bare-faced, Pouliot’s confidence is unflinching. Anais’ gift for taking a great beauty shot pegged her as a potential face for big-money campaigns. Also featuring on the S/S 11 cover of French Revue de Modes, Pouliot pulled another trick out of the hat, appearing in avant-garde florals. Anais was compelling the industry to think of her not only as a potential beauty headliner, but someone who can handle new design.

In April, Pouliot appeared in Russian Vogue, photographed by Ellen Von Unwerth. Featured in electrifying Armani Prive, the shoot called for a high-glamour affinity with couture, but with an element of fun. Pouliot captured the essence of ‘girl on the town’ brilliantly: flirty, sexy but definitely chic.

The following month, Anais appeared in German Vogue. The editorial, ‘Uber-Sinnlich’ (which roughly translates as ‘supernatural’), featured Anais in an exquisite beauty shot. With her beauty literally shining through a heavily-jewelled veil, the photo is a masterstroke, revealing Pouliot’s ability to command your attention.

This month, Anais appears in Russian Vogue and turns her hand to working the smoulder. Working sex-appeal in editorials requires razor-sharp instincts. You need to convey seduction, but the wrong angle or the overplaying of a facial expression can turn seduction into parody all too easily. The line between silly and sexy is wafer-thin, and remarkably quick to cross.

Anais’ confident handling of the shoot, in Gucci’s S/S 11 collection whose heady Seventies glamour has become one of the summer’s most popular looks, points to a model who is not easily phased. A model with a poker player’s nerve is a model tipped for greatness.

Sure enough, Anais’ work on the runway and for some of the world’s most respected magazines has culminated in a booking with serious star-making potential. Earlier this month, pictures of the A/W 11 campaign for Louis Vuitton were previewed by WWD. Photographed by Steven Meisel, Anais works with Daphne Groenveld, Zuzanna Bijoch and new British modelling hopeful, Nyasha Matanhodze. The theme is military glamour, playing allure against discipline.

The signing with Vuitton marks a massive rise in status for Pouliot. The French label, now steered by Marc Jacobs, has a well-won reputation for producing some of the most striking images each season. Just these few teaser images are enough to give you an indication of what to expect this autumn. Neutrals working side by side with block-brights, bring the best of last winter and this summer to make what has the potential to be an incredible season.

The rise of Anais through the modelling industry charts how glamour and beauty are making a comeback. The latest beauty ads to emerge: Arizona Muse for YSL, Lara Stone for Tom Ford and Jac Jagaciak for Chanel all have one thing in common. The images may waiver between wholesome and wanton, but they all chronicle beauty that’s recognisable and readable, not just to the fashion industry, but to us as well.

Beauty ads are all about the face – seems an obvious point to make, but with little else to showcase, every ounce of meaning has to count. Although Pouliot is a fashion girl, it’s clear that her strength is being able to take a great close-up. It is this ability to grab our attention that makes Anais a fairly safe bet when it comes to figuring out which faces will become fashion’s next big-hitters. Pouliot’s traditional type of beauty is a surprisingly good fit with high-fashion. Going from haute-couture glamour to edgy florals, Anais never looks out of place – no mean accomplishment for a model endowed with a face that looks like it came from another century. Pouliot’s old-world, painterly type of look makes her curiously modern. In an industry filled with models that run from tomboy to sexpot, there’s not many names that can step and fill that niche for prettiness.

The idea of a model that’s objectively ‘pretty’ does seem at odds with everything we’ve learned about the fashion industry. But this swing from quirky and cool to gently feminine is symptomatic of a wider move. Whether you chalk it up to the Middleton effect, or bigger economic influences, the rising mood of the moment is ‘real-girl’ fashion. Knee-high boots, petite florals and white cigarette jeans are all flying out of the shops, but they are noticeably missing from this season’s runway.

We’ve been happily delving into trends for the past decade – harem pants, asymmetry, platform heels – we’ve worn the lot, experimenting with shapes and colour to our hearts’ content. But there’s been a tide change, with tastes visibly moving towards the conservative. Simpler silhouettes and lower hemlines have returned – they are a reaction to fashion’s desire to shock, but not from the direction you might expect.

The literal opposite of neon and tribal print jumpsuits would be full-on minimalism. But instead beauty is making a power-play for control of our wardrobes because it offers a viable alternative to fashion’s wilder, experimental side. For the past few years, fashion has been devoted to challenging us to wear new shapes, textures and colours. While this is fashion at its purest, encouraging us to be braver and bolder, it has left a gap in the market for the days when you just want to look good and feel good with minimal effort required. Even the urban uniform that has evolved from designers such as Rick Owens, The Row or Zadig & Voltaire, requires an awareness of how to layer different fabrics and what boots work best with leather leggings. It certainly looks good when done right, but it can’t beat jeans and a t-shirt for ease of use.

What’s developing is a movement aimed at catering to people who want a look in three moves or less. But this emerging trend isn’t about indulgence, but something that’s grounded in a real fashion literacy that’s all about the detail. Those white cigarette jeans may not be ultra high-fashion, but look closer and they will be from a brand such as MiH or Citizens of Humanity. No-one likes to be left of the loop and this new trend for prettiness is fashion by stealth. The ingredients are all there – they’ve just been mixed a little differently.

Anais’ growing career is part and parcel of this very movement – her height allows her to do runway, but her face is her unique selling point. Fitting fashion’s interpretation of ‘pretty’ is a rare gift. Too much ‘girl next door’ and you’re better off finding work in the lingerie / Sports Illustrated mould. Too left-field and you risk your looks not translating in big-brand cosmetic campaigns.

The beauty that Pouliot represents is an able translator because it works with high-fashion, not against it. Now that fashion’s relaxed the rules, it’s a whole different game. Playing with a portfolio that’s anything but simple, Anais demands you take a closer look.

HELEN TOPE

MODEL PROFILES: JAC

Born in Poland, 15th January 1994, Monika Jagaciak is already known by one name: Jac. A catwalk veteran at 16 years old, Jac is fashion’s newest runway prodigy.

Jac’s career began in 2007 when she was signed to IMG Models at the age of 13. In July, she scored her first magazine cover with French magazine Jalouse, photographed by Elina Kechiecheva.

That same year, she landed an incredible coup, becoming one of the faces of French heritage brand Hermes. The campaign was shot by Peter Lindberg and Jac worked alongside established model Daria Werbowy.

In 2008, she travelled to Japan, and her mixture of youth and editorial appeal made her an instant hit, scoring her the November cover of Japanese Elle. Also appearing on the cover for Japanese Harper’s Bazaar, Jac’s career really took off in 2009.

Just a month after her 15th birthday, Jac hit show season with a bang. Chosen to both open and close the Calvin Klein show, she also opened the Philosophy di Alberta Ferretti show and closed the Marc by Marc Jacobs runway collection. In addition to these honours, she also walked for Bottega Veneta, Burberry, D&G, Gucci, Jil Sander, Marni, Prada and Versace.

But her appearance in the Herve Leger show really earned her the title of most talked-about newcomer. Halfway down the runway, she took an unexpected tumble: her knees buckled and she fell heavily to the ground. The knock would be galling for an established model, but even more daunting to someone yet to earn their stripes. But the 15 year old rallied, got up and finished the show.

Despite the slip-up, Jac was nominated as a Top 10 Newcomer by http://www.models.com/ and a rising star by http://www.style.com/. The accolades were well placed, as news followed that Jac had been signed to an exclusive contract as the face of Calvin Klein. Following the likes of Kate Moss and Jessica Miller, it was an extraordinary achievement. Jac filled the rest of her year with editorial work, posing for Teen Vogue in April, French Vogue in June and Italian Vogue in September.

September proved to be a particularly good month for Jac, as she was named Rising Star by Teen Vogue. Adept at spotting new talent, getting the nod from the queen-bee of teen magazines proved to be a powerful ally in Jac’s corner.

To those who doubted that Jac was capable of doing runway at a high-fashion level (after the incident at Herve Leger), Jac’s S/S 2010 season proved otherwise. She opened shows not only for Calvin Klein, but Marni, Bottega Veneta, Etro and Pucci. She was also picked to close shows for Alexander Wang and Gianfranco Ferre – hardly small fry.

But Jac’s standing as an international runway model was put on hiatus when she was denied the chance to take part in Paris Fashion Week. Any models under the age of 18 were banned from participating, leaving Jac (and many others) to sit this one out.

However, Jac’s career continued to flourish, with editorial credits from W, Numero and Italian Vogue to finish off the year. In January 2010, she renewed her contract with Calvin Klein and shot an editorial for Italian Vogue with Steven Meisel.

Now aged 16, Jac progressed to haute couture, modelling for Armani Prive, Dior, Givenchy and Elie Saab, plus opening the show for Valentino. If the trip at Herve Leger had industry insiders questioning whether Jac was ready for a high-octane modelling career, her run of bookings silenced even the toughest of critics. Jac signed on to appear in a staggering 72 shows, featuring the very best of modern design talent. Walking for everyone from Balenciaga to Yves Saint Laurent, the list of bookings was proof that Jac’s career had come of age.

To be an established name by your 16th birthday is certainly unusual even by fashion standards, but it is by no means unheard of. Jac’s success may be treated as a novelty by the mainstream press, but starting early in modelling is nothing new.

Kate Moss was famously discovered aged 14; actress and model Brooke Shields landed the cover of US Vogue at the same age, and in 1988 Kimora Lee Simmons signed an exclusive contract with Chanel aged just 13 years old.

Even now, fashion has its fair share of early starters. Imogen Morris-Clarke signed with agency Storm aged 14; Hana Soukupova started modelling at 13; new model Amanda Norgaard is one year older than Jac and has already featured in shows for Chanel and Miu Miu. Rising star Keke Lindgard is the same age as Jac and is the face of Gucci eyewear.

Modelling is a high-stakes career but mastering the basics at an early age may not be the worst thing for a new model. The fashion world tends to be an easy target for criticism, but the reality is the image of fashion being a heady whirl of glamorous excess belongs to another age. Nowadays, it’s hard work and discipline running the show. The recession has claimed many top names, and no-one can afford to be caught slacking.

One of the most positive things a model can take away from the experience of modelling is a whole clutch of business skills. Learning how to work with other people; the value of being focused, on time and most of all leaving a good impression on go-sees and bookings can all be applied to the outside world.

Jac, as well as working with some of the most brilliant creative minds in the business, is getting a crash course in how to get ahead in the real world. The skills she has already learned – not allowing the fall at Herve Leger to faze her – are nothing short of invaluable. When Jac took a fall during the Herve Leger show in February 2009, far from damaging her career, 12 months on she booked an incredible 72 shows. Knowing that one mistake doesn’t equal disaster is an important life lesson at any age, but learnt young – it’s nothing sort of empowering.

To not allow someone to work because of their age, as happened in Paris Fashion Week, is a curious response to the ‘youth issue’. After all, athletes aren’t criticised for blossoming early, and are often encouraged to strive and achieve from a very early age, so why should models be treated differently?

Jac’s experience of high-fashion won’t always be positive – there will be tough assignments, difficult colleagues and unsociable hours. But it is the same with any job, any career. Some days the negatives outweigh the pay-offs: learning to push through an occasional bad day is something Jac can take with her when she decides to leave modelling.

Knowing how to handle the difficult parts of the job does take maturity, but maturity happens at different rates for all of us: setting an arbitrary limit on when someone is allowed to explore and develop their talent doesn’t take any of these factors into account. Someone may be ready to work at 15, and another model may not be emotionally or intellectually equipped by 19.

It’s clear that Jac has the potential to become one of fashion’s mainstays. She has proved herself to be someone who doesn’t give up at the first hurdle, and that is an instinct that cannot be taught. Already tipped to be the next ‘big thing’, the campaigns with Calvin Klein and Hermes are just the beginning.

As Jac enters the most crucial stage of her career, she is moving from ‘rising star’ to the ‘must-hire’ girl. With the world’s hottest design talent clamouring to work with her, the modelling industry should be prepared. Its newest supermodel has just arrived.

HELEN TOPE