MODEL PROFILES: KATRYN KRUGER

Born in Cape Town in 1995, South-African model Katryn Kruger may be a newcomer to the fashion industry, but she is already setting a new standard.

Katryn’s first introduction into modelling came courtesy of Prada in early 2011 modelling for their resort look-book. Kruger made her runway debut in October with an appearance for Givenchy. Walking for the French label as an exclusive, Kruger went on to work for Jalouse magazine with two consecutive editorials.

The first, ‘Top 8’ profiled new model talent including Caitlin Lomax, Isabella Melo and Anouk de Heer. The second, ‘Block Beauty’, saw Katryn take centre stage with a high-end beauty shoot. The theme was faces and themes of cinema: Katryn modelled looks that took inspiration from sources as diverse as Greta Garbo, Blade Runner and Bambi. The Garbo photo is a particular success with Kruger channelling the German star’s reluctant celebrity.

Taking on haute couture in January 2012, Kruger modelled for Elie Saab, Valentino, Giambattista Valli and Zuhair Muraud. With the obvious exception of Valentino, all the other couture houses are recent additions to the select group of couturiers working in Paris. Now with the appointment of Raf Simons to the post of artistic director at Dior, couture looks set to enter a new age of strong and fearless design. Simons, who up till recently worked as the creative director at Jil Sander, transformed a minimalist label into a byword for postmodern elegance. Taking on fashion’s toughest challenges, he gave minimal fashion the push it needed to move on from its Nineties roots. Neon cashmere and moulded hems, under Simons’ tutelage, became must-have items. Using new fabrics and techniques, Simons made the Jil Sander brand an esoteric delight: fashion packed with intelligent choices. His ability to take fashion to the forefront of innovation makes him a very exciting prospect when it comes to taking on Dior Couture. With its extensive history, the temptation to stay in the retro comfort zone is understandable. But with the hiring of Simons, the only logical progression for Dior is forward. With Simons’ first couture collection due in July, the small world of haute couture is about to get a whole lot bigger.

Katryn hit the ready-to-wear catwalks in February, with numerous appearances for some of the world’s biggest names. Walking for Louis Vuitton, Chloe, Roland Mouret, Dolce & Gabbana, Prada, Ralph Lauren and Donna Karan, Kruger’s first major season was a virtually perfect template of a top model’s booking sheet: all the must-book labels are accounted for, with edgier new talent also included.

In March, Katryn made her first appearance for V magazine, working with photographer Benny Horne. The spread, ‘Trophy Club’, sees Kruger model sportswear. A side-trend perfect for those not swayed by the girlish glamour served up by Louis Vuitton, this luxurious take on sportswear makes it an attainable look for those who like their fashion a little more casual.

Kruger’s next booking was anything but casual – following her earlier work with the Italian label, Kruger (still a relative newcomer to the industry) was hired to take part in both the campaign and video for Prada’s Spring / Summer collection.

Already a hit on the runway, the crowd-pleasing collection was represented by both established names and some less familiar. Working with photographer Steven Miesel were Natasha Poly and Guinevere van Seenus, along with newcomers Elise Crombez, Meghan Collison and Ymre Stiekema. The eclectic mix of beauty, from Natasha’s all-out glamour to Meghan’s quirky cool, was an unusual choice but a choice that turned out to be inspired casting.

With everyone wearing the 50’s inspired pieces, the cohesive quality of the campaign draws you in. There is not a wasted moment in this campaign: every look and every gesture adds flavour and piquancy to an already well-received collection.

The campaign video also works on the same principles, with the models coolly eyeing each others’ garb at a gas station. Packed with references to classic Americana, the video is a love-letter to everything great about retro-fashion. The duster coats, the have-to-look-twice printed dresses – all perfectly handled, but at the same time, nothing here feels dated. With the use of contemporary music including Sleigh Bells and Ariel Pink, Prada have hit a home run, with a campaign video that is proving to be extraordinarily popular. So far it has clocked up over 300,000 hits on YouTube. To put this in perspective, Prada’s campaign video for Spring / Summer 2011 has been viewed 32,000 times.

In the video, Kruger gets the lion’s share of the camera’s attention, her classic features sitting perfectly in the retro feel of the campaign. Kruger is the main focus at the end of the video – as coveted as an opening or closing spot in a runway show, Kruger makes a lasting first impression, with a performance that is assured and confident. It would be an accomplished debut for any model, and a star-making move at that, but it is remarkable when watching Katryn to think that you are watching a 16-year-old with minimal modelling experience.

Kruger’s appearance for the Prada S/S 12 campaign has made her a name, not only among the hundreds of thousands of fans viewing on YouTube, but within the fashion industry itself. Her latest work, an editorial for Interview, again shows that Kruger may be young but has the potential to become an international star.

Wearing Stella McCartney’s latest collection, Kruger’s ease at modelling what is a challenging body of work invites us to draw direct comparisons with other models. Kruger’s phenomenal rise is down to more than just her perfectly-set classic features: no face, no matter how beautiful, would be enough to secure you a booking with Prada. The Italian powerhouse label regularly take chances on new models, but every one of those models ends up becoming a name because Prada know how to draw out talent. Looks are no longer enough in an industry where perfection is the norm: you have to have something else to offer. Recent success stories such as Karlie Kloss, Lindsey Wixson and Arizona Muse show exactly how modelling is not a game of luck, but a game of skill, and how some come to the table with a more defined skills-set than others. Muse’s endlessly adaptable face; Lindsey’s unforced quirkiness and Karlie’s agility all make them one-of-a-kind. The things that should make them not ‘work’ are of course the reasons why Wixson, Kloss and Muse are so enormously successful. Karlie’s dance background, Muse’s statement eyebrows and Wixson’s dollhouse pout should, in theory, rule them out of modelling at the highest levels – but each of them has excelled without compromising what makes them unique.

Already on the ascent, Kruger’s unique selling point is easy to figure: a fearless approach to runway and campaigns with a commercially-friendly face. Equipped with these advantages, Katryn’s next career move could be in any direction. Just like Arizona Muse who made a huge impact on an unsuspecting fashion industry back in 2010, Kruger has the type of face that can apply itself to any type of design philosophy, and adaptability sells. With the potential to go anywhere from Italian Vogue to Victoria’s Secret (and everywhere in-between), Kruger is redefining the standards of what it takes to break away from the pack and become that rising star. With a stellar career in progress, the only direction for Katryn Kruger is up.

HELEN TOPE

MODEL PROFILES: MEGHAN COLLISON

Born in Canada on the 2^nd February 1988, Meghan Collison won the Mode Model Search competition in 2006. Signing first with Supreme and then moving to Women Management in 2007, Meghan began making waves before she had even walked the runway. Touted by www.style.com as a ‘girl to watch’ in June 2007, the next few days proved to be pivotal in launching Collison onto the global modelling circuit.

Photographed by both Thierry Le Goues and Steven Klein, on the 21^st of June, she was photographed for Italian Vogue; on the 24^th, she was snapped for Japanese Vogue and on the 26^th she was photographed for British Vogue by Mario Testino.

In just under seven days, Collison had the fashion world wanting more of her bold, new look. The fevered pace of her discovery led to a major career first in October ’07 with Meghan appearing on the cover of Italian Vogue.

Shot by Steven Meisel, the title of the cover was ‘Independent’. It could not have been more aptly named. It would become the calling card for not only Meghan’s type of beauty and also the career she would go on to have: uncompromising and fearless.

Just a month later, Collison appeared on her second Italian Vogue cover, this time modelling with Coco Rocha. Italian Vogue’s infatuation with Collison’s look became infectious with Meghan booking editorials with British, Russian and Japanese Vogue. Her look, unique and genuinely interesting, had just become the look of the moment.

In January 2008, Meghan began the year with a cover try for Russian Vogue, followed by a fashion spread for W magazine. In May, Collison appeared in a Chinese Vogue editorial, photographed by the late Corrine Day. Like Meisel, Day was a gifted photographer who helped launch new faces. Her early 90’s shot of Kate Moss helped change the course of fashion history, taking us from commercial faces with across-the-board sex appeal, to heavily directional faces and bodies built to show fashion at its most challenging.

In February 2009, Meghan took on her busiest runway season to date with appearances for Marc Jacobs, Prada, Givenchy, Anna Sui and Valentino. Impressive as these credits are, it was already becoming clear that Collison’s strength would be in editorial and campaign work. Following an editorial for German Vogue in April, Collison landed on the cover of Italian Vogue for a third time. The Pre-Fall edition, Meghan was styled somewhere between New Romantic and Goth. It looked – and felt – a perfect match for the confident model.

Following consecutive editorials for Russian Vogue and Dazed & Confused in September, Collison got to show off her skills in another spread for Italian Vogue. Named ‘Performance’ and photographed by Steven Meisel, it was an energetically grotesque take on glam rock excess featuring Jamie Bochert, Coco Rocha and Sessilee Lopez. Subtlety is more often in demand, but being fully committed in fashion’s ‘bigger’ moments takes bravery – and skill. ‘Performance’ has a strong element of humour running through it, but the poses, the way the clothes are showcased, is firmly rooted in high fashion.

Just to throw us a curveball, Meghan booked an A/W campaign with Thierry Mugler – she is almost unrecognisable in comparison to her work in ‘Performance’. Working classic elegance, the unusual planes and angles of her face become visibly softer. It was a transformation that put Meghan’s career on another level.

Moving to NEXT Models in late 2009, in 2010 Meghan became one of the faces of Balenciaga. It was an obvious signing for Collison. Loyal to its avant-garde roots, Nicolas Ghesquiere has revived the French brand to make it one of the most talked-about (and coveted) labels in the world. Combining an intellectual aesthetic with a French flair for elegance, Balenciaga joins Givenchy, Chanel and Dior as one of France’s most enduring success stories.

Collison’s journey continued in September 2010 with a spread for Turkish Vogue. Photographed by Arthur Elgort, Meghan is classically beautiful in designs by McQueen and Dries van Noten. Lots of photographers have their area of expertise: Terry Richardson pushes our buttons; Paolo Roversi makes fashion the focus against lavish backdrops, but Elgort joins Patrick Demarchelier in having a regal elegance which quickly identifies their work as theirs.

In March 2011, Meghan added another cover to her list of credits courtesy of Italian Marie Claire. A magazine that bridges the gap between high-fashion and more commercial interests, their choice to hire Meghan defies the conventional wisdom that strongly-editorial faces can’t be cover faces. Here, Meghan is edgy and high-fashion – but still very much a cover girl.

Meghan continued to rise through the ranks with self-titled editorials with magazines such as Grey and Jalouse. She was also picked as one of the select few to appear in the Pre-Fall lookbook for Jason Wu. Darkly dramatic with hints of exoticism, the Pre-Fall looks strongly prefigured Wu’s popular collection presented this February.

In January 2012, Collison landed again in the pages of Russian Vogue. Photographed by Ben Toms, Meghan is picture-perfect in a series of 1950’s-style portraits. Meghan looks strikingly comfortable here, almost a precursor to one of the biggest bookings of her career to date.

Never a big runway star, but still a high-class draw, Meghan has been doing the Fashion Week circuit through February, with appearances for Oscar de la Renta, Jason Wu, Alexander Wang, Jonathan Saunders and Prada.

This leads us to Meghan’s most influential booking of her career so far. Hired to appear in both the print campaign and video for Prada’s S/S 12 collection, she joins Natasha Poly, Elise Crombez, Guinevere van Seenus and newcomer Katryn Kruger.

A star-making effort, photographed and filmed by Steven Meisel, it is a beautifully crafted campaign packed with retro detail that has massive commercial appeal. The video, already a huge hit on YouTube, may have Katryn Kruger as its main focus (another of Prada’s star finds), but Meghan claims her time in the spotlight with style, wearing a plum-coloured ¾ length coat. The collection is a win-win for Prada: quirky, feminine and cool. Inspiring copies across the high-street, this rave collection appeals to every corner of Prada’s fanbase.

Again, Meghan’s strong features act as a perfect counterbalance to the vintage cuts and colours. On Meghan, a 50’s duster-coat looks fresh and modern, making her the ideal muse for Prada.

As fashion moves out of its palette-cleanser phase, and into a new era filled with exuberant colours and print, directional models are once again becoming the centre of attention. With Saskia de Brauw fronting ad campaigns for mainstream labels such as Chanel and Versace, the avant-garde has never felt more right.

The last time such faces were in vogue, they were called upon to model tricky minimalist fashion. Now, their faces seem the perfect foil for this brave new age of fashion. It’s not only models who are benefitting: everyone’s getting braver in their sartorial choices. Designer Mary Katrantzou’s complex designs have become cult buys – her beautifully balanced prints proving a hit with A-listers and the public alike. Her collection specially made for Topshop was a sell-out. These designs would have been thought unwearable just ten years ago. Now we’re clamouring for a piece to call our own. The concept of what is deemed ‘wearable’ and desirable has been turned on its head in recent years. The assumption that bold new cuts and clashing colours only belong on the runway is being shunted aside; if fashion wanted a more adventurous clientele, they finally got their wish.

Normally, tough economic times make people more cautious, more likely to go with the tried-and-trusted option. But our knowledge that things are tough makes us want to be not safe but daring: the desire for detail overrides the big picture. We want those details – the small print – because that’s what adds joy to life. A fashion basic may always be on your to-get list, but a rare beauty, something by Katrantzou or Jonathan Saunders – that’s what gets the pulse racing. You may not be able to control larger forces around you, but the decision to go with a fuchsia dress, rather than a black one, is easily done. Small acts of sartorial bravery are transforming the fashion industry on a massive scale.

The source of our new-found courage isn’t hard to track down. With the influx of runway footage and campaign videos online, a lot of the fear has been taken out of high-fashion. As it moves ever closer to us (access to the biggest labels is literally only a click away), fashion becomes no longer an abstract, but a reality. Not only are the big guns out to get our attention, but freelance stylists and talented amateurs are putting together their own lookbooks; with guides on how to wear the latest must-haves flooding the internet. It’s the positive side of peer pressure, and the knock-on effect has been meteoric.

Meghan looks set to make large gains from this, as her face reads perfectly against strong shapes and punchy colours. Fashion’s new lust for life goes beyond mere detail, being smartly articulated by models such as Collison. It taps into something much deeper, a courage in the face of genuine adversity. Fashion does this the only way it knows how: by reminding us of what we love and why we love it. Fashion has rediscovered its sense of fun, but this time the thrill is real.

HELEN TOPE