MODEL PROFILES: SUVI KOPONEN

Born on 26^th March 1988, Finnish model Suvi Koponen began her career in 2005, when she won a televised contest to discover new modelling talent. Based on the concept of ‘America’s Next Top Model’, Suvi won the competition, giving the ANTM franchise one of its biggest success stories.

Moving into the real world of modelling, Suvi found herself in demand. In September 2006, she was chosen to both open and close the Prada Spring / Summer 2007 show, also walking in the Miu Miu show a month later as an exclusive.

Being picked to appear in a Prada show is big news, but getting both the opening and closing spots is phenomenal. Suvi’s ready-to-wear debut for Prada has since entered ANTM folklore, with Tyra Banks regularly referring to Suvi’s stunning debut. Suvi’s entrance into the fashion world defied the expectation that ANTM winners, and their international counterparts, can look forward to a frosty reception on entering the modelling world. Along with Australian competition winner Alice Burdeu, Suvi proves that a new face discovered by a television contest can be just as current and sought-after as a model discovered by scouting. Suvi’s early acceptance by the fashion industry at large was no fluke either: she was featured as one of www.style.com’s Top Ten Models of the S/S 2007 season.

Spending the early part of 2007 on editorial work, including spreads for French Vogue, Suvi had her first blockbuster season that February. Opening shows for Jil Stuart, Marc by Marc Jacobs and Marni, she took part in a massive 63 shows. These included Anna Sui, Balenciaga, Chanel, Dior, Fendi, Jil Sander, Louis Vuitton, Prada, Sportmax, Versace and Zac Posen. These were not token bookings either, but bookings of the highest standard. Any lingering doubt over Suvi’s ability to, quite literally, walk to the walk, was swiftly dispelled.

2007 saw Suvi land several major campaigns as well; appearing in ads for Blumarine with Bette Franke; Mulberry photographed by Steven Meisel and Balenciaga with Anabela Belikova. Again, this was an incredible start to a new model’s career, and Koponen’s CV was fast filling up with top-drawer credits.

In September, she was back on the runway, matching the record she had set back in February. This time, she was selected to open eight shows: Jill Stuart, DKNY, Reem Acra, Carolina Herrera, Alberta Ferretti, Anna Molinari, Fendi and Just Cavalli. To be invited to open one show is an honour. To be requested for eight is a major achievement. 

Suvi’s exposure on the runway circuit meant that she became a must-have for print work, and between September and December 2007, she booked editorials for W, British and American Vogue. 

January 2008 saw Suvi take on her very first haute couture season in Paris, walking in S/S shows for Chanel, Dior, Christian Lacroix and Givenchy. Her runway skills were requested for ready-to-wear the following month, with an even bigger season. Walking in 65 shows overall, Koponen opened shows for Herve Leger and DKNY, also closing shows for Alexander Wang, Carolina Herrera, Paul Smith and Marni. 

All these hours spent on the catwalk made Suvi the focus of the fashion press. Not only did she land the cover of Numero, but in April 2008 she appeared in French Vogue, rated as a top model. The magazine also listed several other models including Catherine McNeil, Lara Stone, Kasia Struss, Raquel Zimmermann, Coco Rocha and Natasha Poly. Some were emerging talents (Struss, McNeil, Stone) alongside those who were already starting to make their presence felt (Rocha, Poly, Zimmermann). It is also a reminder of just how quickly career progression in the modelling world can move: in 2008, Lara Stone was a virtual newcomer, promoted by French Vogue in particular. Nearly five years on, she is one of fashion’s most recognisable faces.

Suvi rounded out 2008 with editorial work for key publications such as French Vogue and Interview. Regularly working around the world, Suvi was now fully established as an international model. 

After skipping Fashion Week in early 2009, Suvi returned to the industry having changed agencies. Leaving Supreme Management, Koponen chose to sign on with Next Models, an agency with a significant reputation for signing some of fashion’s most directional faces. Models on their books at the moment include Abbey Lee Kershaw, Caroline Trentini, Hailey Clauson, Meghan Collison and Zuzanna Bijoch.

In September 2010, Suvi had another good RTW season, closing the Versace show and walking for Proenza Schouler, Chloe, Louis Vuitton and YSL. It is after this point that Koponen’s career experienced a quieter phase. As every model moves through their career, the odds of booking a job fluctuate from time to time. This can be down to any number of factors, but the most obvious reason is that fashions change. If your look is a good fit with current trends, you will be extremely busy. If it doesn’t, you play the waiting game.

In 2012, Suvi came back with a bang, returning to the runway in February. Making show appearances for Alexander McQueen, Bottega Veneta, Celine, Gucci, Hermes, Reed Krakoff, Rick Owens and Valentino, Koponen was still more than capable of securing those big-name bookings.

In July, Suvi re-appeared in French Vogue. ‘Paris Mon Amour’, photographed by Mario Sorrenti and styled by editor Emmanuelle Alt, showcased the many faces of Parisian style. Koponen was joined by a stellar cast of models including Doutzen Kroes, Isabeli Fontana, Anais Mali, Arizona Muse and Kati Nescher. 

But Suvi was soon back on the campaign trail once more, this time with three major bookings. The first was for Alexander McQueen. Shot by David Sims, in a massive multi-image campaign, Suvi works the McQueen love of extreme shapes and bold textures with a lightness and playfulness that totally suit the direction that has been taken by Sarah Burton. Blending a sense of fun with serious craftsmanship, McQueen is in many ways a good fit for Suvi: high-fashion that doesn’t take itself too seriously. Next, Suvi worked on the Autumn / Winter campaign for Chloe. Working with Anja Rubik, both models show off Chloe’s mastery of chic, feminine tailoring. 

But Suvi’s biggest signing of 2012 was a solo spot in the Chloe fragrance campaign. Photographed by Fabien Baron, this is the campaign that will have the most immediate impact in terms of Suvi’s profile. A campaign that makes stars of models, this is the fragrance ad every model wants to get. The fragrance has inspired a campaign that has in turn created in its own iconography. The softly lit, retro-feminine look is quintessential Chloe. An instantly recognisable formula, it is proof that even in fashion, a great idea is sometimes worth repeating.

Eight years into her career, what is exciting is that Suvi’s 2012 comeback has seen her popularity soar – there is no indication that her career trajectory will start to slow down in 2013 – it looks to be doing just the opposite. 

Suvi really is the unexpected star of the ANTM franchise. She is the all-rounder that Tyra Banks envisaged when she created the show. Wanting to find a girl who could be equally strong in all areas of modelling: catwalk, editorial and campaigns, Banks’ idea has gone global and has produced some notable talent. Alice Burdeu (Australia’s Next Top Model winner) also wowed the fashion world, even booking a campaign with D&G. But for longevity, Koponen is very much the blueprint for any future contestants. 

She may be an inspirational example held up to aspiring contestants, but the reality is Suvi didn’t become a winner until after leaving the show. Her first booking with Prada could be attributed to good luck, but Suvi’s continuing success, her work in front of the camera, and on the catwalk, tells the story of a model that has excelled by taking nothing for granted. If you’re starting out on your own modelling career, and looking to be inspired, there’s no better place to start.

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

MODEL PROFILES: NIMUE SMIT

Born in Holland on the 14^th January 1992, Nimue Smit is one of fashion’s best-kept secrets. A familiar face in campaigns from Chloe and Prada to Marc Jacobs and Topshop, Nimue joins a new wave of models who are changing the way we look at fashion.

Nimue signed with Women Management in 2008, debuting in Fashion Week that September. She made waves when Miu Miu signed her to walk in their show as an exclusive, and her only other bookings were with Marni and Miu Miu’s mother label, Prada. It may have been a very select season, but the quality of Nimue’s first bookings were strong indicators of where her career would lead.

Smit’s small but perfectly formed debut got the attention of the fashion press when that October she was profiled by www.models.com as a Top 10 Newcomer. Nimue went from small start to huge impact in early 2009 when it was announced that she would become one of the faces of the newest Prada campaign. A play on the theme of evolution, the images featured tons of snakeskin and those notoriously difficult 6” heels that challenged even the most practised runway model; it was one of Prada’s best collections. Nimue featured alongside Sigrid Agren, Viktoriya Sasonkina and Toni Garrn to make light work of Prada’s densely cerebral concept.

Also booking the Spring / Summer campaign for Topshop, Nimue had another big moment in January when she appeared in her first editorial for Italian Vogue. ‘Form Function’ takes Prada’s collection as a springboard to examine the concept of layering – in a way that only Italian Vogue can do. Nimue joined fellow newbies Karlie Kloss and Sessilee Lopez in tackling the magazine’s unique viewpoint. All three models excelled – and it is no surprise that both Lopez and Kloss have gone on to become major names within the industry.

Nimue’s editorial debut sent her career into overdrive, with three more editorial appearances in February. Modelling for Numero, Dazed & Confused and British Vogue, the snowball effect continued, with Nimue having her first major RTW season in February. Walking in 39 shows, the following month www.style.com labelled Smit a rising star.

In March, Nimue took to the pages of Italian Vogue again with an editorial photographed by Paolo Roversi. ‘The Power of White’ was an all-couture shoot, featuring nothing but white designs. The hazy, dream-like images are at the very highest level of high-fashion, and Nimue’s performance in this editorial is nothing short of extraordinary.

Smit’s clear ability to model haute couture led to her first couture season in July, walking for Valentino. Starts in couture don’t get much better, and Nimue’s delicate features proved the perfect foil for Valentino’s ultra-feminine designs.

Landing two high-profile Autumn / Winter campaigns (Alberta Ferretti and See by Chloe), Nimue’s star was rising fast. Her appearance in Italian Vogue’s September issue saw her develop even further. ‘Dream of a Dress’, with Paolo Roversi as photographer, was a special, one-of-a-kind couture shoot featuring Toni Garrn, Heidi Mount, Jourdan Dunn and Rose Cordero.

Using newly-revamped labels such as Givenchy Couture, this shoot is the type that Italian Vogue excels at; putting couture at the centre of the fashion experience - not portrayed as something merely exclusive. Showing grand clothes in creative, exciting ways, Italian Vogue goes a long way in terms of taking the fear out of couture, encouraging us to appreciate it without feeling automatically excluded.

Ending 2009 with another successful RTW show, Nimue’s standing within the fashion industry took a giant step up in early 2010 when she became the face of Giorgio Armani. Wearing a blue satin dress and black, bobbed hair, Nimue ushers in the new era of Armani. The label, previously seen as the cornerstone of conservative elegance, has undergone a revitalisation thanks to Giorgio’s launch of couture line, Armani Prive. Initially a scheme that was to be Armani’s pet project, Prive has become a tour de force in the world of haute couture, with that element of unbridled creativity that so neatly defines couture actively creeping into the Armani RTW lines. The label’s once predictable nature has given way to a freshness and vitality that makes us feel like we are seeing Armani for the very first time. Nimue’s edgy, high-fashion face would have once seemed out of step with Armani, but now her hiring seems like the obvious choice.

Nimue’s hard-to-ignore booking with Armani got her noticed all over again, and in September 2010 she appeared in over 50 shows, appearing for designers such as Lanvin, Sonia Rykiel, Calvin Klein, Jason Wu and Rodarte.

2011 saw Nimue switch from Parisian greats to London icons when she was signed by British label Mulberry to appear in their latest campaign. Working with Lindsey Wixson, the ‘indoor garden’ campaign was one of Mulberry’s strongest. Achingly pretty with chrysanthemums in shades of pastel, Mulberry’s theme of using oversized props started here – and is still regularly used, up to and including this current season.

Returning to Paris in January for couture season, Nimue made her editorial debut for American Vogue the following month. ‘Gangs of New York’ was a mammoth preview of Spring / Summer trends with Nimue appearing in modern neutrals by Donna Karan.

With two years’ experience behind her, Nimue continued to be a strong runway hire with a 45-show season in February. Filling the body of the year with editorial work for Spanish Vogue, Numero and Harper’s Bazaar, in late 2011 Nimue decided to switch agencies and move to NEXT Models. Already housing top names such as Anja Rubik, Caroline Brasch Nielsen and Kendra Spears, Nimue’s move to NEXT was the precursor to another great runway season in September, with Smit walking in 50 shows. Appearing in some of the most important shows of the season – Marc Jacobs, Rodarte, Jonathan Saunders – Nimue is securing her position as one of fashion’s go-to girls when it comes to interpreting the avant-garde. Although fashion may be exploring its softer side this season, there is still plenty of room for left-field thinking. Mary Katrantzou continued to impress with a collection based on ancient porcelain patterns and Rodarte brought a new poignancy and depth to prairie chic.

Contemporary fashion isn’t stuck for ideas and to present these new concepts as clearly as possible, designers need models who can translate. Nimue, as a regular fixture on the world’s runways, has become one of the industry’s most relied-upon models when it comes to fashion on the front line.

Even during the recession, where commercial faces flourished, Nimue has actively progressed from newcomer to rising star. Armed with a face that sits her squarely in the edgy category, Nimue has modelled for some of the largest brands in the business, transforming the way we think about them. Just as her game-changing appearance for Armani showed the Italian label’s willingness to explore its darker side, her softly winsome role for Mulberry injected the campaign with warmth and verve that has since become its signature.

The idea of matching a model’s look to a particular aspect of fashion is slowly giving way to a more democratic selection process. In short, if you have the skills, you get the job. It is this that may have inspired Armani to hire Smit in the first place – and the knock-on effect has seen the label branch out in terms of who it hires for campaigns. Their latest signing, Milou van Groesen, is another surprising choice. She doesn’t automatically suggest Italian relaxed elegance, but the sharp tailoring and blunted lines of the campaign turn a classic fashion concept on its head, bringing Armani bang up to date.

As we move into 2012, Nimue’s progress will be fascinating to watch. A front-runner at the S/S shows in September, it’s clear that designers consider her not only relevant, but downright exciting. Nimue’s status as a model that can help transform the way we look at long-established brands will make her well-placed to take advantage of fashion’s rapidly shifting landscape. As Armani comes into sleek, edgy focus and Mulberry trades on its sense of fun, the face of fashion increasingly alters as new designers join the party. Nimue’s ability to help us see old labels in a new light, makes Smit not only contemporary, but a completely new type of model altogether.

HELEN TOPE