MODEL PROFILES: MACKENZIE DRAZAN

Born in Woodside, California, on the 10^th August 1995, Mackenzie was discovered at the age of 14. A year later, she had been named a newcomer to watch by www.models.com ,  signing up with Elite Models. 

In July 2010, a month shy of her 15^th birthday, Drazan debuted at the Autumn / Winter show for Valentino Couture. Mackenzie then took a brief 6-month break from modelling, returning in February 2011. Drazan made her ready-to-wear debut, including appearances for Jil Sander, Calvin Klein and Louis Vuitton.

Drazan’s early start at the very highest levels of catwalk modelling marked her out as a casting must-have.  Returning to the catwalk again that September, Mackenzie added Alexander McQueen, Celine and Balenciaga to her growing list of credits. Finishing the year with appearances in the pre-fall lookbook for Narciso Rodriguez and the pre-fall collection show for Calvin Klein, Drazan was already becoming a favourite with some of the world’s biggest labels. 

Her growing list of credits certainly got Mackenzie noticed, and in February 2012, she had her first blockbuster ready-to-wear season, walking in over 65 shows. The Autumn / Winter 2012 season saw bolder, more expressive designs making all the right moves, and the return of certain trends, such as outsize and head-to-toe print, seen at Jil Sander and Prada respectively, was tailor-made for a taller model like Drazan.  This season was an important one for the still-teenage model, and her stock soared as a result.

Mackenzie’s next assignment saw Drazan book an editorial for Italian Vogue. Photographed by Emma Summerton for the beauty supplement cover, Drazan worked the avant-garde look with total confidence. Italian Vogue’s enthusiasm for editorial make-up has become a micro-trend, with the looks that are accompanying this season’s fashion definitely moving into braver territory. The traditional smoky eye has been transformed into a multi-coloured, peacock eye, mimicking the explosion of colour that has been seen on the catwalks. Follow that with the incredible growth in nail art: not only in terms of colour but design and texture, and Italian Vogue’s take on beauty is right on the pulse. Avant-garde looks are no longer the preserve of magazine editorials, but real-life achievable.  As our fashion choices get a little riskier, make-up had no choice but to step up its game.

Drazan’s incredible run of catwalk success continued into the summer, with appearances at the resort shows including Alberta Ferretti, Bottega Veneta, Salvatore Ferragamo and Valentino. But Mackenzie’s biggest career moment was just around the corner. 

In July, Mackenzie made the cover of Italian Vogue. Photographed by Steven Meisel, this was the autumn / winter preview issue. Sharing the cover itself with Vanessa Axente, the fold-out, multi-model cover also featured Lida Fox, Elena Bartels, Julia Nobis and Erjona Ala. Channelling gothic glamour in the gowns from the Gucci collection, this was a new vision of how glamour should look for the upcoming season. Dark, moody but achingly covetable, this cover made everyone sit up and take notice.

Any appearance in Italian Vogue represents a huge turning point in a model’s career, as the magazine often champions new modelling talent, with fashion’s edgiest and most exciting faces often making their editorial debut within those pages. By getting onto the actual cover, Mackenzie had not only staked her claim to be one of those new, exciting faces, but to be one of the future leading faces in the modelling industry.

Drazan returned to catwalk duty again in July, this time heading to Paris for the couture shows. Walking in shows for Chanel, Elie Saab, Giambattista Valli and Valentino, Mackenzie also appeared in Raf Simons’ inaugural show for Dior. 

Mackenzie’s summer was filled with editorial commitments, starting with a spread for Dazed & Confused. Following that with an appearance in British Vogue, ‘Best in Show’ (photographed by Daniel Jackson), saw Mackenzie working the textured trouser-suit, and Mackenzie’s debut for W (‘Natural Selection’) saw her model the season’s texture theme with Laura Kampman, Ondria Hardin, Ophelie Rupp and Franzi Mueller.

Even with that heavy workload, Mackenzie continued to be in high demand, being booked for 55 shows in September. Including Marc Jacobs, Chanel, Givenchy, Versus, Dries Van Noten and Proenza Schouler, Mackenzie’s mix of blue-blood delicacy and ambiguous androgyny has made her a perfect runway model. The sheer range of design sensibilities that Drazan has modelled to date is dizzying: her portfolio takes us from the full-on sex appeal of Versus, to the cerebral chic of Dries Van Noten.

Following her success in the very best of editorial and runway, Drazan took her career to the next logical step this autumn with a campaign signing. However, as typical of the rest of her career, Mackenzie did not start small. She was booked for the Louis Vuitton Autumn / Winter campaign. An opinion divider, the Louis Vuitton campaign goes for broke with the amount of modelling talent on display. Working both in small teams and as part of a larger narrative, the models had their work cut out for them. The challenge was to perform as individuals but to impress as a collective. With something going on in every corner of the frame, each image created by campaign photographer Steven Meisel, is fascinating. Whether you liked the collection or not, the campaign demands you take a second look.

As Drazan moves in ever more impressive circles, her success is down to the fact that she is an American model with major cross-continent appeal. Her looks, old-school beauty with a touch of the modern, make her a natural ‘fit’ for most editorials, runways and covers. 

Drazan’s success is also down to timing: during the 1980’s, American models were historically locked into the commercial arena of the fashion industry. Blockbuster names like Cindy Crawford were as well known by the public as fashion insiders. The wide-ranging appeal of those faces hard-wired that look into our minds: to be American was to, by extension, be commercial. 

This continued long into the Nineties and it wasn’t until recently that we learned to appreciate a whole new kind of American beauty. Faces like Karlie Kloss, Charlotte Free, Chanel Iman and Lindsey Wixson have tackled, head-on, the perception that Americans can’t do hard-core editorial. Wixson, with her unusual features, has radically challenged the idea that American models are commercial by definition. Wixson, currently the face of Mulberry and Chanel, is spiky, bold and adaptable, covering cute and whimsical through to ultra high-fashion.

Where Mackenzie fits is somewhere between Wixson’s edginess and Karlie Kloss’ all-rounder appeal. Drazan’s success on the catwalk most closely aligns her with Kloss – a model that rose to the top by clocking up a serious amount of runway hours. Kloss succeeded by being visible, and this strategy appears to be working for Drazan too.

But whereas Kloss has re-defined the term ‘all-American’, Drazan differs by offering something more elusive. She may be a California girl, but looking at Mackenzie, you can imagine her being a native of almost anywhere.  Her lack of definability is what has propelled Mackenzie to the top of the industry at break-neck speed, explaining why she is as comfortable in Valentino Couture as Balenciaga’s ready-to-wear. There is a phrase that to be a jack of all trades is to be master of none, but this is certainly not true of modelling: a face that can lend itself to any look is one that will undoubtedly prosper. 

Already a favourite with fashion’s most influential designers, Mackenzie Drazan is set to become America’s most exciting modelling prospect in years. Once again challenging us to re-shape our ideas of what an American model looks like, Drazan is the next stage in America’s endeavour to become world-class at sourcing the best editorial talent. With Drazan already on the rise, this may be a case of mission accomplished.

HELEN TOPE

MODEL PROFILES: LARA MULLEN

Born in 1994, Northampton native Lara Mullen was discovered in August 2011. Scouted by agency Premier Management, Mullen was spotted just two weeks before the start of New York Fashion Week.

Premier submitted Lara for castings, and in September the student-turned-model found herself on the catwalk, walking for Alexander Wang, Jonathan Saunders, Celine, Chloe, Richard Nicoll, Givenchy and Dries Van Noten. 

If this wasn’t exciting enough, Lara got booked for the Prada show as an exclusive. Mullen had the good fortune to be in one of Prada’s best shows in years. A show is only as good as its collection, and the S/S 12 collection was very, very good. With Mullen as one of their star turns (newbies selected by Prada tend to get the lion’s share of attention), this was a career-making moment for Lara. The achievement is made all the more extraordinary when you consider that just weeks prior to her Prada booking, Lara was a complete unknown.

Labelled by www.vogue.com as ‘one to watch’, Lara began to book editorials in earnest, landing the cover of i-D magazine in February 2012. Also appearing in a multi-page spread, Lara modelled with Matt Ardell, working looks from the key S/S collections.

In February and March, Lara experienced the effect of being a Prada exclusive. When it came to booking shows for the Autumn / Winter collections, Mullen was a red-hot favourite, appearing in over 45 shows.

The season was a real triumph for Mullen, a bold mix of design talent including Valentino, Balmain, Gareth Pugh, Versace, Marc Jacobs, Marchesa, Calvin Klein, Rodarte, Oscar de la Renta and Prada once more. A bona fide success at every Fashion Week, Lara modelled for the best in the business. To muster bookings from the biggest; Versace, Prada, Marc Jacobs, Valentino, is incredible. But more crucially for Mullen, her booking sheet tells a story of a model who has connected with cutting-edge talent such as Gareth Pugh, Prabal Gurung, Alexander Wang and Christopher Kane. It is this relationship with fashion’s most directional labels that has both shaped and defined Lara’s career over 2012.

March saw Lara take to the cover of British hard-hitter, Dazed & Confused. Named ‘2012: If it’s not exciting, you’re not doing it properly’, the cover heralds the start of a summer that’s all about Britain. From the recent Diamond Jubilee celebrations to the Olympics starting in July, Britain, and all things British, are garnering a lot of attention. On the cover, Lara models a coat and one-piece from Prada’s show-stopping S/S 12 collection, echoing her inaugural runway moment with the Italian label. 

Mullen also appeared in an editorial for the magazine, a major logistical operation requiring an army of photographers and stylists. Wearing Burberry, Balenciaga and YSL, Lara joins models Julia Nobis, Emily Baker, Erjona Ala and the latest Marc Jacobs campaign girl, Marte Mei van Haaster.

Lara’s success has not just been confined to editorials and runway. Preparing to take on bigger challenges, Lara was booked for the new Spring / Summer Topshop campaign. Photographed by Josh Olins and styled by the store’s creative director, Kate Phelan, the campaign also features new up-and-coming faces including Magda Laguinge, Nadine Ponce and Marihenny Pasible. As Lara models Topshop’s on-the-money pieces, including floral silk bomber jackets and printed band T’s, the campaign is almost indistinguishable from those of high-end brands. Topshop certainly doesn’t believe in skimping on the editorial detail: its genius lies in treating high-street design with respect. Its lightning-quick turnover, supplying must-have pieces at a furious pace, means that Topshop can legitimately claim to having its finger on the fashion pulse. Now a key destination for everyone, regardless of budget, scoring the campaign means being a visible presence in hundreds of stores dotted across the globe.

Following an editorial for POP magazine, Mullen also featured in a self-titled feature for AnOther. Photographed by Martina Hoogland Ivanow, Lara appears in a series of editorials, reminiscent of Egon Schiele’s nervy, sensuous sketches. Having an editorial named after you is normally a mark of respect given to a model with more runway hours under her belt. The fact that Lara is already being perceived as worthy is testament to how quickly she has taken to modelling. Some new talents are carefully dipped into the fashion world, a small season to start with and then a few low-key editorials to test the waters. With Mullen, Premier Management made the right call in making a big splash. The clamour for her time at Fashion Week proves that when you’re ready, you’re ready.

Lara made her debut appearance for British Vogue in April, with an editorial called ‘The White Album’. Photographed again by Josh Olins, Lara models an array of white pieces from Marc Jacobs, Jil Sander, Yohji Yamamoto and Chanel. From laser-cutting by Marc Jacobs to the starched, architectural cottons of Raf Simons’ last collection for Jil Sander, the deceptively simple theme displays how complex one colour can be when in the hands of masters. 

Mullen returned to the pages of British Vogue this June, with a high-fashion take on the Olympic theme. ‘Paper Plates’, photographed by Tim Gutt, sees Lara attempting weight-lifting, archery and diving. Blending the beauty and strength of professional sport, this type of high-concept editorial is what British Vogue excels at.

With the world now watching the UK for the next few months, Lara joins a new generation of British models lighting up the world stage. Along with Jourdan Dunn and Nyasha Matonhodze, Lara is flying the flag for not only British design, but British beauty as well. In recent years, most of fashion’s most popular faces have come from other corners of the globe: Lara and her peers are helping to buck that trend.

Lara and Nyasha are especially in demand, with both models this season appearing in major campaigns. Nyasha, a favourite with Louis Vuitton and Balenciaga, is a sure-fire editorial pick and Lara is carving out a career that leans on her individuality, and that’s a very British concept.

We have recently excelled at providing fashion with its newest, edgiest faces. We can also do real, show stopping beauty too: just think of the monumental rise of Rosie Huntington-Whiteley and Cara Delevingne. Ever since the discovery of Kate Moss, the UK has had a point to prove: the problem with striking gold is that expectations circulate and gather pace – can you repeat your own success?

While the face of modelling has altered over the past 20 years – the definition of what constitutes a top model now looks totally different – the desire to scout those new, boundary-pushing faces is as intense as ever.

Premier Management’s lucky find is also Britain’s good fortune. Lara, just months into her career, is already creating waves of interest around the world. She is the rare combination of editorial and commercial: it is just as easy to imagine her fronting a perfume campaign as it is to see her in Italian Vogue. Mullen’s run of success hints at a future that’s there for the taking. Whether she wants to explore those high-fashion roots further, or look at how her unique features can work set against those big-money campaigns, Lara has the potential to trail-blaze a new kind of beauty, already seen in the individual successes of Milou van Groesen, Saskia de Brauw and Marie Piovesan. Against a backdrop of uncertainty, a beauty that can be edgy one moment and then traditional the next, is exactly what the fashion industry appears to be responding to right now. Even newer faces than Lara – Erjona Ala, Elza Luijendijk, Marte Mei van Haaster – are in that very vein: not exclusively editorial, not completely commercial. A true fashion hybrid, it is a formula that looks like it will define the look of the next generation of top models.

However Lara chooses to play her next hand, what’s for certain is that she remains a great ambassador, reminding everyone that whatever we do, Britain does it in style.

HELEN TOPE

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