A FACE TO WATCH: HEDVIG PALM

Born in Sweden, Hedvig Palm was discovered in 2010 at the age of 15, whilst eating at a local restaurant. Signing with Next Models the same year, Hedvig kicked off her modelling career in January 2011.

RUNWAY

January 2011: Valentino Haute Couture

September 2011: Alexander Wang, Celine, Jil Sander, Jonathan Saunders and Valentino 

February 2012: Balenciaga, Cacharel, Chanel, House of Holland, Louis Vuitton, Mulberry and Topshop Unique.

September 2012: Miu Miu, Roland Mouret, Giambattista Valli, Alexander McQueen, Vanessa Bruno, Givenchy and Prada.

January 2013: Valentino Haute Couture

EDITORIALS / CAMPAIGNS

March 2012: Love S/S issue. ‘A Chorus Line’, photographed by Solve Sundsbo, this exquisitely choreographed editorial (based on 1930’s Hollywood musicals), also featured other new models including Caitlin Lomax, Ajak Deng, Lida Fox and Josephine Skriver.

June 2012: Prada Resort look book.

July 2012: Italian Vogue. ‘Collections’, photographed by Steven Meisel, featured groups of models wearing the headline-making pieces from the A/W collections, including Prada’s printed trouser-suits and Jil Sander’s cocoon coats. 

January 2013: Look books for Christopher Kane (Pre-Fall 2012) and COS (Spring / Summer 2013).

Traditionally used as a means of allowing wealthy clients to view haute couture collections, the look book’s purpose is being extended far beyond its high-society origins, and is now being deployed by high street titans.

The look book is joining the digital revolution, transforming into a smartly-produced video. The COS look book sits somewhere between catalogue and campaign, pausing on details in the clothing, showing both how the clothes move and sit on the body.

Campaigns have already made the leap to video, with the video acting as a companion piece to the more traditional print ad, and the concept brings together one of fashion’s oldest means of self-promotion and the latest technology to make a look book that’s about functionality and purpose. 

Hedvig enters the fashion industry at a tipping point heralding enormous change: how we buy and how we wear fashion has changed radically in the past five years and fashion has adapted accordingly. 

Even in a climate of change, there are still constants and faces like Hedvig are destined to thrive because they are an ‘easy sell’. Proving equally productive modelling haute couture as the best of the high street, Hedvig’s appeal puts her ahead of the pack.

The easy sell is becoming increasingly important, but selling a product in the first place has created a unique set of challenges especially for online fashion retailers. Selling fashion is rarely about combinations of fabric and fastenings, but selling an idea. For retailers, this means hiring models who are not only good all-rounders, but confident communicators, as they need to convey, in a matter of seconds, not only how an outfit looks but how it can make you feel.

The models then have to apply those skills across disciplines. A walk that would normally be employed for runway is now needed for a webpage (eg: ASOS, Net a Porter who both use moving images to show a garment). Editorial skills are no longer the preserve of high fashion: they are readily used for high street campaigns. Production values have increased because our raised expectations demand more. There are still easy sells, but they are hard won. Everyone has had to raise their game.

The good news for Hedvig is that she is already meeting the new requirements of the fashion industry. Strong in individual skills, she is already able to draw from runway and editorial experience and translate that into something that works on the screen as well as the page. It is the equivalent of a theatre actor learning how to act on film. Details become larger on the screen, movement seems more exaggerated. Making the performance more nuanced, but not making it smaller, is now part and parcel of the model’s job. The performance still has to have impact, and Hedvig’s role in the COS look book convinces. It is in the tiniest choices of movement that Hedvig communicates the feel of the collection. 

As the presentation of fashion becomes an increasingly virtual experience, making that emotional ‘must-have-it’ connection becomes ever more important. Access to fashion may be at an all-time high but seeing a dress on a screen will never be the same as walking into a shop, and seeing the dress in real time and real life. Technology can only give us so much information - the rest is inferred. To decide how we feel about the garment, and how it feels to wear it, only works on a non-virtual level. Therefore, the model becomes the intermediary. Communicating how the garment feels on the body, in both a physical and psychological way, has become the most crucial aspect of a model’s armoury. 

Two years into her career, Hedvig is already shaping up to be one of the industry’s go-to girls. Equally adept at haute couture, ready-to-wear and the best of the high street, Palm’s multi-platform CV is the calling card of a 21^st-century model. Hedvig’s classic beauty and modern skills-set makes her one of 2013’s brightest prospects. She is a face to watch.

HELEN TOPE

MODEL PROFILES: FEI FEI SUN

Born in China in 1989, Fei Fei Sun has already become one of the breakthrough stars of 2013.

Aged 19, Sun represented her country in the Elite Models Look competition, eventually placing third. She began her modelling career in earnest one year later, featuring on the cover of Chinese Marie Claire in March, and debuting at Fashion Week that September. Walking in shows for Nathan Jenden and Mulberry, it was a strong start. 

Finishing 2009 with a stint in the Chanel pre-fall show, which took place in Shanghai, Fei signed with Muse Management in early 2010. 

In February 2010, Fei Fei experienced her breakthrough season, closing the Autumn / Winter show for Vivienne Westwood. Sun also scored runway bookings with Christopher Kane, Elie Saab, Issa, Jil Sander, Marios Schwab, Meadham Kirchoff, Sonia Rykiel and Thierry Mugler. It was a good spread of editorial talent, plus the high octane glamour offered by such labels as Elie Saab and Issa.

Deciding to move management again mid-year, Fei Fei left Muse Management, and signed with Women Management. In May, she appeared on the cover of China’s Harper’s Bazaar. Modelling alongside some of the key model talent emerging from Asia, including Shu Pei and Xiao Wen Ju, this was a bold, statement cover that just ten years ago, would have been impossible to compile. 

A few months later, Fei Fei landed the cover of Chinese Vogue, fronting its September issue. Sun shared the cover with models Ming Xi, Shu Pei, Tao Okamoto and Estee Lauder favourite, Liu Wen. Appearing for the magazine’s 5^th anniversary edition, this was a watershed moment for both the magazine and China’s ability to make an impact on the world of high-fashion. 

In January 2011, Fei Fei started off the year by modelling in the Givenchy Couture presentation in Paris. The collection, modelled exclusively by Asian models, was a softly-lit rainbow of pastels which read especially well on camera. The striking textures made this collection a sure-thing for A-listers looking to find the perfect dress for Awards Season: many of the pieces made it onto the red carpet, most notably a lavender beaded gown worn by Cate Blanchett for her return to the Oscars.

January also proved a banner month for Fei Fei’s editorial career, when she landed a spot in an Italian Vogue editorial. Photographed by Steven Meisel, ‘The Power of Glamour’ played on the idea of candid, behind-the-scenes shots at a runway show. Also featuring top models Anais Mali, Arizona Muse and Freja Beha Erichsen, in terms of fashion editorial, Fei was now operating on a world stage.

In February, Fei Fei made her debut for American Vogue, featuring in a massive season preview, ‘Gangs of New York’. With models split into groups, each group profiling a key collection for that season, Sun modelled pieces by Proenza Schouler, working with fellow model Ming Xi.

Returning to the catwalk, Fei Fei’s bookings increased ten-fold, with Sun appearing in over 55 shows. The following month, she returned to her editorial work, appearing for American magazine V and Chinese Vogue. The latter saw Fei Fei appear in a beauty supplement, with Sun showing a growing talent for handling the up-and-close scrutiny of the beauty shot.

In April 2011, Sun fronted the cover of Japanese Vogue, which also featured models from Australia (Bambi Northwood-Blyth); the Netherlands (Milou van Groesen) and the U.S (Britt Maren). This was a truly international cover, with Japanese Vogue scouring every corner of the globe for the hottest new faces. Their ability to scout the latest talent proved right on the money, with Milou van Groesen becoming the face of Armani a year later.

June saw Fei Fei heading to Paris for her biggest couture season to date, with appearances for Chanel, Elie Saab, Giambattista Valli and Zuhair Murad. Her obvious flair for couture came in handy when she took to the pages of Italian Vogue again, this time for a haute couture spread, ‘Pret a Porter’.

With Fei Fei doing so well in runway and editorial, the requests to have her represent major brands came flooding in. Autumn 2011 saw Fei Fei’s campaign stock rise and rise with bookings for Chanel Cosmetics and Louis Vuitton. Sun’s standing in the industry had evolved from newcomer to must-hire.

In September, Sun had a second mammoth RTW season with 56 shows, including an opening spot for Rag & Bone. Forming a perfect blend of heritage, blockbuster and cutting-edge labels, Fei Fei walked in shows for Alexander Wang, Bottega Veneta, Chloe, Dolce & Gabbana, Givenchy, Marc Jacobs, Prada, Richard Nicoll, Rodarte , Tory Burch and Tom Ford. It was a well-rounded season, neatly illustrating just how indispensable Sun had become.

The next month saw Fei Fei hit another editorial high note, with a debut for French Vogue. Photographed by Hans Feurer, in a cross-cultural reference, Sun wore luxurious American labels including Ralph Lauren.

January 2012 saw Fei Fei return to the pages of American Vogue, this time appearing in an editorial tribute to Marc Jacobs. Photographed by Annie Leibowitz, ‘A Man for All Seasons’, the editorial was a fascinating look back through Jacobs’ greatest sartorial hits. It was, for any model, an editorial you wanted to be a part of.

Sun landed one of her biggest campaign signings in early Spring 2012, with a leading role in the Valentino Spring / Summer ad. Photographed by Deborah Turbeville, the campaign was soft, gracious and feminine – perfectly encapsulating the new direction taken by the Valentino team. Staying true to the grounding principles of the label founded by Valentino, this campaign showed the brand heading in a direction that was fresh and modern, but a direction that ultimately felt like a natural progression, rather than change for change’s sake.

Taking a break from the runway circuit, Fei Fei concentrated on print work during early 2012, re-emerging in June as the face of Giorgio Armani cosmetics. A real success story, with refined, elegant textures in sleek, modern packaging, the make-up has been a critical and commercial hit. True to form, the campaign is a triumph of discreet glamour. Fei Fei’s appearance is beautifully understated but deftly controlled; a master-class in how to model beauty in the 21^st century, her performance is nothing short of stunning.

Making a strong return to the runway in September, Fei Fei walked in shows for designers including Miu Miu, Vanessa Bruno, Roberto Cavalli, Prabal Gurung, Derek Lam, Tommy Hilfiger and Jason Wu.

Sun modelled the big trend of A/W 2012 for Chinese Vogue when she featured in their editorial ‘Elegant Weaving’. Led by photographer Lachlan Bailey, Fei Fei modelled knitwear done the high-fashion way. Open weaves, high necks and big chunky textures such as cable knit, this was Sun proving she could do the big trends as well as the more nuanced work, as required by beauty campaigns.

In Autumn, Sun reprised her brilliant turn for Giorgio Armani cosmetics, this time working with Patricia van der Vliet and Elena Melnik. While Patricia and Elena worked the darker, more intense shades traditionally associated with autumn and winter make-up, Fei Fei modelled the ‘nude’ make-up look. A new take on A/W beauty, this pared-back look proved a perfect match for the ornate, highly-decorated clothes that made their way onto our style radar in late 2012. As this past season was a marriage of contrasts (wild, retro prints competing for our attention alongside muted tailoring), so S/S 2013 will continue this trend of not one, but many voices. Instead of one trend seeking dominance, high fashion is now seeing different ideas emerge as equals. For those who want variety, it’s very good news.

Against a backdrop of an industry that’s still moving forward, models that exhibit depth and range are doing particularly well. Just weeks into 2013, Fei Fei has emerged as a front runner, overnight becoming one of the hottest names in fashion. This January, Sun appeared on the cover of Italian Vogue. A major achievement, Fei Fei is the first Asian model to land this prestigious cover. Photographed by Steven Meisel, ‘Global Life’ not only makes history but makes direct reference to it. Channelling China Machado (1950’s model and muse to famed photographer Richard Avedon), Sun embodies retro elegance.  Putting that beauty-campaign face to good use, Meisel creates a series of images that showcase what an incredible model Sun really is. Acclaimed by both the fashion press and news agencies around the world, Sun’s glorious, confident performance has ensured that for 2013, all eyes will be on her.

HELEN TOPE

MODEL PROFILES: KATE UPTON

Born on the 10^th June 1992, Michigan-based model Kate Upton signed with Elite Models in 2009. Just a year later, Upton made the pivotal decision to switch agencies, moving to IMG in 2010. The decision to sign with this uber-agency, that not only manages models, but works with stars from the worlds of music and sport, was the key change Upton needed. IMG is an agency that specialises in self-branding, tailoring their management strategies to an individual client’s strengths and weaknesses. It is entirely plausible to attribute Upton’s current success – and huge popularity – down to smart branding.

Upton started in the sectors of the fashion industry where she would be well-received. Her first campaign booking was with Guess Jeans. Becoming the face of the brand at the age of 18, she stayed with Guess for two years.  Also undertaking some modelling for the 2011 Victoria’s Secret catalogue, this was a classic case of Upton playing to her strengths.

Then came her big break. After appearing in the 2011 Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue, she was invited back in January 2012 – to be their cover girl. An American institution, this annual cover can be a star-making deal – recent cover girls include Bar Refaeli and Brooklyn Decker. 

It is not just the preserve of swimwear / lingerie models either: Tyra Banks famously graced the cover in 1996, during the height of her high-fashion career. Like Victoria’s Secret, this magazine offers huge cross-over potential, and Kate’s appearance on this year’s issue had the desired effect: she became a star overnight.

With Upton now on everyone’s radar, a new phase of her career kicked in: in early 2012, she appeared on the Spring / Summer cover of Muse magazine. Photographed by Sebastian Faena for both the cover and accompanying editorial, ‘Blonde Bombshell’, this was Kate’s first foray into the world of high-fashion and she proved herself more than capable of stepping up. 

Upton also appeared in the Spring / Summer issue of V. This was a crucial booking for Kate, as V is an ultra-edgy, highly influential magazine. For Kate to appear in this magazine indicated that, while popular opinion was still locked into Upton’s triumphant turn for Sports Illustrated, the fashion industry was already starting to look ahead and see a different kind of potential.

In May, Kate appeared on two magazine covers: Esquire and Harper’s Bazaar. The latter was photographed by Terry Richardson, along with the prophetically-titled editorial ‘The Shape of Things to Come’. Kate worked Hermes and other old-school labels, channelling full-on glamour. Richardson proved to be an inspired choice of photographer, being someone who is very comfortable at producing highly-sexualised fashion images. Richardson’s photographs may provoke, but they are always grounded in the world of high-fashion.

Upton’s affiliation with Richardson continued into July, when they created the cover for GQ magazine. Treading the line between appealing to men and adding that all-important high fashion gloss, Richardson’s gift for translating sexuality on film is self-evident here. The cover feels fun and spontaneous, a tricky balance but Upton and Richardson get the tone just right.

July was also the month that Upton made her inaugural appearance in American Vogue. ‘Bringing Sexy Back’, an editorial photographed by Sebastian Kim, profiled Kate’s career to date and her newly-unleashed charm offensive on the fashion world. It was a significant nod to Upton: American Vogue’s success rate at spotting the next big thing is unsurpassed.

In a busy month, Upton also appeared in the UK’s Sunday Times Style magazine. A supplement that has become both influential and highly significant (editorials were once presided over by stylist Isabella Blow), Upton is here sold as America’s latest pin-up. She models traditionally ‘sexy’ clothes, but it is styled sharply and cleanly – no sleaze, just fashion.

Kate’s final booking for the summer was with Spanish Vogue. In ‘Fuego en el Cuerpo’ (Body Heat), Upton gives a master-class in how to model swimwear. It is an undervalued area of modelling, despite its profitability. To model swimwear requires not just energy but focus; an awareness of angles and negative space. These tend to be highly technical shoots, replying on just the right angle to create that perfect shot. It is testament to what Upton has learnt in a short space of time, in that she makes the job of modelling swimwear look unnervingly easy. 

Kate returned to American Vogue in September, appearing in ‘The Vogue 120’. Shot by legendary photographer Norman Jean Roy, this mega-editorial featured every current designer and model of note. Working in groups, Upton modelled with Candice Swanepoel and Chanel Iman. Placed side by side, the two ‘glamour’ models meet Iman’s high-fashion experience head-on: there is no weak link in this shot.

This month, Upton goes from cover girl to superstar. Coming of age in a Steven Meisel shoot for American Vogue, Kate, as ‘The New Girl’, models sports-luxe inspired fashion from some American greats:  Calvin Klein, Ralph Lauren, Jason Wu and Donna Karan. The editorial, aiming to sell Upton as the new American sweetheart, directly draws a line between Kate, Jayne Mansfield and Marilyn Monroe. 

As daunting as this proclamation is, Upton’s giddy ascent to stardom does beg comparisons to Mansfield and Monroe. But Upton’s own image is far from that of the ‘doomed blonde’. Depicted as a youthful force of nature, Upton’s appeal is rooted in a girl-next-door philosophy. Upton’s success stems from the fact that she is a girl from Michigan who was smart about grabbing the opportunities that would further her career.  Her July cover for GQ keenly lays out the reason for Upton’s popularity: along with her beauty is an air of accessibility. This cover works because it never takes itself too seriously. It may also be the reason for Kate’s success.

This November has seen Kate upgrade from swimwear and catalogue work to fashion’s Holy Grail: the cover of Italian Vogue. Photographed by Steven Meisel, the cover titled ‘Seductive’ has made headlines around the world. Styled as an 80’s glamour girl, the magazine plays on old ideas of ‘sexy’ and ‘seduction’ by presenting them with a new face. The cover has not received all positive press, with lots of fashion fans being very vocal in their disapproval despite Kate’s stellar performance. Never afraid to court controversy, Italian Vogue has hit a home run with this cover.

Also appearing in the leading editorial of November’s Italian Vogue, ‘Miss Kate Upton’ is given the full Vogue Italia treatment. Kate works every angle here – her previous experience working swimwear and lingerie proves the perfect base for a shoot like this. Upton knows instinctively what works and what doesn’t: ‘Seduction’ may be a mind game, but Kate plays the game like a master. It is, without doubt, one of the most extraordinary transformations the fashion industry has seen. To go from modelling lingerie to the pages of Vogue in the space of a year is incredible progress. 

Upton’s next challenge will be to keep the momentum going. As Kate has been accepted by the flagship publications of the industry, it will be interesting to see if she makes the next step from editorial to runway. While Upton has proved herself in print, runway is notably missing from her CV. Although a catwalk-friendly 5’ 10”, Upton has no high-fashion runway experience to date.

Right now, the odds of Kate making that leap are not in her favour. Upton’s curves would have placed her in good company during the Supermodel period – it is easy to imagine Upton modelling with the likes of Cindy Crawford and Helena Christensen. But for the moment, the emphasis is on tall, lean girls who can handle fashion’s rapidly changing and increasingly-bold silhouettes. 

It all hangs on what will emerge from the collections next February. Prada’s curve-hugging collection from Autumn 2010 is a great example of fashion doing the unexpected: Miuccia Prada’s work begged for a different shape, and models such as Doutzen Kroes and Lara Stone were hired to (literally) do the leg-work. All it takes is another collection like this, or a trend that requires curves to do it justice, and Kate could find herself a runway star as well.

For now, Kate must end 2012 with a huge sense of accomplishment. She started the year as the cover girl for Sports Illustrated, and finished it as a cover star for Italian Vogue. The fashion world was under no obligation to take to her the way they did, but her versatility and ability to grow is what makes Kate that one in a million. Whatever direction her career takes in 2013, Kate really is the shape of things to come.

HELEN TOPE

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