3 September 2010

Focus On... Freja Beha Erichsen

I debated for a while on what my first Focus On... feature should cover, and after bouncing about between various options, I decided that Summer 2010's it girl was probably a good choice...




Hailing from Roskilde, Denmark, Freja was born on October 18th, 1987 to two lawyers. Her brother (who is seven years her elder) influenced her in many ways growing up, particularly in her musical tastes: “I was always with him, and he is a crazy Metallica fan. So I grew up listening to Metallica’s lyrics.”


She notes that she wasn't very girly growing up; something that hasn't changed all that much. "I was as much a tomboy as anyone could be," she proclaims in an interview with Vogue UK. "Soccer with the boys, climbing trees and mountain biking, I always came home covered in scratches and bruises."


The modelling profession isn't something that lends itself kindly to such activities, but Freja doesn't seem to be too bothered by this: "I don't move unless I have to, to be honest... I haven't done sports since I was ten or something. I played badminton for a while, and when I was a really little kid, I did all the trampolines. That was great fun, cos you'd just go in and you'd just jump around for a couple of hours... But I was probably five by that point. And that's it. I haven't moved a lot."


At the age of 17, Freja was spotted from behind by a scout while walking about in Copenhagen. It was not the first time she had been asked about modelling, but in the past she had never thought much of it. "When I was stopped on the street, it had already happened like five, six times before, but I was always pretty sure I was never going to be a model. But then it was like the best agency in Denmark, so I figured that if I had to try it, I would do it now." Her parents had apparently hoped that she would take up law, but the opportunity presented by modelling was not one to be passed up. "My family's been really supportive of everything... I don't see them that often anymore because I'm traveling all the time, obviously, but they've been really [supportive]. I think that both my mom and my dad had the thought that if this is going to work, then let's do it for a couple of years, you know?"



Success was quick. The amount of time she spent working eventually forced Freja to leave school a year early so she could devote herself fully to her new career. She’s not overly concerned about missing her final year though: it was a small sacrifice to make for everything she’s gained as a result. "Do I regret that I started? No, never. I mean come on, it's the last year of school, I can always do that, but for me to see the world and experience there's so much more just a straight way through school. You know, you go to elementary school, you go to high school, and you go to university, and you know, it's so narrow minded. There's so many things out there that you can do, and I'm extremely happy that I got this opportunity.”


  


In 2005, she debuted on runways in Milan and Paris, opening for Miu Miu, and also walking for Prada and Louis Vuitton. Since then, she’s walked for everyone from Chanel to Rag & Bone, from Burberry to Balenciaga. She has featured in ads for Balmain, Gucci, and Valentino, among countless other big-name clients. She’s covered for just about every major fashion magazine in Europe, including mainstream Vogue publications in Britain, Italy and France, and her appeal in the Asian markets is a force to be reckoned with, to say the least. Hell, the girl even has Karl Lagerfeld on her speed dial. She seems to be coping with it all pretty well: "It was really fun in the beginning to see the magazines, like 'Wow, that's me'. But actually, you get used to it really fast; at least, I did. But I mean, it's still fun to see you on a billboard or whatever." But success is not always an easy thing to obtain, and the fashion industry is not known for being a walk-on team. Early in her career, Freja found this out first hand.




After her breakout season, Freja was reportedly booked for an ad campaign with Prada, which was to be shot by Steven Meisel, an internationally celebrated photographer. Being confirmed for such a massive project was undoubtedly a major achievement for such a new model, and something that Freja could pride herself on. But the shoot ended in humiliation for her when she was reportedly sent home by Meisel twenty minutes into the shoot, claiming that he was not satisfied with her in front of his lens. We will likely never know exactly what happened on the shoot, but if one thing’s for sure, it’s that Freja’s career has suffered little as a result of the incident. In fact, you might even say she has emerged stronger as a result, learning from this experience, and others: "I think I've learned a lot about myself... I've learned how I cope in different situations, and where my limits are. I've learned that I can often do more than I think I can do. And I think I've just learned how to see life, and how to turn things that, you know – because not every experience is positive – often you can turn it into something positive if you choose to."


Freja Beha Erichsen: "How did I become 'the rebel'..?"
Perhaps it was the infamous Meisel affair that spurred on the labelling of Freja as the ‘rebel’ of the fashion industry. Well, that, and her infamous tattoos. “I had an agreement with my New York agent that I could get as many tattoos as I wanted, as long as I didn’t cut my hair, which I did,” she says. “I cut my hair and I still got more tattoos, so I don’t know where we’re at right now with that deal...”


  

The cutting of the hair was a significant change to Freja's look. It was an enormous surprise when she arrived at shows for the Spring/Summer 2008 season sporting an edgy bob that put Posh to shame. The new cut is blamed by many fans as the reason for Freja not booking as many shows as she did in the past. They also hold it accountable for the typecasting of her as 'the androgenous model'. This might not be too far off the mark: since chopping off her long locks, very nearly all of her photographic work has been centred around this theme. That said, androgeny has been a very popular trend in the last few years, so who can really say what's responsible for Freja's boy/girl role?


 


Beyond her own growing legion of fans, the Internet also reveals that her tattoos have a cult of their own. She has sixteen in total: a Colt revolver on the inner side of her upper left arm; ‘redemption’ is scrawled across the inside of her left arm just below the elbow; ‘Serendipity is Me’ on the back of her right arm; ‘this too shall pass’ inside her right arm; ‘this world tonight is mine’ circles her right wrist; a miniscule cross on her right ear; a dotted circle behind her right ear; an upside down triangle (which was later coloured in) on the back of her neck; a small star (also coloured in at a later date) just below her left armpit; a lightning bolt on her upper right rib cage (which covers up a once mysterious ‘M’); three circles (later filled) on her inner left wrist; three lines on her left middle finger; and ‘float’ on the left side of her neck. By all accounts, that adds up to fourteen, plus a graphic design on her stomach, which remains elusive, along with number sixteen.


  


But what do the tattoos mean? “Three is the lucky number, so three lines, three circles. Just how it is.” ‘This world tonight is mine’ comes from PJ Harvey’s song ‘The Sky Lit Up’. Freja refers to this phrase as her own rendering of carpe diem. Others don’t have any particular meaning at all: “Like the revolver. That's not a heavy symbol for me. I like guns and I think the design is pretty, and once I have an idea, I have to go there.”



The tattoo that gets the most press (maybe because it’s the most noticeable of them all) is the word ‘float’. Perhaps another PJ Harvey reference (‘We Float’ is the title of a song from Harvey’s 2000 record Stories from the City, Stories from the Sea; she also appears floating on the cover of To Bring You My Love)? "You know if you're laying on top of the water in the sea, and you're just laying like this? (demonstrates) That's floating. So 'float'... to me, it means float through life, take it nice and easy, not too much stress. That's it. If you had to carry every person's stress that was laid upon you, you would die, I mean, there's no way you can do it. So you have to try to remain calm even though, you know, everyone around you is stressing and yelling and what not. I think it's the best way to try to do it."


Not too long ago, getting tattoos was a sure way to end a modelling career. But more and more top models are showing a love for body art, notable inclusions being Freja’s good friend Abbey Lee Kershaw, and fellow Australian, Catherine McNeil (who, it has been decided, was Freja’s girlfriend for a little over a year). Despite being frowned upon, the tattoos don’t appear to have halted the success of these three (Freja currently sits at #2 on models.com, while Abbey Lee and Catherine are ranked fifth and twelfth, respectively), and regardless, Freja has no regrets. “I don't think you should necessarily do what people are telling you to do. If you want to do something fun, it's your one chance, it's your one life, do it. I don't think you should let anyone dictate what you should do with your own body. I mean, you do sell your body as a product, but it's still yours. I mean, my body, I get to do with it what I want.” She pauses, before adding with a laugh: “That was my initial thought, at least.”


  


The curiosity surrounding the tattoos is not unlike the fascination fans have with Freja herself. She’s known for being very private, which is perhaps one of the reasons for her appeal. Speculation over the ‘McBeha’ partnership sparked to life forums with major followings all over the net. In fact, despite the relationship apparently ending, the topic still pops up with astonishing frequency (often to the annoyance of those who have accepted the reported parting of ways). The constant public need for answers about Freja’s personal life, and by proxy, her refusal to give an inch in her defence of her own privacy (props to you, Ms. Erichsen, on a job well done) seems to have been a major stimulant to her fanbase (on the principle that we all seem to want what we can’t have). Not only does it keep fans interested, it allows the mystique of ‘showbiz’ (which is quickly fading in the media frenzy we now live in) to continue to surround her.


So after all the successes and the occasional failures, the runway shows and ad campaigns, covers and editorials, where does that leave her? In March 2008, she replied: "I'm still enjoying it. I am. I see it as an investment for the rest of my life... And a very good one. And I think it's in many ways a good job." When asked the question again two years later at the end of another long and busy runway season, she adds: "It's funny though, you walk and walk and walk and walk and walk, and then you walk some more. And then in your quick little stop you're like (deep breath). And then you walk back. But that's okay. It's probably good with all the cigarettes I smoke. I need to get a little bit of exercise, right?"


***

The Vital Stats

Nationality: Danish
Hair Color: Light brown
Eye Color: Brown
Date of Birth: October 18, 1987
Place of Birth: Roskilde, Denmark
Height: 5'10" ; 178cm
Measurements: (US) 32.5-25-34 ; (EU) 82.5-63.5-86.5
Dress Size: (US) 4 ; (EU) 34
Shoe Size: (US) 8 ; (EU) 38.5 ; (UK) 5.5
Agencies:
Unique Models - Denmark
Louisa Models - Munich
IMG Models - New York, London, Milan, Paris


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What We Really Want To Know...


What's she listening to:


  

Recently, Freja's sung the praises of acts like Florence + the Machine, the Yeah Yeah Yeahs, and classic Ella Fitzgerald. Constants on her playlist include PJ Harvey and Kira and the Kindred Spirits from her native Denmark ("I like women who can express themselves through music."). Bands like Led Zeppelin, Metallica, and the Rolling Stones have also been noted as favorites. As a major music fan, she's indicated that she loves a wide range of music, though she seems to gravitate more towards a blues/rock genre than anything else.


What's she wearing:



Freja's street style is, if anything, consistent. Most often, you'll see her treking about in black: black skinny jeans, black t-shirt or tank top, black leather jacket. It's cool, it's comfortable, it's rock and roll. It's Freja. Brand-wise, the girl's a sucker for ACNE, Alexander Wang, and Rick Owens. She's also expressed a liking for Balenciaga and Helmut Lang. "I grew up dressed in jeans and T-shirts. My mum bought me a leather biker jacket when I was eight or nine; I wore it everywhere. I still wear those kinds of clothes, not much has changed."
 
***

* For anyone looking for more information on Freja's activities, I would personally advise Rrose Selavy's blog, which is completely focused on the Great Dane... She does excellent analyses of Freja's editorials and covers, and is very efficient in providing updates on her career. On occasion, she posts little tidbits like fan stories and photos, which are always a treat :)


** There also exist several tumblrs which are great if you're just wanting to flick through photos (backstage, eds, runway, etc). The ones I've found most useful are Fuck Yeah! Freja Beha Erichsen and Freja Beha Loving.
 
Sources:
Official Website
Profile at The Fashion Model Directory
"Freja's Edge" Interview in Vogue UK, August 2010
Interview in Spur, Spring 2010
First Face: Freja Beha (A/W 2010)
Special Models: Freja Beha Erichsen (A/W 2007)
Model Talks: Freja Beha Erichsen (S/S 2008)
Le Mads Interview with Freja (A/W 2010)
"Les Filles en Vogue" Documentary by Vogue Paris, June/July 2010 (A/W 2010)
Modelinia Biography
Interview for V Magazine (November 2006)


Photos courtesy of tFS users t-rex, Symetrie, Manuva, and miwi; Official Website user Ingmar; and style.com

3 comments:

Anonymous said...

Nice article....luv all the qoute...and site suggestion...well done...

Gill Ford said...

^^ Thanks so much, great to know people are actually reading this :)

Anonymous said...

this is a wicked article... when's the next one coming out? :)