BANG

So... guess who booked Marc Jacobs?

I cannot tell you how pleased this makes me. Caro has done so well on the runways since starting, but her lack of frequent printwork has definitely had me wondering if runway is all she really has going for her in the business. But getting the Marc Jacobs S/S 2011 campaign? That is huge. Major. Fantastic. Bombastic.

I know she booked Balenciaga F/W 2010, and that was a major gold star for her as well, but it was a group feature, which unfortunately forced her to share the spotlight in each of her shots. Contrast that to this Marc Jacobs campaign, where she features more prominently, and the effect is completely different. Not only is this a coup for her snagging such an enormous brand, it will also be extremely good exposure for her as a model. Combine that with her 3rd place ranking on FashionTV's First Face countdown for the past fashion weeks, and The Brasch is well on her way to a very prolific next few months.

Another thing I want to mention is that we have a more concrete notch on the Freja pattern here: Marc Jacobs has been a big fan of Freja for the duration of her career, and now we see Miss Caroline appearing in a campaign for him. Oh, did I mention Freja was also featured in Balenciaga? Yeah... feel free to condemn me a conspiracy feeder. But I'm a blogger. Conspiracy and reading into insignificant things? It's a forte.

Photos courtesy of fashiongonerogue.com and tFS user Carla-A

Sweet Freedom

Caroline has a forthcoming editorial in January 2011's Vogue Russia! Titled "Это сладкое слово свобода" (translates literally to "This sweet word, freedom"), it's a set of 9 black and white shots by photographer Anthony Maule. The shoot was styled by Geraldine Saglio.

I am glad to see The Brasch getting some more editorial work, because goodness knows the girl needs some (and deserves some too, I reckon). At best, this is mediocre work, but keeping in mind that Caroline is still very inexperienced, that is only to be expected. In fact, I was expecting a bit worse to be perfectly honest, so this is more of a pleasant surprise than a let down. 

We have some repetitive facial expressions, and posing is less variable than I might like, but there's no denying that she looks stunning. The second picture actually reminds me of an ed of Kate Moss I saw recently... I'll edit this post when I remember where that one came from. The seventh one... well, it's a classic pose, and she's looking very high fashion. But all seriousness aside, is that not what you would do if you found yourself decked out in harem pants? Yeah, I thought so. 

Of the set, my personal favorite is the fourth though. There are so many different ways to interpret the emotion on her face; it's like one of those optical illusions where looking at it one way shows you two faces staring at each other, while another view shows a single face peering from behind a candlestick. In this case, paying attention to different features on the face allows you to infer myriad of messages. Sometimes she looks displeased, others skeptical, and on occasion, there is a faint smile... or is it a smirk? 

Overall, I give this editorial two thumbs for effort, one for execution. And an honorable mention to Saglio for her styling on the shoot... I don't remember the last time I saw such minimalism in Vogue Russia. I wonder if that's what the title refers to? Minimalism is plain, but in its basicness it is functional and unhindering. Whereas the tendency of the Russian styling is to be extremely decorative, furry and the like. If this appeared anywhere else, I would probably say the editors were trying to express freedom in life and emotion through wardrobing, but everyone knows the Russian views on the nature of oppression (Hint: it is constant and never ends. If you need proof, the Russian verb for 'to oppress' has no past tense conjugation. I know right, bleak.). Perhaps this explains Caroline's expressions and posing, which at times look heavy and labored? Ohhhhh those Russians...

Photos courtesy of tFS user shely

Paris-Byzance

The Brasch was in Paris on Tuesday to walk for Chanel's pre-fall 2011 show. She had two looks in the Byzantine-inspired collection:

I was not surprised to see her at the show, but I was definitely pleased to see that she's maintaining her pace from the S/S 2011 shows. I don't think I need to tell you how big a deal it is to walk for a house like Chanel, and the fact that she's strutted for Karl in every show since she appeared on international runways a year ago (excluding the Resort 2011 show, but hey, St Tropez was always going to be pretty exclusive) earns her a big gold star.

I wonder if this is entirely coincidental? It seems to me that Caroline has a number of features that are similar to those of Freja, the eyes in particular. Could it be that this is working to her advantage in this burgeoning relationship with Chanel and Karl's other brands (she also walked for Fendi the past October)? Where she's still just starting out, it's very soon to be making judgments of that nature, but keep an eye on that anyway: with Karl pushing Freja consistently into a more masculine role, he may find himself in need of a more feminine contrast than bosom buddy Baptiste... Not something I'm stating as a serious possibility, but you have to admit, it would be an interesting turn of events, don't you reckon?

WWD featured her second look at Chanel in their issue for December 8th on the Pre-Fall collections, so we have a bit of exposure for her there. Mind you, that was one of the most notable looks from the show, so we'll give Karl most of the credit on that.

We've also got a few backstage photos from the show, so I'll leave you with those! In fact, I'd encourage you to check out the full set over at stylerumor.com, they are well shot, and give you a closer look at the clothes as well as the beauty component of the show.

Pictures courtesy of vogue.fr, elitemodelblog.wordpress.com, stylerumor.com