Louis V

EDIT: Caroline has NOT booked Louis Vuitton. False alarm!

Well, I wasn't expecting this at all! The Brasch has booked the Fall/Winter 2011 Louis Vuitton campaign!

The news broke on tFS about 3 hours ago, and I'm still waiting on official confirmation, but if this is true, I am completely blown away. If you remember, Kate Moss closed the LV show in Paris last month in a very emphatic fashion, and everyone was quite certain that she had the campaign in one of those famed brown bags. But somehow, it seems that Moss is now completely uninvolved with the project.

Word on the net is that Caroline will be featured alongside Vogue Paris favorite, Daphne Groenfeld, as well as Fei Fei Sun, Zuzanna Bijoch, and Anais Pouliot. An interesting cast, not least because the majority of the girls are quite young, and the shoot will likely be on the raunchy side. It is Marc Jacobs though, and he's never been one to shy away from controversy in that area (I don't think I need to remind anyone about his BANG fragrance ad).

Interestingly, Jacobs also got a bit of flak from fans when Caroline was featured in the Spring/Summer 2011 campaign for the designer's eponymous line, in which she wore a transparent camisole that exposed her breasts (this was the same outfit she wore for the show; in fact, the shoot was done backstage at the show itself). As Caroline was sixteen when the ads were shot, this was seen as somewhat tasteless.

Either way, I'm eager to see what the result will be of the Louis Vuitton version of the collaboration, if it is, in fact, true. More on this later!

Monthly Mashup

So there have been a few things that have popped up in the last few weeks that may be of interest... This is what I've managed to gather:

Elite has released another preview shot from Caroline's editorial from LOVE, shot by Alastair McLellan. The issue has been out on stands for a little while now, but I'm still waiting on a full scan of the editorial before dedicating a full post to it. It is looking a little intriguing though, very Studio 54. I'm glad she's in this issue in particular though: with all the press it's generating due to the Kate Moss + Lea T cover, and the added audience that Katie Grand is hoping to capitalize on with the Justin Bieber cover, not to mention that the specific editorial also features Duran Duran, this should be a good boost for Caroline's notoriety. Granted, people are more likely to be talking about her costars in the issue, but she'll have a foot in the door at the very least. 

We also have a behind the scenes video from the Valentino S/S 2011 campaign. It's basically just a montage of clips set to epic background music, but it's always interesting to see models at work, especially top ones like Freja. You get the sense that they are incredibly aware of their own presence and bodies in front of the camera, and understand the changes that even the most subtle of movements have on the dynamic and emotion of a photograph.

This excerpt from Vogue Russia was posted in Caroline's tFS thread. The poster indicates that it is from the April 2011 issue, but where the cover was given to Abbey Lee Kershaw, I'm not entirely sure what this is. Gill Ford (thank you!) has kindly translated "Читайте в Апрельском" as meaning "Read in April", and that the rest of the text is discussing the trends for summer 2011. She's thinking that it is likely a preview for the May issue, which should be out in April (you know, because fashion is all about getting tomorrow's look today). 


Regardless of where this shot comes from, and whether we'll be seeing more, I'm glad to see The Brasch is continuing a string of performances with Vogue Russia. By no means is she getting an editorial every issue a la Lara Stone with Vogue Paris, but she had that great shoot for September 2010 and another just the past January. It's good to see that she's getting more work with the magazine, which is always creative and entertaining in the editorial department. This shot is the handy work of Claudia Knoepfel & Stefan Indlekofer, who Caroline has previously worked with for Vogue Paris. Looking forward for what's to come (Numero and Vogue Nippon ;) )!

Photos courtesy of tFS posters mousyy and Stereo Flo

La Bête Noir

I'm running out of ways to use "black" in post titles, so I guess that signals a trend: Caroline has been popping up with a lot of brands heavily associated with the colour. Add to the list her campaign with Denmark's Noir. For the F/W 2010 season, she featured for Noir's subsidiary, Bllack Noir. I've got two HQs here courtesy of that darling *Bianca* at tFS; hopefully more will be on the way!

 

I have to say, I'm a fan of Noir (and Bllack Noir), and I'm a fan of these pictures. The brand is known for an edgy, rocker femininity, and while these shots definitely carry that feel, there's also a sort of ethereal quality added by the powdered figure and clothing, and the way it hangs suspended in the air as well. There is a simply beauty, but there is also an underlying complex artistry that has me thinking of Vogue Italia right now. There's also elements of French aristocracy here, with hair styled a la Marie Antoinette (though, perhaps a bit more functionally so).

I am pleased that Caroline is continuing her partnership with the brand. It's great getting international campaigns like Marc Jacobs and Valentino, but there's a certain satisfaction that comes with success back home as well. Plus, Denmark and Sweden are fast becoming popular fashion destinations, not just for brands like Acne and Malene Birger, but also just because of the way the Scandinavians put outfits together (note the popularity of copenhagenstreetstyle.dk and stockholmstreetstyle.feber.se... RESPECT!). It would be wise to maintain and develop bonds with northern brands.

But speaking of internationalism...

I've not seen the Brasch in Berlin just yet. I've been peering at each look, hoping to spot her, but she remains elusive... I imagine that she will be showing up at Bllack Noir (which is the last show in Berlin) but for the moment, I'm a bit uncertain. I've heard rumours about Freja at Hugo, so I wonder if she'll pop up there with her fellow Dane and Miss Karolina? More on that as it comes!

Black Brasch Burberry

Add another campaign to the list for S/S 2011, Caroline features for Burberry's Black Label (the Japanese extension of the label) with a male model who I am incapable of identifying at the present time... Anyone have a name for the pretty boy? Anyway, I'm still waiting on more details about this campaign (e.g., photographer), but the campaign has just been released on the label's official website, so I figured I'd post them, seeing as many will consider those details peripheral anyway.

Right, so the Brasch is looking very tough and edgy here, as I suppose is only to be expected from Burberry these days (remember Christopher Bailey's motocross-inspired S/S 2011 collection in London?). Nothing much to say about these really, Burberry's ads always look the same to me, and this one is no different. So I suppose that means Caroline fulfilled the brief perfectly.

The campaign for the Men's F/W 2010 collection with Charlie France and Julia Nobis also had a little backstage video... I'll keep my eye on the site, and if a video is released for this shoot, I'll post it as soon as possible!

Photos courtesy of burberry-blacklabel.com

The Ruffles Have It

Caroline's advertisements for Valentino have just arrived in my inbox courtesy of one very efficient user (thank you oh so very much!). Without wasting any time (because I know you're all just dying to see these), allow me to present Valentino S/S 2011:

After having just seen the photos from Nina Ricci, I am feeling a little as though more could have been done here. But then, there are important differences between ad campaigns, look books, and editorials. Not to mention there are different aesthetics at Valentino than Nina Ricci. Personally, I'm not a big fan of these shots, but then, I've never had much of a penchant for advertisements. My favorite of the lot is the one where she's facing away from the camera, which I don't mean as a slight to her face, but simply because it makes me want to ask questions about it. Who's she? Why is she not facing the camera? Is it that she is shy? Upset? Distant?

I find the photo where she is opening the doors interesting because I'm not just getting the picture, I'm getting a little video in my head (Camera zooming as she bursts through the doors, if you were wondering. Sort of like the time when Aragorn threw open the doors at Helm's Deep in The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers.) The clutch shot feels like an ad to me. Like a legitimate ad, of the sort we see all the time. It's very commercial, something of an editorial vibe I suppose, but the overarching feeling is that it's meant to sell the clutch, and that's it.  The shot with the bag feels a little too contrived. And to be sure, these sorts of things alway are, but some photographers and models have the ability to make contrived moments look like real ones.

I don't know, perhaps I'm being a little too critical? Maybe I'm just still dealing with the Nina Ricci looks, and am not ready to come back to reality and admit that not everything is going to meet my lofty standards of what is totes brill. Meh. Don't get me wrong, as an ad campaign, I'm convinced. It sells the clothes, it sells the bags. Yeah, don't mind me at all actually, I think I need to invest in a lower horse. :)

If you're wanting to look at Freja and Julia's adverts from the campaign you can find them here at the Valentino website. Valentino Pre-Fall 2011 is on its way!

Photos courtesy of valentino.com

Valentino's Day Comes Early

While we all wait in avid anticipation for the Fall/Winter 2011 shows in March, spending time with family and friends over the holidays (by the way, happy New Year to you all!), the fashion world has been quite quiet (well, minus the releases of Pre-Fall 2011 collections, but you get my meaning). I have been busy with a lot of things over the past few weeks, and news about Caroline has been quite slow. But just today, it was revealed that she's bagged another campaign for the Spring/Summer 2011 season: Valentino! You may remember, the Brasch opened Valentino's F/W 2010 show, and closed couture the past July:

In October, she also closed for S/S 2011 RTW, and appeared in the lookbook for Valentino's collaboration with American sportswear giants The GAP. In light of this, booking the campaign might not come as much of a surprise, but it is still a great achievement for Caroline. She will appear alongside Julia Saner and (wait for it) Freja Beha Erichsen in the campaign, shot by David Sims.

For their Spring 2011 ad campaign, Valentino’s Maria Grazia Chiuri and Pier Paolo Piccioli tapped three of the hottest models of the moment—Freja Beha Erichsen, Caroline Brasch Nielsen, and Julia Saner—to showcase their gossamer-light collection. David Sims shot the black-and-white images in Valentino Garavani’s Place Vendôme home—what the designers call “a poetic and ultra-chic Paris setting.” It is Sims’ second campaign for the house.

“These dreamy black-and-white shots show three different beauties, each with something unique,” Chiuri and Piccioli explain to Style.com. “This is a very feminine, stylish campaign, with a light, playful twist that reveals the Spring 2011 collection’s airy atmosphere and captures the brand’s lifestyle. In cinematic style, we wanted to tell the stories of three different women enjoying private moments in the comfort of their homes.”

So far, only one shot from the campaign has been shown (Julia's, that is), which you can see at the link posted. Caroline and Freja's shot(s) should be along soon enough, and I'll be sure to post them as soon as they are made available. Until then, here are Caroline's looks from the S/S 2011 RTW shows:

Photos courtesy of style.com

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