Chanel (MVM: Josefien Rodermans / Toni Garrn) – Paris Fashion Week Spring Summer 2012

October 13th, 2011 → 12:27 pm @ isthisitmodelsreview

Ok, just for the record and before I forget: last post about a single show, then the “Other models & looks from Paris Fashion Week” and, taking it veeery easy (in fact I have a bunch of posts about less-or-more old editorials to do), little monographs about models and their SS12 Fashion Weeks.

That said, Chanel: “an interesting collection and a pretentious show all rolled up in a spectacular location” I guess is a good way to summarize in few words (and sorry for any kind of presumed lese-majesty).

And… nothing, this post is going to be pretty different than usual: I saw that “Top 10 experiment” I did with Dolce & Gabbana show this season worked, or I guess / hope so at least, so I decided to do the same thing here as well. Here a copy & paste from the premises for that show – with obviously “Dolce & Gabbana” replaced by “Chanel” (*_*’):

I have to say it’s not been easy to create a Top Ten (especially ‘cause, as usual, Chanel has a never-ending showlist), and maybe in few days I’ll totally change my mind about some positions (better: I’m sure!)… but here it is; and yes, it’s not like Letterman’s Top Tens, no countdown, ‘cause I simply thought pyramidal structure was the most appropriate here… :)

So, before the little “On what bases they chose who had to have the warm or cool nail polish tonality? No really, not joking, I’d like to know if it’s been a random or a meditated decision…” / “What will be of new campaign next season?, ‘cause I have to say the brand didn’t express a forceful and coherent identity lately imo…” curiosities (hehe the first one may seem stupid, but I’d really like to know it, ‘cause I liked the two tonalities idea but I can’t find a modus operandi) I still have, here they are:

++ JOSEFIEN RODERMANS

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Yep, my favorite model @ Calvin Klein, in this show, you’re certainly going to find her in the general post about Paris Fashion Week shows as well, and with some very positive (if not amazing) appearances (Chloé and Cacharel are two shows at random where she’s been my fav model as well), and… generally, not talking about single shows or generally runway / in front of a camera: is she one of my favorite models? No, totally not; I mean, if you wake me in the middle of the night asking me three names, I’d tell you “Daphne Groeneveld, Emily Baker, Monika Jagaciak”, if otherwise I’d have the time to write down a carefully meditated list with 1 or 20 names, Josefien would not be there too – and with 50 names as well I guess.

So after all these incredible words of appreciation (hehe *_*’): how can she be my #1 here, and generally one of the models I appreciated the most these last Fashion Weeks? I have no idea… better, I have, but it’s not exactly a rational one. So yes, if you compare her solid reliability, or her stone-cold attitude, or slender figure to other models quintessential talking about “her category” (hehe translation: it would have no sense to compare her with Daphne or from totally different points of view Toni) Josefien won’t imo win most of those comparisons. But if you replaces all those “or” and take the model with all her qualities, well, what to say?, even if I can’t find her so unique after all and I can’t say to love her the way I do with other models (it’s more about a pondered appreciation I guess) – yes, I find her a remarkable factor, and a very solid option for a good number of shows. Here the refined Chanel’s elegance met a light and delicate “underwater vision”, and Josefien embodied both for the best.

++ TONI GARRN

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One of the models I revalued the most this season. We all know her strong points, her limits, Toni in fact is a solid stunner but not exactly a model who’s gonna have the chance to exactly surprise, but at the same time… yes, I can’t say I discovered anything new, but I revalued her a lot. Chanel is somehow a priori one of the best shows possible to see a model like her, and with this outfit her breathtaking figure simply had the chance to show its magnificent presence: a marvelous Venus who just came out of the water…

++ MONIKA JAGACIAK

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If you ask yourself “Where have I seen this face?”, first of all… no, really, are you for real, where have you seen her?, you mean one of the best models around? Ok, I forgive you… btw, a good answer may be “Maybe you’ve seen her because of a Chanel beauty campaign?”, and if you’ve seen a Chanel beauty campaign lately, well, the answer is going to be certainly “yes”. So yes, Monika did a couple (let’s say a couple…) of apparitions for Chanel and its ads, so yes, she’s totally a model who can embody Chanel identity for the best, so yes, one of the best choices possible for this show. But not ‘cause she walks 1000 shows a season and she should be supposed to be in practically every show, no, it’s about being the quintessential expression of a maison and what it historically represents – and with the Monika Jagaciak / Chanel duo that’s exactly how things are.

++ SASKIA DE BRAUW

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One of those models… I honestly have to say I don’t exactly like Saskia really a lot, and it’s partially because she isn’t exactly the kind of model I may prefer, and generally because of a personal taste. That said, it’s kind of a must to objectively admit she has some important and remarkable qualities, and the fact her mature and austere beauty is a significant factor. Btw, generally a good opportunity to underline how important for a model a forceful injection of confidence and right opportunities are…

++ IRIS STRUBEGGER

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Well, if you may try to define the category of model Iris belongs to, isn’t that for from Saskia’s… but I personally prefer Iris, totally. I like a lot her innate elegance, the kind of timeless beauty she embodies, and… well, one of those models you just have to take a look at, and there’s not so much to say. Btw, if I found Saskia’s second outfit not exactly best possible (but it’s coherent element of the second part of the show), in this case I could have not thought about a better way to show Iris’ best qualities and Chanel’s classic elegance as well.

++ SIGRID AGREN

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Back to a little different kind of elegance, the one of a Monika Jagaciak, and… Sigrid is one of those models I don’t see so much off the catwalk, but when she’s on the runway… it’s a spark of unique and unrepeatable class. I like her a lot ‘cause what she transmits is the kind of class young “uptown girls” may have, so innate, it’s in her veins, she doesn’t have to show it so much after all, it’s all about her imperturbable attitude, her always being flawless – and why not?, her not exactly unique but absolutely undeniable beauty too. One of those aristocratic girls I would hate but stare at as soon as they don’t see me… :)

Btw I liked her really a lot in this show, and the two outfits were simply perfect.

++ BIANCA BALTI

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Bianca’s crystal clear beauty and astonishing presence need less presentations than ever I guess. And in fact, her best quality is to simply leave wordless…

+ CATERINA RAVAGLIA

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I love Caterina: I love her, the amazing model she is, the fact in this post she can be right after Bianca Balti, and even if two Italians may not be more different they both represented a very good addiction to this showlist. Btw, just for the record, I find her even way more interesting than Bianca, and it’s about the “here and now” and potentiality too of course, ‘cause if Bianca is a “take it or leave it” model, a model who shows at a first and cursory glance what she has to offer and what her strong points are, Caterina is a marvelous mystery to discover and solve little by little, a cryptic vision of beauty and femininity I personally loved from the very beginning. And if you add that to her versatility and solid reliability, you have a satisfactory reason to like her presence in this show the much I did.

+ MIRTE MAAS

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Awww, so glad to place her in this Top Ten (hehe btw even if a Dutch girl somehow made me take the decision, I already wanted to…), ‘cause even if I generally like her in practically every show she walks… well, she’s one of those solid models I somehow take for granted and I don’t show or I just show, or… well, last time I wrote about her was because of Francesco Scognamiglio show, and “a good parade of solid, reliable and, even if with similar and young ages (the “oldest” is the Dutch Mirte, 20yo), mature looking models” were my only words about her (for the record, the “parade” was about Mirte, Daga Ziober, Kate King and Zuzanna Bijoch).

So ok, maybe not exactly one of my fav Dutch models, but if you consider there’s literally a cutthroat competition there, it’s nothing to worry about after all. What I like the most of Mirte is… well, even if imo she doesn’t have the same presence of a Samantha Gradoville, like the American on the runway she can both express a mature and captivating presence, and such a delicate, bright and adorable attitude as well – and I literally adore it.

#10

+ LINDSEY WIXSON

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Such a tough decision to choose another model, ‘cause… there were some models for a reason or another I wanted to mention: Daphne & Emily somehow a priori, Natasha Poly, Nadine Ponce in her asymmetric dress (best choice possible for her), or a surprisingly convincing Ashley Smith (I mean, here not the first model I’d think about, but in pink and curiously “bridled” she was marvelous), a always convincing Julia Frauche, or Josephine, Caroline Brasch Nielsen, the always adorable and show after show more remarkable Merilin Perli, and so on – but I decided for Lindsey. Partially ‘cause I simply love what she had to wear in this show, totally!, and most important ‘cause she’s so unique compared to the 9 models above. She both proposed a young, delicate and lovely vibe, simply perfect to embody THIS Chanel show and some graceful elements and suggestions, all mixed with her proverbial and unmistakable uniqueness.

Here other models I wanted to show, in a merely indicative order of preference (or something like that I guess… and btw, in a merely indicative order of preference HERE – otherwise you would have found models like Daphne or Emily in my Top Ten above for sure…), but who I all liked:

CAROLINE BRASCH NIELSEN / NATASHA POLY