The Fashionista is in - Models 101

I talk a lot about fashion designers, runway shows and celebrities in this column, but I rarely talk about one of the most vital parts of fashion in general: Models. We’re not going to get into the whole “skinny models propagate eating disorders” debate here, though we can if you’d like to in a later issue. I have a lot of thoughts on the issue. But no, my dear students, today we’ll be doing a small lesson I like to call “Models 101.”
Models are incredibly important tools in the fashion industry. Sometimes they are nameless, faceless bodies on which to hang clothing and display it, but more often than not a select few become superstars, even household names. (Think Gisele Bündchen , the ‘90s supermodels like Linda Evangelista, Naomi Campbell and Amber Valletta. ) They walk the runways, shoot campaigns for major houses like Dior and Dolce and are becoming style icons in their own right. I don’t want to make this “Kara’s Top 10 Model Favorites,” so I asked a few Twin Cities fashionistas who their favorite catwalkers are, too.
Jane Belfry is a globetrotting local stylist (she’s in Paris for couture/menswear right now) and super-sweet vintage store owner. She and I love Lara Stone . This Dutch beauty recently landed a cover blub in Vogue for being a size 4 — she is constantly referred to as “voluptuous,” but I just think she’s gorgeous. Here’s what Jane has to say about the lovely Lara: “She's unconventional but classic at the same time, beautiful and ugly.” Lara has been a major fixture on the scene for a while now, opening shows like Balmain and doing campaigns for everyone from H&M to Givench y.
I’m a big fan of Canadian beauty Jessica Stam . She’s so well-known in the industry that she’s often referred to simply as “Stam,” sort of like an NFL star or something like that. Marc Jacobs even named a bag after her , which in my book is the utmost of cool. Stam does work for high fashion houses like Chanel, but she also walks in the Victoria’s Secret show.
Local trendsetter Marina Marić, who’s always getting her picture snapped for fashion blogs and who owns the House of Holland garter tights I’m lusting after, likes short-haired models like Anja Rubik. She’s Polish, lethal and has been a fixture for quite a few years now.
My favorite of the moment is without a doubt Georgia May Jagger, daughter of Mick and ‘70s Texan supermodel Jerry Hall. “I love a girl who can work a gap!” Jane says, and I agree. Georgia is stunning, and even though she’s just turned 18, she’s done high-profile work for Hudson jeans (check out their ads to see Georgia oozing sex) and Versace. She channels a young Brigitte Bardot and I love her for it.
Another model with famous roots is Dree Hemingway, great-granddaughter of famous scribe Ernest. Dree has become a mainstay of the “effortlessly cool girl” scene, palling around with hipster designer Alexander Wang and getting hot-pink highlights in her blonde hair. (I like to think she’s copying me last spring, when I had hot pink in my own blond locks.)
You can’t talk about models without mentioning the great Kate Moss, of course. Does anyone not adore Ms. Moss? Even though she’s petite and getting up there in years at 36, she’s working constantly, most recently becoming the face of YSL’s new fragrance Parisienne. My favorite Kate moment? Her role in the White Stripes’ Sofia Coppola-directed video for “I Just Don’t Know What to Do with Myself,” where all she does is slink around a stripper pole. HOT.
Karlie Kloss is only 17 years old, but she’s already landed a major campaign (Marc Jacobs’ Lola perfume) and gained notoriety for her signature runway stomp. I saw her at Avenue when I was in New York a few weeks ago.
Natalia Vodianova is an evergreen choice and one of my enduring favorites. This Russian model truly lives a fairytale life; she moved from a poor area of Russia to Paris at age 17 and quickly become a fashion favorite. She married Justin Portman , a super-rich real estate heir and they had three adorable children who are often photographed alongside their mother for features in Vogue.
Then you have the doll-faced girls, like Lily Donaldson, Lily Cole and and Gemma Ward. Both Gemma and Lily Cole have taken some time off from modeling to act (see them in “The Strangers “ and “The Imaginarium of Dr. Parnassus,” respectively) but have not forgotten their modeling roots. I love Lily D. for her laid back off-the-runway style.
And last, but certainly not least, is Daria Werbowy, who you may recognize as a face of Lancôme cosmetics. She’s also Polish, and in 2007 she was one of Forbes’ top-earning models; her cohorts on that esteemed list included Heidi Klum and Natalia Vodianova.