Rebirth of the Fashion King

The next morning, 31 Cambon Street, third floor.

Karl Lagerfeld's office door was closed, and people were talking inside; it wasn't a discussion, but more like an argument.

"I told you, Freya."

"I didn't say we wouldn't use Freya," Li Xun's voice came through the crack in the door, not loud, but steady. "I meant add one more."

Virginia Wijard sat on the sofa opposite Carl, holding a cup of espresso, but not drinking it.

She wasn't wearing sunglasses today, but she had them perched on top of her head like a headband.

Her expression was the kind that said, "I knew this would happen."

"Jessica Stan," Li Xun said again.

The old man was drawing something on the back of a model card with a red pencil. It looked like a cat, or maybe a pair of boots. The strokes were too fast to see clearly.

"The reason," he said.

"She and Freya are not the same type."

"That's not a reason. Any two living people standing in front of me can be said to be different types. Isn't that what you said? Every cocoon is different."

"Yes." Li Xun leaned against the window, his hands in his pockets.

"But if you only use Freya, the visual language of the Fall/Winter collection will just be a continuation of last year's. Everyone will say, 'Oh, Chanel used Freya again. The photos are great, just like last year.'"

"What's wrong with it being just as good as last year?" Virginia asked with a smile, her voice calm and unhurried, like a teacher who already knew the answer but still wanted to ask.

"Because 2009 is not 2008." Li Xun turned to look at her.

"Lehman Brothers collapsed last September, and global retail sales dropped by 12 percent this spring. The luxury goods division predicted a 15 to 20 percent cut in marketing budgets, but Chanel didn't cut that much. However, we still laid off employees."

"Many of our products sold three times more in Asia than in the same period last year."

Li Xun looked at Virginia and smiled, "I'm not talking about performance, I'm talking about emotions."

Today's consumers aren't unwilling to spend money; they just need a new reason to do so. If GG looks exactly the same as last year, they'll feel the brand hasn't grasped what's happened this year.

The office fell silent.

The old lady raised her head, placed the pencil on the model card, glanced at Virginie, and then at Li Xun.

What do you think Jessica Stan can bring to the table?

"Dynamic," Li Xun said.

"Freya is still; her strength lies in her sense of structure and restraint. Jessica is dynamic; her strength lies in the instantaneous changes in her body language and expressions."

One still, one in motion, placed in the same frame—this creates not just two people, but a relationship. This relationship is the essence of the Fall/Winter 2009 collection: not someone facing the world alone, but the coexistence of two forces.

  

"You previously mentioned your aesthetic sense, no, East Asians' aesthetic sense is different from ours."

"It's not that it's different, it's a different path."

Tell me about it.

Li Xun picked up two model cards; on the left was Freya Béa Eriksen, and on the right was Jessica Stan.

He placed the two cards side by side in front of Carl.

"Freya's face is architecture," he said.

"The height of the cheekbones, the angle of the jaw, the curvature of the brow bone—every structure is clear, definite, and immovable."

She stood there, without doing anything, and the picture was already formed.

Therefore, she's perfect for your shots. Your shots never need models to tell you how to shoot; you just need someone who can accurately translate your ideas into visual language, and Freya is the best translator.

Karl Lagerfeld's heart skipped a beat; this was indeed one of the reasons why he had favored Freya over the past two years.

In reality, Freja Beha Erichsen was Chanel's most important supermodel in 2009.

That year, she practically became the embodiment of the brand, regarded by Karl Lagerfeld as the most important muse. That year, Freya almost singled out all of Chanel's major projects for the entire year, which is extremely rare in the fashion world.

Karl Lagerfeld praised her for her modern, contemporary beauty. He was not only her designer but also a close friend who encouraged her when she was down. This deep relationship allowed her to accurately convey the brand's core values.

Nickname: Prince F, named for his androgynous aristocratic bearing.

Born: October 18, 1987, Roskilde, Denmark.

Debut: In 2005, she quickly swept the fashion world with her unique cool and aloof temperament.

Height: 178cm.

Signature features: a sharply defined jawline, deep-set eyes...

Li Xun had seen her Mocha, but he didn't feel the same way about the supermodel as he did about Karl Lagerfeld.

He likes supermodels like Jessica Stan, V-Fairy, Dasha Taran, Angela Lindwall…

Dashataran

Angela Lindwo

"Jessica's face is like a movie," Li Xun continued. "Her facial features themselves don't have that strong structural sense, but her facial muscles are very well-developed, which means she can convey two or even three contradictory emotions in the same second. When you look at her photos, you never know which layer you're seeing."

"When you photograph Freya, the composition is yours, the lighting is yours, and she is your subject."

When you photograph Jessica, she takes some control; she adds elements to your composition that you didn't plan, so you don't like photographing her. But that's okay, I can hire a photographer from Vogue.

Carl rubbed the bridge of his nose and then looked at Virginia.

What do you think?

"I think you both have a point," Virginie said, trying to smooth things over.

"But what I'm more concerned about is, if I only use Freya, how do I differentiate between the ready-to-wear and handbag collections? There are two collections for autumn/winter: ready-to-wear and the Coconut series. If you only use one person for both collections, there might be issues with the overall effect."

"Lily Allen has been chosen for the Cocoa Cocoon series of GGs," Karl Lagerfeld said.

"I know. But I'm talking about visual connection. If the ready-to-wear brand only uses Freya, and the Cocoon line uses Lily, where is the bridge between the two? Freya's face doesn't make you feel like she wants to sing, and Lily Allen standing next to Freya doesn't look like she would wear haute couture."

"So you mean the Cocoa Cocoon series will also have models?" Karl looked at her.

"I didn't say that. I was asking."

Li Xun picked up the conversation. "No need. Using Lily for the Cocoon series is the right choice. Her personal style perfectly matches the series' youthful positioning. The autumn/winter GG blockbuster is the core issue that needs to be discussed."

He pointed to the two model cards on the table.

"My proposed solution is: GG uses two people, Freya as the main character and Jessica as the main character. The theme of the Fall/Winter collection is the clash between black lace and a sense of power. The juxtaposition of these two people is itself a visual expression of the theme."

"What if Jessica doesn't suit black lace?"

"She can; her cat-like eyes will make the black even more alluring."

Virginia chimed in from the side.

"It seems Jessica's eyes are Rhine's muse."

"One of them."

"That girl from before..."

……

"Ahem!" The old lady couldn't help but cough as she watched the two of them ignore her while they were chatting.

Rebellion?