Tunisia has birthed influential couturier Azzedine Alaia, 1980s model superstar (and Jean Paul Gaultier muse) Farida Khelfa, and now 20-year-old Hanaa Ben Abdesslem (above). In the short time she’s been on the modeling scene, Ben Abdesslem has attracted the attention of model star-maker Riccardo Tisci; Tom Ford — “I was honored to work with him,” she says; and Lancôme, which signed her earlier this year. We caught up with Ben Abdesslem right before she hit the recent couture runways.

From left: Givenchy Spring 2011; Thierry Mugler Fall 2011

Where are you right now?
In Paris, in the hotel.

Which couture shows are you most looking forward to?
Jean Paul Gaultier, Giambattista Valli, Chanel … so many good shows …  Alaia. I love all the designers.

Any other plans for summer?
I’m going back home to Tunisia.

Tell us about your cropped haircut.
Before, I had long hair, but when I looked in the mirror, I didn’t feel that it reflected myself. I have a small face, so I feel good like this.

  From left: Anna Sui Fall 2011; Ralph Lauren Fall 2011

Riccardo Tisci asked you to cut it for your Spring 2011 Givenchy show exclusive?
I had cut my hair shorter, but for Givenchy he made it specific — a square look in front. I hope I work with him again.

Would you cut your hair for Riccardo again if he asked you to?
Yes!

Any guilty pleasures?
Too much couscous.

What has been your craziest experience while working in fashion?
Once, when I was on the train from London to Paris for a Lancôme job, my mobile [phone] was stolen. It had all the phone numbers and information for the job on it, so I didn’t know where I was going or how to get there.  Luckily my agency helped me out.

From left: Hermès Fall 2011; Giambattista Valli Fall 2011

What do you do during your free time?
Watch movies, read magazines, and sketch.

Do any other models inspire you?
My mentor, Farida Khelfa, looks after me and gives me advice.

What’s the best advice she’s given you?
To be myself — to always be myself and to focus on my work.

What would you like to accomplish this year?
To have a good fashion season in New York, London, Milan, and Paris. I want to work with all designers.

What about longterm?
I want to go back to my home, to do something in fashion in Tunisia. I always want to encourage designers and models in my country so they can also work abroad.

Photos: Fairchild Archive

Newly-turned 17-year-old Zuzanna Bijoch (left) first entered the modeling world at 13, after entering D’vision Model Management’s modeling contest and winning grand prize. Fast forward a few years, and she’s hit quite a stride, bursting on the scene in a big way last season with the Prada Spring 2011 ad campaign. “It was around midnight, and I was studying for a big math exam the next day,” she says of when she got the phone call that Prada had cast her. “I was so shocked — it happened so quick!“ For Fall 2011, Bijoch scored another big campaign — Louis Vuitton. We caught up with her to chat about that photoshoot and find out what else she has up her sleeve.

Where are you right now?
I’m in London, at my agency, right now — I was just shooting [in London] for Interview magazine. But I’m only here for two more hours, and then I’m headed to Paris this evening.

Are you going for the couture shows?
I’m going to do Givenchy couture, but I’m going early to shoot with Patrick Demarchelier tomorrow. I’m not sure what exactly it’s for.

You just had your birthday! Did you do anything to celebrate?
I went out with my friend, Maddie [Kulicka] — we’re from same town in Poland — and we went to a swimming pool, to a restaurant, and had some cake.

From left: Jill Stuart Fall 2011; Marni Fall 2011

How was shooting the new Louis Vuitton campaign?
It was amazing. I was with Daphne [Groeneveld] and Anais [Mali], who I really like, and we were shooting in Brooklyn in some kind of old airport, with these old amazing cars, holding puppies. Marc Jacobs was there, and Pat McGrath.

Do you have anything else exciting coming up?
I’m going to go to New York, just to be there, and in August for holidays I’m hoping to go to Barcelona with my sister — but I’m not sure, because of the hot weather. I love Spain; it’s so beautiful.

Who’s your favorite designer to do a fitting with?
For sure I can tell you, it’s for the Marc Jacobs and Louis Vuitton shows. They have whole tables of sweets — all the sweets you can imagine — and everyone’s eating and talking. My favorite are the jelly beans, both sweet and sour.

Bijoch in Prada's Spring 2011 campaign, shot by Steven Meisel

Any other guilty pleasures?
Watching all the stupid stuff on TV. It’s kind of embarrassing, but it makes me relax. And it doesn’t take as much time as a movie. I like to watch Doctor Who, Gossip Girl, SpongeBob, and Sex and the City on DVD.

We also heard that you take shooting lessons?
I was taking them, but right now I don’t have time. It was something different after the school day that I wanted to try.

Besides heading to Paris, what else are you up to for the rest of today?
I have an appointment with British Vogue, and then I’m going to my room to change before I leave.

From left: Jason Wu Fall 2011; Haider Ackermann Fall 2011

What would you like to accomplish in the rest of the year?
I would love to do the Viktor & Rolf show — I haven’t done it yet and they’re my favorite designers. I would love to shoot with Tim Walker — his pictures are so amazing and dreamy and beautiful, and I can look at them for hours. I also want to take French lessons — I can’t speak it and want to start. And I want to relax for summer holidays; I still have two more years of school left.

And what about your long-term goals?
I always say I want to work on Wall Street — it’s kind of a joke, but I love math and political things, so maybe I would work as an economist. Or maybe be part of a design team — I really enjoy watching the design process.

Runway: Fairchild Archive

18-year-old — soon to be 19-year-old — Jacquelyn Jablonski (left) is an all-American face in a field currently dominated by Dutch and Brazilian models: She grew up in New Jersey, played soccer in high school, and her first name came in part from her mother’s love of Jacqueline Kennedy. Fittingly, she’s the current face of all-American brand Tommy Hilfiger and walked in American-as-can-be Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show last November; but: she’s also the solo face for storied French house Hermes, a testament to her versatility. Her 55-strong runway show count for the Fall 2011 season, too, proves that more than just the American designers have fallen for Jablonski. W checked in with her, post-shows, as she was headed back to work.

Where are you right now?
I’m on my way to the airport, heading to London to shoot an editorial for Industrie. I just found out [about the job] less than two hours ago.

Does that happen all the time?
Yeah, sometimes, but I think this is the most last-minute one yet. I found out about the option this morning and then heard about the confirmation just a little after lunch.

Are you excited?
Yeah. Normally, when it’s a lot of traveling it can get a little tiring, but I was well-rested from the shows and everything, and I took some time off, so I was ready to hop on a plane again.

So what have you been up to since the shows ended, besides getting some rest?
Well, right after the shows, I had to take the Eurostar to London early the next morning for a job two hours outside of London on a farm in the freezing cold, shooting Spring/Summer [2011] for Twin magazine. But then I had a break, and I was home in New Jersey just resting and seeing my family.

From Left: Chanel Pre-Fall 2011; Gucci Fall 2011

You did 55 shows this past season, and a couple of seasons ago you did 74 shows. How do you keep your hair and skin from getting ravaged?
I was lucky because some hairstylists from Eugene [Souleiman]’s team gave me a leave-in conditioner from Wella, so I tried to use that as often as possible. Your hair is just getting teased and loads of hairspray and then they brush it on top of totally teasing your hair, so it’s kind of a nightmare. And sometimes your skin gets completely raw because you’re scrubbing on your eyes after every show, so I try to moisturize every night. I bought Avene [moisturizer] in Paris at the pharmacy, and I used that every morning and night, which saved my skin. A makeup artist recommended it to me, and I saw some [makeup artists] using it during the shows.    

How was walking for Viktor & Rolf, with all that red makeup covering your face?
I’m not going to lie, I was worried that it wasn’t going to come off, and it did take a little bit of time — I think my face was still tinted red for the next show. But it was cool because it kind of made all the girls’ eyes really pop out.

Supposedly someone had to go home after an allergic reaction to it.
Yeah, Lindsey Wixson had an allergic reaction to it. She had to go home, I think. That’s rough.

What was your favorite memory from this season?
All my friends, we try to stay in the same hotel in Milan and Paris, so probably one of my favorite memories is in Paris: no matter how late we got back, we would all meet downstairs at the restaurant and grab something before we went to bed or just hang out and talk about the day. The day’s so stressful, it’s nice just to relax and finally get a proper meal in, talk to everyone and not have to be running around.

Who did you usually see?
At my hotel, it was Julia Nobis, Hanne-Gaby [Odiele], Kasia [Struss], Siri [Tollerod], and Alana [Zimmer], and sometimes my friend Mirte [Maas] would come.

Valentino Spring 2011

Who’s your favorite designer to do a fitting with?
Chanel’s the only one they do the actual [show] hair and makeup on you for the fitting, so that’s kind of cool to see the whole look with the hair and makeup as well. And it’s always fast, so that’s a plus.

Do you ever chat with Karl Lagerfeld during your fitting?
Sometimes, briefly. He’s very friendly and always asks, “How are you?” Some people might find him intimidating, but he’s very friendly.

Do you prefer doing shows over editorials?
I do love editorials — you’re free to do whatever you want and portray a different character. And the shows … after a long break in the shows, I don’t mind starting them again, and I kind of enjoy it, but then towards the end, of course you get exhausted and you’re ready for them to be over.

Have you ever had any runway mishaps?
I’ve had a few. Sometimes they’ll change your shoes last minute and they’re too big. Or, actually — I think it might have been my second season — at the Miu Miu show, the runway was all mirrors, so everything kind of blended together. I totally didn’t see a step, so I cut a corner too fast and did a little trip. It wasn’t bad, but it was just an obvious trip. I didn’t fall, thank God. That’s probably one of my biggest fears.

Do you still get nervous before taking the runway?
I used to my first season. Sometimes when I’m stuck with shoes that are too big or a dress that’s really long, I’ll get a little nervous, but otherwise I feel alright.

Do you have any traditions you do before a show?
Before one show — what was it, maybe Lanvin last season? One runway was really long, and me and a couple of my friends were like, “Oh my God, that is a workout.” So we stretched before, as a joke.

Victoria's Secret 2010

What’s your favorite thing about being a model?
Before I started modeling, I had never been out of the country, and now I feel like I’m out of the country at least a few times a month, if not once a week.

Where have you been that you really loved?
I always love going to Paris, and now I feel like I know it really well. Recently, I went to the Caribbean for the first time, to Turks & Caicos, for an editorial in German Vogue. That was really amazing, especially because we stayed at this great place. We kind of had our own little villa. And luckily we finished shooting early, so I actually got to enjoy where I was and go to the beach.

Any place you’d like to go that you haven’t been to yet?
I’d like to go to Australia at one point, all I hear is good things about it, and one of my friends [Julia Nobis] is from there. It just looks and sounds amazing.

What’s the worst thing about being a model?
You can’t really plan things, you have to be ready to just jump up and go at any time. Like today, I had to just drop everything I was doing and pack and head to the airport. So that can be a pain sometimes, but I’ve gotten used to it. As long as I’m not living out of a suitcase, I’m happy.

Any guilty pleasures?
I love carrot cake — that’s probably my favorite — and I’m obsessed with peanut butter. I eat anything with peanut butter — maybe not carrot cake with peanut butter — but, I think I got this from The Parent Trap: Oreos and peanut butter, I like that. And peanut butter and apples, peanut butter and chocolate.

You have a birthday coming up on April 4. Any plans to celebrate?
I don’t know. I think I’m going to be in New York. I don’t have any plans yet, but I think I’m going to try to get my friends together and do something — maybe a nice dinner.

Lanvin Pre-Fall 2011

Where would you ideally go for dinner?
Well, I love Mexican food, and there’s a really good restaurant called El Parador that I love. I found it because when I was first starting [as a model], I would always take this ferry service [from New Jersey] into the city right after school, and I always passed by this restaurant. My mom and I went in one day, and it was really amazing. It’s still is the best Mexican I’ve had.

What’s your favorite thing to order?
Chicken fajitas.

What are you scared of?
Bugs. When I was in Turks & Caicos, a bug jumped out of my room service menu. That kind of freaked me out.

Any long term dreams?
I definitely want to continue doing this for a while. But at some point maybe [I’ll] take some classes at school in the city, I would like to at some point do modeling and college. I also want to try acting — give it a shot — maybe take some lessons, I think that could be fun. I feel like that could even help me with modeling, because in a way you have to act. I was talking about it with my friends, so we’ll see.

Photo: all courtesy Condé Nast archive

Most models in New York are currently doing the Fashion Week circuit, but not Anna de Rijk — she’s got other projects on her plate. The 22-year-old Dutch model, who has lived in Brooklyn for one and a half years now with model friends, was first discovered at 16 at a neighbor’s Christmas party in her hometown of Haarlem. By February 2009, she was chosen for a highly-coveted Prada runway exclusive, and it’s all fallen into place from there. W caught up with her to see what she’s been doing instead of walking the Fall 2011 New York runways.

From left: Donna Karan Pre-Fall 2011; Oscar de la Renta Resort 2011

Where are you right now?
I’m sitting in my apartment in Williamsburg.

Do you have a favorite spot in your neighborhood?
There’s this café called Blackbird, which is really cute and reminds me of a European or French café. They have crepes, and sometimes there’s a piano player playing music. And then there are a few restaurants . . . I’m a vegetarian, so I really like Bliss, a vegetarian place, and some other Thai and Japanese places.

How long have you been vegetarian for?
A year. I was raised [mostly] without meat — my parents mainly made pasta without meat every night, so since I didn’t really grow up with it, I didn’t really like it so much. And then a year ago, it was really strange — I was in a plane, and I got chicken, and I looked at the chicken, and I thought it just looked so gross. And then I felt like, well, I’m kind of half vegetarian [already], so I decided I’m not going to eat meat and chicken anymore, period. I eat a bit of fish because otherwise I feel really weak. I’m not vegan. I eat cheese and eggs and yogurt.

We heard you just came from Stockholm. You were shooting for H&M?
Yeah, I was shooting for H&M. This was for the catalogue, but I shot the campaign earlier this month.

How long were you in Stockholm for?
Two days. It was really nice because I had some spare time, and I went swimming and to the sauna and dinner and drinks with the other model [Clement Chabernaud]. It was a really relaxing time. The sauna, I never realized how good it makes you feel. You’re glowing after.

From left: Jason Wu Resort 2011; Chanel Fall 2010 RTW

Any other recent travel?
I traveled to the Bahamas for the H&M campaign, which was super nice. It was so crazy, because I’d never been there — we were flying in this plane which only had two chairs next to each other, and it made this stop in between. It was like taking the bus but through the air. And when you fly above it, the sea has such crazy colors, you can see all these turquoise and baby blue colors. It was really beautiful actually.

More…

Norwegian blonde Siri Tollerod (here, backstage at Marc Jacobs) broke onto the modeling scene in 2007—with a Steven Meisel-shot Italian Vogue spread, no less — and has been going strong ever since. Fresh off a Paris couture stint at the end of last month—which included appearances on the Valentino, Chanel, and Armani Prive runways—the 22-year-old current face of Marc Jacobs is gearing up for another round of fashion shows. W caught up with her on the brink.

Where are you right now?
In my apartment in the East Village.

Where have you been traveling recently?
Recently I went to Montreal to shoot for the Ogilvy department store magazine; I was in Paris for the couture shows; also, I went to Beijing for a day and a half for the Prada show—not too much to see or do in that time. I went once before [to Beiiing] and had time to see more stuff.

From left: Valentino Spring 2011 Haute Couture; Chanel Spring 2011 Haute Couture

What’s the strangest thing that’s happened to you at a shoot?
I had to kiss a cat once on a shoot with Miles Aldridge for Italian Vogue, and I had a snake around my neck — that was kind of creepy — for the recent job in Montreal.

Have you been doing fashion show castings?
Yeah, I’ve done a few of them. I can’t really say [which ones]. I did a few of them yesterday for casting directors and for some designers as well.

Do you plan to do all four major fashion weeks?
I’m going to skip London I think, and then I’ll just do Milan and Paris after New York.

What are the essentials you always carry around with you during fashion week?
My cellphone — very important. I always have a bag of nuts; I have facial cleanser and moisturizer; and my iPod.

Who’s on your iPod?
I listen to Royksopp a lot. I like Coldplay a lot, and Oasis. Also, Annie Lennox.

How do you keep your hair and nails from getting trashed during the runway season?
I use a lot of conditioner, and not too much shampoo, because the conditioner makes my hair stronger. And I use this oil — it’s kind of like a dry [hair] oil — it’s called Je Veux [Argan Moroccan oil]. For my nails, I use hand cream and just pray that they’ll stay.

Tollerod (left) in Miu Miu's, fall 2010 campaign, shot by Mert Alas and Marcus Piggott.

Anything new in your wardrobe you’re excited to wear during fashion week?
I bought a dress from Helmut Lang which I’m kind of excited to wear. It’s just a short dress with long sleeves — it’s black, and in the middle it’s brown. I got black leather boots from Acne I also plan to wear, with a kind of chunky heel and a buckle on the back. And a beige shirt from Acne.

First thing you plan to do after it’s all over, post-Paris Fashion Week?
Probably go back to New York and have day of doing absolutely nothing—just sleep, not wear any makeup, and not have anyone tell me what to do for an entire day. It’s very luxurious.

Any place you’d like to vacation?
Somewhere warm and with a really beautiful beach—in the Caribbean . . . Turks and Caicos, probably. I’ve never been there.

How do you spend your free time?
I read a lot. I like to go skiing, I like to go fishing . . . As much as I like those cold winter sports, I’m also very much a fan of summer, so I love the sun and just being outside when it’s nice and warm, especially when I can go hiking or lay on the beach. I like to be outdoors a lot.

What are you currently reading?
Anna Karenina by Tolstoy

Are you going to carry it with you during fashion week? That’s a heavy book.
I try but it is really large. Here in New York I can carry it, but I hope to finish it before I go to Milan, and bring a smaller book [to Milan]. I have a lot of books waiting to be read. I’ll either bring On the Road by Jack Kerouac, or I’ll bring Italian Shoes by Henning Mankell.

From left: Marc Jacobs Spring 2011; Yves Saint Laurent Spring 2011

What are your guilty pleasures?
Benny’s Burritos, cheesecake, or carrot cake.

Who are your closest model friends?
Kasia Struss, Alana Zimmer, Sheila Marquez . . . I saw them yesterday after castings. We went to have a cup of tea at Café Select in Soho, to just relax and not really do anything — just talking.

What’s your favorite place in New York?
For restaurants, I really love 7A for breakfast; I also really like Gnocco for Italian food. For shops, I love Scoop in Soho, and the Acne store.

Any New Year’s resolutions?
My resolution this year is wearing seatbelts in cabs.

What do you see for yourself in the year ahead?
I’ll probably figure out what I want to study — I think I want to go back to business school, but I don’t know which part of business I want to go deeper into, whether it’s PR or marketing.

Would you study in the States or in Norway? Or somewhere else?
I have to decide on that, too.

And what are you up to today?
I have some castings, and then I’m going to a massage place in Queens with Kasia [Struss].

Alessandra Ambrosio doesn’t need much of an introduction at this point — the 29-year-old Brazilian powerhouse has been in the modeling business for over a decade. She started working with Victoria’s Secret in 2000, and has been a Victoria’s Secret Angel since 2004. But she remains in demand with high fashion brands as well — no easy feat. She’s a current face for Dolce & Gabbana, and walked the runway for six labels last season, among them Dolce, Marc Jacobs, Giles, and Loewe. And as hectic as her work life may be, her personal life hasn’t suffered. She became engaged to California businessman Jamie Mazur in the summer of 2008 (they’d been dating since 2005), and they welcomed their first child, Anja, shortly after, on August 24, 2008. Three months later, Alessandra was back on the Victoria’s Secret runway. Needless to say, she’s a busy woman. W chatted with her about where she might be headed next, both personally and professionally.

Where are you right now?
In Los Angeles, at The Ivy restaurant in Santa Monica in the gorgeous weather. I’m like sweating actually. I was in New York yesterday, [the weather] was miserable.

Any recent fun shoots, travel, or other things coming up people might not know about?
Well, the new Dolce campaign — it just came out in the magazines — and Love magazine’s going to come out February 5, I have things in there. And I’m going to Brazil tomorrow. I’m doing a fashion show — because it’s fashion week in Brazil — with Ashton Kutcher and Gisele [for Colcci]. Gisele used to do the [Colcci] campaign, and me and Ashton just shot the new campaign with Steven Klein. And then after Brazil I’m coming back to LA to shoot the new Victoria’s Secret Bombshell Bra commercial with Michael Bay. So that’s like the next 10 days.

Dolce & Gabbana Spring 2011, Prada Fall 2010

Do you plan to do any of the other upcoming fashion weeks — New York, London, Milan, or Paris?
I have options for the fashion weeks there, I just have to make sure I have the time. I have to do a few days with my contracts I have in Brazil, and with Victoria’s Secret and some other stuff that I have. I hope I’ll be in at least one show.

Any one in particular?
Well, I can’t say. The designers usually don’t like to say until we’re on the runway. Like when I did Prada last year, I couldn’t mention doing Prada or even Tweet or take a picture and put it on Twitter saying I was backstage at the Prada show. And Dolce was the same thing. They like to keep a little surprise, I guess, a little secret for everybody.

You’ve been working with Victoria’s Secret for over ten years now. Do you foresee yourself working with them for another ten years?
I love them, it’s been a great family. I love everybody that I work with, and we have so much fun. I definitely have projects with them, and I’ll be working on projects with them. I don’t think I’m going to be in my [30’s] doing laundry. [Laughs] Who knows, everything is possible. Like Heidi [Klum] was doing the [Victoria’s Secret] runway show at 36 years old, in a bra and panties, and looking fabulous. So we don’t know.

Victoria's Secret 2009 Show, 2010 Met Costume Institute Gala

There’s been quite a baby boom at Victoria’s Secret in the last couple of years. Have you spoken with Miranda Kerr or Doutzen Kroes since they gave birth?
No, I sent emails to them congratulating them. You know, I have a kid on my own, and I know how busy it is, the first weeks and the first month. It’s just good for them to concentrate on their baby. So I’ve seen pictures, and I’ve sent emails congratulating them. I can’t wait to meet the babies.

And what about you, do you foresee yourself adding to your family?
I don’t know. I don’t really plan that. [Anja] came unplanned, and I think that’s the way it is with me. I like it as a surprise.

Giles Spring 2011

After you did the Giles runway in a bikini last season, you said in an interview that now that you’re a mom, you draw the line at G-strings. Is there anything else you draw the line at?
I don’t think so. Yeah, I don’t feel that comfortable being on the runway with a G-string. I shoot G-strings with Victoria’s Secret, but on the runway . . . It’s really about the moment. I work with professionals. Professional people make everything look perfect, they make everything that you’re wearing look great, if it’s in a picture or on the runway.

You’re engaged — who would be your dream wedding dress designer be?
I just have this picture of a dress that I loved from Alice Temperley. I think it would be between . . . I always dream that Stefano Gabbana and Domenico Dolce [would do something for me]. The Dolce & Gabbana dresses, they are always fantastic. So those two. I would probably wear both.

Any Valentine’s Day plans in the works?
I was just thinking about that yesterday. I’m going to be working, filming here in Los Angeles, and I don’t really know my schedule. On the 14th or the 15th I might have to be working, but it all depends. But if I have the time, I’d love to go for a nice dinner, maybe drive up to Santa Barbara and spend the night in a romantic hotel there.

You’re a big Coachella fan, right?
I love to go to Coachella. I have so many friends that go — me and my fiancé met there — and I’m already planning Coachella 2011 with all my friends and my fiancé.

Hakaan Spring 2011

Is there anybody at Coachella you’re looking forward to seeing?
Kings of Leon. I’m friends with the band. I just love their music. I have the CD in my car, and I listen like ten times a day, over and over. And then there’s a lot of other bands — Empire of the Sun, Robyn, Kanye West, every day there’s so many bands. Is Duran Duran playing? Yeah, Duran Duran, I love them, one of my favorite songs is from them.

Your 30th birthday is coming up in a few months. Any thoughts on how you might celebrate?
A friend of mine suggested Morocco, to go to Morocco with friends and family, so I’m kind of considering that. But for me, it’s so hard to plan something, because I might be in Brazil working. The only important thing is that I have my family by my side — that I have my daughter with me, my fiancé, my parents, and my closest friends. It doesn’t matter where we are, it will be great.

How has the modeling industry changed since you first started working?
I guess it’s like a real job. When I started, it was a hobby, something fun to do. Before, models had that rock star life and it was all about going to the parties and having that glamorous life, and I think these days, models are more like businesswomen and the whole industry takes it really serious.

Marc Jacobs Spring 2011, Emanuel Ungaro Spring 2011

What do you feel like is the next step in your career?
Wait and see.

Do you ever see yourself retiring from modeling?
When I first started at 15 years old, I thought my career was going to be done by 20. And I thought at 20 years old I was going to have a husband and two kids, and I would live in a house and take care of the kids. And it didn’t happen that way. So for me I really don’t think much, you know, when is it going to end. Because when I was 20 years old that didn’t happen. So I just kind of go with the flow and let it be. It’s not something you can plan. You don’t know what’s really going to happen, and you don’t know how fashion is going to turn and what’s going to happen with the fashion world and the economy, obviously.

Louis Vuitton Fall 2010, Fendi O' Fan di Fendi Party

Any guilty pleasures?
I love Cheetos, those hot, spicy kind. And chocolate. Every time I’m in the airport I’m buying Cheetos and eating them on the airplane.

Any New Year’s resolutions, things you’d like to accomplish this year?
Raise my daughter. I’m looking right now into schools for her, so that’s my big thing in my personal life — get her a good school. And always be healthy and eat as healthy as you can; try to have a routine of working out and doing yoga; take care of my body and take care of my family, too.

And what are you up to tonight?
Well, it’s afternoon here, but I have to go to Apple because my computer just crashed, so I have to get my computer fixed. So I’m going to Apple, then I have a dress that I wanted to get altered, so I’m taking my dress to get altered. Then I’m going to Pilates after that, and after I’m probably going to go for dinner with my fiancé, because I’ve been away from him like 20 days. 

Photos: Fairchild Archive

At 5 foot 7, Bambi Northwood-Blyth may be at least a couple of inches shorter than most models, but that height difference never hindered Kate Moss, and it doesn’t seem to be affecting the 20-year-old Aussie model, either. Known for her strong eyebrows and a wrist tattoo featuring her namesake Disney deer, Northwood-Blyth has been squired from day one by power stylist Katie Grand, who, coincidentally, has her own penchant for cartoon animals. From a Polaroid alone, sight unseen, Grand cast Bambi in spread of London shows, seeing to it that she led an army of 50 models out during the Topshop Unique finale. Since, Northwood-Blyth has appeared in an H&M campaign, and it’s only a matter of time before she catches on further — from when W talked to her, it sounds like she’s about to take on New York.

Unique, spring 2011

Where are you right now?
At home, in Bondi Beach in Australia.

And what’s your favorite place near where you live?
Bondi Beach. I’m learning to surf, it’s going really well.

Any recent shoots or travel?
Mostly I’ve just been here, seeing family, chilling out, waiting for the new year.

When did you realize you wanted to be a model?
It just kind of happened. I kept liking it enough, so I kept going.

From left: Giles, spring 2011; Chanel, Pre-fall 2011

Your real first name is Stephanie, right? Where did Bambi come from?
It’s just a nickname that stuck. It’s my middle name.

Do you plan to go to Paris for couture?
No, I’m just saving energy for the fashion season. We’ll just see how it goes, but I plan to go to all four [fashion weeks, New York, London, Milan, Paris].

How do you spend your free time?
Learning to surf, bike riding, chilling out, reading — I just finished The Alchemist, and plan to do Freakonomics next.

From left: Chanel, spring 2011; Jen Kao, spring 2011

What was the last thing you bought?
A bike for my boyfriend.

What are you looking to add to your closet currently?
A big vintage fur jacket.

Any aspirations outside of modeling? Would you ever design?
I plan to maybe go back and study one day. I would do entrepreneurship in Australia, where I used to be enrolled. Never say never to design.

From left: Rag & Bone, spring 2011; Balenciaga, spring 2011

Any other models whose careers you really admire?
Probably most girls, honestly . . . how hard they work, running around . . .

Do you have a favorite place to vacation?
Bali, Indonesia. I’ve been a couple of times, most recently last August for a wedding. I’d like to go to Barbados, it sounds like a fun place.

Your favorite feature about yourself?
My eyebrows.

Harper's Bazaar, Australia, June July 2010

And you least favorite feature?
My hands, because I bite my nails too much.

Any New Year’s resolutions, things you’d like to accomplish this year?
Moving to New York is a pretty big one, when I come over [for fashion week] I’ll start looking. I hope to move in the 1st of March.

Which neighborhood would you like to live in?
Williamsburg.

Photos: Fairchild Archive

A number of model predictors are saying 2011 will be all about the Dutch girl — and Saskia de Brauw (left, backstage at Paul Smith Spring 2011), born and raised in a small town just outside of Amsterdam, is well on her way to ensuring that prediction comes true. She first started modeling at 16 before quitting to pursue art school; now, she’s back at 29, walking in coveted spots for Balenciaga, Reed Krakoff, and Givenchy last season, and landing the Spring 2011 Eres and Givenchy campaigns. Needless to say, she’s won a fan in Riccardo Tisci — he worked with Saskia again just recently on the Givenchy Pre-Fall 2011 lookbook. But just because she’s back to modeling doesn’t mean Saskia’s left her art behind — she has a blog, on which she posts her black-and-white still life photographs. W caught up with de Brauw to find out how she ended up back on the modeling scene.

Where are you now?
I’m at home, in Amsterdam. I live near Jordaan, around the old city center.

What’s your favorite place in Amsterdam?
Home, because I’m away a lot at the moment.

Any fun shoots coming up?
I did a great shoot for Italian Vogue a couple of days ago, with Steven Meisel in New York. And the shows are coming up, so I hope to be busy then.

Do you plan to go to Paris for couture?
I might have a few options. I don’t know yet, I have nothing booked yet.

From left Paul Smith Spring 2011, Givenchy Spring 2011

You were a model at 16 and then quit to study art. What brought you back to modeling all these years later?
I was not intending to model again, but I have a friend in Amsterdam who is a makeup artist who said I should model again. I was doing all sorts of jobs to make my living [at the time] — I worked in a bakery, taught art at school to really young kids, and I would occasionally earn with my art projects, but most of the time that wouldn’t pay the bills. So when she proposed that I try it again, I thought, “Why not?” It’s become bigger than I expected it to be.

You keep a blog — tell me about that. I read on it that you take a camera with you everywhere, including to your castings last season.
I think for me, when I’m traveling, I can’t really focus on one bigger project, so I like collecting memories, visual memories. Hopefully, if I eventually amass a bigger collection [of photographs], I will make a book, but it's also very pleasurable just to collect. I just bought a camera to bring next season, a Fuji 465, which is an analog camera. It uses larger format film, and there’s nothing digital to it. I prefer analog to digital.

The snapshots on my blog were all made with really small digital camera — I can put it in my bag, and can be more invisible [while taking photos] that way. Backstage, I’m mainly interested in the models . . . the moment when they’re not performing, the moment before they’re performing. I wouldn’t be interested in [photographing] models posing; lots of girls waiting for something [backstage], these are moments I like to capture.

Balenciaga Spring 2011

Are there any other models whose careers you really admire?
Lara [Stone] has an interesting career. She had been working many years before; the moment she wanted to stop is when her career started taking off.

When you have to do all the more crappy jobs before, you appreciate all the good work that comes out of that. There are many girls who immediately have a top model career, and there are lots of models who are doing things that aren’t as exciting as doing big campaigns and beautiful magazines.

I never had worked in high fashion before, had never experienced it when I was a model before. I appreciate it, being able to work with such talented people, It feels like a gift now. I think for everyone everything happens at the right time, and this is my time.

Is there anyone in particular you’d really like to work with?
Peter Lindbergh. I just love what he does. I would love to see who this man is and how he works.

Tell me about your relationship with Riccardo Tisci — you’re in the new Givenchy campaign and you just worked with him again on the Givenchy Pre-Fall lookbook. How did you meet?
I met him when I was doing my castings for the shows. He asked me, “Are you a dancer or an actress?,” and I said, “No, I’m a visual artist,” and he said, “Oh, I can see that.” He senses something else in models, another story behind [just the face].

Givenchy Spring/Summer 2011 Ad Campaign

How do you spend your free time?
I do hatha yoga a lot. I like to read — I’m reading Shantaram, it’s really great. I haven’t finished it yet, but it’s a great traveling book because it’s not too difficult to read, but it’s exciting. I also like to walk in town and observe, to sit in the metro and watch people, or just sit somewhere and watch people.

What's your favorite place to vacation?
I love Italy, the most recent time I was there was for my brother’s wedding a couple of years ago. My dream is to go to India. Rajasthan to start, but everywhere, really. My boyfriend traveled a lot in India, he has been telling me about it.

How long have you two been together?
A little more than two years. He’s a photographer — he’s editing his photos now — he does documentary photography and makes films, too. We met a couple of years before we got together — Vincent photographed me, in Marseilles. We just walked in the city and he took pictures, there was no posing. And we had coffee and dinner. It was for a magazine for the train.

Any New Year’s resolutions or things you’d like to accomplish this year?
It’s more about a state of mind — I want to take everything really positive, to turn everything into something positive.

And what about tonight, what are you up to tonight?
We plan to go out to dinner at Cinema Paradiso. It’s pizza place, but it’s really good. 

Runway photos: Fairchild Archive

Lily Aldridge hails from quite the fashion family — her half-sister, Saffron Aldridge, was a multiyear face of Ralph Lauren in the ‘90s; her half-brother, Miles Aldridge, is a top fashion photographer and married to ‘90s supermodel Kristen McMenamy; and her sister, Ruby Aldridge, is a rising model in her own right, becoming the face of Marc by Marc Jacobs earlier this year. But 25-year-old Lily is coming off of quite the bang-up year herself: she just recently walked her second Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show, in which she was given her wings for the first time, and in September, it was announced that she and Kings of Leon singer Caleb Followill, who she’s been dating for over two years, are engaged.  What’s next for this busy girl?

Aldridge in the 2010 Victoria Secret Fashion show.

Where are you now?
In New York, at my apartment in the West Village. Earlier today I was doing press runs for Victoria’s Secret and appearing on NFL Today.

Have you been traveling any recently?
Since the Victoria’s Secret show taping, I’ve stayed in New York. It’s nice being home for a few weeks. But I’m in Turks and Caicos next week, and I can’t wait for the sunshine.

Did you do anything in particular to prep for the taping?
I have trainer, so I just did a little extra . . .  a little extra pilates, but nothing crazy.

You just got engaged in September, right? Congratulations! Have you set a date?
Thanks, yeah! Right now we’re just playing it by ear.

What about a dream wedding dress designer?
I’ve been asked a lot recently, but it’s really about what suits me the most and whatever is right for the day.  I could get a super high fashion dress, but it’s really about what I feel most comfortable in.

Aldridge and Followill

How do you spend your free time?
Recently I’ve been watching a lot of Christmas movies — It’s a Wonderful Life, A Christmas Carol … and I just watched the Christmas Carol cartoon with Jim Carrey voicing. I love Christmas movies!

Any guilty pleasures?
Haagen Dazs ice cream bars — the milk chocolate almond kind.

What other aspirations do you have outside of modeling? Acting or singing maybe?
I wouldn’t sing — no one would ever want to hear that. But I want to start a family one day, and be involved in more charities, helping children.

Any fun holiday plans?
I’m going to London for a few weeks. I’ll do all my Christmas shopping there, at Selfridges, Harvey Nichols, Harrods … they have the best shopping in London, it’s dangerous. So I’ll spend some time there, and then an exotic location for New Year’s, to spend some time on the beach.

What would you most like to receive for the holidays?
Well it was just my birthday, and my boyfriend — fiancé, I still have to get used to saying it — got me an amazing gift, what I really wanted. So it’s just about enjoying that and having some relaxing time.

Do you feel like fashion runs in your family? You have a sister and half-sister [Ruby and Saffron Aldridge] who have modeled and a photographer half-brother [Miles Aldridge]…
I’ve always been intrigued by it … I would go on shoots with my brother, and my sister [Saffron] would take me on her Ralph Lauren shoots from when I was four.

From left: Aldridge attends the 2010 Met Gala; at the Gramercy Park hotel in 2009.

Where’s your favorite place to vacation?
Spain, especially Barcelona. I love the lifestyle — sleep, eat, sleep, eat. I’m such an early bird too; in New York, I go to dinner at like 5 pm, and there, dinner doesn’t even start until 9 pm.

And your favorite place in New York?
I love Bar Buto — they have this spaghetti that’s not on the menu. It’s spaghetti with parmesan and butter, and it’s absolutely heavenly. Since the [Victoria’s Secret] show I have had it every day for like two weeks.

How did you find out it existed since it’s off the menu?
One day I wasn’t feeling well, and the girl was like, ‘I know what will make you feel better!’ And she brought it to me.

What do you see for yourself in the year ahead?
I’ve had such an amazing year, so I just want to keep going ahead and enjoying everything I can.

And any plans for tonight?
Actually, I have to wake up at 3:30 am, so I’m going to sleep right away after we get off the phone. But I don’t have anything the day after, so it’s okay — I just have to sleep early again tomorrow night to recover.

Swedish-born, Houston-bred Britt Maren — Britt is actually her middle name, and Maren is after her great-great-grandmother — is just coming off her breakout runway season. Alexander Wang handpicked her to work exclusively with him before his Spring 2011 show — which she then opened — and they produced a short film series together. By the time she got to Paris, she had walked for Marc Jacobs, Rodarte, Roberto Cavalli, Fendi . . . and Guido Palau cut off eight inches of her dirty blonde hair and dyed it platinum for the Balenciaga show. 20-year-old Maren is featured in W’s newest issue, as captured by Paolo Roversi; we caught up with her to get the lowdown on all that’s happened since she moved from Houston to New York just a few short months ago.

Where are you right now?
At my apartment, I just got back from walking my dog. He’s a puggle, and his name is Zeus — my boyfriend named him.

What neighborhood do you call home?
Lower Chelsea/Meatpacking.

And your favorite place in New York?
I like going to the park on a nice day, to walk my dog. I love going to bakeries in Chinatown — they’re not the typical bakery with cupcakes — for the steamed buns that have pumpkin or sesame or chestnuts or red beans inside. And there’s this cool bar, Apotheke, that my boyfriend took me to in Chinatown: it’s on a teeny little street where you would never expect it, and they have mixologists and chefs working there, mixing fruit and vegetable-infused drinks.

From left: Chanel, spring 2011; Balenciaga, spring 2011

You just did the Lanvin x H&M show! How was it?
They told us to have fun with it on the runway — stop however many times you want, smile, laugh, engage with audience. And there were a ton of fresh flowers — it was freezing backstage because of the flowers, they had to crank up the AC to keep them fresh. I really liked the clothes, too — I loved my yellow dress — but I couldn’t take it home because they’re auctioning it off. I have to work tomorrow — I’m shooting with Love for the first time — but maybe on Sunday I can go try to get something from the collection at H&M.

Any other fun shoots recently?
I did American Vogue a couple of days ago — it was a Gangs of New York theme, and in my group, there were five of us platinum blonde girls in Calvin Klein, jumping — they shot us all mid-air.

Backstage, Missoni, spring 2011

Tell us a little bit about your relationship with Alexander Wang. How did you meet?
My bookers are close with him, so they sent me over to meet him personally — I think castings for his show were already going on at the time. Afterward, he called the agency and asked them to keep me under wraps instead of sending me out to other castings. I spent the next week doing looks with him and [his show stylist] Karl Templer at his studio. I was an Alexander Wang fan before — I always really liked his clothes and shows — so it was a dream come true to live that. He’s so personable and fun. It was all very spur of the moment, I had just joined [my agency] Women a few days before that.

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