LUNA BIJL
With great work ethic
and charm, the modeling prodigy Luna Bijl, too, came from humble beginnings in the countryside of Holland. As an unabashed tomboy with a love of sports, especially motocross, Luna delighted in being covered in dirt, playing outside and being one with the boys.
“I was always with boys and busy with completely other things than fashion. I was always covered with dirt and I didn’t care so much about the way I looked.”
It was Luna’s dad that influenced her love for motocross at an early age, a love that was passed down from father to son, now father to daughter:
My dad did motocross all his life and so did his dad, so I guess it’s just in my blood. I was around 12 when I started doing competitions in quadcross. I went to motocross every weekend and that was a big part of my life. I was always covered in dirt and always one of the guys. Now I ride motocross with my dad just for fun when we have free time. I can’t imagine my life without it, I am just addicted to the feeling and the adrenaline.
I can already hear your tune
Calling me across the room
When the world and his wife are on my back again
Not enough pleasure, too much pain
With Luna’s motocross
grease and gears childhood, she never saw herself as a pretty face, she never posed in front of a camera, and modeling wasn’t something she was particularly interested in. But as she was finishing high school with no idea what to pursue, friends suggested she try modeling.
When the world is too much with me
Please leave, just go away
I lose my mind completely
Please leave, just go now
In the side street something’s moving
Look around, look around
All around you walls are tumbling down
Stop staring at the ground
It didn’t take long for 
Luna to be scouted by Premier Model Management and her being praised for being a “photogenic sensation.” “It came really naturally to me, the first time I went on set I just knew it was right. When I started out at 17, I figured I’d give myself a year to see if I could make it work and I haven’t stopped since.”
In 2015, Luna went on an Alexander the Great-esque conquest in the fashion world, going to city to city, walking for Ralph Lauren, Derek Lam, Carolina Herrera, Dolce & Gabbana, Fausto Puglisi, Alberta Ferretti, Isabel Marant and others.
But the siege of Bijl was far from over when she landed her first three editorials for Vogue Netherlands, Vogue Spain, and Vogue Australia. The legend grew as Luna walked for JEAN PAUL GAULTIER, MICHAEL KORS, ALEXANDER WANG, LOUIS VUITTON, AND CHANEL. Not to mention her TWO COVERS for Vogue Paris in the same year!
I can practically see your face
And another revolutionary falls from grace
Hear the thunder in your brain
Not enough sunshine, too much rain
“I can’t describe it, it’s such an honor. I still can’t believe it, the moment I found out I was on the cover I started crying with happiness. It’s a dream come true.” (Talking about her first cover for Vogue Paris)
In 2018, Luna would be bestowed another honor when the late Karl Lagerfeld named Lily-Rose Depp and Luna Bijl as his “Choupettes” as he considered them, Luna in particular to be his favorite fashion muses.
“My current favorite is a Dutch girl, Luna [Bijl],” with whom he closed the show, hand-in-hand. He even has a pet-name for his crew, “there are some people I nickname my ‘Choupettes’… Luna and Vanessa Paradis’ daughter, Lily-Rose Depp, are two of my ‘Choupettes’!”
At just 21, Luna has compiled a formidable modeling resume, accumulated several fashion covers, walked numerous runways for some of the biggest names, is already a top 50 model according to Models.com, landed a fragrance campaign for Tom Ford, and by all accounts, she’s just getting started!
When the light of life has gone
No change for the meter
And then the king of spivs will come
Selling blood by the liter
When nothing’s sacred anymore
When the demon’s knocking on your door
You’ll still be staring down at the floor
Contrary to her glamorous modeling gig and big city, high fashion life style, Luna is one of the most down-to-earth models around. She still loves to motocross with her dad when time permits, loves to wear sneakers, practically lives in her sweatpants, loves to dance, kickbox and is obsessed with music. “I am obsessed with music, I always have music on.”
And when it comes to Luna’s best friends they have nothing but good things to say about her:
“Luna is a very cheerful person. She always does things for her friends first before thinking about herself. She’s very easy to talk to and she really listens. She always has good advice. Well, she has advice. I don’t know if it’s always good, but she always tries.”
-Kim van der Maas (Luna’s childhood best friend)
“Luna is super social. She talks easily, so it was fun from the first minute.”
-Birgit Kos
Words don’t do justice to Luna Bijl’s greatness as a model. I remember seeing her editorials for the first time a few months ago and being left speechless. On the catwalk she has this indescribable commanding look and aura about herself. When you see her, your attention is fixated on her almost involuntarily, like some Haute couture Helen of Troy.
To my knowledge, Luna has never received any formal teaching for acting nor does she have a background in theater. But she effortless plays different characters, emotes, and excels in any role she’s given.
Not too many hours from this hour
So long
The storm comes
Or is it just another shower?
Not too many hours from this hour
So long
Now the storm has come
Or is it just another shower?
“For me, standing in front of the camera is an escape from reality,” says Bijl. “You get to see yourself in a very different way; you can play different characters and change into these different roles.”
What Luna does is pure art. You don’t have to have a vast knowledge of fashion to appreciate what she does. It’s not something you can teach or really acquire, it’s just something you have to have.
I wasn’t alive when the Big Five dominated and changed the fashion world, I was too young to see Laetitia Casta in the 90s, but I’m happy I’m old enough to see Luna Bijl. I have a good feeling about her and I’m sure she will leave her mark on the world.
She’s Netherlands meets Home on the Range, countryside raised but big city living, always one of the guys with motocross never far from her mind, her beauty only being second to her heart, a Superlove to give thanks to, Luna Bijl.
Born in Kehra, Estonia,
Karmen Pedaru was raised by her grandmother after her mother died when Karmen was 5 years old. Among a family of athletes, Karmen took naturally to sports, playing basketball, handball and even playing as the goalkeeper for Estonia’s national football team.
“I can not give up sports. I was for years a female football player of the national team: I was the goalkeeper, I was the number one! I also really like tennis and I play when I have time.”
“My husband and I go out for dinner every night—we have three restaurants in the Piazza Navona that we switch between.”
I absolutely adore Karmen Pedaru. She’s accomplished so much as a model, but she seems so unknown and
underrated. She’s so versatile as a model. To runway, Haute Couture, editorial, commercial, she can do it all effortlessly.
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