I haven’t talked about Doutzen Kroes in forever lol. I kinda feel bad about that, but I’ll make up for it this year. Doutzen is now a brand ambassador for Hunkemoller, a swimwear and lingerie company based in the Netherlands. They even have a collection made after Doutzen called Doutzen’s Stories which is so awesome! I’m happy for Doutzen Kroes and I hope she has a big year.
Channeling her beauty 
icons like Debbie Harry and Kate Moss, Rianne van Rompaey, the redheaded Wageningen, Holland native, is what would happen if the works of Dr. Seuss, Roald Dahl, Tim Burton with a smidge of Robin Williams came to life and became a phenomenal quirky top fashion model.
There’s no going back to that
I’m so numb, cannot even react
Did not say it’s not ok
But we aren’t feeling the same way
I ain’t telling you a secret
I ain’t telling you goodbye
As an acting student, Rianne got her start in modeling as a high schooler when she was scouted by Amsterdam-based Paparazzi Model Management at the age of 19. The same year in 2014, Rianne was already walking in Nicolas Ghesquière’s debut collection for Louis Vuitton.
Ghesquière admired Rianne so much that he and the Vuitton team decided to tape an exclusive of Rianne. With the life changing and positive experience of doing her first show, Rianne was more determined than ever to put her creative energy into modeling which didn’t go unnoticed.
In that same year, 
Rianne walked for Prada, Miu Miu, scored some of her first editorials for Vogue Paris, WSJ, Interview Magazine and appeared alongside Naomi Campbell, Linda Evangelista, and Anna Ewers for the 50th anniversary cover of Vogue Italia photographed by Steven Meisel.
In 2016 alone, Rianne had 5 Vogue covers! One for Vogue Netherlands, another for Vogue Italia, one for Vogue Germany, Vogue China, and Vogue Russia. But the most prestigious and exciting one of all would be her first Vogue Paris cover in November of 2017 photographed by Inez and Vinoodh.
It is the last thing on my mind
Still you would not let things unwind
Spinning tight around your head
Can’t you hear a word I said
I ain’t telling you a secret
I ain’t’ telling you goodbye
“It’s the magazine of all magazines. The quality is always very high, it’s very chic whilst also being very modern, and knows how to surprise you every time.”
As unforgettable as Rianne’s editorial and commercial work is, her work in fashion shows are probably her most prolific. According to Models.com, Rianne has appeared in 149 shows and has walked for everyone from Chanel, Valentino, Chloe, Saint Laurent, Versace, Fendi, Michael Kors, Marc Jacobs, Ralph Lauren, among many others.
Along with working 
with some of the most talented photographers in fashion like Juergen Teller , Patrick Demarchelier and Jamie Hawkeswort, Rianne was nominated Model of the Year in 2016, runner up for Model of the Year 2019 and according to Models.com is already considered a top 50 model in the industry.
When you call it is just not fair
It is the last thing you should share
If I can’t deal; I’ll let you know still
I wish you’d let it go
I ain’t telling you a secret
I ain’t telling you goodbye
Rianne’s quasi New York City, Ramones, punk rock flare and preferred go to jeans, t-shirt, and leather jacket, is probably the furthest thing you would consider when thinking of a top model today, especial in a world of Kylie Jenners and Kaia Gerbers.
Yet Rianne still stands out among designers and fans alike with a far smaller social media following and rarely being mentioned by mainstream outlets. Rianne has this Sissy Spacek, Lillian Gish, classical, mature look about herself. She can be Grunge, punk, quirky, and haute couture all at the same time.
On the runway, she has
one of the most commanding struts you will ever see, but there’s times she has a more calmer walk. She has such a look of intensity and hyper-focus, it’s like everything is tuned out and she’s in perfect character. She really likes to show the emotion in her eyes like how she described Kate Moss and it’s really captivating.
Rianne also loves acting and the idea of transforming yourself. “Fashion allows you to transform and see yourself in a new light.” You can see how she applies her talent for acting in her modeling work, especially her fashion covers which in my opinion are the best in the industry.
I just love all the creative qualities that Rianne brings to modeling. She can be as goth, punk, classical, and high fashion as she wants. It’s hard to match her creativity and passion. She has all the colorfulness of a Dr. Seuss character and just as cool as a Tim Burton character like Lydia Deetz from Beetlejuice.
I’m telling you for one last time
It is not just you; the problem is mine to hide
I waited as long as I could if you need it, sure
I would, that is fine
When Rianne isn’t being a phenomenal model, she enjoys sleeping, eating Japanese food, dancing, and hanging with her friends and boyfriend. And when it comes to a personal mantra, Rianne asserts that motivating yourself and fearlessly following your dreams is key.
“You can do whatever you dream of. You just need to be determined and not be scared to go all the way. Get up, get out, motivate yourself and be inspired. What are you waiting for?”
Outside of Karmen Pedaru, I don’t think there’s another model quite like Rianne with such intensity and passion. If this were the 70s punk era, Luna Bijl would probably be the Ramones while Rianne van Rompaey be closer to the Clash or the Damned. Rianne is such a special model for this generation and a tremendous creative force.
In a tumultuous month of January, one model from the Netherlands who’s just as quirky as Robin Williams, and as intense as your favorite hardcore punk band, proves there’s plenty of fight and heart left out there. A Superlove who’s totally fab and never drab, as cool and creative as she wants to be, Rianne van Rompaey!
Two of my favorite models ever in the same fashion show is so awesome. I’m so happy Laetitia isn’t going anywhere anytime soon. We need her and it’s not like the queen can relinquish her crown. But Luna Bijl who might be the greatest talent of this generation is a worthy successor to the thrown. This is like Tom Brady and Patrick Mahomes meets fashion lol and I’m so happy to see every moment of it.
From Vogue Paris:
After organizing an incredible sale in the 15th arrondissement of Paris last November, where fans could find pieces from the brand’s collections over the last 10 years, Jacquemus has unveiled a brand new project at the start of the decade. From January 14 to 19, 2020, Men’s Fashion Week will be in full swing in the heart of the French capital. The designer, who launched his men’s line in 2018, will be presenting his latest collection on January 18, 2020, featuring ready-to-wear collections for both men and women on the same runway.
Barbara Palvin is so phenomenal! I don’t think she ever looks bad in anything. It’s so great what she does, just a stellar beauty that continues to impact so many. I’m already loving 2020! Barbara is love ♡
Photography by Jumbo Tsui
I’m so happy for Luna! I’m never going to get tired of seeing her work. She’s truly in a class by herself as a model. I couldn’t think of a more awesome way to kick off 2020 than with a Luna Bijl post. She’s pure love ♡
Photography by Andreas Ortner
Before Dutch models like 
Doutzen Kroes, Marloes Horst, Bregji Heinen, Luna Bijl, and Birgit kos were even thought of in the world of fashion, Karen Mulder set the runways ablaze decades prior and captivated designers and fans alike with her sophisticated classic beauty and gentle girl next door charm.
I need to be myself
I can’t be no-one else
I’m feeling supersonic, give me gin and tonic
You can have it all, but how much do you want it?
You make me laugh
Give me your autograph
Can I ride with you in your BMW?
You can sail with me in my yellow submarine
Like Mulder’s fellow 
supermodel contemporaries of the time, she too came from humble beginnings in her home country of Vlaardingen, Zuid-Holland, Netherlands. With her short hair and braces, Karen never thought of herself as beautiful growing up and couldn’t fathom the idea of ever becoming a model.
“No-one ever told me I was beautiful,” she recalls. “When I was 14, I was out riding my bicycle with my best friend and she said, ‘You know, you’re really pretty.’ I was so surprised, I almost fell off my bike!”By the age of 17, Karen was completely engrossed with
all things fashion and beauty. Unbeknownst to Karen, friends had submitted snapshots of her to the Elite modeling agency’s Look of The Year competition. Karen didn’t raise too many objections as she saw it as a joke and didn’t entertain any hope of winning.
But to her surprise, when she returned from a vacation with her family, there was a letter waiting, informing Karen she was one of 50 girls selected for the contest. Before she’d knew it, she had come in second place in the world finals and snagged a lucrative modeling contract with Elite.
Her parents were not thrilled with the prospects of Karen becoming a model and forgoing a white collar profession:
“My father didn’t want to hear about it at all,” says Karen. “I had to get a degree, either as a physician or a pharmacist. But I was really bad in maths, and school always bored me terribly. So, for me, becoming a model was a way of escaping the whole thing.”
A few weeks later, Karen was already living and working in Paris, being booked by top fashion magazines like Elle, Vogue, and Marie Claire. In just her second year, Karen was already walking the catwalks for some of the biggest names such as Valentino, Yves Saint Laurent, Lanvin, Versace, and Giorgio Armani.
You need to find out
‘Cause no-one’s gonna tell you what I’m on about
You need to find a way for what you want to say
But before tomorrow
‘Cause my friend said he’d take you home
He sits in a corner all alone
He lives under a waterfall
Nobody can see him
Nobody can ever hear him call
Nobody can ever hear him call
In 1991 at the age of 
21, Karen’s modeling career skyrocketed as she landed a contract with GUESS and scored her first cover for the Vogue UK March 1991 issue photographed by Patrick Demarchelier.
Throughout the 1990s, Karen continued her meteoric fashion glory, walking for everyone from Ralph
Lauren, Calvin Klein, Chanel, Versace, Chloé, Fendi, Christian Dior, etc. She modeled for Victoria’s Secret for five consecutive years, appeared in Sports Illustrated Swimsuit in 1997 and 1998 and graced countless magazine covers.
Karen even had the honor of working with some of the worlds greatest fashion photographers at the time including Javier Vallhomrat, Peter Lindbergh, Patrick Demarchelier, Bruce Weber, Helmut Newton, Irving Penn and Arthur Elgort.
At the height of her career she was earning up to £10,000 (over $13,000 USD today) a day and making millions a year:
But everything wasn’t as it seemed when in 2001 on a French Television show, Karen suffered a mental breakdown, claiming she was sexually abused by powerful men in the fashion industry and even loved ones. Karen was checked into a psychiatric hospital. The following year, Karen went into a coma after she overdosed on sleeping pills in an apparent suicide attempt.
Karen rebounded a bit in 2004 as she launched her music career which was minimally successful and had a daughter in 2006, walking her last fashion show in 2007 at the Dior Autumn/Winter 07/08 Couture Collection in Paris.
Since then, Karen Mulder has lived in relative obscurity far from the limelight, appearing in a few foreign TV shows and rarely speaking to the media. It’s as though she’s the model that everyone wants to forget, a black eye on the fashion industry, serving as some “a-ha the dark underbelly of modeling and what just relying on your looks can get you” moment.
It’s odd how society views troubled men from women. For someone like Kurt Cobain or Layne Staley, we laud their hardships; their troubles and suffering humanizes them, and we see ourselves in their pain. They become heroes immortalized by musical greatness. But that’s hardly the case the other way around.
Karen Mulder as a person and model was in a total class by herself. Among her peers in
the fashion industry, she was known as the “Blonde with Class,” “The Face of her Generation,” and “The Dutch Valkyrie.” You can see in old clips on YouTube, just how much casual fans, agents, and designers loved Karen.
She was so charming, her personality was upbeat and she had a childlike innocence about herself. She seemed so kind and loving, and I think that’s what attracted others to Karen most. People genuinely seemed perplexed meeting Karen for the first time. It’s like her exceedingly good looks and modeling occupation, didn’t match her down to earth personality.
Seeing Karen glide down the runway was a thing of beauty. She wasn’t a lifeless mannequin with a blank stare. She had personality, sex appeal, and grace in her walk. Her hips would sway to and fro as she dazzled the audience with her classical beauty and the epicurean silhouette of her curves.
“I think you can see a girl’s personality very much on the runway. You can tell some girls are very strong, some girls are very soft and sweet, and some girls are very shy, and some girls want to be sexy.”
Karen’s covers and 
editorials left such an impact when I saw them for the first time. I thought she was the most beautiful woman I’ve ever seen. She had this air of sophistication and sensuality in her photos. But it wasn’t haughtiness or arrogance. It was an aura of genuine authenticity, warmth and inspiration.
She was so incredibly special. In the supermodel heyday, she was in a class by herself and there’s no one like her even now. Her beauty and spirit had a way of enveloping you. She could mesmerize a crowd effortlessly. I don’t think there was another model quite magnetic like Karen. She’s was completely different.
I feel like a normal human being, like anyone else, I don’t feel like I’m any different, like when I left Holland 8 years ago. It’s just that being in the spotlight or having your picture taken or being in interviews, it impresses people sometimes, they go ‘wow.’ I don’t know, I’m the same as before.
You need to find out
‘Cause no-one’s gonna tell you what I’m on about
You need to find a way for what you want to say
But before tomorrow
The late 80s and 90s era of the supermodel were extraordinary. It was to fashion and beauty what Grunge and Britpop were to music during those decades. I don’t think there will ever be anything quite like it again and there will never be another Karen Mulder.
In the Oasis: Supersonic documentary, 
Noel expressed how their hit debut single was about passion, the love he and Liam had for one another as brothers and the love of family. Ultimately that’s how I feel about Karen. She personified love, humanity, and passion.
Sometimes you have to breakout, never look back and do the extraordinary to feel alive. Karen would often times say, “I’m just me” as a response to her puzzling appeal. “I think she can be identifiable as the girl next door as well as a supermodel, says Modlinger, “and that’s her strength.”
‘Cause my friend said he’d take you home
He sits in a corner all alone
He lives under a waterfall
Nobody can see him
Nobody can ever hear him call
Nobody can ever hear him call
People couldn’t quite get the appeal to Nirvana and grunge in the states, and it was probably the same with Oasis and Britpop in the UK, but both were a force. Karen had that same force, a seismic shock wave sending a passion of love throughout the atmosphere, breaking every barrier of sound known to man, she’s supersonic!
Super Love Unknown 
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