Karmen Pedaru for Harper’s Bazaar Spain June 2021

As an ode to hope and optimism, Harper’s Bazaar Spain pays tribute to mother nature for their June 2021 issue featuring none other than Karmen Pedaru! From the forest, shores, and rocky landscapes of Balearic’s Menorca island, Karmen radiantly shows the beauty of nature and fashion, donning pieces from Miu Miu, Hermes, Chanel, Saint Laurent, Dolce & Gabbana, Prada, and Fendi, looking every bit as chic and outdoorsy, beautifully interweaving the love of the earth and the need for sustainability.

Photography by Xavi Gordo creative direction by Inmaculada Jiménez. Source: Harper’s Bazaar España

Superlove of the Month May 2021 – Giedre Dukauskaite

GIEDRE DUKAUSKAITE

Layered in sophistication, poise, elegance, and convivial charm, Giedre Dukauskaite has lived and breathed fashion since debuting for her first runway in the summer of 2006. But before garnering recognition and the spotlight, Giedre, too, was a ordinary teenager from a small Lithuanian town without the faintest care in the world for fashion:

“I was not into fashion at all. I didn’t know what Prada was. I didn’t know what Vogue was.”

Yet on a fated day while walking home from high school Giedre was scouted by her future mother agency. “So people from bigger town came and discovered me as I was walking home from high school. And they called me the next day, they said, ‘We really like you, we will call you next day.’ I didn’t believe it and they called me the next day.”

Giedre was well received by the agency and in no time at all she was already going to casting calls and preparing to take aim at the catwalks. “They called me for some casting. So like basically from like Monday to Wednesday I was a model.”

Giedre sparked off that summer by walking for Marc by Marc Jacobs, Just Cavalli, Max Azria, Philosophy, Alberta Ferretti, Ruffian and VPL, altogether culminating close to 20 shows for her first outing. She also did a number of shows for the Autumn/Winter season for brands such as Vivienne Tam and DKNY.

In 2008, Giedre would breakout commercially, doing campaign work for Margaret Howell, D&G, Trussardi Eyewear, and H&M. She also did a slew of editorials for Muse Magazine’s April and October issues, Vogue Japan, Vogue Germany, and i-D Magazine.

In 2009, for the first time, Giedre got work with the great Steven Meisel for Prada’s Spring Summer campaign and with Nathaniel Goldberg for DKNY! She also did editorials for AnOther, Vogue Italia, W Magazine. In 2010, she did work for British Vogue, Vogue Turkey, and once again worked alongside Steven Meisel for Vogue Italia!

“I think he’s an amazing photographer [Steven Meisel]. There’s a reason why he is who is and I think that explains, he just knows what he wants. He’s just fantastic I think.”

For the next couple of years, Giedre took her time with modeling, working with Harper’s Bazaar, Elle, Marie Claire, Glamour, and having her first fragrance for Coach in 2012 and doing ad work for Armani Exchange in 2015.

By 2016, Giedre had began to come into her, working for Abercrombie & Fitch, Gant, Vanity Fair, Vogue China, L’Officiel, Glamour UK, Interview Magazine and finally making her comeback to the runways she graced early in her career for none other than Prada and Celine!

I’m so hot for a rich girl
My heels are high, my eyes cast low
And I don’t know how to love
I get too tired after midday, lately
I take it out on my good friends
But the worst stays in, or where would I begin?

In 2017, Giedre had one of the most successful years of career, walking for everyone from Chanel, Altuzarra, Valentino, Acne Studios, Hermes, Philosophy, Etro, Dior, Nina Ricci, L’Oreal, Roberto Cavalli, Stella McCartney, while doing campaigns for Parada Cinema Eyewear, Furla, J. Crew, Models.com, and doing editorials for Repossi, Wall Street Journal, W Magazine, Vogue Paris, Zara!

My office glows all night long
It’s a nuclear show, and the stars are gone
Elevator, elevator, take me home

Giedre would pickup where 2017 left off with a year that was just as impressive, doing campaigns for H&M, Margaret Howell and lookbooks for Zara. She graced the runways for Oscar de la Renta, Tory Burch, Carolina Herrera, Jil Sander, Lanvin, Isabel Marant, Givenchy, Hermes, and Dior, and once again returned to the pages of Vogue Ukraine, Vogue Paris, Vogue Germany, and British Vogue.

To date, Giedre Dukauskaite has walked in over 200 shows, has over 34 fashion covers, dozens of campaigns, and over 140 editorials. “It wasn’t my dream to become a model. I never dreamed of it. But now that I am, I am very happy because it gives me such big opportunities like traveling around the world, living in New York City.”

Giedre Dukauskaite has had a stellar career as a top model and icon. Although you could argue she was overlooked by the sheer volume of icons and mega talents in the 2000s, she still managed to carve out a beautiful career, making her name known throughout the industry. And just like a master honing their craft, Giedre has only gotten better and better with time.

Although, I really do like her early work, her body of work for the last five years has been exceptional. In some of her latest outings with Chanel, Vogue, Numero, Muse, and CAP 74024, Giedre continues to become more refined as a model, ranging from the more artistic and avant-garde like for Love Want Magazine, or going chic and luxe for brands like Chanel Beauty and Massimo Dutti, she always brings her A-game to fashion.

And when it comes to lighting up the runways, no one does it better than Giedre. She truly does make the clothes and elevates the vision of the designer. Her walk is so effortless, too. Giedre doesn’t have to exaggerate her expressions or forcibly strut, she just comes across as natural, composed, confident, with urbane sophistication. She’s my favorite and in a total class by herself:

I’m so hot for the rich girl
Her heels so high, and my hopes so low
Because I don’t know how to love
I’ll take her home after midnight
And if she likes, I’ll tell her lies
How we’ll be in love by the morning
I don’t think she knows
That I’m saying good bye

“If you want to make it, you really have to work hard, and you have to be really nice to your agency, and to your clients because you want to keep them not for one job, but for one year, two years, as long as you want to model. Be confident in yourself, take care of yourself and you’re going to make it.”

Though Giedre does like to keep her attire simple day to day with a t-shirt, jeans, a nice pair of heels, and a handbag, she absolutely loves fashion and dressing up. In an age of IG models and Influencers showing copious amounts of skin, Giedre is somewhat of a rarity as she’s usually covered head to toe in her favorite brands, captivating with style and confidence in the fashion she loves.

My office glows all night long
It’s a nuclear show, and the stars are gone
Elevator, elevator, take me home

When Giedre isn’t modeling she’s indubitably relishing a good book at home, near the beach, or during downtime at an airport. Between New York and Paris, she loves to frequent her favorite museums, restaurants, and shops, fully taking in the cultural beauty of the cities she loves.

With dreams of becoming a doctor from a small Lithuanian town to dazzling under the biggest lights in the most beloved cities, Giedre has passionately charted a course for high fashion and has experienced resounding success from the most prestigious runways to the most en vogue pages and covers of magazines. A Superlove that lives for big city life, yet against the backdrop of somber high-rises and cold steel structures, love, passion, and the light of the stars, serve as her guide, Giedre Dukauskaite!

Don’t go, say you’ll stay
Spend a lazy Sunday
In my arms, I won’t take
Anything away
Don’t go, say you’ll stay
Spend a lazy Sunday
In my arms, don’t take
Anything away

Elevator, elevator, elevator, elevator, elevator…

Happy Birthday Linda Evangelista

Happy Birthday Linda Evangelista. There are very few people in life that can impact a profession, an industry, an art form, or the lives of ordinary people the way Linda Evangelista has. She was the Michael Jordan, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Lawrence Taylor, Sugar Ray Robinson of her time. Before Linda Evangelista, a fashion model was thought of as shallow, ostentatious, and superficial, but as a model she showed that there could be so much depth, beauty, and meaning to it. Linda was truly her own Martin Scorsese in photos, and like a galvanizing creative force, she elevated everyone around her. Linda completely transcended what many thought a model could be or endear. There’s just so many superlatives and praises you could heap on Linda, and she would truly be deserving of every one. She’s an icon for the ages and a woman to love and cherish, and a pretty awesome Taurus too! Linda Evangelista, Happy Birthday to you.

Happy Birthday Karmen Pedaru!

Happy Birthday to a very special model and dynamic talent! Karmen Pedaru has always been one of my very favorite models right along Laetitia Casta. Her work, creativity, character, and spirit have impacted me greatly and it’s one of the main reasons I love to blog about fashion and modeling. I don’t think words, pictures, or music will ever adequately convey how incredible a person Karmen is. But there’s no harm in trying anyway. Thanks for being such an awesome person and it’s because people like you that I’m so proud to be a Taurus. You truly do rule, Karmen Pedaru!

Happy Birthday Raquel Zimmermann

Happy Birthday to artist, guitarist, model, and all around great person Raquel Zimmermann! Raquel’s career and level of creativity is so extraordinary. Her work is diverse and innovative. She has so much enthusiasm and passion for modeling that I like to compare her to Linda Evangelista and Charlie Chaplin. When I think Raquel distinctive modeling body of work and artistry, it reminds of A Perfect Circle, Tool, Mogwai, and Porcupine Tree! I think Raquel is that cool and talented and it makes me so happy she’s a Taurus! Raquel Zimmermann, elegant and iconic like Linda Evangelista, super conscious like Tool, and expressive as Mogwai. Taurus Rules!

Kristina Grikaite for Vogue Japan June 2021

Emphasizing retro and futuristic brilliance, Kristina Grikaite is her own spectrum of mysterious glamour for the June 2021 issue of Vogue Japan! Adored with pieces from Miu Miu, Chanel, Giorgio Armani, Balenciaga, Balmain, Kristina is every bit cyber punk as she’s fashionably new wave like Annie Lennox’s Eurythmics!

Styling by Paul Cavaco and photography by Zoey Grossman