Dree Hemingway isn't the only model with literary skill pumping through her veins (although Dree says she's never read any of her great-grandfather's work). Freja Beha already has a tonne of poetic tattoos, and some of that literary ink must have entered her bloodstream because she has now revealed a penchant for writing her own poetry. "I do write now, but I'd like to actually be good at it, you know?" she told to New York Magazine earlier this year. But if you're eagerly anticipating a collection of love poetry not-so-subtly addressed to another top model, you might be waiting a while. "It takes years of practice, I think, in order to get really good at something," Freja proclaims.
Freja Beha Erichsen On Being the New Face of Valentino's Valentina Fragrance
Fashion chameleon Freja Beha Erichsen shares her top beauty secrets and how to score her superchic street style.
by Eva Chen
Preternaturally unassuming model Freja Beha Erichsen strides backstage sans makeup, entourage, or attitude—quite the contrast from the nineties-era supers who refused to get out of bed for less than ten thousand dollars a day (or so the fashion urban legend goes).
"I like to be casual," she says with a shrug. "I feel at home in my favorite outfit: a leather jacket with a tank top or T-shirt, black skinny jeans—which I have at least 20 pairs of—and flat boots." (Reader: Do not be fooled. Said leather jacket is Balenciaga, and the boots are typically Balmain ... but she does believe in an overall high-low approach. "Buy quality, and mix it with something more casual," she suggests.) Beauty-wise, Freja is similarly low-key, espousing a minimalist philosophy: "I really just believe in healthy skin. I try not to wear makeup unless I have to for work—I usually wash my face right after shoots and also before I go to bed," she explains. "And I eat a lot of fruit for vitamins."
Her simple approach to, well, pretty much everything is why Valentino designers Maria Grazia Chiuri and Pier Paolo Piccioli tapped her as the face of Valentina, the brand's first signature scent. "She's a little bit punk, a little bit princess. You can't define her in one word, which you can do with some models," says Pier. "She can really change from fragile to strong with one look."
A Model's Life "I try to find a moment to relax wherever
I am," says Danish model Freja Beha Erichsen.
"Doing that helps my skin!"
Freja was tasked with transforming her typical moto-grunge look into Italian principessa in the fragrance's new campaign. "Valentino is romantic, ultrafeminine, and beautiful—but it's also a little rock 'n' roll," she notes. "Think of all the leather and studs! I never have a problem switching from my day-to-day style to another 'world'—it's my job." And, no doubt, the fragrance's unique composition made it easy for her to channel the fashion house's duality: It's a sweet mix of jasmine, orange blossom, and tuberose, with a touch of savory truffle.
Filming the television spot for the scent, Freja got to live la dolce vita for a day. "Shooting the ad was like being in an Italian film! The paparazzi were calling out at me, and I loved the locations we shot in," she recalls. "It was so enjoyable to do something different, like acting." But don't expect Freja to quit her day job just yet— she's hitting her stride, though she's deliberately eschewing divadom. "I don't worry too much about the way I look," she says. "I do know that when you're uncomfortable, you act differently. So I always just try to be myself."