Daria enchants
Local beauty returns home as the new face of Lancome
By SYLVI CAPELACI, Toronto Sun Style Editor
Local beauty Daria Werbowy returns home as the new face of Lancome.
Daria Werbowy feels like she won a genetic lottery. But it takes more than a fabulous face with piercing green cat's eyes to be fashion's "it" model of the moment.
In a chatty interview in Toronto yesterday as the new face of Lancome, Werbowy talked about her life and goals.
The 22-year-old, Polish-born, Mississauga-reared beauty started modelling locally eight years ago. Only in the past three years since the fickle fashion world grew tired of Brazilian bombshells and models in rehab did it turn an eye on Werbowy's aura of Bohemian-hippie chicness.
Plum campaigns
To date, she's graced the cover of 60 fashion magazines, she's starred in plum Prada, Gucci, Chanel, Yves Saint Laurent ad campaigns and in 2005 opened and closed a record-breaking 12 designers runway shows during one season. Not bad if speculation is true in that she can command up to $20,000 per catwalk appearance -- heck, Linda Evangelista would get out of bed for less.
But that's all chump-change compared to Werbowy's latest conquest -- a multi-year deal with Lancome beauty brand.
If you didn't recognize her before, you will now -- her gorgeous mug is splashed across billboards and at beauty counters worldwide as ambassador for Lancome's newest fragrance Hypnose and its colour collection The Enchantress.
In the modelling world, it doesn't get any bigger or better -- a gig like this would be, for mere mortals, the equivalent of winning a cash-for-life lottery.
Q: Now that you'Ve reached modelling's Top spot, what's next?
A: I got to a point in my career that I never thought I'd get to, I already reached the goals I had. So I'm taking it as it comes and seeing what other doors it opens. I wouldn't mind trying acting, it's a beautiful way of expression. Whether I'd be good at it or not ....
Also art is definitely something I'm going to be working at my whole life. It's my outlet. It gives me solace and comfort to be able to sit backstage on my own and draw ink sketches and let everything come out through my hands.
Q: You have a reputation of always being "nice." Do you ever lose your cool?
A: Nice is such a terrible word. Believe me there are times when I'm not that nice. It's really emotional backstage when you're being pushed around, poked and prodded. I might say something rude and automatically you're going to think 'ah man she's awful.' But really you just caught me in a moment.
Q: The million-dollar question, do you have a boyfriend?
A: I have to keep some things a mystery, right?
Q: You've met men worldwide, what do you think of T.O.'s homegrown guys?
A: Toronto men are very, very mysterious. It's like they come out in the summertime and then hibernate in the winter. I think there is definitely something really easy and down-to-earth about Toronto men and they're really handsome. I just can't find any of them who like me.
Just the facts
Canadian supermodel Daria Werbowy was in Toronto yesterday promoting Lancome's newest fragrance and cosmetic collection.
MARK O'Neill/Sun
Q: Describe your average day look.
A: Comfort first. T-shirts. I'm a jean collector, but lost count after 60 pairs. I still have one pair from high school. I love fashion and expressing myself through it, but I take it with a grain of salt and laugh at it. I don't take it that seriously, but I do enjoy it.
Q: How do you stay in shape?
A: I go to the gym. I always played sports growing up -- rugby, basketball and I sailed my whole life, so when I can't do those things I try to go for a run. Running is good for the mind -- it's nice when you get to that point when you don't even realize you're running anymore.
Q: What is your favourite thing to do?
A: Sailing is closest to my heart. It's kind of a passed on passion from my dad. I went to sailing school since I was nine, started teaching when I was 16 and did that for four years. I want to sail around the world when I'm 27. That's the magic number -- hopefully I'll have my mid-life crisis in the middle of the Atlantic ocean. (Not at age 27, we hope?)
Q: What has been your most bizarre modelling moment?
A: Being stuck in a mirrored box for six hours was definitely an experience. Also, once when I was shooting with (the late) Helmut Newton, for one picture I was lying on a bed of nails and in another I was in a bathing suit and eating grass. (No, he didn't really make her eat it).
JUST THE FACTS
Who: Daria Werbowy (Polish for willow tree)
Birthplace: Krakow, Poland, Nov. 19, 1983.
Resides: Moved at age four with family to T.O.
Elementary School: Saint Sophia, in Mississauga
High School: Cawthra Park, school for the arts, in Mississauga
Childhood: A self-described “tomboy” who liked to play rugby and skateboard in parking lots.
Dream: To be an artist and to travel the globe.
Discovered by: Susan J. models in Toronto. At age 14, she won a national modelling contest.
Early jobs: An extra on the T.O. set of RoboCop: The Series and Ready or Not.
Big break: Three years ago, she walked in a Marc Jacobs runway fashion show in New York and then aced a Prada ad campaign — and has never looked back.
*lifewise.canoe
Oh and I thought that V mag was crap. It looks like another sleazy "mens" mag but I'm sure thats been mentioned before.
and yeah, V has a lot of ups and downs. actually last summer the editorial with daria in balenciaga was rather good, but it was shot by bruce weber, i loved it. that was sexy and fresh in that way daria is at her best. 
uhm, i don't want to repeat myself. one thing is sexy, one thing is gross and dealing, as callidora perfectly put down it two pages ago, with woman considered as an object. imo, for example, the two GQ topless pictures where she's sitting on the beach were very beautiful, because she wasn't like an object. 
Is it ok for me to say my opinion? I was trying to be open-minded about it, and I love the beach pictures like you do. I've only posted one, and now 2 posts on this because I had to get my word in..I'm not repeating it over and over 
yes I noticed that too. It's sorta off-balanced. although not too high fashion, I think Daria and Gemma's smiles are very cute. Freja looks a bit out of place there, it's just weird when these two are so happy while she looks angry.
you learn something everyday 
