Updated: Virginia Guidetti

I love a steady stream of polaroids, especially when they capture one of my favorite new models. Virginia Guidetti is back and comes equipped with a seriously beautiful new set of polaroids from Next. Take a look for yourself:




(all images courtesy of Next Models)

Seriously, the Danielle Zinaich similarities are haunting in some of those polaroids, especially in the brows and lips. Hopefully Virginia's career will be littered with just as much successful as Danielle's was a decade ago.

In Bloom: Virginia Guidetti

After a half-assed profile on Arielle Pytka's recent success, I figured it was about time to actually profile a new face. And while their website may still be down, but Next's Modelwire account is still alive and kicking. Thank god for that because otherwise it may have taken me months to stubble across Virginia Guidetti; a girl far too special to overlook.


(all images courtesy of Next Model Management)

From her glassy green eyes, to those incredible Danielle Zinaich like brows, Virginia is definitely one of my favorite new faces of late. Sure she looks a bit like Brittany Jursic at Elite, but there's something about Virginia's presence, even in these digitals, that I find far more captivating. Perhaps its a subtle confidence, or a youthful ambition, but there is definitely a lot lingering behind her eyes. Regardless of what that certain something is, Virginia has certainly won me over in a big way.



Virginia is 5'10.5" tall and has a serious set of 31-23-34 measurement. A year ago, I never thought I would be seeing this kind of fresh talent just waiting to be developed from Next. However, as we all know, the industry is quite cyclical. Now lets sit idly by and hope that Next can manage this girl to the fullest of her potential.

In Bloom: Sana Belal

When your very projected image is meticulously managed and promoted and sold on a daily basis, sometimes its hard to remember what a model might look like her natural habitat. Take for example my surprise when I discovered that Kamila Filipcikova was sporting a serious eyebrow piercing, or Abbey Lee Kershaw's adorable nose ring. Those little personal touches seems incredibly special when you consider that the modeling machine seems to want an increasingly blank, depersonalized slate with each passing girl.

Where is this all going? Well, I've been watching Sana Belal at 1st Option in Denmark for a few weeks now, but only after her debut on Next's PhotoASP account did I look back and realize that she was also sporting a facial piercing in her stunning digitals. I love the very idea that beyond that sweet, alien-esque face might lie a rebel without a cause somewhere in Sana!



(all photos courtesy of 1st Option)

What a subtle, yet unique, personal touch for a model. Combine that with the continued need for more diverse races on the runways (though I would like to come to place where racial diverse models don't even need that preface), and Sana certainly could be a girl to watch. With those beautiful, deep, wide-set eyes and that gorgeous skin tone, Sana appears to be a girl unlike any other this moment. Not to mention with her runway ready 5'10" and 30-24-32 frame, I cannot help but think that Sana would look right at home on a MxMJ runway come September. Of course, that is assuming that Next continues to successful promote their new faces (read: Karmen Pedaru for Chloé!).


(photos courtesy of Next's PhotoASP account)

So lets review here: Beautiful, unique alien-esque face? Check. Incredible runway body? Check. A much needed boost of diversity (other than Chanel and Jourdan)? Check! I think Next might very well have a great new talent on their hands, and I for one could not be happier to see Sana Belal already signed.

Fresh Faced: Paulina Szulda

You have to hand it to the modeling industry for continuing to keep things fresh, season after season. Just when you might have thought that Next was going to continue force feeding us Catherine McNeil fever, they bounce back to expertly deliver Abbey Lee Kershaw and Karmen Pedaru last season. Oh, and they bought out Karlie Kloss' contract from Elite. So it should be no surprise that I've been looking to see which of their new faces would leave me waiting for September. Well that girl just so happens to be the incredible Polish beauty, Paulina Szulda from Gaga Models.


(all images courtesy of Next's PhotoASP)

There's something enchanting about the way Paulina's perfectly bow-shaped lips mimic the angles of her strong jawline. Combine that with those piercing, moody blue eyes, and her 5'1o" frame and 33-24-35 measurements, and Paulina could very well be one of the most promising new faces at Next this moment. Also, thank god some agencies are still providing these basic digitals for first impressions. I know I mentioned this before, but I obviously prefer to see beauty in the raw before I have to see it airbrushed to all hell. It also makes a transformation like this below, all the more impressive.



Well I for one am entirely sold on Paulina's potential. Plus, I cannot help but think that Paulina would look right at home on the Jil Sander runways. Hopefully the next few months will be friendly to Paulina's development, because she certainly has all the raw goods.

Raising Arizona Muse

I'm not the first, and I doubt I will be the last, to make that play on words where Next's Arizona Muse is concerned. In fact, I believe there was already an editorial done with her under the same title as this post. Then again, with a model moniker as great as 'Arizona' (real name Zoe Muse), the clever titles are inevitable.

If the truth be told, what initially drew me to this girl actually was the flower-power name, and that 90's vibe of course. Even though Arizona is not as inherently unconventional as some of my other favorites, she certainly possesses one of my favorite qualities: attitude. She has that particular look in her eyes that spells trouble; and I love that devious stare.



(all images courtesy of Red 11)

No, it's certainly not the same Cher Horowitz feeling that Kori Richardson evokes, but Airzona's appeal is somewhere between Heathers and Jawbreaker, with an Ali Larter twist. Regardless of how you chalk it up, this native of Santa Fe, New Mexico, seems to be doing something right, as she has already shot for the latest issue of French Revue de Modes:


(image scanned for me by alix* at tFS)

The more I look at Arizona, the more I wonder if I've mistaken some of her free-spirited appeal for devious, when its in fact an abundance of confidence. After all, for someone so fresh in the industry, Arizona is beginning to look like a seasoned professional. Keep up the good work, because it looks like Arizona might be ready for big things come S/S 09.