Vogue Japan’s July 2013 cover: Bette Franke photographed by Giampaolo Sgura, styled in Chanel by Anna Dello Russo. The Dutch model is carrying the label’s hula hoop beach bag, which became an instant icon when it appeared at Chanel’s Spring 2013 runway show. The item was made to be photographed, not worn (although a modified, smaller version will be available at Chanel stores for $2,400) and Dello Russo’s eccentric, outsized sensibility makes her the ideal editor to showcase the weird, wacky Karl Lagerfeld creation.
Still, the beautiful Franke, who has proven herself as a print model with several ad campaigns, can’t seem to catch a break when it comes to Vogue covers. Her March 2013 cover for the glossy’s Dutch edition was poorly received by the tFS Forums and other interested parties with eyes. This most recent offering from Vogue Japan — also disappointing. Franke is one of the most indisputably stunning models working today, but here she looks like an airbrushed Bambi mannequin with impractical taste in handbags.
