The girl called Paul

Paul Pavlovska

It was just a matter of time. We've been obsessed by the idea of an article dedicated to Paul Pavlovska, the platinum-blond phenomenon, for months. The only problem was that everytime we wanted to post something on her, we had serious doubts. It was all a matter of timing. The right moment. Many things happened, many parameters were coming and going. Easy come. And easy go. First of all, this oversized hype surrounding her debuts when Katya Pavlovska, a promising new face from Ukraine, suddenly landed in NY as "Paul". If it still wasn't enough to create such an enormous buzz, she went from her natural warm blond to a platinum hairdo. Then everything went fast. Her new name was in every mouth. Between the supportive ones who were praising the new cool kid and the others who were criticising another ready-made fashion-icon "who doesn't even look like a model", it quickly became (totally) impossible to find the right tone. We weren't really pleased by the all the hype yet we never wanted to appear as negative against her, simply due to her overexposure. Our point was clear: she's a good model, she's got the right potential and she would have been noticed anyway. Our possibilities to explain it - at that time - were close to zero. We had no other choice than waiting.
Paul didn't disappoint in her actual work. Her editorial abilities are remarkable and she doesn't seems to have problems on the runway. The only thing is that she was almost absent on catwalks, especially in Paris. Killed by the hype ? Not sure. She already shot a story for Vogue Italia (published in feb'08 issue) by Steven Meisel and even if she wasn't alone (and just appeared on two or three pictures) her editorial credits were strengthened. Next step was a whole batch of mesmerizing portraits by Eric Guillemain, which are maybe her best pieces to date. Wicked babydoll or cute freak. Or simply the open-hearted young lady we've met in backstage. It seems there is a talented model with platinum-blond hair and dark roots who brilliantly knows how to turn her emotions into unforgettable expressions. In real life as in prints. And what is more refreshing than a model who doesn't look like an actual model ?
We can write it now as it is: we love Paul. Or Katya. Or whatever her name could be. We love that girl.