The Viktoriyan Era

Viktoriya Sasonkina @ Women (NY)

Can't get enough. Can't wait. Can't take my eyes off. The usual sentences to describe any piece of Viktoriya Sasonkina's work. Once you fell into the deep trap of her appeal, it's almost impossible to get out of it and a try would even get you deeper. This is for her magic. Now, on a more strategic side, we also owe this precious and undying love to the careful management she receives from Women worldwide which could be simplified as "precious girls need precious bookings and precious bookings only". Viktoriya's book could be read as the epitome of such a strategy, every single page is another example of the finest bookings one girl could get these days. It doens't only mean that you won't find any B-list job, it also keep love alive and makes you eager to see the next coveted cover or editorial. Since she started to grace Vogue Italia, Vogue US and other Meisel-friendly publications, she hasn't stopped. Even if it also means only a few pages per season plus the ad campaigns (currently Alberta Ferretti, shot by Steven Meisel as well).

Let's dive into the latest parts of Viktoria's world. First to be released this Fall was US Vogue, all-stars editorial blended with all-time Vogue favorites like Liya Kebede, Karen Elson, Sasha Pivovarova or Coco Rocha shot by Steven Meisel, styled by Grace Coddington. Could be a sign, can just be good anyway. Viktoriya looks so precious (as always), so serious (sometimes), so playful (would you imagine her not being playful ?). Viktoriya delivers on every page she's on and appears to be one of the girls who set the real pace of the story. Moving in and out, turning it on then off, upside-down. Glimpsing at the camera to set the mood, waving her hand and so on. Hard to ignore.

 

 

Vogue Italia's September cover says Unexpected. We didn't expect it to be that unexpected. We surely had a soft spot for the cover (out of three) with Jamie Bochert but the flame (of love) grew higher when we saw the actual content of the main editorial. Typical team for a multi-girl story by Steven Meisel in Vogue Italia, perennial favorites of the photographer and quite a baroque atmosphere on white background. The Sasonkina/Collison-combo works like magic mixing dark drama with playful pouts. Faces meet body language and contrast (of any kind) is the new black if there is any need for it.

 

Also unexpected was the second editorial featuring Viktoriya in the same issue of Vogue Italia. Not by Steven Meisel, this time. And contrast is also the key word for this story shot by Paolo Roversi. Contrast between our tiny queenie and the statuesque Constance Jablonski, between her playful poses and the strict shapes. Seriously, who else holds her hands on her knees like she does ? Sounds like nothing but it change the dynamics of a picture. She might look sometimes as fragile as a feather struggling against the wind, she just might because the end of the story would be the feather's victory. Viktoriya's power comes from and goes far beyond the boundaries of figures and her appeal doesn't rely on pure mathematics. How would we say again ? A supplement of soul. (Pictures from Vogue US scanned by flyme2themoon @ thefashionspot and Vogue Italia by Diciassette(17) @ thefashionspot).