Her obvious intelligence and an almost spooky poise creates an interesting tension. Her response to being ushered instantly into fashion's VIP circles (V cover, Bazaar, Vogue Italia, Sportmax and Vuitton campaign) is so matter of fact it's amusing. But does this detachment continue onto the camera? Her images thus far have been very beautiful and cool. But there is the question of today's clothes for this MODELS.com cover shoot. Maybe its the excess of leather and fishnets, (but most probably its the rather risque Moliniere and Mapplethorpe images lying around in the stylist's reference book).

Things are looking like they are going to be going in quite an exhibitionistic direction. Martha Camarillo, the photographer beckons to the rather tough to take pictures and explains "We want to get past the explicitness That's not what we're trying to do today. But look at their bodies. These guys are so elegant and ladylike in their poses. These poses are what we're after. Not the same poses but similar." Anouck looks at the pictures without even blinking and stands up in the perfectly uncomfortable leather body suit worn with the rather revealing fishnets and vintage store pumps(complete with cheap rhinestones).

"Madonna. Open Your Heart Mondino video," offers Sergio, the make-up artist. Anouck then settles onto the cheap pink carpet and looks towards the lens. Adjustments are made. The hair made less clean, the lips made less red and the strobe fires. Anouck looks into the lens and raises up, ever so slightly. The crew sits waiting for the first Polaroid, the telling Polaroid. The assistant peels it back and presents it to Martha. Everybody clusters around. In the picture Anouck is raised on her hands her knees jutting forward , her eyes dead on the camera. Her face is beautiful, her body is precarious with tension. She's sexy, elegant, a little bit too much but still contained. Just what is required for the image. "We're going to film!" announces Martha.

For the next four hours Anouck nails her poses shot after shot, taking direction with the calm professionalism of a veteran, and throwing herself wholeheartedly into the concept. At the end of the shoot I tease "And you're the girl who didn't even care about being a model in the first place." Anouck laughs. "Yeah but that doesn't mean I want to be mediocre !" A rush of double-kisses and she's off to the car ready to whisk her back to Paris.

Three days later as we wade through the contact sheets we notice through every one of Anouck's shots is a common factor. "Do you notice," says Martha, "that there is not even a hint of insecurity or self-consciousness in her. She is so free it's amazing." That's because for the best models, posing for the camera is a dynamic, an aesthetic ritual, a performance. And in Anouck's performance rings the untouchable cool of a young Mick Jagger, the reckless chic of an Iggy Pop, the don't-give-a-damn drive of Miss Joan Jett. And that's the difference between mediocrity and stardom. Rock on.

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