Photos by Steven Yatsko for Models.com | Styling Irene Ojo-Felix | Hair Sasha Nesterchuk | Makeup Laura Stiassni
Few models come into the industry and make as much of a splash as Danish darling Frederikke Sofie. It’s been a swift rise to the top since her entrance into the international fashion scene a few years ago and in that short amount of time she has secured covers, editorials, and advertisements with some of the biggest brands in the business. Celine, i-D, and Vogue have trusted the girl with the golden, tousled mane to bring their creative visions to life with grace and elegance. With all this success before hitting her twenties, we had to track down the radiant beauty and learn more about her start as a model, her mentors in the business, and that great, signature look.
So you started modeling at what age?
I started full time when I was seventeen. Now I’m nineteen.
Since then, you’ve worked with some amazing photographers, a majority of them actually. Have you started to pay more attention to the way the visuals turn out?
I pay attention, but it’s more, if you could say, kind of selfish–like how they will shoot me. I pay attention to see if I look beautiful, so maybe it’s more like that. But I can also love a style. Definitely I care.
From when you first started modeling to now, how has the way that you perceive your own looks changed?
In the beginning you have to work your way up and you have to be shown around. People don’t know you immediately. At first when I would come to a shoot they would be like, “Whoa, you have curls?” And they didn’t even know because my book was full of straight hair pictures. They booked me because they could play around with that and do whatever. Then when they would see the curls they would say, “Well we really like them, but we had something else in mind.” Now I get booked more and more because of who I am and because of my curls and style and personality. That really changed. I can feel that people are interested in who I am compared to the beginning when you are part of the fabric.
Yeah, your hair and glasses have become your signature. How many pairs of sunglasses and glasses do you have?
I have 3 pairs of prescription glasses and maybe 30 pairs of sunglasses. It’s a big passion for me.
Clothing – Model’s Own
Somebody you met along the way that changed everything…
It must be Phoebe and Céline. I was in London casting for the other shows and then I went for the casting. I knew I had the option to be exclusive with Celine and I went and didn’t even think about it. I was like this is not going to happen, but let’s try. I remember–not being angry–but I kept thinking about the other castings I had to make that day because it took like four hours to wait at Céline. Then I saw them and I was standing in the line with all the girls so I heard what Michelle, the casting director, was saying to them. I prepared myself for that, I was like okay, “She doesn’t need to say it to me, I’m going to do it the first try.” So I walked, and she was like, “Thank you.” My agents called me right after saying I had to go right back in an hour. Yeah okay cool, more time to go there–but fine, if they want me to. So I went and met Phoebe and they were like, “Thank you.” An hour later my agent called me and I was confirmed. That was a boost for myself also. I had done some cool editorials and stuff, but not a big client.
Tell me something about Phoebe?
She loves Copenhagen, she brought the whole team to Copenhagen for inspiration after she met me.
So since then…
A day after the show I did my first Vogue shoot.
The i-D cover that came out. How was that shoot? Did you know it was for the cover?
It was amazing. i-D that was awesome, we were in this big studio in Brooklyn. I was so excited to shoot it. I was so bad at winking…like really bad, but we got it. Mario’s team is great.
The Tyrone Lebon shoot with you and Damaris Goddrie was pretty cool (British Vogue).
It was amazing. It was in Jamaica with Fran (Francesca Burns). Again great team. I love Fran she really takes care of the girls and she is so cool. But it was super stressful, it was so hot I got a bit sick. We had two days to shoot like twenty five pictures. But it turned out amazing.
When you look at the pictures it looks the like it was the best time…
But we were BUSY.
Did you know Damaris before that?
I didn’t. I had met her here during shows and said hi and stuff, but I got to know her there. She’s super cool and crazy.
What’s one shoot that you would do over and over again?
That’s a good question…
It can just be the one you got paid the most…
[laughs] I think it was the second time I worked with Mario Sorrenti and his team was on Mallorca. It was on his private property, he bought a house there. It was only one day shooting, it was only me that day and it was the last day for those guys to shoot. It was super chill, it was like 30 degrees celsius. It was so hot, everybody was kind of naked just wearing their shades chilling around. We got some amazing pictures. Walking around the nature there was amazing. You could really tell that Mario was in his right place and it was really cool. We went out to eat and we were dancing until 6 in the morning. Everybody. And we all had to fly the next day and I missed my flight. I was flying home. That one I could do over and over again.
Where was home?
Copenhagen.
Every Danish person talks about their bikes.
Exactly. I love the bikes. I love my family. I love my friends. I love the mentality there. Which you just don’t have here. It’s very different, but it’s good to move around and get a bit of both worlds.
Is there a style in Denmark that’s different from, say New York?
It’s different because people pay more attention to what they wear, they are more formal I think. They would never walk out in pajamas like they would here. I read an article about a guy talking about Danish people on bikes. The rest of the world freaks out about how can a woman wear a skirt on a bike…but we do…it doesn’t have to be practical. He had one phrase where he said, “It’s not the journey to where we are going that decides what we are wearing, it’s the destination.” Even if it’s a snow storm we dress nicely.
Is there a style that you see other models or designers have that you really love but you just don’t think you could pull off, like goth or something?
Yeah for example, Fernanda Ly’s style. I think it really suits her. And also more feminine. The more extremes.
Because yours is a little tomboyish, but still feminine. So you would want pretty pretty?
Pretty Pretty or Punky Punky. I like both.
Dress – Jason Wu
What about designers in general–are there brands you like?
Well I got really attached to Celine, I must say it’s amazing clothing. Like I really love it, I love the style. When you get behind it as well and you listen to what that talented designer has to say about fabrics and shapes and all that you really get to know the thoughts around it. But it’s kind of funny my agency in London they started to call me the High Street Queen, because I would always show up in nice clothes…then they would ask me where it was from and I would be like, “Well this is Zara and H&M.” I like to pick out the stuff I really like from wherever. It doesn’t really matter. I’m very specific about what I really like.
Where you always paying attention to your own style?
Yes definitely, ever since I was a kid. From a very early age I would always dress myself, my mom wouldn’t decide anything for me.
When you get to a city is there some sort of ritual you have to make it feel like home?
I like to stay in Air B&B’s compared to hotels and model apartments. It would be nice to possibly to get back to the same place each time, but it’s not. Even though if I don’t know anybody in the city, there must be someone you kind of know of. I try in every city or where I travel to get some free time to hang out with someone, even if it’s just the model from a shoot you did earlier that day. That you spend some time not working. At first I was like well it’s work, I’m here, I should just sleep whenever I’m off and be ready for the next day, but I realized that will kill you if you’re on the road all the time. It’s very important for me to have some fun and have a drink or connect.
It’s such a niche industry that people don’t always understand it outside of the industry. So when you’re traveling and someone asks you what you do, what is it you tell them?
I tell them I’m a model, but it depends on the person. Sometimes you’re a bit, not embarrassed, but you want to explain that there’s more to it. I don’t know–or sometimes you just don’t care, I don’t even want to explain what it’s about. They can think whatever they want.
Right, it’s hard to explain the types of accomplishments.
So many different ways to be working in this business.
Do people have misconceptions about being a model you think?
Yes. Yes. Yes. Obviously the skinny part and that we aren’t eating and stuff. Like I met my landlord just a few weeks ago. She’s Danish, she knows my aunt and she was so out there. She’s not shy. She was saying, “Yeah you probably don’t eat anything.” I could tell she actually meant it. I was like of course I fucking eat. I like to stay healthy, that’s how I keep skinny. I really love healthy food.
I find most models to be healthy, generally speaking, and well traveled so they are often also smart and intelligent. What kind of stuff are you doing in your free time and what would you want to get better at?
All my free time is spent in Cophenhagen and I’m trying to see if I should also have a place here (New York City), because I like being off here as well. I like enjoying a city when you can actually have time to enjoy it. For now it’s Copenhagen, I go there any time I can. To see my friends, so many good friends there; do my laundry, like it’s super fucking simple; I love cooking whenever I have time. I find it very hard to find ingredients here and it’s expensive to buy food every night, like in Whole Foods. What was the question again?
What would you want to get better at?
I want to get better at being more productive in my free time. Because it’s spent on very practical things, like seeing friends, it’s just a routine that goes on and I don’t get time to be creative and look for a school to go to. I have no idea what I would study. So that’s it, I don’t really have time and I would like to be more productive.
Dress – Altuzarra | Shoes – Jason Wu | Belt – Leila Ligougne | Necklace – Stylist’s Own
The last thing, it’s 2016, what do you want to happen?
I want to really let go the pressure on my own shoulders. I want to do whatever great work I want to do and go on holiday whenever I can because I haven’t in such a long time. Because I’m always booked up and then whenever I have a week off I stay home. But I would like to be more chill about it and go with the flow. I’m a planner type and I have to let that go for a bit.
It’s a tough trait to have as a model.
It is really hard, and I have to let it go even more!
How do you deal with not knowing what you will be doing tomorrow?
Well I think I’m getting better at it…I have it in my mind, but if it’s not confirmed I don’t act like it’s happening until it’s finally confirmed. Not even think it. But be ready to pack if you need to leave.
What are your three things you bring if you have to go?
My backgammon game, my travel case of glasses…
…Is it like a briefcase?
Yep! There’s space for six pairs.
The third thing?
And…I think…my Céline bags.
