Fun & Famous

THE NEW DOUTZEN?

This Dutch model is the best in the world

And yes, the Dutch girls are once again the queens of the catwalk. As the highest ranked, Jessie Bloemendaal, the new pearl of Micha Models who after Maartje Verhoef (and Jamilla Hoogenboom and Michelle van Beijnen and many more from the army of tall, beautiful, and special) delivers another catwalk killer.

A year ago, Jessie was booked by our shopping editor Lilian for her graduation project, now she is the most sought-after girl of fashion week. She opened and closed the show of Alexander McQueen, opened Alexander Wang, walked Chanel, Chloé, Dior, Dries Van Noten, Sacai (the cool label to watch) bringing her total to 51 shows. It's just that she skipped London Fashion Week (a decision many agents make to let their girls catch their breath), otherwise ‘our’ Jessie would have simply been at the top of the international list of most walked shows.

Other Dutch catwalk queens are Roos Abels (whose mother reminded me that I once called her the model foal, well, that foal is the future, what a beautiful girl this is) and Marjan Jonkman (street style cool and still intensely slim this year but less thin than last fashion month for which applause and tribute). Just at 11 the Dutch Yasmine Wijnaldum, Julie Homans, Julia van Os (from my dear professional friend Freek Koster) and Kiki Willems.

“And yes, the Dutch girls are once again the queens of the catwalk.”

Now you might be wondering where Maartje is. Well, she has risen above the catwalk circuit, that's how it goes. You work your heels raw for a few years and then move on to the real editorial work. You occasionally pick a show that really suits you or whose brand you represent in a campaign, but mainly focus on campaigns. This makes room for new girls again (and I have to learn new names from memory again).

Today all the girls are going home. Many girls are picked up in Paris by their parents or boyfriends. Especially because they want to see each other and you can nicely wrap up this month, but there is also a practical reason, because all those clothes and bags they received from all the designers simply do not fit in the plane.

Tonight they will be under a blanket at their mother's or sister's on the couch, eating warm soup, counting bags (because fifteen fresh designer bags are casually going home with them as gifts), catching their breath and then they will fly around the world again. On to a new adventure.