SC photo shoot pictures- from "V" Magazine | Golden Skate

SC photo shoot pictures- from "V" Magazine

Piel

On Edge
Record Breaker
Joined
Jul 27, 2003
Gee I'm not sure about these. Sasha looks so much younger than her age to begin with. The one in the pleated skating dress and even the skater survives paper shredder ones are OK. The one with her back arched at the barre with the exposed midriff is IMO very unflattering....legs look stubby and her abdomen just looks strange. Some of them look to be on the verge of porn lite. What do you all think? Note to Sasha: Next time please give approval AFTER seeing the pictures.:eek:

Piel
 

dlkksk8fan

Medalist
Joined
Jul 26, 2003
Red Dog I'm not sure if I like these pictures, they sort of remind me of the model "Twiggy".
The first one of her bent over though is a WOW!
I also like the layback one with all the fringe flying.
 
Joined
Jul 11, 2003
Red Dog - There are much better photos of SC than these. These look like she's ready to enter a kid's beauty pageant.

Joe
 

RealtorGal

Record Breaker
Joined
Jul 27, 2003
Some of these photos look pornish--or a little girl trying to look like a sexy grown up. That ab photo is just plain strange. What's with the strange indendations? The one with the "V" sash makes her look ghoulish. A couple of the ones with her in skates are okay, not great--just okay.:sheesh: :\ :p
 
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registered

On the Ice
Joined
Aug 17, 2003
Stunning pictures. Photographer managed to capture the essence of Sasha, and of what it takes to become top athlete-figure skater.
 

Germanice

On the Ice
Joined
Jul 27, 2003
I like Cohen and I like these pics (because they're not the typical US sugar coated ice princess kind), but considering the fact she hasn't even won something real big so far, a contract like this (Citizen) comes across a bit exaggerated and too early for me. Another Tarasova student with a certain appeal, who'd look really great in artistic black & white pics as well (different clothes, of course! :D) and actually & already won a whole lot of big one's can only dream about it. I know the reasons why, but it's still kinda unfair to me! :(

Anke
 
Joined
Aug 3, 2003
I think Lolita Soft Core Chic with Muscles is what photographer Mario Sorrenti was going for in at least some of these photos. In a magazine like "V" you're just not going to see traditional style--not by a long shot. Six-inch black bondage heels on a young woman with an adolescent face bending WAY over. School-girl pleated skirts on a tiny body in provocotive poses (in one you can barely see on the free leg that she's wearing black high heels). Another look is Galaxina--the one with the silver lamé thigh highs. Then there's using purposefully strange muscle definition as in the six-pack with one can dented. I think Sorrenti knew exactly what he wanted and he got it: Typically surreal high fashion photography. It isn't necessarily supposed to look flattering. It's also geared towards a certain audience that is decidedly not the figure skating audience.

Germanice: You probably already know this, but PR like this doesn't have anything to do with the skater's coach or athletic accomplishments. It's what the agent goes after and can get. If magazines or advertisers are interested in the look of and buzz around an athlete, s/he needn't have won anything to get a giant Times Square billboard. Obvious case in point: Anna Kournikova.

Anyway, having just found out that Sasha's agent is Ari Zakarian a lot of the PR things Sasha has done now make sense. Zakarian is a young agent, clearly very ambitious, and at least the word on the street has always been that he certainly knows his way around New York night clubs, of which the higher echelons belong to models, celebrities, and artists. BTW Zakarian was a good friend of, or at least a party friend of, Oksana Baiul and the passenger in her car when she ran it off the road while DUI and hit a tree. Maybe Zakarian is trying to make Sasha's image very different from that of other figure skaters, or maybe he's just trying to get her as much PR as possible. I don't know. But for me, on the whole it's not working.

Personally I wish Zakarian would find PR gigs that allowed Sasha to just be Sasha, who I think is plenty interesting as she is. But I think once you get beneath the surface with anybody, they're interesting. I think if you can reveal more of who the real person is off the ice with photos or nonskating appearances, the more interesting that person becomes to the public. Sasha has expressed her interest in fashion and design and as most people know has designed some of her costumes. But to me she does not give off a highly sexualized vibe, at least not in the fetishistic sense we see in most of these photos. Now Nicole Bobek at 19--and I'm not dissing her at all, I love Nicole--I think her natural style would have worked well with "naughty little athlete" poses and photos--as long as there was a sense of fun about them. And for me, Katerina Witt's nude photos in "Playboy" worked very well because (a) Witt was a mature woman; (b) sexuality had always been a part of her on-ice persona; and (c) Witt had the clout to demand creative control over what she poses she would do, how much she would show, and what photos were used--at least to a certain extent on the last one.

The sexuality with Sasha in these photos seems incongruous with the sense I get of her personality. To me Sasha is a strong, determined, athletic, warm-hearted, mercurial, independent yet family-oriented young woman who seems to have struggled in her skating with emotions swinging from overconfidence to insecurity. Her vibe to me is a mix of girlish, exotic, "mall" American, and natural sexuality that is still developing. If I wanted to get a sense of her sexuality in photos, I'd put her in a bathing suit in the California surf and have her splash around, just goofing off, with a male friend she felt comfortable with (I'd cut him out of the shots, lol) until she was all giggled out. Then I'd also take some shots of her in the "aftergiggle." Of course I don't know Sasha and I certainly don't know anything about her personal life, but that's how she strikes me and that's how I'd try to capture Sasha's sexuality on film--at least as she seems now. Of course her body is beautifully defined, "bendy," and powerful looking. But no matter who Sasha really is--and at this age it's probably in a constant state of flux--if a photographer could bring out the "real deal" Sasha on film, I think it would be a lot more interesting and effective than these photos.

I don't mind the use of youth and sexuality if it's really there as part of the person, but in these photos it looks contrived. Sasha just turned 19 and high fashion shoots usually go for at least some element of sex and shock. Remember "heroin chic" and Calvin Klein's "cheap porn" jeans campaign years back? Speaking just visually, I think the photos of Sasha spinning with the paper fringe are the interesting. But the photos I find "capture" Sasha the best and are the most aesthetically interesting and compelling are (a) the one in the fourth row, right side, where she's leaning over the bar looking down and (b) fifth row, right side where she's looking directly into the camera, arms crossed, right leg bent and turned out. For me, these two photos show the most "truth" about Sasha, at least from my POV. The first is the sometimes insecure girl-woman who right now knows her body better than her mind and emotions. The second is what I call "Sasha the Barbarian"--the body language keeping people away (or keeping herself safe?), her gaze all confrontation, showing the definition of her muscles as if muscle is what defines her, yet with a certain delicacy to her wrists, ears, and facial features. I like photos that show the contrasts within a person, but only if those contrasts seem real and true. I'd feel the same way about photos of anybody--show some of the complexity beneath the surface with good photo technique and whatnot and I'm interested. Show me bells and whistles and leather on a girl for the sake of showing leather on a girl and I'm bored.

Final word not based just on these photos but on a lot of Sasha's PR: Get a different agent, one who has more experience and who is not looking to make his name as an agent off you as a skater but rather to make your name as a skater and you as a person known to the public off his/her skills as an agent.
Rgirl
 

Ptichka

Forum translator
Record Breaker
Joined
Jul 28, 2003
RGirl, ITA with you on Ari. I did not like interviews with him, whether he talks about Sasha or Plushy. Though, OTOH, those particular photos might have been something Sasha herself wanted.
 

lavender

Record Breaker
Joined
Jul 26, 2003
Sasha’s very pretty but only 2 are nice imo. How does these pictures capture the essence of what it takes to become top athlete-figure skater. Funny.
 

Spirit

On the Ice
Joined
Jul 26, 2003
I didn't think the photos were verging on pornography at all, just mostly rather silly.
 

giseledepkat

Rinkside
Joined
Oct 7, 2003
originally posted by Rgirl
Zakarian is a young agent, clearly very ambitious, and at least the word on the street has always been that he certainly knows his way around New York night clubs, of which the higher echelons belong to models, celebrities, and artists.
This reminded me of the part in Sasha's latest Phluff Piece where she said she was interested in cooking, and they showed her visiting some fancy-schmancy restaurant kitchens with her Dad. Does her Dad have a connection with the restaurant industry? Or is he a wealthy individual, and this is more about Sasha and her Dad embracing the celebrity lifestyle of the moment?

Sasha could have a genuine interest in cooking (after all, she selected nutrition for her single college course this semester) and at the same time be attracted to the glitz, glamour and buzz surrounding the restaurant industry and top chefs today. If so, this might suggest that Zakarian would be someone she'd find attractive to work with.
 

registered

On the Ice
Joined
Aug 17, 2003
Rgirl said:
I think Lolita Soft Core Chic with Muscles is what photographer Mario Sorrenti was going for in at least some of these photos. In a magazine like "V" you're just not going to see traditional style--not by a long shot. around an athlete, s/he needn't have won anything to get a giant Times Square billboard. Obvious case in point: Anna Kournikova.

Personally I wish Zakarian would find PR gigs that allowed Sasha to just be Sasha, who I think is plenty interesting as she is. But I think once you get beneath the surface with anybody, they're interesting. Final word not based just on these photos but on a lot of Sasha's PR: Get a different agent, one who has more experience and who is not looking to make his name as an agent off you as a skater but rather to make your name as a skater and you as a person known to the public off his/her skills as an agent.
Rgirl

I disagree. I see nothing of "Lolita" image in the pictures. IMO, photographer tried to tell the story of an athlete, who's toned body shows how hard she's working out. We can see her warming up at the bar, going to a ballet class, obviously. And then, she skates. Have anyone noticed, she's wearing skates in some of the pictures? Clothes Sasha wears in the photo spread really look more like a practice, warm up clothes, it's definitely not something wearable.

There's none of the "child beauty pageant" look either. Sasha looks nothing like JonBenet Ramsey, there's toned downed make-up, hair simply pulled back, she doesn't even smile. She looks like a ballet dancer, or a gymnast, not a little "beauty queen." And to Sasha being tiny and thin, and younger looking, than she actually is (surprise, we already didn't know it!), that's how she looks, and probably always be this way. There are different kind of beauty, and one doesn't have to be 6 feet tall, to model for a fashion magazine (thank God).

The only picture, that could be defined as "sexy" is the one, she wears high heel shoes. Yes, she shows her incredibly toned legs (actually, we can see only one leg), but honestly, we see more, when skaters do a Charlotte, so what's a big deal, really?

Finally, who's to say, that modeling is not something, that lets Sasha be Sasha. She was happy and proud, when she got signed by "Wilhelmina" agency. She writes in her journal, that photo shoot was a lot of fun, and she clearly likes the pictures (she's right, they are gorgeous). I don't know who's landed her a photo shoot with Sorrenti, "Wilhelmina," or Zakarian, but I'd advise her to stay with an agent, who's aggressively tries to promote her. How in a world commercial for Citizen watch, and tasteful photo spread in a fashion magazine could be bad for Sasha's PR? Of course, it won't make those, who were always jealous of her success, to like her any better, but who cares, she just needs to stick to what's true to her.
 

tharrtell

TriGirl Rinkside
On the Ice
Joined
Jul 26, 2003
I actually liked some of the pictures - not the bondage ones - as others have said, it just doesn't seem Sasha (not that'd I'd really know - maybe it is!) I did like they way the pictures highlighted the strength of her body. She's one rock-hard gal. I like to see artistic photographs that show the strength and power of the human form, but show it as beauiful rather than scary - as in some pumped up body builder (not aesthetically pleasing, IMO). It's also nice for them to have shown this in a woman. Sasha's got an athletic body that should be shown off. Much better than fashion shoots of emaciated models, IMO.
 

Kathy

On the Ice
Joined
Aug 3, 2003
It was bound to happen to happen in this day and age that some eligible skater would enter into the arena of sexualizing the female skaters body. And if you don't think there's a sexual essence in these pictures, then you've been way to desensitized to the sexualization of the female body in todays media. I mean give me a break just look at that first picture, what other meaning is there to get into such a pose? Not that Sasha is doing anything different than what is all around us, but it is certainly unconventional in the eligible skating world. I think Sasha just became every young skaters mother's worst nightmare of what they want their daughters to aspire to.
 

registered

On the Ice
Joined
Aug 17, 2003
Kathy said:
It was bound to happen to happen in this day and age that some eligible skater would enter into the arena of sexualizing the female skaters body. And if you don't think there's a sexual essence in these pictures, then you've been way to desensitized to the sexualization of the female body in todays media. I mean give me a break just look at that first picture, what other meaning is there to get into such a pose? Not that Sasha is doing anything different than what is all around us, but it is certainly unconventional in the eligible skating world. I think Sasha just became every young skaters mother's worst nightmare of what they want their daughters to aspire to.

Becoming a world's premiere figures skater, probably the hardest working of them all, is nothing, but being a terrific role model. Today's mothers could only wish, that in the world, full of low self-esteem, drugs, sluggishness, their doughters/sons, would turn as "bad", as Sasha Cohen.
 

Smiley0884

Rinkside
Joined
Jul 28, 2003
Kathy said:
It was bound to happen to happen in this day and age that some eligible skater would enter into the arena of sexualizing the female skaters body. And if you don't think there's a sexual essence in these pictures, then you've been way to desensitized to the sexualization of the female body in todays media. I mean give me a break just look at that first picture, what other meaning is there to get into such a pose? Not that Sasha is doing anything different than what is all around us, but it is certainly unconventional in the eligible skating world. I think Sasha just became every young skaters mother's worst nightmare of what they want their daughters to aspire to.

OK, if you're the one who sees that pic as "sexual" then you're the one who needs to get your mind out of the gutter. Sasha is 19 YEARS OLD. A consenting adult. Leave the poor girl alone. IMHO those pics were to show off how toned and muscular Sasha is! And even if Sasha wanted to be "sexy", so what it's her business. To make an analogy I would say Sasha is "sexy" (nothing wrong with that) and compare that with Britney Spears who is "skanky" For crying out loud most she is showing in those photos are her legs!!! No "private parts" to speak of, therefore I don't see what the problem is here! :rolleye:
 

serenity

On the Ice
Joined
Aug 19, 2003
I love most of these photos but some photos look like she is in great need of sun light for her skin. I could not help but say ewww when I seen her beautiful 6 pack sucked in right to her back ribs. I've never seen anything like that. Maybe the V magazine is in great need of sales this month.
 

Jhar55

Medalist
Joined
Jul 27, 2003
Some of the pictures are very nice but a few are bad.
1. she looks like she's a stripper
4. looks like she crawled out of the paper shredder
7. her stomach looks disfigured, (bad liposuction*)(sorry if I didn't spell it right).
 
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