Grace of Spades

Published on stithmagazine.com 2.17.16

By Isabel Seidel

Grace of Spades

I notice my iPhone buzz to life with an incoming text and my heart skips a beat when my eyes focus on the message. Grace Hartzel has just texted me back.

Grace’s name may not ring a bell in every household yet, but then again, nobody knew Cindy Crawford’s name when she first walked for Donna Karan in Spring ’90, and Kate Moss was virtually unknown when she first walked at Ralph Lauren in ’93. It’s Grace’s unique look that brought her to the catwalks of Chanel and Dior, and the studios of Mario Testino and Mario Sorrenti all within her first seasons as a high fashion model; it was her animate personality that made her so sought after by the most respected fashion houses across the globe. Her most recent accomplishment includes her debut as the face of Salvatore Ferragamo's new fragrance, following her stint as the face of Calvin Klein Platinum.

I immediately open Grace’s iMessage and she nonchalantly apologizes, “I’m sorry I have been so busy! Can I call you in like 10 mins?” Busy is modest; at just 20 years old, Grace has lived in a whirlwind from season to season, studio to photoshoot location, fitting to catwalk. When I hear Grace’s bubbly voice on the other end of the receiver minutes later, she reveals that she’s currently in London for a shoot, but she’d been in Paris and Mexico City only days earlier. Home for Grace, on paper, is in Indiana, but New York City, Paris, London, Milan, L.A., Tokyo and a handful of other fashion meccas have swept her away for much of the past few years; she's racking up unprecedented frequent flyer miles.

Grace has a striking face, but also a way about her that’s hard to forget. In an industry where aesthetics are seemingly the end all be all, personality was the circumstance that helped Grace rise in the ranks. “It’s really hard to get into the high-fashion modeling because it demands such a specific kind of body type, height, look. You can’t just look one certain way.” She eludes that the ability to evolve is key. “Celebrity models have become so popular because they have more interesting personalities than just a model. [Designers] like that more,” says Grace. But Grace isn’t just a model. She’s a grade-A entertainer who crafts and embodies a character of her own creation with every role she plays.

The editorial spreads on the glossy pages of nearly every renowned fashion publication under the sun—from French Vogue to Interview Magazine—can only depict so many of Grace’s dimensions, telling half the story. Grace admits, “A lot of models don’t really care about becoming the character. I’m good at becoming and creating what [the designers] want in the clothes.” She’s beautifully impulsive, like when she spur-of-the-moment cut her own bangs in her hotel mirror, or dyed her hair purple out of boredom. Her decisive bang slice-and-dice landed her a role as Saints Laurent's greatest muse. Yet, the trippy Calvin Klein billboard on Houston and Lafayette in New York City—with stills of Grace’s lithe body dancing to her own beat—can’t reveal that she is also an avid singer and songstress, as well as an aspiring actress.

It was a special moment in for Grace when I-D Magazine asked her not only to be their 35th anniversary cover model, but also to be herself. The cover features an iconic profile shot of Grace flashing a quirky wink under her tousled bangs. “When I did the I-D Magazine cover, that wasn’t a character; that was me.” Grace’s various campaigns usually feature one of her dynamic characters, donning dark textured couture. Grace, however, would rather be sporting her schoolgirl style, inspired by her fascination with Japanese anime. Her all-time favorite runway outfit remains a soft pink and blue capricious Valentino Couture gown from Spring 2015.

With every side of Grace we see, it’ll be no surprise to see her find exponential success in the years ahead. She's a bona fide wildcard in a well-shuffled hand. Grace Hartzel truly is a suspenseful thriller, but it's obvious that she's only just finished chapter one.