Laetitia Casta

After Lindsay Lohan, it is France's own national symbol, Laetitia Casta, who will be the face of the fall-winter Miu Miu ad campaign. The petite American's disembodied youth is moving over for the sensual and charismatic refinement of the curvaceous Casta.

It has been a long time since Casta has been seen in the fashion world. For the last several years, she who defied the modeling stereotypes by imposing her voluptuous measurements now dreams only about acting in movies or theater. Her career path is worthy of a fairy tale, to say the least; for her, there were almost no interminable castings, hopes dashed or draconian dieting.

The world of fashion fell in love with the little atypical doll without her having to make the least effort. It was during a family vacation in Corsica (her father's home) that Casta, then 15, was noticed by the photographer Frédéric Cresseaux. A short time later, she visited the Madison agency; Jean Paul Gaultier was the first to be won over by her freshness and figure, and had her walk for him in his shows.

From that moment, everyone wanted the young woman, even though she did not fit into the landscape of very slim models of the era. She became the star model of her agency. Her career took on an international status, and she signed numerous contracts in the U.S. where she incarnated the glamour "must", becoming the face of several cosmetics brands including L'Oréal, and walking for the biggest designers: Chanel, Ralph Lauren, Yves Saint-Laurent...

In addition to being courted by the luxury and beauty worlds, she was surprisingly well liked by the French. No one had anything to say when she was chosen to be the model for the statue of Marianne (the symbol of the French Revolution) in 1999. Casta was drawn to cinema more than fashion, however, and her participation in the film Asterix and Obelix Take On Cesar convinced her - she would become an actress.

She gradually dropped her modeling career and played the leading role in The Blue Bicycle, a television adaptation of the book by Régine Deforges. Then she returned to the cinema in Savage Souls, Love Street and Errances. Despite a lukewarm reception in the theaters, the critics did not cut her to pieces as they usually do other models who try their hand at the 7th art; they even classified her among the young hopefuls of French cinema.

The directors were enchanted with her as were the designers. The Casta charm rolled over everyone and the young woman worked continuously. Le grand appartement and The Maiden and the Wolves offered her key roles. Jacques Weber chose her to play Giraudoux's Ondine onstage. Casta seems to be fulfilled in this milieu and does not regret leaving behind the exhausting life of a top model.

Her family life fulfills her, and in 2006, she gave birth to her second child. She remains in the public eye by participating from time to time in ad campaigns, e.g., (French department store) Galeries Lafayette, or more recently for the new (Renault) Twingo.

So about Miuccia Prada's choice... is it the announcement of Mademoiselle Casta's return to the heart of real fashion? Or has the Italian brand found her ambiguous charm made up of an assumed femininity and sharp candor perfect to represent the house? What is sure is that the Miu Miu's ad campaign with its very "fulfilled Madonna" incarnated by Casta, is much more successful than the precedent with the frenzied Lindsay Lohan.