Tati Cotliar

When Marc Jacobs decided last February 15 to honor an unknown by having her open his show, he brought her a tremendous amount of luck. Since then, the Argentinean Tatiana Cotliar has seen her value explode.

During the Marc Jacobs fall/winter 2010-2011 show, the models seemed much more real than usual. These girls, some who had been recruited from the streets only a few days earlier, were chosen to illustrate the collection's intent: to propose classical clothes for "normal" girls. Given this context, Cotliar's racy yet acceptable physique was set to attract attention.

With her 1m79 (5'8"), slender build and rock-star allure, Cotliar was showcased in an way that was almost too good to be true for a young debutante model. Only 18 months earlier, she was quietly finishing school in Buenos Aires.

For this post-adolescent, everything began during the Argentinean fashion week, where she was nothing more than a spectator. A talent scout for Select Models noticed her and suggested that she make some photos. She proved to be photogenic, at ease in front of the camera, with a certain charming magnetism. A short while later, she nevertheless chose another agency, Next, to make her start in the modeling world.

It was at that moment that Cotliar realized what being a model was about: traveling, competition, shows... everything happened very quickly, all the more so as success was quick in coming.

In September 2009, she walked for Rodarte, then closed for Vivienne Westwood, hand in hand with the designer. She has since become the face of the London-based label for 2010. The question on everyone's mind was, "Who is this newcomer so blessed by Dame Westwood?"

Several months later, when she opened for Marc Jacobs in New York, Cotliar seemed on the point of becoming the new darling of the fashion world. The fall/winter 2010-2011 season confirmed her status as a baby top model. She was seen in New York and Milan for Proenza Schouler, Tommy Hilfiger, Prada, Versace, Marni and Alberta Ferretti, appeared in Paris for Dries van Noten, Nina Ricci, Chanel, Valentino and Kenzo, and was even given the honor of closing for Miu Miu et Ungaro.

She had planned to study cinema, yet found herself going from shadows to spotlights in only a few months. The whole time, she managed to stay cool. To tell the truth, this pretty young Argentinean (whose agent had advised her from the beginning to put on a bad-girl face when on the catwalks) seems to still have difficulty realizing the enormity of her success.

It is true that behind the glory hides a much less glamorous reality, composed of many defeats (out of 20 castings, she sometimes lands only one), distance (she may visit the most beautiful capitals in the world, but she misses Buenos Aires), rivalries and self-questioning (e.g., how to succeed while remaining yourself, and how to accept your differences).

However, even if Cotliar does not see herself as the new "it" girl in modeling, this does not prevent her from savoring the encounters she has had due to the infatuation with her in the business. She thought she was dreaming when Vivienne Westwood, the punk icon par excellence, invited her to enter her universe, was delighted to contemplate Marc Jacobs in full creative mode, and became a serious student of the famous photographers who are gradually teaching her the business.

As for her wardrobe, this young 19-year-old has not yet become addicted to designer labels and affirms her taste for vintage (she spent her first earnings in second hand stores). She also admits to dressing according to how she feels and preferring a boyish, sexy, rock allure.

Finally, as for her faults, she concedes two main ones: a lack of thick hair and an addiction to Tic Tac's. It does not seem likely that these will prove to be an obstacle to her climb to the stars.