Next Questions — Erika Linder

NEW YORK — Biology is such that no matter how many shoots Erika Linder does as a woman, which the Swedish model most certainly is, her appearances in print as the male of the species will always grab headlines. Recently a pair of smashing editorials for ELLE and Marie Claire have given lie to the idea that Erika’s repertoire is strictly male. “This year I wanted to shoot more feminine stuff just so I don’t get caught up in just doing the men’s stuff,” says Erika about her year to date. “At the end of the day I am a girl. I don’t want to be a guy. I am perfectly comfortable with who I am, it’s just work.” This last point in particular is something Erika made clear more than once during the interview, she is a girl and happy being a girl no matter what is lately trending in the gender-politics zeitgeist. The versatility of Erika’s look are part of what have made her a favorite of Nicolas Ghesquière on the runway for Louis Vuitton as well as the stealthiest casting for Tom Ford advertising in recent memory. As exceptional as Erika’s CV reads, her ambitions are immense as evidenced in the admiration she holds for houses for which she has yet to work including Saint Laurent. “There is something that speaks to me [about Saint Laurent]…the whole music scene and underground.” At the bottom of it all, though Erika is willing to have a laugh whether it concerns Sweden’s export of babes or who is the greatest Batman of all time. And if readers are wondering, Michael Keaton! Credits...