Lily Donaldson is a fairy tale come true. She is reportedly one of the most highly paid models of her generation and her career began in that most mythical of ways: scouted by Select Model Management in 2003 at the age of 16 while shopping in Camden. She has been the face of many prestigious fashion house campaigns including Burberry, Dior and Dolce & Gabbana. Described vicariously as the smartest and most sophisticated of that year’s crop of hopeful talent, she has also been landed with that epithet ‘down-to-earth and a pleasure to work with’. Disappointing really: would we not rather have Naomi Campbell-type hysteria, assistants dodging flung mobile phones, outrageous behaviour and an out-of-control drug habit? But would Peter Stichbury be attracted to such a character? Her blandly smooth, aloof and beautiful appearance, her impossibly slim arms and crisp, white couture outfit, scream calm and cool. She is one of Stichbury’s favourite subjects; he has taken all of the features for which she is renowned, and subtly distorted them. Her tiny nose, perfectly winged eyebrows, glorious blonde hair, widely spaced- eyes, and tiny frame, all come together, slightly off-key. The chin is slightly too small for the large eyes, and her head seems to be a bit out of balance with the rest of her slim body. Interestingly, it is common for high-fashion models to have some bizarre characteristic, whether it's Tyra Banks' exceptionally large forehead or the androgyny of Agnes Deyn, which in conjunction with the beauty, makes us want to keep looking at them. Stichbury's representation of Lily has a similar effect, from her disproportionate body to her enigmatic expression. The depiction of beauty has the tiniest sneer on its expressionless face. She gives one the impression of looking at a person who has been asked to pose numerous times and has become slightly bored with the whole situation. Ironically, as a result of Stichbury's use of flat hues and depth, combined with his slight distortions of her physique, Lily appears somewhat plastic and lifeless. Likewise his perfect, smooth brush strokes serve as a metaphor for the perfection we ascribe to all models who come to represent the epitome of beauty. Nevertheless, she is undeniably beautiful and Stichbury's rendering of her, whether intentional or not, serves to remind us that beauty is always in the eye of the beholder.
Sarah McCrory and Emma Fox