Edita Vilkeviciute
Muddying up America’s sweetheart isn’t such a dirty job after all. Twenty-year-old model Edita Vilkeviciute rolled around with Zac Efron for our cover shoot in Los Angeles this past January. On the day of the shoot, the Lithuanian-born beauty admitted to the Disney star that she had no idea who he was. “Since I’ve never watched American television, I didn’t understand until everyone started asking me to get his autograph,” she said. As it was partly her job to transform the High SchoolMusical star from a kiddie crush to a full-on sex object, Vilkeviciute (a year Efron’s junior) leveled the playing field straight off the bat. “Zac finally admitted to me that this was his first real fashion shoot,” she said. “So we both got to relax.”
Vilkeviciute (or just Edita, as she’s called on the runway) debuted in 2006—after winning a modeling competition in her native city of Kaunas—walking for Balenciaga, thanks to casting maverick Ashley Brokaw. A few seasons in Spain launched her to Paris, London, and New York, and she then landed the Spring ’09 Calvin Klein campaign with Steven Meisel. Edita has that necessary prerequisite for a supermodel: chameleonlike looks, while still remaining instantly recognizable. Her wide, blue-gray eyes and sky-high cheekbones have served her well, opening Valentino and Burberry Prorsum shows, and walking in Chanel, Yves Saint Laurent, and Lanvin (along with a number of other designers such as Preen and Matthew Williamson). While it may have been Efron’s first foray into the fashion ring (or mud pit) that afternoon in l.a., Edita has, in fact, already got her own break in film. Karl Lagerfeld cast her in a silent short that premiered last December during his Paris pre-Fall show, playing none other than CocoChanel herself.
Above: Edita Vilkeviciute in Los Angeles, January 2009. Cosmetics: Chanel, including Exceptionnel de Chanel Mascara. Fragrance: Coco Mademoiselle. Styling: Karl Templer. Makeup: Mark Carrasquillo/Art + Commerce. Hair: Esther Langham/Art + Commerce. Casting: Michelle Lee/KCD, Inc. Digital imaging and retouching: Dtouch.
