KIRSTEN OWEN

“When I first started, I was afraid to move in front of the camera," recalls Kirsten Owen of her early modeling gigs in the late '80s. A few years later, she had become a grunge icon, playing androgynous muse to such designers as Ann Demeulemeester and Helmut Lang. Although still an unmistakable presence in editorials and campaigns, Owen has recently been prepping for other roles. "I've been interested in acting recently," says the England-born, Toronto-based mother of two teenagers. "I've been talking classes and it's been a lot of fun."

ALL CLOTHING: FENDI.

CHRISTINA KRUSE

Christina Kruse never saw modeling as a lasting career. "I couldn't sleep because I was nervous about my 'summer job' ending," she recalls. In the mid-'90s, a friend suggested she instead get behind the camera. "I built a studio in my apartment," says Kruse, who has shown her photographic self-portraits at New York's Steven Kasher Gallery. She holds her modeling experiences dear. "Working with top photographers, stylists, and designers has been a remarkable education."

COAT: FENDI. SHIRTS AND JEANS: STAR STRUCK VINTAGE. BRACELETS: LUIS MORAIS AND KRUSE’S OWN.

JAMIE BOCHERT

“The first instrument I played was the organ that my parents had," says model and singer Jamie Bochert. Since, the repertoire of instruments she plays has expanded to include piano, guitar, harmonium, and the theremin. "I bought a snake-charmer flute but can't get a sound out of it," says Bochert, who performs under the monkier Francis Wolf and often plays alongside her fiance, actor Michael Pitt. "If I could be playing music all the time, that is what I would do."

DRESS: FENDI. SCARF: NEW YORK VINTAGE. RING: HUSAM EL ODEH.

CAROLINE DE MAIGRET

Parisian model and music producer Caroline de Maigret has always been drawn to the world of rock. "When I first moved to New York in 1994, most of my friends were musicians," she says. "And I slowly started sponsoring them with the money I made from fashion." Now through her record label, Bonus Tracks Records, she's worked with french bands like Hub and the Mantis and also runs a music publishing company, Yarlock Editions. "I'm producing artists because I believe they deserve to exist," she says.

COAT AND PANTS: FENDI. NECKLACE: LYNN BAN.

CAMILLE ROWE

Paris-born Camille Rowe, daughter of two restaurateurs, has landed some plum ad campaigns (she's the face of Chloe's newest fragrance, L'Eau de Chloe, but the 22-year-old has other ambitions. "I did a bit of acting when I was in Paris; mostly plays, and a movie with Romain Gavras, Our Day Will Come [2010]," Rowe says. "I haven't gotten into it here yet, but it's in the back of my mind."

COAT AND TIGHTS: FENDI. TURTLENECK: STAR STRUCK VINTAGE. NECKLACE AND BRACELET: STYLIST’S OWN.

IRINA LAZAREANU

“I don't remember my performances sometimes," says model and chanteuse Irina Lazareanu. "I get quite intense." The music veteran, who got her start as a teenager writing tunes for sometime flame Pete Doherty, recently recorded a song called "The King," a collaboration with Sean Lennon, and plans to release it as part of a forthcoming EP. She now gigs on occasions with Operation Juliette, the musical collective made up of Lennon, BP Fallon, and MC Spank Rock, among others."

SUIT AND DRESS: FENDI. SLIP: OLATZ. BROOCH: LYNN BAN. POCKET SQUARE: TURNBULL & ASSER. RING: REPOSSI.

DARIA STROKOUS

"I realized I wanted to be an actress when I was 14," says model Daria Strokous, now 22. That determination allowed the Moscow native to parlay modeling and years of acting classes into a small part in Steven Soderbergh's 2011 thriller Contagion. Although Strokous remains in demand, she says she can't help thinking about life beyond the catwalk. "Acting," she says, "is a career you can have for a lifetime."

COAT, PANTS, AND WATCH: FENDI. BLOUSE: ALBRIGHT NYC. EARRINGS: MARC DAVIS. NECKLACES: STYLIST’S OWN. RINGS: HUSAM EL ODEH AND LINDHARDT.