Freya Mavor arrives at the Pringle catwalk show, at One Marylebone, in central London, as part of London fashion week. 21/02/2011

"Pringle of Scotland prefers to pick its own countrywomen for its ad campaigns—see the previous Ryan McGinley-lensed Tilda Swinton shots for proof. (Or better, check out our video featuring Ryan and Tilda, self-proclaimed “brothers from another mother.”) For Spring 2011, the label tapped the Scottish actress Freya Mavor, who stars in the cult-adored English TV series Skins. (Think of it as a U.K. Gossip Girl: The show, which also helped to launch the career of best-dressed bloke of 2010 Nicholas Hoult, is a raunchy, sex-filled teen drama—one that MTV is adapting for American audiences this season.) The ads were shot by renowned photographer Walter Pfeiffer, working on his first-ever global campaign for a fashion brand. He’s Swiss—but the Scots can’t have ‘em all. "

"PRINGLE OF SCOTLAND has enlisted Skins actress Freya Mavor for its spring/summer 2011 campaign, as part of its promise to champion burgeoning Scottish talent. Mavor, who follows in the illustrious footsteps of Tilda Swinton as the label's face, was shot by legendary photographer Walter Pfeiffer for the images - his first campaign for a fashion label. We caught up with her to talk about the experience.

How were you chosen by Pringle, did you audition or did they come to you direct?

I was lucky enough to get a call from my agency asking if it was something I would be interested in doing. They needed a Scottish actress for the campaign; I was thrilled they asked me as I only recently landed my first acting job in Skins so it came as a complete shock. Of course I said yes, it's an amazing opportunity I wouldn't want to pass up.

How did it feel to be chosen for such a big campaign?

It felt incredible; I just started laughing when I got off the phone. It seemed so unreal.

What did you think of Pringle before you worked with them?

Well my mum seems to have a fetish for finding random Pringle pieces. She's often brought me back items of clothing she "just couldn't resist" buying, bizarre woolen skirts and even once a pair of cashmere pants. So I've always linked Pringle to my mum, when I went off to Switzerland to do the shoot she asked me to steal some jumpers to bring back for her. However, although tempted, I thought it might be slightly unprofessional to head back with a bag full of stolen goods.

Did you enjoy the shoot, had you modelled before?

The shoot was great, and it was made even better by the fact we were in this amazing village in the Swiss mountains. The location truly was stunning. I haven't done modelling before, but we've done a few promotional photo shoots with Skins. However this was very different from those shoots.

How was working with Walter Pfeiffer?

He was very enthusiastic and chirpy throughout the whole day, so that kept me smiling. I wasn't very familiar with his work before this, but I made sure to do my research beforehand. It was almost scary when I realised how renowned he was, but that simply made me all the more excited to work with him.

What did you think of the clothes you wore at the shoot? Did you have a favourite piece?

Pringle do have some great outfits, they were great fun to wear. The shoes were fabulous; I wish I could walk properly in them though. I think my favorite outfit was a pair of white, floaty high-waisted trousers with a blue and white checkered chemise on top and a black collar. I felt like I should be wearing a huge white sun hat and lounging around drinking cosmopolitans and speaking in French. It oozed chic.

Do you have plans to do any more modelling?

I would have to say that modeling has never been an ambition of mine; it was something that just came out of the blue and seemed like a great opportunity! Although I loved the experience, and I love photo shoots as they always seem to be such a laugh, I much prefer acting. That's where my passion lies, and it's one of things I love doing most. If other great opportunities arise then of course I'd consider doing them, but for now I'm very happy where I am starting out an acting career with Skins (which I absolutely love), and shooting with Pringle was undoubtedly a great experience!"

“My character is brilliant,I love her.We are kept
in the dark about what’s going to happen as that
keeps our acting fresh.”
She describes her character in Skins as kind but
very naïve.“She is full of elegance and poise,”says
Jessica.“But I’m anticipating some sort of twist
will happen.As any Skins fan,or teenager for that
matter,knows,teenage life is a rollercoaster.”

"Jessica does let on that her character,like almost
all of the Skins characters before her,gets involved
in sex,drugs and alcohol – issues real teenagers
face on a daily basis.But she isn’t too worried
about acting out any extreme scenes because the
show uses body doubles in certain situations."

"In a downstairs recording studio in the West Village, Bryan Elsley, a co-creator of the British teenage comedy-drama “Skins,” was guiding James Newman, a star of the MTV remake of the show, through a typical line of dialogue.

Some of the young stars of the teenage drama “Skins”: from left, Sofia Black-D’Elia, James Newman and Daniel Flaherty. The series will have its premiere on MTV on Jan. 17.

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Bryan Elsley, executive producer and co-creator of “Skins.”

Conjuring up his confidence, Mr. Newman, a handsome, baby-faced 18-year-old who plays Tony, the cocky ringleader of a high school clique, said to an unseen co-star, “Normal girls like it.”

Mr. Elsley offered his thoughts on the line reading: “If you could be slightly scandalized,” he said, “but also amused.”

In an interview afterward, a more demure Mr. Newman declined to specify what indiscreet act he was trying to talk another (undoubtedly female) character into during that scene. “You’ll see,” he said with a grin.

MTV and its viewers will also soon see what an Americanized version of “Skins” looks like when the series has its premiere on Jan. 17. Famous in its original incarnation for frank depictions of sex, substance abuse and other authentic teenage pursuits, “Skins” is a show that MTV sought specifically for its boundary-pushing content while knowing that it could not break as many rules on American television.

As the United States debut approaches, the network and the “Skins” creative team realize that whether this version is too risqué or too tame, or even if it gets its balance just right, there will be consequences to pay.

“When you do things the fans don’t like, they really turn on you,” Mr. Elsley said. “When characters die in the show, there’s trouble. When people have the wrong sexuality or sexual behavior, there’s trouble. And when you bring the show to America, there’s trouble.”

Mr. Elsley, 49, a Scottish-born television producer with a gentle voice and sleepy eyes, recalled in an interview how he and his son Jamie Brittain created “Skins” about five years ago out of “a slightly irritable conversation across the dinner table.”

“He was acquainting me with my age,” Mr. Elsley said of Mr. Brittain (he uses his mother’s last name), then 19, “and my boringness and the mundaneness of what I did.”

Drawing from Mr. Brittain’s pop cultural interests (and his desire to make a teenage drama that would “be actually good and not rubbish”), the father and son created a group of characters based on Mr. Brittain and his friends: the well-liked, devious Tony; the hard-partying Chris; the fumbling, virginal Sid.

“Jamie wouldn’t mind you knowing that he is, in fact, Sid,” Mr. Elsley said, “and he would take great pleasure in telling you that his ridiculous, shout-y Scottish dad is in fact me.”

The only limitation placed on the original “Skins,” broadcast in Britain and Ireland on the E4 channel, was the prohibition of two particular swear words. The series took full advantage of this freedom, depicting its characters in various sexual couplings and triplings, struggling with unrequited crushes, eating disorders and unwanted pregnancies, and even dying.

Now on the verge of its fifth season (produced by a 24-year-old Mr. Brittain), “Skins” caught the eye of MTV executives as it started appearing on Netflix and BBC America.

“It was letting go of its assumptions about what young people do and how they talk, and letting them do it for themselves,” said Stephen Friedman, the general manager of MTV.

“Skins” also appealed to MTV as a signature series that could help the network reinvent itself as it pursued a millennial-age, 18-to-24-year-old audience and added more scripted series to its portfolio. Though documentary-style shows like “Jersey Shore” and “Teen Mom” are still far and away MTV’s most popular programs, the proliferation of the reality format across television has made it “hard to feel pioneering in reality,” Mr. Friedman said.

Scripted shows, he added, “became another opportunity to represent the life and the rhythm of our audience, in the way great fiction can be disconnected to your life but still speak central truths to you.”

But striking the deal that brought “Skins” to MTV took more than a year. Mr. Elsley said he spoke to several “amazing, legendary” show runners in the United States, only to conclude that he would have to produce the series himself."