They don’t make models like they used to. Once bronzed, Amazonian, athletic and strong are now pale, bug-eyed and waifishly thin. We spend a lot of time pouring over images of the
Lily Donaldsons and Sasha Pivovarovas of this world, observing, idolizing and critising, but what about the unique beauty that is rising out of our own country? Forget
Catherine McNeill and Talullah Morton for a second and take the time to discover Australia’s freshest new faces, the ones bucking catwalk trends the world over.
Baby faced
Abbey Lee Kershaw is on the fast track to becoming a household name. Teetering on the brink of that dangerous void that is alien-esque beauty, Kershaw’s baby faced beauty is undercut with a raw, almost vintage sex appeal. It’s this ethereal, compelling desirability that have saw her win the Girlfriend model contest in 2003 and have since seen her grace the world’s hottest runways (including Diane Von Furstenburg and Alexander McQueen) designer campaigns (Gucci, D & G and Calvin Klein amongst others) and magazine covers (Vogue, Numero and W to name a few) all by the tender age of 21.
Teenager
Myf Shepherd felt the awful sting of the merciless beautfy industry when she was rejected as an applicant for Australia’s Next Top model. Shepherd is of course having the last laugh in New York, Paris, London, Milan… A favourite of Karl Largerfeld, Shepherd’s beauty is haunting and cheeky, giving her the kind of natural charisma that often lacks in this generation’s sallow, personality-less models. With Shephard’s naughty smirk, you just know that she was the one who stole the cookies from the cookie jar…
They don’t get more unique than
Alice Burdeu. Arguably the world’s most successful ‘Top Model’ the flame haired, freckled beauty is a must for lovers of intelligent aesthetics. Exuding natural grace and epitomizing dignified elegance, Burdeu starred in her first D & G advertorial last year and is now walking her way to the top, a favourite of design stars like Proenza Schouler and Marchesa.