At the recent Fall/Winter 2011 shows, Australia emerged as a veritable goldmine for modelling talent with a slew of new Aussie models dominating the runways of New York, London, Milan and Paris. According to Wayne Sterling, the co-founder and editorial director of models.com, "clearly the modelling industry has fixated on Australia and New Zealand as an incredible new source for emerging faces. The results of great scouting speak for themselves and now Down Under stands as a Top 3 scouting resource alongside Holland and Russia."
Leading the Australian charge were established Australian models Abbey Lee Kershaw, Ajak Deng, Julia Nobis, Myf Shepherd, Bambi Northwood-Blyth, Annaleise Smith, Alice Burdeu and Lauren Smith. Newcomers Dempsey Stewart, Codie Young, Ruby Jean Wilson, Rose Smith, and Lydia Willemina Collins eclipsed the competition by landing exclusives left, right and centre, appearing in only the most blue chip of shows. Here is my rundown of five of modelling's most exciting new prospects.
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| Golden Girls Codie Young & Dempsey Stewart NY Times T Magazine - April 2011 Photographer - Angelo Pennetta Source - models.com |
Discovered while working in her mother's tattoo parlour, Sydney-sider Lydia Willemina Collins is represented by Ford Models and is of Dutch and Indonesian extraction. Collins has a cool, androgynous look that is as beguiling as her spectacular bone structure and piercing green eyes. Collins scored a Givenchy exclusive at the Fall/Winter 2011 shows.
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| Lydia Willemina Collins Photographer - David Urbanke Source - davidurbanke.blogspot.com |
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| Photographer - David Urbanke Source - davidurbanke.blogspot.com |
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| Photographer - David Urbanke Source - davidurbanke.blogspot.com |
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| Givenchy - F/W 2011 Photographer - Yannis Vlamos Source - style.com |
Sunshine Coast beauty Codie Young amassed a staggering 39 shows in her debut season walking for the likes of Chanel, Lanvin and Roberto Cavalli. Discovered at the age of sixteen whilst shopping with friends in April 2010, Young was swiftly signed to DNA Models in New York and landed a six month Australian Vogue exclusive. Young is now based in New York and lives with fellow DNA models Maud Welzen, Emily Baker and Jessica Clarke.
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| Calvin Klein - F/W 2011 Photographer - Marcus Tondo |
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| Lanvin - F/W 2011 Photographer - Yannis Vlamos |
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| Chloe - F/W 2011 Photographer - Marcus Tondo Runway images courtesy of style.com |
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| Australian Vogue - October 2010 Photographer - Nicole Bentley Source - models.com |
Hailing from Perth, Rose Smith of Next Models logged runway mileage at Chanel and Fendi and has already been photographed by Daniele Duella & Iango Henzi for V Magazine. In an interview for the Vine, Smith reveals that "I'm waiting for my American visa to be approved, and I'll be moving to NYC as soon as it is. In the meantime I am going to Paris to shoot an editorial. I'm definitely ready to make the move..."
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| Rose Smith Chanel - F/W 2011 Photographer - Yannis Vlamos |
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| Rose Smith Fendi - F/W 2011 Runway images courtesy of style.com |
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| Rose Smith Photographer - Unknown Source - chicmanagement.com.au |
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| V Magazine - January 2011 Photographer - Daniele Duella & Iango Henzi Source - thefashionspot.com |
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| Rosemary Smith Photographer - Unknown Source - chicmanagement.com.au |
Elite's Ruby Jean Wilson landed a trio of exclusives, appearing at Olivier Theyskens Theory in New York, at Giles Deacon in London and at Yves Saint Laurent in Paris, the latter for which she opened. Seventeen year old, Scottish-born Wilson caught the attention of casting directors Ashley Brokaw and Katie Grand, and is destined for a killer show season come September.
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| Ruby Jean Wilson Yves Saint Laurent - F/W 2011 Photographer - Marcus Tondo Source - style.com |
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| Photographer - Unknown Source - bonaelamour.blogspot.com |
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| Australian Vogue - Unknown Photographer - Nicole Bentley Source - thefashionspot.com |
It was Perth's Dempsey Stewart who was the standout star of the Fall/Winter 2011 shows, walking in a total of 41 shows including Prada, Burberry and Louis Vuitton. Represented by Wilhelmina Models in New York, Eighteen year old Stewart was discovered in a local modelling competition and modelled extensively in Tokyo before her career took off internationally.
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| Acne - F/W 2011 Photographer - Fillipo Fior |
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| Prada - F/W 2011 Photographer - Monica Feudi |
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| Philip Lim 3.1 - F/W 2011 Photographer - Marcus Tondo All runway images courtesy of style.com |
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| Dempsey Stewart Photographer - Stef King Source - fashiongonerogue.com |