sports illustrated: Eniko Mihalik

Monday, December 5, 2011

She's Got the Look

What do top models Erjona Ala, Nyasha Matonhodze, Ming Xi, Julia Saner, Fei Fei Sun, Constance Jablonski, Sigrid Agren and Eniko Mihalik all have in common? Aside from their obvious stunning DNA, they all got their start in modelling as finalists in the Elite Model Look competition. With this year's final due to commence in Shanghai in a few hours, I thought I'd give you a heads up on my top picks out of the 65 finalists. I had an extremely tough time deciding which ten models to include in my top ten, however after having sifted through the online portfolios and having watched the model interviews, I'm hoping to see Lenka from the Czech Republic, Leona from Slovakia and Mily from the Dominican Republic place amongst the final three to take out the title. Which of the faces below will you be hedging bets on?

Lenka - Czech Republic
Age - 18 years

Leona - Slovakia
Age - 14 years

Li XiaoXin - China
Age - 20 years

Agata - Russia
Age - 18 years

Dijora - Lithuania
Age - 15 years

Elsa - Angola
Age - 17 years

Mily - Dominican Republic
Age - 14 years

Jenna - USA
Age - 14 years

Lieke - the Netherlands
Age - 14 years

Barbara - Serbia
Age - 15 years
All images courtesy of elitemodellook.com

Tuesday, January 25, 2011

The Ultimate Russh

I have been based in Berlin for six months, having moved here from the sunny shores of Sydney, Australia in July 2010. My first two thoughts upon arriving in Berlin were, "I hope I will be able to cope with the arduous winter here and secondly, will I be able to find my favourite glossies in order to get my much needed fix of fashion and models."

Berlin is an international city and an epicentre of creativity for artists, writers and anyone seeking a level of self-expression. I was delighted therefore to find that not only were my much loved American and European magazines readily available but so was the ultra-cool Russh Magazine from my hometown.

Russh Magazine was created in September 2004 and is published bi-monthly. The magazine has a strong emphasis on personal style with a distinctly Australian flavour which is endearing, intriguing and honest. What I love most about Russh, is that the editorial content and cover shots are always original, unpredictable and innovative. This little Aussie hipster publication stays true to it's roots but is clearly international in it's mindset. Russh features only the top tier models from around the globe in homegrown and international fashions. The styling and concepts of the editorials are exciting and fresh and do not follow a set formulaic approach.

In the words of Russh editor Stevie Dance, "Russh, she is the mystery girl you want to befriend but are just a tad intimidated by. That is, until you realise that she is just as dorky as you, in the coolest kind of way."