Super Contenders

Joseph Altuzarra's Paris meets Marrakech collection was brought to life on the runway by an extraordinarily beautiful group of newcomers. Last season's breakthrough faces Sui He, Nyasha Matonhodze, Xiao Wen Ju and Julia Frauche led the charge alongside some clear contenders for the current Fall/Winter 2012 collections. With only a few more days left of New York Fashion Week, Kati Nescher, Maria Bradley, Marte Mei Van Haaster, Nadine Ponce, Nadja Bender and Ava Smith have clocked serious runway mileage at only the most influential, trendsetting shows. From Alexander Wang, Altuzarra, Prabal Gurung, Helmut Lang, Jason Wu and BCBG Max Azria, one thing is clear a new generation of models is primed to takeover with equal measures of attitude and beauty.

Sui He
Altuzarra - Fall/Winter 2012
Photographer - Marcus Tondo
Source - style.com

Nadine Ponce

Ava Smith

Julia Frauche

Maria Bradley

Kati Nescher

Nyasha Matonhodze

Nadja Bender

Marte Mei van Haaster

Xiao Wen Ju
Altuzarra - Fall/Winter 2012
Photographer - Marcus Tondo
Source - style.com

Best in Class

W Magazine recruits models Jourdan Dunn, Lily Donaldson, Nyasha Matonhodze and Cara Delevingne for a sumptuous editorial lensed by Emma Summerton. Decked out in fashions from the Spring/Summer 2012 collections, the editorial features the latest trends as updated by Balenciaga, Prada, Roberto Cavalli and Chanel. Styled by Edward Enninful, Dunn et al. look striking as they embody the various themes attributed to each image including Gatsby Girls, Holy Daze, the Lady is a Vamp and Graphic Content. Summerton who is a regular contributor to i-D Magazine, brings her trademark lavish cinematic aesthetic to the pages of W Magazine.

Jourdan Dunn, Cara Delevingne & Lily Donaldson

Lily Donaldson & Nyasha Matonhodze

Lily Donaldson & Jourdan Dunn

Jourdan Dunn & Cara Delevingne

Cara Delevingne

Nyasha Matonhodze & Jourdan Dunn

Lily Donaldson

Jourdan Dunn

Cara Delevingne & Lily Donaldson
W Magazine - January 2012
Photographer - Emma Summerton
Source - thefashionspot.com

Always A Woman

US Vogue sets the tone for the New Year with a David Sims lensed editorial featuring a cast of models from the past, present and future. The diverse grouping of models brings an element of surprise to Vogue's January 2012 issue with Stella Tenant, Isabeli Fontana, Anja Rubik, Joan Smalls, Arizona Muse, Karlie Kloss, Caroline Trentini, Frida Gustavsson, Edie Campbell, Nyasha Matonhodze, Anais Pouliot, Aymeline Valade, Zuzanna Bijoch and Fei Fei Sun rounding out the eclectic cast. Entitled "Always A Woman", the models look resplendent in the latest Spring/Summer 2012 collections from Louis Vuitton, Jil Sander, Prada, Givenchy, Balenciaga and Dolce & Gabbana.

Anais Pouliot

Joan Smalls

Zuzanna Bijoch

Karlie Kloss

Frida Gustavsson

Aymeline Valade

Isabeli Fontana

Stella Tenant

Anja Rubik

Arizona Muse

Nyasha Matonhodze

Caroline Trentini

Fei Fei Sun
US Vogue - January 2012
Photographer -  David Sims
Source - thefashionspot.com

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

Coming on Strong

The Spring/Summer 2012 shows were dominated by a select group of second-season models, determined to prove that they are here to stay. Aymeline Valade, Sui He, Nyasha Matonhodze, Emily Baker, Josephine Skriver, Zuzanna Bijoch, Roberta Narciso, Kate King, Fei Fei Sun and Julia Nobis left a blistering trail behind them as they collectively eclipsed the runways of New York, London, Milan and Paris. In an industry which discards newcomers faster than you can say "exclusive", it's reassuring to witness a new generation of models who possess real potential staying power. This diverse group of beauties possess three common denominators; they are all distinctly beautiful, versatile in the looks that they are able to portray, and bring an energy and character to the runway that has been missing in seasons past. If you're looking to put the Super back into the modelling industry, look no further.

Josephine Skriver
Balenciaga - S/S 2012
Photographer - Monica Feudi

Aymeline Valade
Alberta Ferretti - S/S 2012
Photographer - Yannis Vlamos

Fei Fei Sun
BCBG Max Azria - S/S 2012
Photographer - Yannis Vlamos

Roberta Narciso
Akris - S/S 2012
Photographer - Alessandro Viero

Zuzanna Bijoch
Chloé - S/S 2012
Photographer - Alessandro Viero

Nyasha Matonhodze
Givenchy - S/S 2012
Photographer - Yannis Vlamos

Emily Baker
Alberta Ferretti - S/S 2012
Photographer - Yannis Vlamos

Sui He
Donna Karan - S/S 2012
Photographer - Yannis Vlamos

Julia Nobis
Alberta Ferretti - S/S 2012
Photographer - Yannis Vlamos

Kate King
Lanvin - S/S 2012
Photographer - Yannis Vlamos
All runway images courtesy of style.com