Aussie exclusive number two: Ruby Jean Wilson opens Yves Saint Laurent

yves saint laurent FW1112 backstage/sonny vandevelde

Twenty-four hours after unknown Sydney model Lydia Willemina Collins made an exclusive appearance at the Givenchy show at Paris Fashion Week, yet another Australian model has popped up on the Fall/Winter 2011/2012 radar at an equally prestigious French fashion show and also as an exclusive: Yves Saint Laurent. Scottish-born, UK-raised but now Terrigal, NSW-based 16 year-old Ruby Jean Wilson has only been seen twice so far over the past month - at Olivier Theysken's Theory show in New York, also on exclusive and at the Giles Deacon show at London Fashion Week. But Wilson didn't just walk in the Yves Saint Laurent show, she opened it (below) and she was flanked by some very big modelling names, including Abbey Lee Kershaw, the only other Australian in the show. What exactly is an "exclusive" show option? It means that the model may not appear in any other shows in that city prior to the exclusive - and more often than not, they may not appear anywhere else that season prior to being unveiled. With two other new antipodian faces, Codie Young and Dempsey Stewart, grabbing nearly 40 shows each in their first international season - including a slew of the most highly coveted designer name shows, such as Marc Jacobs, Calvin Klein and Lanvin - you have to wonder which is the best strategy. 

Repped by Priscillas in Sydney, Wilson walked in 12 shows at Rosemount Australian Fashion Week last May and then did a mere handful of lowkey shows at New York Fashion Week four months later.  

With hundreds of other models walking every international show season, it is extremely difficult to be noticed. 

Not only turning up in a bluechip show such as YSL, but opening it, however, tends to get the industry's attention. 

yves saint laurent FW1112 backstage/sonny vandevelde

yves saint laurent FW1112/nowfashion.com