Fantastic four

antonio marras SS12 backstage/sonny vandevelde

Here are four key members of the new Australian modelling force that has been powering ahead on the runways of New York, London and now Milan for the Spring/Summer 2012 season, as documented by frockwriter over the past fortnight. Shot backstage by Sonny Vandevelde at yesterday's Antonio Marras show, they are, from left: Dempsey Stewart, Caitlin Lomax, Codie Young and Rose Smith. There was a fifth Australian in the same show, not pictured here - Chrystal Copland. All under 21, in demand and having the time of their lives, they are among at least 31 Australians who have been carving up the SS12 show circuit, on many other occasions walking in the same shows. Milan Fashion Week is, however, missing one promising Australian newcomer, Krystal Glynn. The very same model who claims that she recently turned down Italian luxury brand Prada for its Resort 2012 lookbook and campaign, who made an impressive debut at New York Fashion Week and in whom sources say there was significant casting interest in both Milan and Paris. Where is Glynn? Back home celebrating her 17th birthday and a camping holiday with her family. Lomax, meanwhile, scored not only the Prada Resort lookbook, apparently in Glynn's place, but a slot in Prada's SS12 runway show, alongside Abbey Lee Kershaw and Julia Nobis.

To be fair to Glynn, unlike many aspiring models who eagerly send in photos to agencies in the hope of being signed - in the majority of cases, only to be disappointed - she was minding her own business sunbaking on Bondi Beach in March, when Sydney-based agent Lincoln Ferguson first spotted her and asked had she ever considered modelling.

With multiple Australian magazine and fashion ad campaign/lookbook bookings to follow immediately afterwards, as well as Australian Fashion Week shows, Glynn hit the ground running. You could almost call her a reluctant star. Save for the fact that, according to Ferguson, she quit school in mid 2011 to model fulltime and has been working nonstop for the past five months.    

The financial rewards of modelling can be immense. But let's face it, it's an intensively competitive profession, with immense pressures and a high percentage of its workforce is teenage. To the average kid entering the business and their family, it may well look like an industry populated by wankers and bozos. In many cases, of course, they'd be right. 

So, could it all be happening a little bit too quickly for Glynn? Or is she perhaps just the latest Australian model to insist on self managing her career, ignoring advice from agents and minders?

As various agents and casting directors told me in this feature about the rise of Australian models for The Australian's Wish magazine, a large part of the international appeal of Australian girls is that, over and above their work ethic, they are easy to work with, friendly and generally 'low maintenance'. And yet some Australian models have earned reputations for being a tad more difficult. They include Tallulah Morton, Cassi van den Dungen, Stephanie Carta and Catherine McNeil. 
  
Glynn, who hails from the blue collar Sydney suburb of Penrith, told The Sunday Telegraph last weekend, "I wasn't ready to shoot Prada so I turned it down, but I hope the opportunity to work with them will come around again... I would also love to work with Louis Vuitton".
 
So would a million others.  

Elliot Ward-Fear's bottom line

Elliot Ward-Fear’s profile is completely disproportionate to the size of his business. In fact the 22 year-old Sydneysider has yet to snag a single stockist. Given that he only graduated from TAFE NSW last year, that’s not so hard to grasp. But that hasn’t stopped pieces from his spectacular 'Beauty In Exile' debut collection, which was unveiled at Rosemount Australian Fashion Week in May, finding their way into two episodes of Australia’s Next Top Model, this month's ARIA awards and even an audience with Miuccia Prada. When your stocks-in-trade are 18cm microsuede booties and gargantuan, stalactite-like Lucite jewellery, people tend to notice you. Having a publicist doesn’t hurt of course - and he's had one of those since June. Next week Ward-Fear is going to be flat chat. First up, he will unveil his Autumn/Winter 2011 ‘Spirit of Clothing’ collection at press showings in Sydney. Here is an exclusive preview of that collection, which includes some quite beautiful dresses, such as this pretty, deconstructed tennis dress in fondant pink and white and the intricately-seamed caramel wool bodycon dress, above and below, which boasts a curious cutaway panel at the derrière. The latter is designed to be worn, we are told, with a full, flesh-coloured brief - as white hot new Australian model Codie Young will discover later next week when the Vogue Australia September covergirl shoots Ward-Fear's first lookbook in Brisbane with Thom Kerr. 

Young will also be negotiating the, by all accounts, equally extreme accessories of Ward-Fear's AW11 collection. They include a handbag with a detachable glove, a pair of sunglasses cut from one piece of Perspex and a pair of 45cm platforms.  

Just what is the Prada connection?

Manila-based blogstar Bryanboy was sent some Elliot Ward-Fear pieces in the leadup to the Spring/Summer 2011 shows in Europe. 

On October 7th, the final day of the season, he wore both the 18cm booties and a spiked Lucite necklace to the show of Prada's diffusion line Miu Miu in Paris (and continues to be photographed in the booties). 

Of his attempt to greet Miuccia Prada after the show in the necklace, Bryanboy later noted on Twitter:

"Took a miracle to exchange kisses with mrs prada with my extreme elliott ward-fear necklace".

As for comments that have since been attributed to Prada regarding Bryanboy's outfit, we have it on good authority that the sum total of her commentary was “you look beautiful” – which is not quite the way Grazia Australia spun it in this piece.

Nevertheless most definitely one to watch from Australia, Ward-Fear hails from highly creative lineage.

He is the latest big buzz graduate of the TAFE NSW Fashion Design Studio, whose alumni include a roll call of this country's best known fashion names, from rising star Dion Lee to Akira Isogawa, Michelle Jank, Nicky Zimmermann, Gary Bigeni and Alex Perry. His father is set designer David Ward-Fear, who worked on films such as The Shining, Mad Max, Aliens and and The Matrix triology. 

Check the Elliot Ward-Fear website for more examples of earlier work.

 

all images: supplied exclusively to frockwriter by elliot ward-fear/mother & father PR

Prada's curve ball: Fall/Winter 2010/2011 video

Frockwriter talked about the unusual casting this morning. Here is Prada’s video of the Fall/Winter 2010/2011 show if you haven't seen it already, or missed the live stream. And on closer inspection, with all the full-skirted dresses, A-line skirts and Princess line coats – the wardrobe staples of many fuller-figured women (you only have to check the best-selling merchandise of antipodian brands Easton Pearson and Trelise Cooper, which cater specifically to the mature customer) - the brand’s casting strategy makes a whole lot of sense.

Not that there is anything remotely middle aged about the Victoria’s Secret Angels.

But their hyper “sexy” figures, which have placed them at the top of the modelling industry by way of earnings, as distinct to high fashion cachet, make them a little closer to regular women, with breasts and bottoms. As distinct from the androgynous, barely pubescent teenagers who have dominated the runways for the past decade.

Indeed, Dutch bombshell Doutzen Kroes, one of Prada's Victoria's Secret Angels, is one of several high profile models who have dominated fashion coverage over the past fortnight - over the fact they have been excluded from the runways due to issues of weight. On the eve of New York Fashion Week, at a CFDA body image initiative, Kroes told reporters that she rarely does shows because, although she might have done so when she was "11 or 12", she doesn't fit the current runway sample size.

Also on the eve of New York Fashion Week, the well documented weight struggles of Australia's own Gemma Ward were the focus of a 2500 word feature in The New York Post. And Canadian Coco Rocha was on the record with The New York Times saying:

“I’m not in demand for the shows anymore”

Although she was quoted directly in the NYT, on her blog, Rocha later claimed the story was a beatup. Only further confusing matters by admitting:

"in another parallel universe I'm considered "fat"

Presumably, that parallel universe is fashion.

Backstage, Prada talked about going back to the brand’s heritage (there’s that word again). The sexy secretary vibe and Sixties homewares graphics certainly did that.

The braided beehives seemed inspired by both Mad Men (although Miuccia Prda reportedly claims she's never watched it) and the stylish Ukrainian PM Yulia Tymoshenko (a connection previously noted by Bryanboy after Prada’s FW0809 collection).

But it also reminded frockwriter of Prada’s SS08 show, which we clocked in person.

Much was made at the time about the casting of full-bosomed Lara Stone, who also hails from the Netherlands, with many outlets heralding a return of curves to the runway.

Stone seemed somewhat larger two years ago than she is now. To wit, we distinctly recall overhearing backstage model gossip about the first casting she attended in Milan that season. “Jaws dropped” we were told, when Stone entered the room, such was her relative bulk compared to the other ectomorphs.

It is well worth noting that, two years down the track, Stone has just graduated to world number #1 on models.com.

Prada bumps an all skinny cast to include Victoria's Secret Angels - and four Australians

prada fw1011/getty

Yesterday there were whispers that the Prada cast in Milan might “shake the earth with surprise”. Frockwriter wondered if that might mean Miuccia Prada was planning to include plus sized Crystal Renn? Not quite, but fascinating casting nonetheless and it involves a hell of a lot of Australians. Yes the fashion world was gobsmacked by Balenciaga’s inclusion of Miranda Kerr in its Spring/Summer 2010 show in Paris last September. Well just as frockwriter hinted Kerr might make an appearance in Milan, she has just walked in Prada, alongside two other Victoria's Secret Angels, Doutzen Kroes and Allessandra Ambrosio, not to mention Kerr's compatriots and Chic stablemates Catherine McNeil and Abbey Lee Kershaw. And not forgetting Australia’s hottest new modelling star, Priscilla's Julia Nobis, who, as we reported, scored a Calvin Klein exclusive in New York last week and powered along at London Fashion Week this week, walking for a handful of top shows, including Burberry, Richard Nicoll and Topshop Unique - opening the latter two (and just dubbed a breakout star of the season by New York Magazine). Here is Prada's complete cast list.

None of the Victoria's Secret contract Angels are "plus sized", so let's just put things in perspective here. They are all thinner than "average" women. But they are more voluptuous than your "average" high fashion models, which is why they are in high demand for lingerie and swimwear work.

Catherine McNeil however, interestingly, has not done runway shows for several seasons - because, it has been claimed, she gained weight.

This is not a victory for plus sized models. But it is nonetheless a very interesting move in an area of fashion that is known for its draconian weight regulations and one that is no doubt about to be discussed at length.