Monday, September 1, 2008

Girls of Summer: Which new Australians will make their marks on SS09?


marilyn via models.com


Headed up by (then) international runway virgin Abbey Lee Kershaw, a swag of new Australian modelling faces led the charge in the FW0809 season. With the New York shows just days away, the question is, which new Australians are going to clean up on the Spring/Summer 09 runways?

New York hype continues to build around Myf Shepherd and Sarah Stephens.

Beyond Australian Fashion Week's SS0809 shows in May and a few appearances at the Resort 09 shows in New York in July, both models are new to the international show circuit.

Over the weekend one web forum hinted that Shepherd [pictured below] might be a potential to open Prada.

Also over the weekend, influential US casting blog COACD predicted that Shepherd will be:

"Walking EVERYTHING…no doubt"


coacd

New York magazine has just nominated Stephens as one of its Top 10 "new girls of the season" - the only Australian in the magazine's new SS09 faces lineup. The magazine predicts that Stephens will be seen (one would hope at the very least):

"At editors' favorites Alexander Wang and Zero Maria Cornejo"

Over the past fortnight Australia's Next Top Model Cycle 3 winner Alice Burdeu, who had a strong OS debut at the FW0809 shows in February and March, has appeared not once, but twice, in the personal blog of models.com co-founder Wayne Sterling.

On Saturday, Sterling snapping Burdeu (L below) and a handful of other girls who Sterling describes as "Elite's leading light", en route to the Arthur Ashe Stadium, to watch the opening night of the US Open from the private box of Elite owner Eddie Trump:


the imagist

Tallulah Morton meanwhile is most definitely well-placed.

Although buoyed by Australian hype as "the next Gemma Ward" back in 2005 and 2006, Morton made one false start in New York exactly two years ago for the SS07 season - walking in a number of New York shows, but failing to break into any other city's runways that season.

Morton was just 14 at the time.

Here is Morton's agency show card as shown on COACD in September 2006:



IMG via coacd


Here is her current season's show card [a second image from which appears at the very top of this post]:


marilyn via models.com

At 16, Morton has a wealth of modelling experience behind her.

She made an impressive Paris debut at the FW0809 shows earlier this year, walking in 10 shows, including Jean Paul Gaultier - for whom, as frockwriter recently pointed out, Morton appears to be emerging as a bit of a muse.

Morton reappeared at the haute couture shows in July, has been shooting editorial and making some influential friends. A case in point, high profile US party snapper Mark 'the Cobrasnake' Hunter, whose shots of Morton partying in Paris recently ruffled feathers (after they appeared on Hunter's website - and this blog picked up the story).

I had a quick chat with Morton at last week's Myer show in Sydney. And yes I am well aware there are media ethics guidelines in place vis-a-vis interviewing minors.

These lines start getting a little blurred however when minors are thrust into the public spotlight from the age of 13 - and notably when they work in a professional environment with no chaperone in tow. As was the case, at least, on Wednesday night.


So you’ve been really busy in Paris – doing a lot of work with Jean Paul Gaultier.
Tallulah Morton: It’s been good. I’m loving Paris and everything about it.

How long are you back in Australia for?
Just for a few weeks actually. I might be heading out to New York on Sunday.

For New York Fashion Week?
Yes – well maybe, I’m not sure yet.

[Her agent] Vicky Graham was recently talking about a potential cover of Italian magazine Velvet. Has that come out yet?
I’m not sure. I think maybe it comes out next month.

Is it definitely the cover?
No, I have no idea. It was just an option.

So what else have you been doing?
I’ve been, you know, just having fun in Sydney. Seeing my friends and my boyfriend. Enjoying the winter.

But you’ve been in Paris over summer.
Yeah – it’s so beautiful over there.

Did you get into trouble over the Cobrasnake pictures?
Oh …I don’t know… Mark’s a good friend of mine and…

A very good friend apparently – judging by some shots of the two of you that are circulating online.
No, just a good friend.

Was anyone cranky about the party shots? They were all over his website.
No comment. [laughs]

Have you been optioned for any SS09 shows?
Yes.

Can you tell me which ones?
Not really. I don’t know…. It depends.

Which shows are you expecting to do?
I’m not sure.

So what else have you been doing workwise?
Velvet and Marie Claire India... a few overseas ones.

Do you still love modelling?
[Thinks] Yeah.

You’ve been doing it for quite a long time already.
I know. About four years now even.

And yet you’re still only 16. Are you kind of glad it’s all happening now rather than two years ago when you first went overseas?
Yeah it’s definitely better that it’s happening now.

You’re mates with Stephanie Carta aren’t you?
I love Steph, she’s a good friend of mine.

There are so many Australian girls now.
Yeah there’s heaps overseas at the moment.

Do you know/keep in contact with them?
I’m not really friends with a lot of models.

Good luck - looking forward to seeing you on the SS09 runways.
Thank you!

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