Auto (model) portraits

Interesting developments in model blogger land. Since frockwriter launched a year ago we have looked at quite a few model blogs, ranging from the fun, to the ballsy, to the erudite, and not forgetting the mysterious. But while many model bloggers tend to adopt a photo reportage style, using either professionally-taken shots of themselves, or snapping self portraits on the job or while clowning around, a new breed of model blogger is emerging, styling their own fashion shoots. This is an offshoot of course of the wider street style blog phenom in which the authors don’t capture random street looks, but shots of their own outfits. Fashion Toast's photogenic Rumi Neely (who is heading to next month's Air New Zealand Fashion Week) is probably the greatest exponent of the latter. Interestingly, Neely has now been signed to New York's Next Models. With their on-camera experience, professional models add an additional dimension to this. Priscillas’ Blake Lively-lookalike Zanita Whittington (see below), who has been blogging since November, introduced herself backstage at Jayson Brunsdon last week, camera in hand. Then there is Alexandra Spencer from Next's Australian affiliate Chic Management, who could wind up being the agency's next breakout star - without having ever set foot on an international runway.

The 20 year-old Sydneysider has been modelling for one year and has booked jobs including Vogue, Harpers Bazaar, Oyster, Bec & Bridge, JAG, Jeans West, General Pants and Wrangler.

At 5'8" she is, frockwriter understands, considered a little too petite for the runway, which goes some way to explain why we have not seen her on the catwalks of David Jones, Myer or RAFW etc.

With self-timer in hand however and a great sense of style, involving some hand-made and/or customised garments - and a propensity to sex it up - Spencer has been creating quite the stir with her edgy rock/surf chick auto portraits on the four-month old blog 4th and Bleeker. (That's if the photos are in fact genuine self-portraits. The quality seems suspiciously professional - ditto the blog's use of typography).

The blog is rapidly garnering coverage, including mini profiles on Igor + Andre, Refinery 29 and style.com.

Spencer, who hails from the northern beaches suburb of Warriewood, mixes in interesting surf circles - she is currently dating former pro surfer Nathan ‘Noodles’ Webster, the Australian licensee of US skate/surf brand RVCA.













1-5 alexandra spencer via 4th and bleeker
6-9 zanita whittington via zanita