Catherine McNeil covers Vogue Australia (again)

vogue australia via chic management

Well we did say last month that Catherine McNeil looks to be enjoying a brand new lease of life, with a new love interest in the form of 21 year-old British model Miles Langdon. And now her great 2012 run with the Vogue brand - which has seen three spreads in the Australian, French and Chinese editions so far this year - continues next month with the November cover of Vogue Australia. Believe it or not, this is McNeil's sixth cover of the Australian edition. The last being in February 2011.  

Girls on the Avenue

The beginning of this month kicked off with a manic week in which frockwriter flew to Brisbane, Adelaide and Auckland in the space of five days for three separate events – in each case as the guest of the respective organisers (but just to clarify, no appearance fees). Before heading to New Zealand Fashion Week, I was in Brisbane on August 29 to facilitate the Metropolitan South Institute of TAFE fashion industry panel for the third consecutive year. Then on September 1, I headed to Adelaide to see an in-season fashion showcase called Fashion Avenue that is now in its third year and is organised by Pride Models, one of the two major modelling agencies in town.

Backstage at Riddle Me This - NZFW AW13

I loved everything about the Riddle Me This show on Wednesday. The brand was launched by Mount Maunganui-based Liz Turner in 2008 and the fresh, young, high street vibe of its Autumn/Winter 2013 collection was brilliantly accentuated by the styling of New York-based expat Zara Mirkin, one of numerous, young New Zealand creatives who are finding their feet internationally and who will bring back home some invaluable expertise. On hand were some other local stars such as up-and-coming stylist Thistle Brown - who we first met at last year's event when he called himself Duncan Lamont Brown and who we have a hunch might not be too far behind Mirkin in heading offshore - as well as hair director Lauren Gunn from Sebastian/Stephen Marr and M.A.C. makeup artist Josie Wignall. Great energy - and great backstage vibe. 

Backstage at Zambesi - NZFW AW13

As anyone who is following my Twitter, Posterous and Facebook feeds already knows, I am currently in Auckland covering New Zealand Fashion Week – along with numerous other Australian and international media reps, as a guest of the organisers. I am attempting to see every show and file in real-time as I go. I am also shooting backstage with a DSLR, but this obviously requires a/backstage access and b/time to produce galleries. As I have pointed out on numerous previous occasions during fashion weeks, when you are a one-man band it's impossible to do everything. Just on real-time access to the event, it's worth noting that some NZ designers seem to be a little twitchy regarding pre-show Twitter coverage this year. Hard to say why as it's most certainly not the first time Twitter has been at the event. Perhaps there's just a greater volume of it. If they want to limit backstage access pre-show then that is entirely their choice. Brands such as Burberry, which now Tweets its entire collection from backstage before the models hit the runway, take a very different approach. Here is the first gallery: taken at Monday night's Zambesi show. 

Pacific Rose

holly rose emery by will bailey

Last week, frockwriter reported that Auckland model agency Red Eleven had high hopes for one of its new faces, Holly Rose Emery, on the runways of the upcoming New Zealand Fashion Week. And why wouldn't they? At  5'11.5", the angelic Auckland schoolgirl bears a passing resemblance to a few major modelling names, such as British Sixties fashion icon Twiggy and top contemporary girls, American Lindsey Wixson and Dutch world number #1 Lara Stone. Holly Rose has only been a model for three months but, like many others in her line of work, she is already fielding commentary about her weight – specifically, questions asking if she has an eating disorder. Yes, there are some models who suffer from eating disorders and are painfully thin. Just as there are some actors, athletes, dancers - not to mention people who have nothing to do with modelling, film, sport or ballet - who also suffer from eating disorders and who are painfully thin. Many are convinced that exposure to images of thin fashion models is the root cause of the problem. Others disagree. In any event, with a BMI of 18, Holly Rose is considered to be in a healthy weight range for her age and height. It was a different story two years ago.

In Vogue: Catherine McNeil and Miles Langford

catherine mcneil's instagram

And in news just in, Catherine McNeil has a new love interest: British model Miles Langford. But far more newsworthy, we feel, than the fact that McNeil is taking a break from the laydees (prompting some minor kvetching from lesbian forums such as The L Chat) is the birth of a cool new modelling It couple. After McBeha - the hybrid nickname for McNeil and former gf, Danish model Freja Beha Erichsen - and McNeil’s brief engagement to Australian model-turned MTV VJ-turned DJ Ruby Rose, we give you MiCat. Well, that's what we're calling them. 

The showgirls and boys: Clyne Models - NZFW Autumn/Winter 2013

cait kneller by megan christiansen

Next in our series of New Zealand Fashion Week 2012 showcards from the key Kiwi agencies comes Clyne Models. With more focus than ever before on the Australasian modelling market right now, the ante has most definitely been upped in New Zealand, with Clyne Models at the head of the pack. This is the agency that launched Jessica Clarke, Emily Baker and newcomer Ella Verberne. While Verberne is getting her bearings overseas, Clarke has walked for Calvin Klein and Victoria's Secret. And Baker, of course, emerged out of nowhere to become one of the most talked-about new faces of Fall/Winter 2011/2012, walking in no less than 60 shows in her first international show season last year, immediately nabbing a spot on models.com's hard-to-crack Top 50 Women list - which is almost unheard-of.

The showgirls and boys: 62 Models - NZFW Autumn/Winter 2013

elena buckley via 62 models

New Zealand Fashion Week is just around the corner. But already, we hear, the world's biggest model agency, IMG Models, has been busy scouting in The Land of the Long White Cloud, with interest in a few new Kiwi faces. So who will rock next month's runways in Auckland and which new names might emerge? Next in frockwriter's NZFW showcards series,  the showcards from 62 Models.  

The showgirls and boys: Red Eleven Models - NZFW Autumn/Winter 2013

holly rose by amanda betts/red eleven models

New Zealand Fashion Week is rapidly approaching - September 3-7 – and as with any fashion week, eyes will of course not only be on the designers, but the models. With more focus on Australian and New Zealand modelling talent than ever before - not to mention the recent antipodian beachhead recently established in Sydney by the world's biggest modelling agency, IMG Models - we thought we would preview some of the models who will be walking Auckland's runways next month. Continuing on from the showcard series we previewed in the leadup to May's Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week Australia, here are the NZFW showcards from a few of the key New Zealand agencies. First up, Red Eleven Models.

Megan Gale, Courtney Eaton join Mad Max 4. Abbey Lee Kershaw cast as "The Dag"

Filming continues apace in Namibia on the fourth instalment of George Miller's dystopian action flick Mad Max: Fury Road and the production company Kennedy Miller Mitchell has finally coughed up a few details. Chic Management confirmed Abbey Lee Kershaw had been cast, but now comes news that Kershaw's co-stars include two other Australian models, one a very big name down under.