Frockwriter's Top 10 posts of 2012

We usually flag the top posts of the previous 12 months on Frockwriter’s July 4 birthday each year. This year we opted instead to focus on some of the challenges – and frustrations - of trying to maintain an independent news blog, whilst avoiding getting sucked into the vortex of the blogger gravy train. So here is a list of our top stories for 2012, rated by traffic. The year’s number one post, Close encounters of the KL kind – which attracted over 20,000 hits - is incidentally also one of the top posts in this blog's four and a half year history. It's also a story on which we personally received considerable feedback, from people who contacted us to say how much they enjoyed reading it. Not bad for a post that we originally hesitated publishing at all, because of its length and potential TLDR factor – “too long didn’t read” being the mantra of many when confronted with longform pieces on the net.

Merry Christmas from Frockwriter

melise williams, charlie brown AW13 backstage, auckland, september 2012 

Just a quick one to say Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays to all of frockwriter's readers. It's been a bit of a watershed year for this blog – one during which, as many know, we took the controversial step of introducing a metered paywall. Oops. Unable to support ourselves through advertising alone and disinclined to accept potentially lucrative brand ambassadorships, sponsored posts and a raft of other commercial tie-ins from the industry on which we report - because of ethics considerations and genuine conflicts of interest - we assumed readers who value the blog for its independence would support it. Some have and a massive shoutout to our subscribers. Your support is truly appreciated - especially considering how flipping easy it has been for all those pesky freehadists (yes there's a term for you now) to defeat the paywall. In their thousands. I now have access to frockwriter's subscriber list and have been overwhelmed to learn just who these supporters are. So thank you!

New faces: Kaitlin Carter

So far in frockwriter's New Faces series, we've met models who were scouted while riding their horses, at a bus stop, even on Facebook. Three weeks ago Chadwick Models agent Jaime McHugh spotted 19 year-old Sydneysider Kaitlin Carter at Central train station. 

IMG Models Australia goes live

madison stubbington via IMG models australia

Ever since news broke of IMG Models’ intention to open up down under, the Australian modelling industry has been nervously awaiting further intel about precisely which direction the company plans to take in this market. First Chic Management general manager Danielle Ragenard defected to head up the new agency (she was joined on Monday this week by new senior manager Jaz Daly, ex Priscillas). Then Miranda Kerr, Nicole Trunfio, Bambi Northwood-Blyth, Bridget Malcolm and Ajak Deng jumped ship to IMG Models from their respective Sydney agencies. Now an IMG Models Australia microsite has just gone live on the IMG Models website. The bottom right-hand corner of the website of the world’s largest model agency now lists the following tabs: "NEW YORK, PARIS, LONDON, MILAN, SYDNEY".

Kimbra from The Block

richard freeman for KAREN magazine

It’s been a big year for Kimbra. Two Grammy nominations, five New Zealand Music Awards, three ARIAs, two APRAs, 38million views of her own YouTube channel - not to mention 354million views of her cameo in Somebody That I Used to Know, the global hit penned by her Belgralian buddy Gotye, which has sold more than 10 million copies worldwide and topped charts in 18 countries – spending eight consecutive weeks at No 1 on Billboard’s Hot 100 chart. Little wonder the telegenic Kiwi is also rapidly emerging as a fashion star, increasingly visible in magazine features, fashion editorials and of course on all those red carpets. Her latest sartorial sortie is a 14-page spread in the 14th edition of indie quarterly Australian title KAREN, which is due out in a few days. 

Editors in sweats: The Vine's Alyx Gorman

Achingly cool, impeccably pulled-together, kitted out in killer brands.... we know what they look like in the front row, at launch parties and out-and-about on street-style blogs. But exactly what do Australian style mavens - and maestros - wear when they're just hanging out, far from the madding fashion crowd? Frockwriter puts this question to some of the best-known names in fashion content creation down under. First up, Alyx Gorman, the editor of Fairfax's The Vine, which bills itself as Australia's leading youth and entertainment site. Gorman has been papped by vogue.co.uk and WWD, but her off-duty style embraces drop-crotch trackies and some "deeply weird" footwear gifted by her gran.

New faces: Martika Walford

Fascinating to hear just how models get scouted. So far in frockwriter's New Faces series, modelling hopefuls have been spotted riding their horses, on Facebook, at a bus stop and enrolled in a grooming course paid for by grandma. In the case of indigenous beauty Martika Walford, she can thank her boarding school for bringing her to the attention of the industry.

New faces: April Tiplady

Two years ago, when she was 14, April Tiplady’s grandmother bought her a grooming course at Adelaide’s Finesse Models to help her confidence. Last week she was signed to IMG Models worldwide.

New faces: Grace Simmons

Australia’s Next Top Model is back in the news with this morning’s announcement that former Miss Universe Jennifer Hawkins is the new host for Cycle 8, which commences production in January. But while AusNTM has proven to be the most successful NTM franchise in the world in terms of springboarding international modelling careers – from Alice Burdeu to Amanda Ware and Montana Cox – the Girlfriend Model Search remains Australia's most successful modelling competition overall. Alumni include Abbey Lee Kershaw, Catherine McNeil, Alyssa Sutherland, Pania Rose, Jemma Baines and Chrystal Copland. Grace Simmons is the latest GMS inductee.

The Victoria Racing Club imposes a hatwa on Andrej Pejic's Princess Beatrice tribute

suzanne carbone via the age

Well, well, well. In today's update about our post on Andrej Pejic's planned ensemble for Crown Oaks Day at Flemington, we spoke to everyone other than Melbourne milliner Kerrie Stanley. We spoke to Pejic, his mum, his agent and even designer Arthur Galan, asking why he was en route to the races in a different jacket and hat than originally planned. "He had a few different options" offered agent Matthew Anderson. "The hat didn't turn up in time" said Pejic. Had we managed to also reach Stanley, then perhaps we might have learned a little earlier on about the intriguing, last-minute hatwa that was imposed by the Victoria Racing Club on Pejic, Stanley and the Swisse Vitamins marquee which was hosting him. Why? Hilariously, so as not to offend Treacy - who was down at Flemington for the second consecutive year as the VRC's International Style Ambassador. Apparently the VRC and Philip Treacy may have had a humour bypass.