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.

The 5'8" 14 year-old from Walgett, NSW is currently boarding at a Sydney Catholic girls school on an Indigenous scholarship. 

Sydney agency Priscillas Model Management reports that one month ago, a boarding mistress at Walford's school contacted the agency to alert them to teenager's modelling potential. 

Tests were done by Laura Gorun (above, below) and Walford was duly signed. She has yet to hit the Priscillas website. 

Due to her age – Walford does not turn 15 until January – Mercedes–Benz Fashion Week Australia is out of the question for 2013, as the event now has an age minimum of 16 years. 

That still leaves other runway events, including potentially the inaugural Indigenous Australian Fashion Week, which is due to take place next September. After Viviens' Elina Moscheni, who we profiled two weeks ago, interesting to see the emergence of so many new indigenous Australian modelling faces.  

In the interim, Walford is in Priscilla's "development" stable and will be available for select age appropriate work says the agency, citing youth-skewed titles such as Dolly, Girlfriend, Frankie and Russh as examples of publications where we might expect to see her. 

all images: laura gorun. supplied exclusively to frockwriter by priscillas model management