Forget across the pond: To find some of the most arresting models in fashion, you need to head Down Under. Australia, the cultural melting pot a staggering 9,000 miles from its closest major Fashion Week neighbor in Milan, has given us ingenues like Julia Nobis, beachy babes such as Jessica Hart, and doll-faced muses including Gemma Ward and Miranda Kerr. Something in the water? Maybe. Much like that other supermodel hot spot, Brazil, Australia is a massive country, home to a variety of cultures that’s created not a single Australian model look, but rather a range of iconoclasts, each distinct from the next. Refresh your knowledge of Oz’s most famous faces here, just in time for Fashion Week in Sydney. Who knows? Maybe they’ll pop up on the runway. Stay tuned to Replica Hermes Bag Reviews Runway to see.
Photographed by Phil Oh1/15Abbey Lee
A septum ring and a rebellious attitude are among Abbey Lee’s most memorable features. Melbourne-raised Lee made her runway debut at New York Fashion Week in 2008, walking for the likes of Alexander Wang and Rodarte until largely retiring from the catwalk in 2012. Since then, she’s pursued an acting career, appearing in Mad Max: Fury Road and starring alongside Elle Fanning in Nicolas Winding Refn’s upcoming The Neon Demon.
Photographed by Patrick Demarchelier, Vogue, May 20152/15Andreja Pejic
It was at a swimming pool in Melbourne where model Andreja Pejic was discovered in her teens. Since that fateful day, the feline-featured blonde has had a long career, first working as an androgynous male model before transitioning in 2014. Her sleek looks have garnered her plenty of runway and editorial jobs; most recently she took a turn at H&M Studio’s Fall 2016 show in Paris.
Photo: Courtesy of Bambi Northwood Blyth / @bambilegit3/15Bambi Northwood Blyth
Born in Melbourne as Stephanie Northwood-Blyth, Bambi earned her nickname thanks to a deer tattoo on the inside of her left wrist. She earned her modeling stripes on the runways of Altuzarra, Giles, Chanel, and Balenciaga, and now designs a line of sleepwear, P.Jamé, with her husband, Dan Singleton.
Photographed by Cass Bird4/15Catherine McNeil
Tattoo-covered Catherine McNeil—shorthand Cat—has the whole cooler-than-ice thing down pat. A Givenchy favorite who won a modeling contest at age 14, McNeil’s catlike features and bad gal ’tude keep her a mainstay on edgier runways.
Photo: Courtesy of Elle MacPherson5/15Elle Macpherson
There are thousands of models, hundreds of It girls, tens of supers, but only one The Body. Sydney-born Elle Macpherson blew onto the scene in the bombshell era of the ’80s, becoming a favorite of Herb Ritts and a runway mainstay. Today she’s giving others a shot at her legendary physique with a supplement called WelleCo.
Photo: Condé Nast Archive6/15Emma Balfour
With a cropped haircut and skinny frame, Emma Balfour hit her stride in the ’90s with a look that was equal parts street urchin and high fashion. After leaving the international scene in the aughts, Balfour continued to model from her native Australia.
Photographed by Patrick Demarchelier, Vogue, December 20157/15Fernanda Ly
Not just anyone gets to play muse to Nicolas Ghesquière. The rose-haired Fernanda Ly won the honor in 2015, appearing in Louis Vuitton’s Fall 2015 show and going on to open its Spring 2016 one. Though she stays loyal to LV on the runway, she shows off her range in editorials in Vogue.
Photographed by Irving Penn, Vogue, March 20068/15Gemma Ward
Australia’s doll-faced Gemma Ward was modeling’s It girl of the early aughts. Her heavenly features made her a Prada favorite and landed her in the pages of Vogue. After taking some time off to have her daughter, Naia, and pursue acting, Ward returned to modeling in 2014, opening Prada’s Spring ’15 show.
Photographed by Patrick Demarchelier, Vogue, February 20139/15Jessica Hart
Former Victoria’s Secret model and swimwear favorite Jessica Hart has built a career on her tall and tanned physique. But it’s not just her runway appearances that make Hart notable—her off-duty style has garnered her a reputation for being one of modeling’s best-dressed girls.
Photo: Courtesy of Jordan Barrett / @iblamejordan10/15Jordan Barrett
Those nostalgic for the days of young Leonardo DiCaprio will like the looks of Jordan Barrett. The male model’s Leo-esque features have turned him into a social media star with appearances for Balmain and Calvin Klein.
Photo: Marcus Tondo / Indigitalimages.com11/15Julia Nobis
Simply put, Julia Nobis is the queen of the catwalk. Walking more than 60 shows in a normal season, Nobis has a chameleonic look that can turn her from a Versace sex bomb to an ethereal Valentino princess. She’s become a favorite of Steven Meisel as well, with the photographer regularly shooting her for campaigns and editorials.
Photographed by Angelo Pennetta, Vogue, May 201312/15Miranda Kerr
Miranda Kerr might have started off as a Victoria’s Secret Angel in 2007, but her striking looks made her a runway favorite of Chanel, Stella McCartney, and Sonia Rykiel. In her off time, Kerr promotes her line of natural beauty products, Kora Organics, and has been spotted with her new beau, Snapchat’s Evan Spiegel.
Photo: Courtesy of Robyn Lawley / @robynlawley13/15Robyn Lawley
The first face of Mango’s plus-size line, Violeta, and the first plus-size woman to star in a Ralph Lauren campaign, Robyn Lawley is a passionate advocate for healthy body images, writing articles and speaking at events to promote a positive self-image.
Photo: Monica Feudi / feudiguaineri.com14/15Ruby Jean Wilson
A quirky favorite of designers around the globe, the elfin Ruby Jean Wilson has played muse to Marc Jacobs, opening his Spring 2013 show and then starring in his Louis Vuitton campaign. In 2016, you can find her walking at Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week Australia.
Photo: Courtesy of Randy Brooke / Getty Images15/15Shanina Shaik
First things first: Melbourne-born Shanina Shaik is no relation to Russian stunner Irina Shayk. But like the other model, Shaik is statuesque with high cheekbones, traits that make her a runway hit for designers like Vivienne Westwood, Tom Ford, and Stella McCartney.
