Whoa! Seriously dangerous curves ahead! Here are the five bombshells who have made it all the way to the top 5 in the Curvy Couture Model Search - Alannah Keating, Vicky Canavan, Nicole Bury, Gemma Watts and Kristy Farrell.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
After a two-day casting and photo-shoot involving 25 plus-size models, BGM Models director Darrianne Donnelly, Simone Perelemarketing director Sarah Cohen, international plus-size model Laura Wells and Cosmopolitan magazine fashion director Nicole Adolphe whittled the bunch done to these bodylicious babes.
"The girls this year have been incredible, we've been blown away," says Darrianne, of the third curvy model search. "We didn't have as many entries this year but the standard was very high."
The result is very much old Hollywood. Hourglass curves, cascading, glossy curls and towering heels. Reminiscent of a time when Marilyn Monroe, Sophia Loren and Lana Turner defined the standard of beauty: a full bust and rounded hips, making men go weak at the knees.
The unique model search, which is open to women 18 to 35 who wear a 12C – 16E bra, reflects a fashion industry need for confident, curvy girls who are also a healthy weight.
"The imagery we're constantly bombarded with is not conducive to the average Australian," says Darrianne. "Sixty-five per cent of Australian women are size 14 to 16. Agencies like mine wouldn't exist if there wasn't a demand. We need women to feel good about themselves."
The five finalists are motivated by this sentiment and are excited to have the opportunity to be ambassadors for positive body image.
Darrianne started BGM Models in 1995, the only Australian agency that welcomes models over size 12.
The winner will be determined by public voting on the Simone Perele Facebook page, and will receive a two-year contract with BGM Models and a national advertising campaign modelling Simone Perele's Spring/Summer 14 collection in the December issue of Cosmopolitan magazine.
"None of these girls are signed to an agency, the majority of them have never modelled before. We had 25 finalists and we struggled to get it down to five," says Darrianne. "We're here to find girls who want to work in the industry."
Realistically, will these girls get work in the cut-throat fashion industry?
"One girl is an Elle Macpherson lookalike – with a 14E bust – I definitely know with my contacts and clients I've got, these girls will be working models in the industry," says Darrianne. "The clients in the US and UK love Australian models because we have a great attitude and we're professional. The big bucks are internationally. In Australia, the girls work most in Sydney and in Melbourne and the competition is fierce."
Start voting on Monday, September 15 at Facebook.com/SimonePereleAUS.
Photography series The Scar Project confronts viewers with the reality of breast cancer
New York photographer David Jay's lauded photographic exhibition, The Scar Project, an ongoing photo series that shows the reality of breast cancer in young women, is confronting.
The National Breast Cancer Foundation (NBCF) has been instrumental in bringing David's eight-year project to Sydney. Which is ironic, when you learn David's dealings with NBCF when he started this project in Sydney, eight years ago, after his friend Paulina was diagnosed with breast cancer at age 29.
"Within two weeks of diagnosis she underwent a mastectomy. I knew I'd have to photograph her. Life suddenly changed," says David. "I shot the first three images for The Scar Project in Sydney and presented it to the NBCF."
"I took three beautiful hand-printed black and white images to their office. They were excited until I laid them out on the table," admits David. "No one said a word, literally. It was extremely uncomfortable. I picked up my pictures, said 'thank you very much' and walked out."
Eight years later, David got a call in New York from the NBCF, begging him to bring his exhibition to Sydney.
"Maybe it was a little ahead of its time," he smiles.
Images of 27 women will feature in the exhibition, including David's inspiration, Paulina, who was there on opening night.
David admits he and his subjects "found each other over the years."
"I didn't know if anyone would want to have their picture taken or if anyone would want to look at the pictures after they were taken. I was very pleasantly surprised to have a beautiful response on both sides," says David. "I have probably shot about 100 women over eight years."
"Most of the women get better. Realistically, many of them don't," he adds. "Those women I continue to follow and photograph all the way until they pass away. Their final picture appears in the following exhibition. It changes each time in a rather confronting manner."
David admires the courage of his subjects.
"I am not interested in taking pretty pictures of these women. I am trying to take honest pictures of women with breast cancer," he says. "Although the pictures are not necessarily aesthetically pleasing in a contemporary beauty way, there is a much deeper beauty that comes through. People fall in love with these women. You only see the disease for a second."
Does David have a favourite image?
"I tend to prefer the raw, honest pictures. I struggled with that in the beginning because it was hard not to try and take beautiful pictures of these women," he admits. "I felt so bad, in a way for them, I wanted to give them something beautiful but I knew that really served no one because it wasn't honest. The rawness and honesty of these pictures is much more beautiful."
The Scar Project is at On Seven at David Jones, Level 7, Elizabeth Street store, Sydney. September 11-21. Free entry.
Royal fanfare for Lisa McCune
The King & I star Lisa McCune has royalty on her mind.
"Can I just say I am so excited there is another Royal baby on the way? I had to get that off my chest," laughs Lisa, who plays the English governess Anna in the Rodgers & Hammerstein musical classic which opened at the Sydney Opera House this week.
The off-stage relationship between Lisa and leading man Teddy Tahu Rhodes, which made headlines two years ago, is never far from mind.
"I am here to do my work so I don't give it a second thought," says Lisa. "I just don't comment on it."
Katherine Kelly Lang's bold move
She's beautiful and her kaftan collection is bold. Katherine Kelly Lang, famous for her controversial role as Brooke Logan on iconic daytime soap The Bold and the Beautiful, has landed in Australia with a suitcase or two of her Katherine Kelly Kaftan Collection, which she will be waxing lyrical live about on TVSN.
"Kaftans are so easy because you can throw them on over a bathing suit. You can tuck the front in and have the back hanging out with shorts and be really casual or you can dress them up with leggings, nice jewellery and heels," smiles Katherine. "You can go from the bedroom, to beach, to lunch and then dinner and dancing. You can dress a kaftan in so many ways."
"They're versatile and great for travelling. I grew up in the 60s and I love that bohemian style. I'm in love with them."
Katherine will bring 20 exclusive kaftan styles for her Australian visit with new styles launching across the six live hours so there will always be something new to see and buy when tuning in. There is a mix of prices too, ranging from $99 to $549 for Katherine's luxury range.
"The kaftans are mostly silks, very sheer and hand-beaded. They're just exquisite," she says. "They sell out very fast which is exciting."
Katherine likes to wear her kaftan with jeans.
"I love throwing them on over jeans, half tucked in, half out. I wear chunky jewellery, necklaces and cuffs. They're so comfortable and easy to wear and stylish as well."
Rather than court a clientele of fellow Hollywood celebrities, Katherine insists her focus is to make her kaftans accessible for "every woman".
"I know a lot of people enjoy them. People who buy one always come back for more," she says. "I have some clients who have bought up to 12 kaftans!"
Katherine Kelly Lang will appear live on TVSN on September 16, 17 and 18.
Shuck an oyster with Three Blue Ducks chef Darren Robertson
Three Blue Ducks chef Darren Robertson wants to teach you how to shuck an oyster. As one of Sydney's culinary cool kids, Darren is also a tastemaker for Vino Paradiso International Wine & Food Festival, a three-day celebration of the world's best wine, food, craft beer, cider and spirits.
"I'll be doing a few demonstrations and a masterclass on seasonal spring seafood. We'll touch on some things people aren't that familiar with, things that are under-utilised. Everything we do at the masterclass you're going to be able to taste the food and sample," reveals Darren. "I want to do some basic stuff too, like how to shuck an oyster."
"We have fabulous oysters and people are intimidated about shucking them. I want to get people up and shucking oysters. I'll also be talking about serving raw and cooked seafood, different ways of doing it. Then you get to try it," he says. "It will be quite basic but really important skills you can teach someone in a couple of minutes. It will be very interactive. The more I can get people involved, the less I have to do."
Darren has also been busy filming the latest series of Recipes to Riches for Network Ten. Between filming, running Three Blue Ducks in Bronte and The Gully Bar & Restaurant in Victoria's Falls Creek, when does Darren have time to spend with his girlfriend, TV reporter and meteorologist Magdalena Roze?
"Mags came down to the snow for a couple of weeks which was lovely. It's been a few weeks since I've seen her so I think I am in the doghouse, I'm heading up to see her tomorrow," he laughs. "We're both really busy but I quite like that as well. Mags works really hard, she's got lots of projects too. You just make it work but I am definitely missing home a bit."
Vino Paradiso, October 31 to November 2, Australian Technology Park.
Morsels of gossip for smart ladies
Smart ladies like to lunch. Naturally, they like to look good doing it too. Clinique cottoned on and hosted 32 influential ladies to a Smart Women lunch for the recent launch of their Smart Serum, tying in with beauty writer Sigourney Cantelo's new website Beauticate, which profiles prominent women, like Laura Csortan and their beauty routine.
So what is the smartest beauty advice Laura has taken on board?
"My mother always told my sister and I to do what will make us happy. We've both ended up doing precisely what we wanted to do in life. To me, a beautiful woman is doing what they love doing, holding close their integrity and being true to themselves."
