Abbey Lee Kershaw: Hippy Model (With Million-Dollar Bank Account)

"An elite performer is always put under some sort of extreme pressure that the rest of society can argue and might not quite understand."

Dubbed as the "Hippy Model (with the million-dollar bank account)," rising fashion icon Abbey Lee Kershaw graces Australian television show Today Tonight and talks about the "crazy, fast life" she lives in and the controversies surrounding crazy shoes and being thin.

Now at 22, she is ranked at the top 10 models of the world, hitting the US catwalks and turning heads wherever she goes. The fashion industry loves her cool, fresh-girl image - "so laid-back, so relaxed but at the same time so fashion perfect."

"I don't know if I have a plan B. I'm just waiting for plan A to get bigger," Abbey Lee Kershaw says of her rising modeling career.

"It's crazy. It's a very fast life. I generally spent most of the time on planes, at airports, in studios, at shows - like all over the place. It's very fast. It's always something going on. You'll never really got the time to do your washing a little and... breathe."

But aside from her hippy image, Abbey Lee Kershaw's popularity has also been ironically boosted by catwalk disasters. She has tore a knee ligament when she fell in Rodarte's spring 2009 show because of the super-high heels. She has also fainted at the Alexander McQueen Spring/Summer 2009 Runway from the combination of the tight corset she wore and her high heels.

"Hopefully (the shoes are) going to come back down soon, because health and safety regulations have to come into play at some point," she says laughing.

Speaking of health, Abbey Lee Kershaw replies with an analogy when asked about what she feels of the pressures at the top of the industry for staying thin:

"That's like asking a bodybuilder how they feel about the pressures to be incredibly muscly. An elite performer is always put under some sort of extreme pressure that the rest of society can argue and might not quite understand."

Having her biggest season in barely two years, Abbey Lee Kershaw is seen as one those "really good models" in the industry that clients intend to keep for the long run.

Is It Over For Gemma Ward?

No, Gemma Ward will not quit modeling just because some people call her fat! She's too young and beautiful to be pressured by fat attacks coming from unstable detractors.


But Gemma Ward did gain weight. She had no modeling gigs after walking away from the catwalk in 2008, following the death of actor Heath Ledger who was her rumored lover. She was reported to pursue acting career in Hollywood that time.

In the latest paparazzi photos of the 22 year-old Aussie, she definitely looks thicker. With a fuller figure that is far from her previous size-0 modeling days, people are quick to ridicule. A fashion blogger writes, "She's a very beautiful woman and I think she could make a name for herself in the plus-size niche."

Gemma Ward's fuller figure makes people speculate on her lack of interest to return back to the runway. With almost a year of being absent from modeling, some even believe that her comeback, if it happens, will be lame.

Although Gemma Ward's agency says that the model has not committed to returning to modeling at any time soon, it is not closing its door for her. Previously, the former promising model has also released a statement denying rumors of her retirement:

"I was surprised to wake up this morning and read news of my own retirement. While I am taking some time off to rest and enjoy the company of friends and family, I am still very much a (excited and enthusiastic) working model and actress. I'm only 20, for God's sake.''

Top Australian Models Fight Ovarian Cancer

For the first time, Australia's top models Miranda Kerr, Catherine McNeil, Abbey Lee Kershaw, Nicole Trunfio among other elite Aussie catwalk queens, have joined forces to help fight ovarian cancer.

The Australian models bandied to help launch the White Shirt Campaign, in conjunction with Aussie retailer Witchery. They also posed together for the November 2008 cover of Madison magazine (see photo above).

“With the purchase of any five specially-designed white tops (from AU$89.99), 100% of the proceeds will be donated to the Ovarian Cancer Research Foundation (OCRF).”

Check the video of top Australian models fighting ovarian cancer below: