Meet: Isabelle Szyman
Some of the industry’s most celebrated faces have come out of the most unconventional scouting situations, and even more so, from model searches, who finds the underdog for people to fall in love with, and make them a superstar. We like the girl next door who lands a VOGUE cover overnight.* We like a nerdy, lanky, school outcast who books a Chanel exclusive in her firsts season. We like a token ‘short’ model, a token ‘tall’ model, a token ‘plus-size’ model, a token androgynous model. We want to be the one responsible for discovering the next big thing, because you’re only cool if you knew them back then, before Karl Lagerfeld gave any damns – indeed, agencies are forever stalking the streets for the next Kate Moss, or the next Lara Stone, or the next Naomi Campbell, or Christy Turlington… and the rest of the 90s Supers… (meanwhile, I’m on the train the Uni looking at the next Eniko Mihalik, but her dad’s with her and he looks a little too intimidating for a stranger approach).
That is not to say, however, that Isabelle Szyman is a supernerd – if her show-day demeanour was anything to go by, I was twenty times nerdier in my final year of high school – or disproportionate, or a social outcast. But, to have been handpicked by David Jones to walk along Jessica Gomes and Montana Cox in a production as grand as an opening show surely takes some degree of charm, even if that means a doe-eyed fascination with a world unknown. Indeed, in my experience, that is the best attribute a new model can possess, aside from their genetic blessings – nothing too contrived, or sexy, or commercial, or plastic. A bit like what my piano tutor used to say about only playing Mozart before the world makes you cynical, only shoot raw portraits before they land their first solo editorial spread in print.
I had the luxury of twenty minutes with this fresh face a few hours before the show, and the verdict is out that Isy Szyman is pretty cute. That, and incredibly easy to photograph, which is not an easily obtained compliment for a first-time model. Or a first-time anything, Isy corrected, never a show, never a shoot – and yet here we are, with a wonderfully raw series of portrait frames to attest for The Szyman Effect (loosely translated to the increased susceptibility to wanting to be the subject’s friend).
Or at least follow her on Instagram – that means we’re friends, right?
Meanwhile, what do you think of Isabelle’s look? Beauty or fashion, editorial or commercial? I’d love to see her hair either white blonde or Julianne Moore red (even their profiles are a little similar).
Hint, hint, Isy!
Model: Isabelle Szyman
Photography & Direction: Margaret Zhang
Make-Up: L’OREAL Paris
Hair: L’OREAL Paris before I tousled it for artistic integrity
Isy wears looks from David Jones’ opening night VAMFF show – available online and in stores at David Jones.
*NOTE: Kim Kardashian does not amount to a girl next door.
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