Do you have a vintage Dolly Supermodel snap from the 90s? Share it in the comments below. Who was your favorite winner? Let us know if you remember the 1995 finalist who broke her ankle the day before the runway!
The premise was simple yet electric. Readers would send in a few snapshots (often taken by a mum in the backyard or a friend at the local mall). A panel of judges, including the editors of Dolly and real modeling agents from Chadwick Models, would whittle down thousands of entries to a handful of finalists. Those finalists would be flown to a glamorous city (usually Sydney) for a "finals week" involving photo shoots, runway walks, and media training.
But for now, raise a glass (or a bottle of Impulse body spray) to the girls who dared to dream. The Dolly Supermodel competition might be defunct (it ended its run in the late 2000s), but its legacy is written in the glossy pages of history. dolly supermodel part 1 of 5 top
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It wasn’t just a competition. It was a cultural phenomenon. It was a sleepover conversation, a glossy-page obsession, and for thousands of young women across the country, it was the first real taste of a dream that felt terrifyingly audacious: What if I could be a model? Do you have a vintage Dolly Supermodel snap from the 90s
Because —the era of the "top" winners—set the architecture for everything that followed. Before the internet, before Instagram, Dolly magazine was the only mirror that reflected the ambition of young Australian women.
Author’s Note: This article is part of a 5-part series celebrating Australian fashion history. All images referenced are property of Pacific Magazines (now Are Media) and the respective models. Let us know if you remember the 1995
For a teenager in the 90s, that cover was the Everest of cool. If we look at the "Part 1" history of the competition—the golden era—the "top" winners didn't just have pretty faces. They had a specific vibe . They were the girl-next-door with an edge. They were approachable but aspirational. They had to look good in a crop top and butterfly clips, but also convincing enough to sell a serious lipstick for a Maybelline ad.