Abbey Lee

Her baby face and sylph-like body are behind Abbey Lee's dizzying ascension in the modeling world. The fashion scene fell dramatically in love with her doll-face and her talent in front of the camera as of her first appearance.

Lee, who now lives part time in New York, just received the honor of closing the Chanel Haute Couture show in the arms of Baptiste Giabiconi. Unsurprisingly, Lee was up to the challenge even though it has only been two years since she took her first steps on the catwalk (Erin Fetherston and Givenchy). This frail-looking Australian, recently named by Model.com "Next Superstar" for 2007, obviously knows how to fulfill her potential.

It was on an Australian beach not far from her home that Lee was scouted in 2004. She was 17 at the time, a teenager with no interest in fashion, preferring to spend her time surfing or hanging out on the beach.

Her slim silhouette and ultra photogenic traits did not go unnoticed for long, as illustrated by the talent scout's reaction to her charm. Her potential was quickly confirmed by her victory in a competition organized by Girlfriend magazine searching for their next cover girl.

Faced with these events, Lee decided to take modeling a bit more seriously and moved to Sydney in order to get more work. She ended up by signing with Chic Management whose rosters included her compatriot, Catherine McNeil, with whom she became very close.

In 2006, her face appeared on the H&M and Levi's ads, giving her international exposure. Increasingly in demand, she realized that if she wanted to really work as a model she would have to move to one of the major fashion capitals. She chose New York and joined her new agency, Next Management.

She did not leave alone for the Big Apple, however - she was accompanied by her boyfriend, allowing her to adapt more easily into her new New York lifestyle.

She was quickly introduced to Mario Testino who had her pose for D&G, then co-starred in the Lord & Taylor campaign with Lauren Hutton. Hutton became a reference for her in the modeling business, and the most inspiring woman Lee had ever met. In February 2008, she walked for Givenchy, definitively launching her career.

Since then, not one month has passed without Lee appearing in one of the main fashion magazines: V, Vogue, Numéro, Dazed & Confused, W and even I-D were opportunities for her to reveal her many facets. She was youthful one moment, provocative the next, or glamorous then natural.

Nothing seemed to be off limits for Lee: she posed nude without a problem, kissed other women and transformed herself with troubling ease according to the will and desires of the biggest photographers, among them Craig McDean, Terry Richardson and Patrick Demarchelier.

The magazines were giving her top marks, and the fashion weeks followed suit. From the beginning, she walked exclusively for Gucci, then quickly monopolized the bankable slots. In September 2008, she closed for BCBG Max Azria, Diane von Furstenberg, Diesel, DKNY and Jill Stuart; in September 2009, for Matthew Williamson, Fendi, Versace and Lanvin. She also entered the Victoria's Secret Dream Team in November 2008.

Unfortunately, the life of a model is not always rosy. Between the ad campaigns (CK, Gucci), the shows and the photo shoots, Lee gradually exhausted herself to the point of fainting during the spring/summer 2009 Alexander McQueen show. A tight corset and excessively high heels were blamed for the incident, but Lee was working non-stop and her health was put into question.

She became the icon for the Gucci perfume, Flora, in early 2009. Then she injured her knee and could not participate in the February fashion weeks. Her absence did not cost her in popularity with the designers, however. In July, she walked for Givenchy Haute Couture before opening the September shows for D&G, Fendi, Versace and Kenzo. Some say she is the "it" model of the moment.

In case there is any doubt, Lee is far from finished with the fashion world, even less so given that her atypical personality and baby face continue to fascinate. Beneath her sensible little doll appearance, Lee is a bit more rock-n-roll: she pierced her nose and her nipple, and has started accumulating tattoos. She has also said that if she were not a model, she would tattoo herself more and more, as she considers her body to be a blank canvas.