This Indigenous Australian Model Walked the Most Shows at New York Fashion Week

Charlee Fraser is living proof that a good haircut literally changes lives. In early 2016, the Newcastle, Australia native — then a mainstay at Sydney Fashion Week — traveled stateside to once again try her hand at New York Fashion Week. (She’d walked in the Spring 2014 shows of Tia Cibani and Chadwick Bell, but hadn’t been picked up by any major designers.)

For Fall 2016, the IMG signee made her grand NYFW re-debut at Alexander Wang. That, you’ll remember, was the season hairstylist Guido Palau gave a number of models dramatic chops and dye jobs. Among them was Fraser, who received an edgy, Louise Brooks-esque bob that instantly garnered tons of attention. Casting directors went wild for her “Old Hollywood sophisticate” look and the doe-eyed beauty went on to walk in 40 shows that season alone. (“There is no knowing how my season would have played out if my hair remained long, but I definitely feel that my haircut got me noticed,” Fraser reflected in an interview with WWD.)

Since then, Fraser has been a mainstay on the international catwalks. To wit: the Indigenous Australian beauty — her mother hails from the Awabakal people of the Mid North Coast of New South Wales — was the most-booked model of New York Fashion Week Spring 2018. It’s a big win for Fraser and for diversity.

“My success isn’t measured by my heritage,” Fraser once said. “All I can hope is that I’m a role model to others and not only to represent my country and my heritage, but to bring awareness to building that bridge between ethnicity and the fashion industry.”

Of course, the model still has many milestones to go. Her ultimate goal? “My dream is to do a beautiful cover for Vogue Australia,” Fraser told regular ol’ American Vogue (we love her hometown pride). She’s well on her way, having already landed a (Sebastian Kim-lensed) feature in the Aussie fashion bible’s April 2017 issue.

Click through the slideshow below to see Fraser’s many NYFW Spring 2018 appearances and check back later this month to see if she made our international top models list.

All Images: Imaxtree