Ground Hog Day !

We are being wicked of course. In the nicest possible way. The media excitedly told us that a new broom was to sweep through the clipboard guest lists and names would be ruthlessly slashed to pave the way for a new generation of society figures to attend this week's David Jones Spring Summer fashion parades.
How pleasing then to arrive and find the usual suspects- Terri Biviano, Anthony Minichiello, Kerri-Anne Kennerley and Richard Wilkins and his permanent date these days, son Christian.
And best of all the champagne remains the same with the party awash with Bolinger.
Below : Jessica Gomez,Gary Bigeni, Carla Zampatti & Marta Dusseldorp, Miranda Otto, Tash Oakley, Rachael Finch

And the fashion...

And the video of the event..

No Party Without Kerri-Anne

 

Aboriginal model Samantha Harris prepares backstage for David Jones' fashion parade

 


David Jones launched the 2014 fashion bunfight with a front row powerhouse that include Great Gatsby star Elizabeth Debicki, Oscar nominee and four time nominated Emmy winner Rachel Griffiths (left), star Jessica Marais, Young Hollywood talents Isabelle Cornish, Leeanna Walsman, Grace Huang and Alex Russell (set to star in Angelina Jolie's new film) and the inevitable Kerri-Anne Kennerley (right) and Terri Biviano.
Designers on parade included :  Christopher Esber, Michael Lo Sordo and Nicola Finetti, Akira, Alice McCall,  Josh Goot and Zanerobe.

Bradley Cocks & Collette Dinnigan                                   Cameron McGlinchey  & Natalie Bassingthwaighte

actresses : Jessica Marais                         Alyssa McClelland                                           Leeanna Walsman           

Sign Up Now

The man who has behind so many model successes, Grant Dwyer of Adpro Management is masterminding this year's World Supermodel Australia Pageant to be held in Fiji. Budding super models between the ages of 20 and 30 can sign up for the contest here.
The quest follows the traditional model quest with contestants judged on style and will cover the following areas: personal interviews, stage presentation, evening gown, swimwear and random questions. You can read much more at the official website here or join their Facebook page.

And remember, all of Dwyer's discoveries have gone on to have stellar careers in modelling and television work earning a small fortune along the way. They include Miss Universe Jennifer Hawkins, Jasinta Campbell, Rachael Finch, Ashley Talbot and Lauryn Eagle.
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# LAURYN EAGLE who will star in this year's Celebrity Apprentice with David Hasslehoff and Charlotte Dawson and has split from long time boyfriend , the boxing champ Lovemore Ndou in rather acrimonious circumstances with rumours of a sex tape of the pair threatening to be released.




right : Lauryn & Lovemore in happier days at last year's Hermes Beach Party

Dark Side of The Beauty Business

Grant Dwyer with Jennifer Hawkins (centre)

GRANT DWYER is well spoken young entrepreneur who often does business the old gentlemanly way-on a handshake.

Running a medium sized model and promotional agency from chic premises in Double Bay, he has had countless successes. Dwyer has a unique eye for spotting talent amongst the dozens of young aspiring models who walk through his door.

Jamie Foxx

In just the past few years, many of the careers launched by Dwyer have become household  names.

Model Ashlea Talbot,  teenage water skiing champion Lauryn Eagle, Celebrity Apprentice winner Jesinta Campbell, TV presenter Rachael Finch and the most successful Miss Universe ever Jennifer Hawkins.

Donald Trump's Miss Universe contest was languishing in the doldrums until Dwyer spotted the young Newcastle demonstration model Hawkins and persuaded her to enter the quest. A panel of judges that included fashion photographers, journalists and the Oscar winning actor Jamie Foxx all concurred with Dwyer's choice and sent Hawkins off to the 2004 quest in Ecuador.    

Lauryn Eagle

When Hawkins took the Miss Universe crown the contest became a major media event that astonished even the jaded Trump who couldn't believe his luck. Dwyer organised a home coming tour that would have been the envy of any chart topping pop group. Hundreds of fans rushed Hawkins. TV and newspaper cameras followed her every move over a two week tour of Australia culminating in the famous fashion slip in Sydney that catapulted Hawkins back onto front pages and TV screens around the world .

Rachael Finch

Now a legal stoush has broken out over one of Dwyer's top discoveries Rachael Finch

On Wednesday in the Downing Street Local Court Finch's current manager Deborah Miller was ordered to pay Dwyer $9406 after  Dwyer said he brokered a deal for Finch to appear as a celebrity ambassador for the McHappy Day fundraiser, which raises money for Ronald McDonald House Charities, after learning the beauty once worked for the fast food chain.

The rewards enjoyed by Dwyer's discoveries can be considerable. Even though Finch only came fourth in the 2009 Miss Universe contest in the Bahamas, Dwyer was already negotiating deals before she had returned to Sydney including a $45,000 make-up deal and a Disney promotion for $36,000.

As for Jennifer Hawkins, as the face of Myer department stores and with her own range of swimwear, Hawkins is estimated to earn up to $5M a year.

a Finch flies the coup

Rumour has it that the failed Miss Universe Australian entrant Rachael Finch and manager Grant Dwyer have parted ways in the middle of complicated sponsorship negotiations. Apparently Finch's older brother is to supervise her career.

Rachael was spotted 2 weeks ago at the launch of Russian Standard Vodka and snapped with hugely successful Russian entrepreneur and billionaire, the handsome and dapper  Roustam Turiko who flew in for the night to launch his drink at the Sydney Opera House.

In his early 40's, Turiko pulled off the impossible-sold vodka to a Russian public already swimming in the stuff and made a fortune from supplying credit cards.

With about one hour to admire the Opera House and to comment that "Sydney seems very nice" Turiko then fled in a fleet of limos back to his personal 747 and jetted out.

Rachael firms up in first spot

Model agent Grant Dwyer with some of his discoveries including Jennifer Hawkins (centre)

Within minutes of the Shuttle hitting the blogosphere a missive arrives from the Miss Universe camp in New York.

Aussie entrant Rachael Finch is indeed shaping up to be the favourite according to one of the UK's biggest betting agencies Paddy Power who reckon some of their most astute punters are putting big money on Rachael to waltz off with the crown at Donald Trump's Miss Universe quest in the Bahamas this month. With odds shortening by the hour Rachael began at $16 but is now down to $4.50 for a win and expected to be as low as $3.50 tomorrow.
Time to take a punt. Star maker Grant Dwyer could pull off the trifecta with his nose for winning flesh after the success of Jennifer Hawkins & Lauryn Eagle.

worth a punt ? -Rachael Finch

has Grant pulled it off again with Miss Universe ?

Rachael Finch

After discovering the leggy blonde Jennifer Hawkins who was crowned Miss Universe in 2004 , reviving the flagging fortunes of Donald Trumps glamour puss event , model agent Grant Dwyer may well pull off another coup with this year's Aussie entrant and his latest discovery, Rachael Finch, another stunning head-turner.

Shuttlers may re-call Hawkins fame spread throughout the world as she became a front page sensation. She has since gone onto financial rewards earning of up to $3M a year from various TV and department store endorsements, recently moving into a $2.3M split level seaside house in Coogee with handsome hunk boyfriend Jake Wall.

Who could forget the dress mishap which looked for all the world like a staged event but was indeed an accident-caught on camera by a Shuttle fan which catapulted Jennifer back onto front pages world-wide and has since become a schoolboy pin-up. With the Miss Universe pageant set to take place on Paradise Island ,Nassau in the Bahamas, Rachael is a hot favourite to take the crown. Rachael is already picking up lucrative contracts as our snaps show from Lonsdale and others.

Jennifer slips up

Regular Shuttlers may also re-call when we revealed on another forum how Rolls Royce balked at the opportunity to transport Hawkins about town on her official promotional duties especially when it meant delivering Jennifer to her home town for a civic reception in the working class, former steel city of Newcastle just north of Sydney.
"Not quite us" they sniffed, "and besides, we don't sell too many up there."

Instead, the affable Tony Graziani who flogs Maseratis stepped into the breach and drove Hawkins about town. A good move as Jennifer's first purchase when the cash rolled in was $240k Gran Turisimo. Graziani then picked up the deal to shuttle movie goddess Sophia Loren about Sydney last year when she hit town to open a glitzy Italian style reception centre ..another perfect move when Loren invited Tony to holiday with her in Italy.

Grant Dwyer's other discovery, Lauryn Eagle who became the world champion water skier has also picked up valuable endorsements chiefly after she water skied the 240kms from Manly wharf to Newcastle, non-stop in the open sea -a feat that impressed Sir Richard Branson who immediately signed Lauren to promote something or other.
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## A recent visitor to Sydney from Nassau, Nelia 'Minnie' Wynn has returned to her new Paradise Island home after a lengthy stay at Sydney's most splendiforous Darling Point harbourside mansion, Carthona, the gothic pile that houses the Oxleys. The Oxleys sensibly own 3 abodes in a row to house their extended family and once turned down a generous offer from Tom Cruise who wanted to purchase Carthona for his then wife, Nicole Kidman. Cruise had to settle for a smaller digs around the corner without the commanding views that make Carthona the most desired spot on the harbour.

Minnie has sold her Paradise Island 'Pink House', billed as the "world's smallest hotel" with it's 4 guest rooms. The Pink House has now been incorporated into Atlantis, where the next Miss Universe will be chosen later this month. ***************************