Music like most other industries continued to redefine itself from the philosophical and societal messages of the 1960s, the funk and disco beats of the 1970s to the synthesized great night drive music of the 1980s and early 1990s.
Bob Dylan with Joan Baez during Civil Rights March on Washington D.C., 1963
Electronica is still powerful post 2000.
When artists redefine themselves, it could be reasoned that they are simply following the internal urge of life’s constant evolving from cradle to grave.
Georgina Burke is a shapely, gorgeous Australian beauty who seems to understand that concept well as she has been redefining her image since her challenging teenage years.
Modeling since 17, Georgina has spent much of her modeling career living in New York City and is in constant demand with an extremely busy and exciting schedule.
The popular young fashion leader teenvogue.com happily introduced her in 2014. “Model Georgina Burke walks into New York’s Ace Hotel looking every bit the part. Just under six feet, the 23-year-old Australian stunner is clad in head-to-toe black and carrying a Céline mini. Her blonde hair is in a messy-in-a-good-way bun, and she walks around the lobby in dangerously high heels like a pro. She’s effortlessly cool and enviably confident—and why shouldn’t she be? The Brisbane native just landed her first contract with a major brand, but what makes that such a big deal is that she’s the first plus-size model to do so in years.
One of my core values is to help redefine what it means to be a strong and beautiful woman in the music and fashion worlds and to empower the wonderful things that make us unique.…Janelle Monae
Last month, Torrid‘s announcement that Georgina would be its official face drew an impressive amount of fanfare.”
It caught the attention of the traditionally popular and industry leader glamour.com who shares, “For the first time in its history, plus-size fashion retailer Torrid has signed a model to be its official face. Say hello to gorgeous Brisbane, Australia, native Georgina Burke, who kicks off her tenure at Torrid with a killer swimsuit spread—just in time for spring!”
Georgina who expresses that her favorite designers are Ellery, Willow, Aje, Sass and Bide, and Bassike, suggests the US Market has a lot more commercial clients than Australia, meaning there are many more opportunities to shoot with various clients.
She is exceptional at expressing her mind and redefining in terms of women’s looks, what may be considered beautiful.
The thing women must do to rise to power is to redefine their femininity. Once, power was considered a masculine attribute. In fact, power has no sex.…..Katharine Graham
The informative site huffingtonpost.com agrees. “It’s easy to see why the Torrid chose 23-year-old Burke to represent their brand. She is gorgeous, fresh, and most of all, real. Her message is clear — there is no reason why she shouldn’t be featured in a major fashion campaign.”
Georgina is flying high and confident now but it wasn’t always that way.
In an interview with Teen Vogue Georgina was forthcoming in admitting that she was bullied as a teen because she was extremely tall and a self-described chubby kid.
Attending an all girl’s private school added to the pressure since many of her school mates were smaller and thinner and able to wear the latest trends while she couldn’t. So how did she respond?
She redefined herself.
You have to constantly redefine who you are.….M.I.A.
To make herself feel good she shaved both sides of her head and dyed the middle pink.
She certainly achieved her goal in standing out.
Georgina didn’t limit her new style to hair. She shopped at grandma stores since they were the only places that she could find clothing in her size. She also got involved in something a little more conforming.
She took up Equestrian riding.
That’s where she gained much of her confidence and never looked back.
Let’s travel to Georgina’s tourist village of Brisbane, Australia.
Brisbane is the capital and most populous city in the Australian state of Queensland, and the third most populous city in Australia. Brisbane’s metropolitan area has a population of 2.3 million.
Today, Brisbane is well known for its distinct Queenslander architecture which forms much of the city’s built heritage.
So what of interest can we expect to find there?
The Story Bridge Climb is a unique adventure experience and the most spectacular way to discover Brisbane. With fantastic views across Brisbane City and River, The Story Bridge Climb will be an experience you never forget.
The informative site australia.com is very helpful. “Combine art and outdoor adventure in Brisbane, where South Bank’s cultural institutions and restaurants meet riverside gardens and a lagoon. Take a paddle steamer or ferry down the Brisbane River, abseil Kangaroo Point cliffs and bike ride through the City Botanic Gardens. Day trip to Moreton Island or add Noosa, the Sunshine Coast and the Gold Coast hinterland to your itinerary.
Make the most of your holiday in Brisbane – a sunny, sophisticated capital on the winding Brisbane River. Along with lush parks and laid-back locals, this is a city with serious cultural credentials and first-class wining, dining and dancing. Shop up a sub-tropical storm on Queen Street, then check out the city’s historic buildings.”
Another respected fan australianexplorer.com lets us know there is more to Brisbane. “Brisbane, the capital of Queensland, is a cosmopolitan and lively city that is home to many different types of scenery, including skyscrapers, parkland and even an artificial beach. Brisbane is a river city, although close to the coast, with Brisbane River running through it.
It is surrounded by hills and full of bridges. Brisbane also gives easy access to a number of attractions as well as the Gold Coast and the Sunshine Coast.
Brisbane has a number of Theatres including the Lyric Theatre, Cremorne Theatre and the Playhouse Theatre which are part of the Queensland Performing Arts Centre located in South Bank. Brisbane is a great place to cycle, with wonderful tracks near and along the river. If you get tired along the way you can always hop on a bus or the City Cat (avoiding rush hour when you won’t be allowed on with a bike).”
Brisbane sounds like a great place to grow up, enjoy nature, walk with history and learn important life lessons.
Georgina not only is comfortable with redefining herself she is also eloquent in speaking about what motivates her to do so.
In a piece that she did for runwayriot.com she expressed, “Yes, this is an exciting time for the fashion industry, and I’ve witnessed first-hand the changes that are already starting to take place. When I was a kid, I had to shop in the ladies’ section because the kids’ clothing was too small. Now there are clothes made for bigger kids. As a teenager, I was bullied because I was taller and bigger than my peers, but overcoming the bullies made me a stronger woman.”
Strong woman that she is, Georgina’s commitment to her belief that the modeling world needs to reflect the very real images that exist in real life that so many of us find attractive has influenced the modeling world to expand their focus.
That makes the industry stronger as well.
~ ~ ~
http://www.teenvogue.com/story/georgina-burke-plus-size-model
https://www.instagram.com/missgeoburke/?hl=en
https://twitter.com/missgeoburke
http://www.glamour.com/fashion/blogs/dressed/2014/02/plus-size-model-georgina-burke
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/02/10/plus-size-model-georgina-burke-torrid_n_4761550.html
http://www.c-heads.com/2015/12/24/this-is-only-the-beginning-georgina-burke-by-lauren-engel/
https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Brisbane_May_2013.jpg#/media/File:Brisbane_May_2013.jpg