All the glory of golden years of modelling
MC was vivacious Channel 10 personality, Jane Reilly, a former model with Sandy
Sandy Clarke Clarke, who delighted the crowd with her sparkly personal style and a bagful of anecdotes.“Tonight isn’t about how much weight we have put on or the wrinkles we have acquired, which I say is the map of our lives, its about the wonderful memories we have together,’’ said Jane.“Like me, you built your confidence (through modelling) and it allowed you to become renowned individuals that you are today.’’She told the glamorous crowd that Sandy Clark had managed the agency for 13 years from 1968 to 1980 when it was sold to Leonie McLeod. It is now owned by Adelaide Liberal MP, Rachel Sanderson.“The agency has produced an incredible amount of beauty quest winners and television personalities and successful women,’’ said Jane, one of its greatest success stories with a television career spanning 35 years.Sandy Clarke’s agency had indeed produced a stable of thoroughbreds, including Nicole Bonython, senior fashion executive of Madison Magazine, Yvonne Nicolas director of Nicolasproductions who founded Melbourne Fashion Festival, Christine Cassebohm, who runs her own successful fashion agency in Melbourne and Barbara Ford who has a leadership training business.Still a striking-looking male model of a certain age, Christiaan Waak also attended and looked slightly bemused as Jane Reilly told how he was “perhaps’’ the most successful of the models because he had become an international star as the face of the cigarette brand “Camel’’ in Europe.“He is still at it, he just did a commercial for an old-folks home, but I must add, he was the one pushing the wheelchair,’’ she said.Another former male model, Martin Walsh now owns his own agency - Chadwick Model Agency in Sydney.The roll-call of former models attending included Liz Philippou, Penny August and Pauline Linehan, Margaret Morrissey, Prue Holmes (now Rice), Lise Allwood and Heather Grey.Then there was the still gorgeous French model Sophie Mehaffey, tall, slim and elegant, wearing her hair is a sleek chignon – the epitome of the sophisticated older woman.Once famous photographers, 84-year-old Ted James and Brian Charlton also attended with stage-show choreographer, Phyllis Southgate, flying in from the Gold Coast.Jane Reilly-Pam Ellis-Nadine Williams
Model agency doyen, Pam Ellis took the podium and paid tribute to Sandy Clark, the 20 year old whom she head-hunted to buy her agency.
“Sandy bought a raffle ticket and won a modelling course and before I knew it, she was running the whole show,’’ laughed Pam.
“You are an entrepreneur, Sandy; you have done so much for this town. You have put the modelling industry on the map.
“What we have here tonight is bring together some of the best models who have run on the catwalk because Adelaide always had the best. We trained the girls well here and the girls did well interstate and overseas.’’
Pam pushed her girls into entering the quests of the day – the Miss Advertising Quest, Miss Personality Quest and Miss Beach Girl – and Sandy continued the practice.
Two well-known Adelaide media personalities, Jane Reilly and Chery-Lee Harris were both former models who both won a string of quests before entering long, successful careers on television.
“It’s an eternity ago that we braved the world of fashion together with its many facets and faces,’’ said Cheryl-Lee.
“We have celebrated what was a fabulous era, which cannot be repeated. It was such a booming industry with all its gloss and glamour. They were the golden years when we weren’t consumed with bitchiness.’’
However, the night belonged not only to the women of a certain age who hugged each other in delight, laughing, drinking and eating together, but to Sandy Clark, who made the whole exuberant celebration happen.
“I had no idea how to run a business, all I had was a mouth. But I hired an accountant,’’ said Sandy.
“And look at you! You all look so beautiful and it has been so lovely to see your faces after 30-40 years and so emotional to find out what you have been doing. Some of you have had two/three/four husbands.
“I am so grateful that you have come tonight.’’
The fabulous event ended with a nostalgic DVD produced by Sandy, of photographs, clippings and film clips set to the exuberant music of Peter Allen. Sponsored by The Advertiser imaging department, (where Sandy now works) it captured that bygone era of those golden years of modelling.
2 Comments to “All the glory of golden years of modelling”
RSS feed for comments on this post. TrackBack URI
By Frank Sebastyan, 26/10/2010 @ 5:00 pm
Hey Nadine, it was a great experience to attend the Sandy Clark reunion gig. The speakers were all entertaining delivering their tributes to Sandy from their era. Most guests dressed to kill. As a newcomer to the modelling industry I was a bit fascinated by it all – George and Harry in attendance too! I was also gobsmacked that I knew almost half the people there simply from my social, business and entertainment life connections in Adelaide. It was great to catch up with old friends. And wot about the new photographer face swanning around at the event Olivier F?
Top show.
By nadine, 27/10/2010 @ 3:34 pm
It was indeed a unique show, but also exuded a wonderful sense of community even though many had not seen each other for many years.