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F
ierce is the first word that
pops into my mind when I
browse through the book
of
seventeen-year-old
Model Team prodigy Holly
McDowall. Her tall, slender yet
powerful frame, effortless pout,
carefully carved cheekbones
and absorbing glance make for
an edgy, versatile and highly
memorable model. Her face had
been etched into my mind from
the moment I first saw her walk
at the Scotland Re:Designed
catwalk in July. Despite having only
modelled for four months, Holly
tread with the confidence and
control of a supermodel, making
her mark with each calculated
step. Having made such a
deep impression, it was
no surprise that my team
and I were feeling a little
nervous before meeting
the young model.
Turning the corner
as if rounding the end
of the catwalk, Holly
struts towards us
before
breaking
her
signature
s p e l l b i n d i n g
look with the
charming grin
of a teenage
s c hoo l g i r l .
With
a
g r a c e f u l
p o i s e ,
po l i t e
manner
and
a soft whispering
voice,
the
humble nature
behind the fierce
face is revealed. As
Holly is shown the
clothes she will wear
she excitedly ‘oohhs’
and ‘ahhs’, holding them
up against her with a
refreshing enthusiasm.
This is no surprise as
the fashion industry
has always been an
area of fascination
for Holly, “When I
was 14 I applied
to The Model
Team. I always
wanted to be a
model, I would
spend most of my time
watching TV shows
like
America’s Next
Top Model
and reading
magazines like
Elle
and
Vogue.
At that time I
was too young to get
a place in The Model
Team’s books because
I still had a baby face and braces but
they said I had potential and told me
to come back when I was 16.”
However, by that time Holly
had developed an interest in
other areas of the industry
with ambitions of becoming
a model agent. Through a
school work experience
placement, Holly revisited
The Model Team from a
different angle under
the watchful eye of
operations manager
Cathy
Owen,
“When I was
working at The
Model Team on
placement Cathy
asked me if I would
be
interested
in
modelling.
Straight away I
was really up for it.
I have always been
really interested in
models and I love
the whole world of
fashion. I think if I
was not a model,
I would have to be
involved in another
area the industry.”
Now, a year down
the line, Holly has climbed from a Model
Team new face to a popular ‘mainboard’
model and has featured in several
published editorials and noteworthy
catwalks. Despite her whirlwind success,
Holly remains grounded with an attitude
that speaks maturity beyond her years,
“Although I have come pretty far in the
year I have been modelling, I still feel as
though I am getting used to it all. I think
a model can always progress further and
AYEARAGO FASHIONISTA HOLLY
MCDOWALL
WORSHIPPED
AMERICA’S NEXT TOP MODEL
HOST AND SUPERMODEL TYRA
BANKS AND DREAMED OF A
CAREER IN MODELLING; NOW
HOLLY IS LIVING OUT HER OWN
FASHION FANTASIES ON THE
CATWALK FOR MISSONI AND IN
EDITORIALS FOR THE HERALD.
CORRINE
MCCONNACHIE
LEARNS MORE ABOUT THIS
YOUNG MODEL’S JOURNEY.
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