By: Jessie Quinn
She’s back! Gemma Ward caused quite the buzz at Milan Fashion Week, when she opened Prada’s Spring/Summer 2015 show, and it looks like we’re going to be seeing a lot more of Australia’s favorite supermodel. Ward’s agency, IMG, tweeted, post show: “don’t call it a come back, @gem_ward is here to stay!” The show was Ward’s first time on the catwalk in six years and first modeling gig since the birth of her daughter last year.
With “youngest model to appear on the cover of Vogue” and “replacing Kate Moss as the face of Calvin Klein’s Obsession Night perfume,” on her long list of career achievements, there’s no doubt Ward is an industry favorite. Known for her doll-like features, she was discovered at the age of 14, at a modeling competition in Perth, Australia that– get this– her friends were auditioning for! She was later signed by IMG in New York, quickly becoming a household name.
At the peak of her career, Forbes named Ward one of the 15 top-grossing models in the world and, according to Vogue Australia, “by the age of 20, she commanded $25,000 per runway walk and was signed to no less than nine major fashion campaigns.”
In 2008, as rumors of Ward’s retirement began to spread through the media, she turned her focus to the pursuit of an acting career (one of her passions, since she was a little girl). Her first major role was the deadly mermaid, ‘Tamara,’ in Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides. She went on to play socialite ‘Catherine Wilson’ in Baz Luhrmann’s The Great Gatsy. Shortly after Ward finished filming, IMG announced her hiatus from both industries. After taking some time out for herself (and becoming a mum!), Ward was re-signed to IMG in 2013 and the comeback rumors commenced…
It’s unclear when and where we’ll be seeing Ward next, but if one thing’s for sure: we couldn’t be happier to see her again. Welcome back, doll!
