Dolly Magazine - April 1997

Maybe it's her bright eyes, or her mile-long legs, or that long, brown hair - or it could be her big smile... but there's something about Miranda that makes us sure she has exactly what it takes to become a great model. We know you guys agree because you voted her in as the winner of the 1997 Dolly/Impulse Model Contest. So, here's the lowdown on the lovely Miranda.

Apart from the fact that she's now on the cover of Dolly, Miranda's a typical 13-year-old. She thinks her friends are more important than anything else in the world because, "they will always be there", her hero is her "unreal" mum and she was totally excited about flying all by herself to Sydney to hang out with the Dolly team and the other finalists at the shoot last year.

Sure, she's a total sweetheart, the kind of girl you'd hang out with, but hey, being a sweetie isn't gonna make you a top model unless you have the look and professional attitude, as well. Fortunately, Miranda is real confident in front of the camera and she's totally professional (even though she's just 13). No temper tantrums from this girl - she does exactly what she's asked. She's a natural and we all know she definitely has the looks!

Of course, being 13, Miranda's only in Year Eight and so, still has heaps of school ahead of her. She's decided modelling will only be a part-time gig until she finishes school because she knows how important her education is. However, she's looking forward to launching her modelling career and it helps that she loves being around people and is keen to travel. Right now, her 11-year-old brother is her hugest fan but we reckon things will change when her career takes off, which judging by the experts' opinion, will be soon. Don't say we didn't warn you!

What the experts say

Before you got a chance to vote for your fave finalist in the Dolly / Impulse Model Contest, our judges had to go through thousands of entries to choose those final six. Here's what they said...

Peter Chadwick of Chadwick Model Management says:
"When we went through the thousands of entries we saw Miranda's shots and from the very beginning I thought, this could be our winner - and obviously the readers agreed. She looks like a Dolly covergirl should. The thing that appeals to me about her is this incredible gamine look - that's what will work for her. She's not your average beach girl. There is definitely a bit of Audrey Hepburn, too. She's got something very special."

Dolly Editor, Susie Pitts, says:
"When the January issue went to print I knew that only one of the six finalists had the potential to be a model, but only one can win and I'm very proud of Miranda. She really is a beautiful girl with an exceptional look. She's also passionate about being a model, which really helps I this business. When Viva came back with the shots of her, I was amazed at how natural she looked in front of the camera, too - it was like she'd been doing this for most of her life!"

Melissa O'Shea from Impulse says:

"When we were choosing the finalists we were faced with six stunning girls -what an impossible task for the Dolly readers to choose one winner! In the end it was Miranda's youthful charm and freshness that made her stand out. She's very relaxed in front of the camera - a natural."

Viva Vayspap, Dolly Fashion Editor, says:

"Miranda is gorgeous. She has fantastic features bit I couldn't pick out just one - she's great skin, great hair and great legs that make her look soooo tall so it's hard to pick one thing. She's a bit like Kate Moss because she's tall, but still petite. I really think she has what it takes to make it great as a model."

by Jane McCune