Helena Christensen leads the search for 2011 Specsavers Spectacle Wearer of the Year

A nationwide search is underway to find Australia’s best framed fashionistas, with international supermodel and photographer, Helena Christensen, leading the charge.
The 2011 Specsavers Spectacle Wearer of the Year competition, now in its second year in Australia, celebrates the individual beauty and confidence of those who wear glasses.
Everyone who loves their glasses and enjoys wearing th with style and confidence is encouraged to enter for their chance to be crowned Australia’s most stylish spec wearer for 2011.
This year, the competition has been launched by Ms Christensen who walked at the L’Oreal Melbourne Fashion Festival, looking very glamorous in Specsavers frames. Ms Christensen will join a cast of judges who represent some of Australia’s finest in the fashion and modelling industry to judge the competition – and will personally photograph this year’s winner in New York!
Ms Christensen said, “I’m really excited to be a part of this year’s Specsavers Spectacle Wearer of the Year. It’s a great initiative that gives people the chance to have fun with showing how interesting they look in their spectacles. “We’ve always known about geek chic but glasses are now hotter than ever as a style accessory. Specs are having a revival and are now recognised as the perfect accessory to shake up and transform your look – plus it’s obviously a pretty cool bonus to be able to get a sharper view of the world,” said Ms Christensen.
“As a judge, I’ll be looking not just for someone who looks original and confident in their glasses, but I am also really excited about looking at the images from a photographer’s point of view, the style, composition and atmosphere of the photos.
“The Specsavers Spectacle Wearer of the Year competition provides a great opportunity for talented and gorgeous specs wearers to catch the eye of the modelling industry, and could help to fast-track their way to a successful career.” Ms Christensen continued, “As a photographer, I can appreciate a face that expresses
uniqueness and versatility, and spectacle wearers should feel confident about their specs being a great accessory in complimenting these unique features.”
Photographing people wearing spectacles can have its obstacles, admits Ms Christensen, who provides the following tips for entrants:
– It’s all about the light – lighting will have a dramatic effect on the look and feel of a photograph. Bright directional lighting will cast hard shadows and highlight imperfections, but could give you an edgier look. Diffused light is flattering and will give you a softer image. Think about the effect you are trying to create;
– The eyes have it – eyes can be a model’s best asset but a camera flash will tend to bounce off your lenses, causing a flare that hides your eyes. If you plan to use a flash, watch for reflections on your lenses;
– Make a style statent – specs are a bold statent so think about how they work with your overall style and try to create a cohesive look;
– Just be yourself, or a version of yourself you feel comfortable with – even if you feel slightly vulnerable when having your picture taken, it might not be a bad thing. It creates a certain intimacy, which is always a beautiful thing in a photograph.
Ms Christensen joins a respected line up of fashion and media identities to judge the 2011 Specsavers Spectacle Wearer of the Year, including: Alex Perry, Grant Pearce, Leea Charlwood and Melissa Hoyer.
Pernilla Algede, Head of Frame Styling at Specsavers added, “We’re delighted to welcome Ms Christensen as part of the 2011 Specsavers Spectacle Wearer of the Year competition – she is the epitome of high fashion and timeless style, and is a great ambassador for glasses. We see so many people who look fabulous in their glasses – it’s their time to shine and be recognised and make sure that specs appeal is celebrated!”
The winner of the Specsavers Spectacle Wearer of the Year will receive a priceless start to their modelling career. Not only will they be flown to New York to be personally photographed by Ms Christensen, they will also receive a 12 month modelling contract courtesy of Scoop Model Managent. The winner and finalists will each receive cash prizes as well as hair and makeup products from TRESmé and NP Set.
The competition is open to men and women aged 18 and over, who are either current specs wearers or wear glasses for fashion purposes. Entries are now open until 18 July. Applicants should register online at www.specsavers.com.au/competition or drop into their local Specsavers store.
– Helena Christensen hails from Denmark but currently lives in New York with her son, Mingus. She travels the world as a model and photographer, is an ambassador for the international organisation Oxfam, for whom she documents the effects of the climate changes, and is working on several projects at the moment, amongst others creating lines for Habitat and lingerie collections for Triumph.
– Alex Perry – one of Australia’s most glamorous designers by virtue of his magnificent gowns and sensational red carpet evening wear. His brand now synonymous with luxury, prestige and quality has seen him work with high profile celebrities such as Natalie Portman, Rihanna, Jennifer Lopez, Eva Longoria and Nelly Furtado.
– Leea Charlwood – is the head talent scout and brains behind Scoop Managent, the commercial division of Chic Managent, Australia’s leading model and talent managent agency. Specialising in television commercials, mainstream fashion and editorial work Leea joined the company with more than 14 years experience of scouting talent across the globe, heading up campaigns such as David Jones, Myer, Qantas,
Seafolly, Bonds, Dove, Coca Cola, and Westfields.
– Grant Pearce – is the creative director for L’Oreal Melbourne Fashion Festival and men’s fashion director at Conde Nast. In his capacity as a fashion stylist he has worked with many Australian celebrities, including Eric Bana, Elle Macpherson, Rose Byrne, Megan Gale and Ian Thorpe.
– Melissa Hoyer – is one of Australia’s leading and most respected and credible lifestyle, fashion and pop culture commentators. Melissa is currently the contributing editor-at- large on Grazia magazine and rougag.com.au. She is a regular commentator on broader, pop culture issues on network and subscription TV and is the regular social/lifestyle/pop culture commentator on 2DayFM’s Kyle and Jackie O show. She also has her own lifestyle and pop culture blog at www.melissahoyer.blogspot.com