Catwalk career looms for schoolgirl model

Many Northland teenagers have sweated away at their part-time jobs in ill-fitting uniforms to make a buck.
But not Whangarei teenager Sahra Ruddell.
The unassuming 17-year-old's part-time modelling job is about to give her national and quite possibly international recognition as the face of a renowned New Zealand designer's spring/summer collection.
Sahra will also be on the catwalk at next week's Air New Zealand Fashion Week, and her face is on a billboard in Auckland.
Designer Kate Sylvester said she chose Sahra for her latest collection because she was beautiful, sophisticated with a fantastic body that was lean but not "scrawny".
And her modelling agent, Amanda Betts of 62 Models & Talent, says she has one of the "best sets of pins (legs) in the business".
Ask Sahra about her unique part-time job - involving sashaying down the catwalk and modelling for magazines - and she is quick to point out that her friends are making more money than her.
"The money's not so great since I'm new and I've done jobs for free but I don't mind because it's a great experience.
"My friends are earning more money than me and they work at cafes and supermarkets," she smiled.
The Year 12 Whangarei Girls' High School student said she spent a fair amount of money travelling to Auckland to model and it had been hard to keep up with her studies.
Considering her quick rise up the modelling ladder- she only started last December - Sahra probably won't have to wait long until the good dollars start rolling in.
Fashion heavyweights she will be modelling for next week at New Zealand's premier fashion event include Zambesi, Workshop, Helen Cherry and Adrian Hailwood.
Sahra's foray into the world of beauty and clothes started only two years ago when she became the overall winner of Northland model quest The Look.
Her modelling career then went on the backburner until last December when Sahra's mother, Gay, sent in photos to Auckland modelling agency 62 Models & Talent.
Mrs Ruddell said she and her husband Darcy were "blown away" by Sahra's achievements. "She is pretty down to earth - she's the youngest of four and she's a country girl," Mrs Ruddell smiled.
"She's very goal-oriented and she knows what she wants."
Sahra is now one of the agency's favourite models, Sahra's agent said.
Sahra, who is part-Maori and lives on a beef-farm in Parakao, 40km west of Whangarei, said her favourite aspects of modelling were wearing clothes she could not afford and meeting lots of people. Sahra said she was realistic about an industry focused on looks.
"Everyone is judging you on the way you look, but I went into the industry knowing that."
Luckily for her she does not have to watch her weight and only exercises once a week.
To help boost her modelling career, Sahra is leaving Whangarei for Auckland at the end of the year and will work in a fashion store.
But her heart will always lie in Northland.
"I love the beaches, especially Oceans (Beach) and I'll always come back."