Georgia Fowler is in the business of adopting personas. Each day, when she goes to work, she shapeshifts into whoever the shoot calls for. On her recent shoot for marie claire, the brief was strong and sensual — fittingly paired with a wardrobe full to the brim with Saint Laurent. In this instance, it’s far from a stretch for Fowler to embody such a woman.
“Strong and sensual is probably the character that is most true to who I am. I like to be sexy, but it’s all about power and how that plays into it,” said the 31-year-old New-Zealand born model.
With her long limbs decorated in an array of broad shouldered structured blazers, opaque shirts — and sometimes, nearly nothing, staring down the barrel of the camera lens, only to be covered by the long coveted YSL Anthony Vaccarello bag — it’s safe to say the model nailed the brief. Her years of experience and versatility are clear in the presence she brings to each image.
“I’ve been with IMG for 16 years now,” Fowler shared, with a light laugh. It’s this longevity that she’s most proud of in her career.
With her perfect bone structure and a body that’s been compared to Elle Macpherson’s, Fowler’s registerable as a model the second one lays their eyes on her, but it takes a lot more than that to make it (and even more to sustain a career) in the industry.
“You can be a beautiful face and get one job, but you’ll only get rebooked by clients if you do a really good job, and you have a great personality on the day. You need to get the job — but then also just work as hard as you can while you’re there.”
As one of the few models who has been able to go from editorial work and shooting covers to walking catwalks for designers, as well as shooting catalogue jobs — hard work comes second nature to Fowler. And her husband, Nathan Dalah, the brains behind healthy fast food chain Fishbowl, with over 34 stores nation-wide, shares those same qualities.
“Both Nathan and I are busy and driven, but I think it kind of helps us understand each other. We work together to figure out the right balance between family and who we are.”
The (incredibly attractive) pair married just this year in an idyllic two-day affair in the Southern Highlands, where Fowler opted for not just one wedding dress, but three: A custom-made strapless satin corset gown from Vivienne Westwood, a vintage tulle gown from Danielle Frankel and a mini dress designed by her brother-in-law, Australian designer Jordan Dalah, especially for her.
“It was really special, we kind of designed it together. I wanted something cute and fun and a bit daring,” said Fowler. “I needed a party dress. I was really going for it on the dance floor.”
Though images of her picturesque wedding colour many-a Pinterest board, the model shared it was actually the imperfections that made the day memorable. “Nathan and I love nice things, but in a very lowkey way. We wanted to do a wedding that was beautiful, classic and timeless — but not overdone,” she explains.
And perfectionism is something the model is trying to let go of more broadly — particularly when it comes to motherhood. In an Instagram post just last month, Fowler posed cradling her one-year-old daughter Dylan, her burgeoning baby bump on display with the caption reading: Baby brother brewing.
“To be a mother is a tough job. Trying to be perfect: The perfect mum, the perfect breastfeeder, the perfect partner — everything — and still be your own person is quite consuming.”
Despite her body, in many ways a commodity which she relies on for income, stretching and changing to facilitate her pregnancy, psychologically — she says — motherhood has shaped it into much more. In fact, pregnancy has allowed her to foster a deeper sense of love and appreciation for her body than she ever imagined.
“It’s a breath of fresh air — your body undergoes so many changes, but you can also appreciate it for what it’s done and what it’s given. It is not just an object, but an amazing working machine.”
So how does it fare compared to her experience of pregnancy as a first-time mother?
Well, with a toddler “wanting to be picked up and on the hip all time,” in Fowler’s words: “It’s a different experience, but a very lucky one.”
“I think the second round comes with more concerns about how you’re going to spread your time and your arms, literally, between two little kids who both need you so much… It’s a constant juggle — one that I will continue to be trying to figure out probably for as long as I want to work — and I love working so much. It’s such a huge part of my identity.”
And work she will — don’t expect this powerhouse to slow down anytime soon. Having just watched The Super Models, a documentary which follows the careers of Naomi Campbell, Cindy Crawford, Linda Evangelista and Christy Turlington, Fowler felt inspired.
“Seeing all of these epic supermodels on every catwalk — women of all ages out there — was exciting… You no longer have to be 16 to walk a fashion show.”
Will we see images of her embodying a woman of strength and sensuality in Saint Laurent, and walking catwalks at 60?
“I don’t know about that,” she responded modestly with a laugh, but she was quick to note with a hint of cheek – perhaps a challenge to herself — “We’ll see.”
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