De Havalland To Trans-form Model World...

Not only has transsexual model booker Miss Rebecca De Havalland (born Mr Ross Tallon) taken a side-wipe at Ireland's over exposed (on so many different levels) photocall queens, but she also intends to make this particularly Irish phenom a thing of the past by launching her own version of a home grown model agency. Of course, ShowBiz.ie was right there at the De Havalland Models launch in Spy bar last Sunday...

Rebecca De Havilland

The apparent stranglehold a few specific models have over the photocall industry in Ireland has long been debated on these pages, and rightfully so. Freedom of speech and all that lark... Many people out there feel the manufactured perma-orange skinned, hair extensioned, acrylic nailed, and Jordan eyelashed models posing in high heels and bikinis, staring out at us from the tabloids each day are as bad an influence to young girls as any misguided skinny comment ever made by Kate Moss. Hmmmm, we are surely short on the female role-model front.

Collette McBarron

And we're sure the debate will continue... And whether or not you agree or disagree with our national preoccupation with the lovely girls photocall culture, as illustrated in most Irish publications each day, it seems to be something that gets you people talking. Pro & anti promo girls. Personally, we're indifferent. The jury's still out.

Tara Kavanagh, Leanne Kavanagh

Well, it would seem the debate is about to be put to the test again with the launch of De Havalland Event and Model Management Agency. We attended the agency launch in Spy last Sunday night and got to meet, greet and shoot the new breed of models stepping-out to knock the current crop photocallees off their throne. Hell-bent on changing the status quo, model boss Rebecca (51) told the Irish Sun: "There are a lot of people walking around with over-processed hair and orange skin. For a fashion model that doesn't really go, so I'm back to change things to the way it was before."

Aly Marron, Clementine Macneice

Rebecca, who started Ireland's first ever model agency 'Tallon Models' waaay back in the 1980s, went on: "My girls are not caked in make-up. People need to see a blank canvas when they're looking at models. A lot of models that might do fashion over here can sometimes be seen posing on Grafton Street also... If I were a fashion designer, and had just paid for a model, I wouldn't like to see them doing that kind of thing the next day."

Gigi

So there you have it folks. A line has been drawn across the catwalk distinctly between those who pose in their knickers on Grafton Street and those who don't... Soooo, perhaps rather than endlessly having this useless debate we should just re-categorise Irish models?

Aine Kavanagh, Krissie Lundy

Models who stick strictly to catwalk shows and fashion shoots should be indeed deemed as 'models' whereas those who wear bikinis and tied-up soccer jerseys promoting products and services on Grafton Street should be labelled as 'promo girls'... No crossovers, right?

Mark Kenny, Sebastian Montgomery

Erm, we don't know. These categories are clearly defined in other countries where they have fashion models, promo models, glamour models, etc... Maybe in the Irish model marketplace there just isn't enough work for any 'model' to sustain an adequate living - thus all the crossover-ings and stuff?

Julien Jacob, Camillie Goulding

Either way, we're loving the debate and we're sure all you wiser than us commentators will set the world to right in your inspired remarks below... Will this issue ever be put to bed? We hope not.

Jennifer Buckley, Hilary Fallon

So there you have it folks - a new model agency in town and a whole batch of new models... Surely at this stage Dublin must have more models per capita than any other city in the world?

Grace Gong, Tibby Mejzaros

Kathy Leumg, Emma Zulkouski