THE LOOK was iconic, one of the most powerful images in Australian visual culture – the face of Aboriginal model Samantha Harris looking out at us from the cover of Vogue Australia in June 2010.
In a world where European ideals of beauty dominate, Samantha’s appearance on that magazine cover was almost revolutionary. The proud Dunghutti woman continues to be one of the most recognisable faces in the Australian fashion industry today.
Throughout her life and career, she has been supported by her mother, Myrna – a survivor of the Stolen Generations, whose fierce determination and love propelled Samantha to her breakthrough success as a finalist in the Girlfriend Magazine cover girl competition in 2004 at the age of 13, and then on through a stellar career in the international fashion industry.
Mother and daughter are now telling their intertwined stories in a new book, Role Model.