The world of fashion used to be ruled by formal beauty standards, but in recent years, increasingly Indigenous voices have been transforming the message. These include some of Australia’s most exciting Aboriginal models, who not only bring dramatic looks to the catwalk and screen but also deep cultural narratives that disrupt stereotypes and redefine global beauty standards.
Embodying Australia and the world as a whole, Aboriginal people are staging a march of pride, spreading the diversity, strength, and brilliance of First Nations individuals. Get to know 10 beautiful Aboriginal models making heads roll around the world.
1. Samantha Harris
Samantha Harris is one of the most familiar, stunning Aboriginal models in Australia. She is of Dunghutti descent and started modeling at the age of 13 and rose quickly to fame after she was a Girlfriend Model Search finalist in 2004.
She has become the first model to appear on Australian Vogue and has also modeled for top designers in Australia as well as overseas. Known for her fierce commitment to diversity in fashion, Harris also vocalizes for Indigenous issues and racial bias. She’s not only a style icon—she’s a rallying cry.
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2. Magnolia Maymuru
Magnolia Maymuru, an Aboriginal Yolngu from the Northern Territory, cracked the ice by participating in Miss World Australia to become the first Aboriginal woman to do so. Magnolia was spotted by a modeling agent when she was getting cash from an ATM in her outback town of Yirrkala.
Magnolia’s Top End-to-world catwalk journey is nothing but breathtaking. She is a one-of-a-kind blend of modern style and traditional determination, and she uses her platform to promote Indigenous culture and empower young girls in rural Australia.
3. Charlee Fraser
Charlee Fraser herself is an Awabakal woman, and she’s soon one of the world’s most sought-after models. She’s already strutted her stuff for fashion behemoths Alexander Wang, Prada, and Balenciaga, and was included on Models.com’s top new faces list.
Charlee steals away from conventional concepts of beauty with the chiseled cheekbones and combative sash down the runway. Off the runway, she’s also devoted to using her platform to speak on representation in media and honor Aboriginal heritage on a global level.
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4. Mahalia Handley
Mahalia Handley, Aboriginal and Māori, is not only a model—she is a strong voice body activist, cultural ambassador, and representative. Mahalia was raised in Darwin and later grew up in New Zealand. She has also collaborated with the globe’s biggest brands, including Nike, Target, and Sephora.
She has also founded Shades of Beauty, a movement that attempts to infuse diversity into fashion. Her project goes far beyond the camera’s lens; Mahalia is committed to dismantling the industry’s beauty bias and boosting the voice of marginalized voices.
5. Tarlisa Gaykamangu
Tarlisa Gaykamangu is a rising star model from the Yolngu Nation and a source of pride for far-flung Indigenous communities. She suddenly gained popularity after her emotional photoshoot with Australian label Wildflower Couture made waves on the web.
Tarlisa’s physical beauty, coupled with the unapologetic integrity of being herself, expresses an embedded cultural heritage. She cosmetically transforms boldly in fashion, as ancient and contemporary, mingling the two universes in her own fashion. As she builds her profile, so too does she build her ability to inspire the next generation of Aboriginal girls who are scarcely ever included in mainstream media.
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6. Elaine George
Elaine George became history when she was the first Aboriginal model to grace Australian Vogue in 1993. A member of the Arakwal people, Elaine was found during a beauty pageant and went on to defy convention by ditching conventional fashion world casting norms. Her trailblazing appearance set the stage for generations of Indigenous models. Despite later disavowing the runway to concentrate on community activism, her legacy endures even today. Elaine is still an inspiration for strength, heritage, and the struggle for accurate representation.
7. Zhoe Trotter
Zhoe Trotter is a Western Australia-based Aboriginal fashion model with a fierce, natural appearance and peaceful nature. Gracing bold features and confident demeanor, she offers a new face to contemporary modeling. Zhoe Trotter has worked with Indigenous Australian fashion brands such as Kirrikin in fashion modeling and is now a leading name in campaigns that highlight community. She views modeling as a way of expanding her cultural heritage, utilizing the catwalk to honor her origins and defy conventional notions of beauty. Her serene self-confidence and defiant pride transform her into a spectacle.
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8. Perina Drummond
Perina Drummond is an Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander woman who is proud of who she is. She is a director at Jira Models, an Indigenous Australian modelling agency. Perina wants to continue building and shaping the Australian fashion industry with the incorporation of Indigenous people. Perina has been commended for bringing Indigenous people as well as some aspects of Aboriginal culture onto the ground of other modeling agencies who prefer to leave them behind. “I source talent not only phenomenal in the world of modelling but, additionally, those deeply involved in culture.”
Perina honors and promotes Indigenous Australians in all facets of the creative universe. Jira Models debuted at Melbourne Fashion Week in 2018. Their presentation included Aboriginal models modeling for desert country designers Junjuwa in the Kimberley, through to Gapuwiyak in East Arnhem Land.
9. Kobie Dee
Kobie Dee might be more famous for his activism and modeling as a rapper, but his impact as a model is no less influential. As a Gomeroi man himself, Kobie has been a part of fashion campaigns that depict Indigenous storytelling through fashion.
He tends to marry fashion with activism by wearing apparel that speaks for his culture while promoting youth empowerment, mental health awareness, and social justice. Kobie is one of a new generation of beautiful Aboriginal models, ones who combine style with solid cultural story.
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10. Noah ‘Bijang Moogerah’ Slabb
Noah ‘Bijang Moogerah’ Slabb is a fashion model from Indigenous Australia and is making waves in the industry. Prior to being a model, Bijang had aspirations to be a coast guard. He came from a small coastal town where he was raised, and his true name translates to ‘little storm’ in his native language (Bundjalung). Bijang’s unique look was discovered by a scout from Vivien’s Models. Bijang was brought up on tales of his native land. He learned the dances and incantations from his elderly cousins when he was still young.
He has a strong affinity for his roots and wants to make them proud in the field he has chosen. Bijang enjoys it when he is in the water and does not want to be any closer to the rolling waves. He loves dividing his time between surfing and his newfound passion for model work. “We’re a saltwater tribe, a lot of what we do is around the water, like swimming, fishing, and surfing.” Bijang has utilized his Instagram to promote causes such as Black Lives Matter.
Final Thoughts
These stunning Aboriginal models here are doing a whole lot more than posing for the camera lens; they are reclaiming space in an industry that never had them. With every runway stride, editorial shoot, and Instagram post, these incredible women and men are showing that beauty is not a narrow concept—rather, it is expansive, inclusive, and culturally situated.
As more and more brands realize they have to reflect, these models are paving the way, proving to the world that Indigenous beauty is not only ageless but radical.
