AN EDGY cut from a Bunbury hairdresser was the little push a local beauty needed to put her name in the ring for the World Supermodel Australia crown.
Twenty-five-year-old Paula Thompson had been sporting waist-length balayage locks for years before she finally decided to let Wish Hair Studio artist Cody Trimboli work his magic, giving her a short blonde look.
“I had to talk myself into it for months, but when I saw the result I loved it,” Miss Thompson said.
“It inspired me to enter the competition, I thought I’ve got this edgy new look now so why not?”
Miss Thompson, who was crowned Bunbury’s Miss Summer Parade in January 2013, applied for the competition online and was selected among 11 other WA finalists to face-off in Perth last week.
Bunbury came through with the goods, producing both Miss Thompson and Kylie Dawson as the only WA girls to make it through to the national leg of the competition.
The pair flew out to Sydney on Wednesday, but not without some help from the Bunbury community.
“We had to quickly pull some money together to pay for the flights over which were quite expensive,” Miss Thompson said.
Local business Twins Tree Trimming stepped forward as a major sponsor to help the model on her way.
Miss Thompson said it was now an action-packed couple of days of sight-seeing, events and catwalk appearances before the national winner is announced on Friday.
“I’m just taking it all in as I’ve never really been in a competition like this before,” she said.
“The key things I’m focusing on are having a natural look, bringing out my personality and being confident on the catwalk.”
The winner will be flown to Fiji for the international final in November and will receive sponsor prizes, brand ambassador roles, PR services, domestic and international modelling and presenting opportunities in excess of $10,000.
Check out Wednesday’s Bunbury Mail to find out how the girls went.
