In the name of nostalgia, SALIFE gathered some of Adelaide’s most high-profile models from the 1980s, ‘90s and 2000s to remember the fun days of the Adelaide fashion world. There were laughs, memories and special moments with fashion designer George Gross, as well as moving tributes to iconic model agent Tanya Powell, who passed away this year, and is remembered as a mentor and mother figure to so many.
Models, from left, Sara Abel Smith, Teresa Robinson, Sandra Thompson, Melinda Parent, Kate Twedell, Casana Perryman and Tanya Powell, front.They were part of Adelaide’s hip crowd back in the day – our most in-demand models who graced the catwalks at all the must-see parades and rubbed shoulders with visiting celebrities at all the big events.
At a time when Adelaide’s streets roared with the sound of the Formula 1 Australian Grand Prix (1985-1995) and socialites clamoured for front row seats at the hottest ticket in town, the David Jones fashion parades, these women were at the heart of the glamorous action.
Names like Gordana Kleut, Melinda Parent, Elizabeth Philippou, Kathy Ahamer, Fran Ennis, Dina Matters, Sara Abel Smith, Casana Perryman, Penny Johnson, Gabrielle Leonello and many more were the “it girls” of their generations – the mainstay of Adelaide’s social pages, parades and parties.
So, in the name of nostalgia, SALIFE gathered a few of these former models together, whose careers collectively spanned from the late 1970s to the 2000s, to look back and reminisce about the highs and lows of life in the local spotlight.
Their insights included the people who inspired them, the memorable photo shoots (think Harris Scarfe catalogues), the famous names, the friendships and memories that still loom large.
Central to the modelling careers of these women was iconic Adelaide agent Tanya Powell. News of Tanya’s death in March this year hit the industry hard and sparked an enormous outpouring of love for the inspiring businesswoman.
Melinda Parent in the gorgeous wedding dress designed by George Gross and Harry Watt.Tanya opened her agency in 1975 and discovered and managed thousands of Adelaide models over the decades, as well as teaching deportment, grooming and etiquette. High-profile Adelaide model Gordana Kleut first met Tanya as a shy 13-year-old school girl, but the agent made a lasting impression.
“I did a school holiday modelling course at Pam Ellis Agency,” Gordana says. “My teacher was Tanya Powell, she would have been only 23 years old and she was absolutely beautiful.
“I remember seeing this statuesque stunning woman with long dark brown hair, softly spoken, a beautiful warm smile and eyes that sparkled. I remember thinking to myself I want to be just like her. Tanya was very special.”
Gordana says she will always be grateful to Tanya for her guidance and friendship over the years, including helping to direct Gordana’s daughter into the modelling world as well.
“I will always have wonderful memories of Tanya,” she says. “She also encouraged my daughter Charlotte into modelling and signed her up at 16 years of age. She was a true lady who put modelling on another level in Adelaide. Sadly, Tanya’s passing signals the end of an era in the local modelling scene. Unfortunately, it’s nothing like it was in the ‘80s and ‘90s.”
Gordana began her modelling career in 1979 and worked locally as well as in Paris and London where she modelled for Dior, Emanuel Ungaro, Pierre Cardin, Marc Vaughan, Zandra Rhodes and others. She says a career highlight was winning a modelling competition run through the French Consulate here.
Model agent Tanya Powell, was another dear friend and mentor to so many of her models.“My prize was a first-class ticket to Paris to model for Dior,” she says. “I was a guest at their spring parade and showered with Dior gifts. I was very fortunate in Paris to be surrounded by some of the world’s most beautiful and recognisable faces. I was a guest at a dinner with the director of Dior and sitting at my table was Raquel Welch followed by a party held by Dior.
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“When I was doing a fitting for Emanuel Ungaro, Sophia Loren walked into my fitting room with her assistant. I was in total shock as she was and still is my idol. The most stunning, elegant woman asking me if I didn’t mind her being there!
“At my modelling agency in Paris I was introduced to Peter Fonda, Jane Fonda’s brother, and at another party in Paris I was introduced to Philippe Junot who had just separated from his wife Princess Caroline of Monaco.”
On her return to Adelaide, Gordana modelled for David Jones, Myer, John Martin’s, Miller Anderson, Harris Scarfe, George Gross and Harry Who and Walter Kristensen.
“To be honest, I don’t have any low lights, my entire career was amazing,” she says. “I was very blessed and am extremely grateful for all the wonderful experiences I was able to fulfill.”
One of her more memorable brushes with fame was when she was invited to meet the members of the band Kiss during their Australian tour.
The models recently caught up with their adored friend George Gross at East End Cellars.“I had no interest in their music, but I went to the party, met the band and chatted with Gene Simmons about his life as a school teacher and a guitarist in the band,” she says. “I also went to the concert at Adelaide Oval, then we partied at Regines.”
Melinda Parent was 21 when she first began modelling in the late 1980s and she, too, signed up with Tanya Powell. She says Tanya was more than a mentor, she was a mother figure and friend to all her girls, providing support both on and off the catwalk. In the 1980s, one of the major bookings was the Australian Wool Board fashion parades, which were put on around the country, and Tanya would accompany the girls.
“Tanya looked after us really well,” Melinda says. “It was just a really good time, like a big family, I think that’s why I kept going. Tanya was also mischievous but always responsible and she knew all of our personalities, our partners, she just loved the industry and loved the girls and was so supportive. She knew everything about all of us.”
When asked what made Tanya so good at her craft, Melinda doesn’t hesitate: “She was genuine,” she says. “She had a genuine love of the creative industries, she was a dancer and she was self-made, so just sheer determination, putting the hours in and she genuinely loved what she did and she was so generous.
“There are a lot of hours behind the scenes to get these parades together and this whole production that you can’t charge for, that was her life…”
Melinda, who is married to composer and music educator Emeritus Professor Graeme Koehne AO and has a 16-year-old son Willem, says she was “completely terrified” when she first started modelling.
Casana Perryman on location for a photo shoot in Malta.“I didn’t know how to walk, talk, turn or anything,” she says. “Then I went to a lot of ‘go-sees’, and you get a lot of knock-backs, but it actually teaches you a lot about life and resilience and that you can’t take anything too seriously, you just have to persevere, which has followed me through my next career.”
Today, Melinda is founder and director of her own creative agency Oranje Creative and says she has tried to emulate the strong work ethic set by her friend Tanya, who has left a lasting legacy for all of her models.
“Every five years or so, I’d create extensive to-do lists,” Melinda says. “I recently found an old one that included ‘have a baby’. This was incredibly important to me, but my all-absorbing career made me hesitate.
“Looking back, I wonder why I waited so long; perhaps I doubted I could manage both a career and a baby. In the end, having Willem was the best decision I ever made—it also made me stronger and ready for anything.”
Sara Abel Smith began modelling in her 20s and worked consistently in Adelaide for years, including as a regular in the Harris Scarfe catalogue, something she calls a “rite of passage” for Adelaide models.
“Even in my mid-20s I would be wearing outfits years beyond my age resulting in amusing comments from my friends each week,” Sara says. “The sleeping bag shots were also quite a laugh with your head popping out the top as you stand up in them for the shot!”
Shots from back in the day including Gordana Kleut.Sara also says her busiest modelling days were when she was aged in her 30s and had three children, eventually incorporating them into the jobs.
“It was quite a juggle running to shows and often dragging my babies with me to many shoots,” she says. “I remember doing the David Jones parade while I was breastfeeding out the back and just hoped like anything that I didn’t leak on my silk shirt on the catwalk. When my son Harry turned one, we auditioned for the Huggies commercial and got the job. It was the first time in advertising back in the ‘90s that a real mother and her actual child had done a commercial together.
“We shot the campaign in my home over four days and after trying to follow a story board for the commercial which is impossible for a one-year-old baby, we ended up just being ourselves and capturing mother and son at home.
“To this day it’s so authentic and beautiful I just loved having that memory and that fabulous commercial to look back on.”
Sara has great memories of working as a Foster’s girl at the Adelaide Grand Prix and modelling at the Clipsal 500 parades.
“We met lots of celebrities as we worked in the corporate boxes,” Sara says. “I did many of the Clipsal Supercar parades where local and interstate celebrities would make guest appearances on the stage with us.”
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Sara Abel Smith on the catwalk.Sara says some of those celebrities included racing driver Nigel Mansell, media identities Eddie McGuire and Ita Buttrose, models Megan Gale and Deborah Hutton, singer Guy Sebastian, designer Alex Perry, and many more.
“I also did the Australian Wool Board parades around Australia which included the first collection of Collette Dinnigan and George and Harry.”
Stars of the Adelaide fashion scene back then was local design duo George Gross and Harry Who (Watt), who were mentors and friends to many of their adored models. Sadly, Harry passed away in 2019, and since then George has been supported by close friends and former models whose careers he helped forge. George is here today for the SALIFE shoot, and it is clear how much he is adored by these women who share so much history of he and Harry’s heydays.
“George and Harry were icons in the fashion world and we all loved to work for them,” Sara says. “I did all their parades and in-boutique workshops. They were so passionate about their clothes and just were such wonderful creators of always-new and fabulous collections. George would always have a cigarette hanging out of his mouth as he fitted the clothes to our body perfectly, in a mad rush before we raced to hit the catwalk.
“Not only did I model for them but they were also personal friends. I remember going to Harry’s 60th, which was a fabulous affair at Checkmates strip club in the city. They completely took over the venue and renamed it “Harry’s Bar” complete with exotic dancers and wonderful music. The dress code was all black and the birthday boy swanned in looking exquisite, standing out with a full white suit on and that gorgeous tanned face! He looked every bit of a superstar. We also had them over to our place for a dinner party where the dress code was kaftans. All such fun parties and madness.”
Today, Sara, 57, is enjoying a new stage of life now that she and husband Will are empty nesters, with all of the children – Harry, 27, Zali, 25 and Bebe, 20 – forging their own paths.
Casana and Sara who were part of the “Dream Girls” group of models named by George Gross and Harry Watt.“I’m at a great stage now where after years of working, raising children, being a busy mum, wife, studying a degree later in life (Bachelor of Health Science in Nutritional Medicine), that now that the children have all left I feel I can sit back and take a big breath,” Sara says.
“Will and I spend most of our time on our farm in the Adelaide Hills raising cattle and working on our property which is a wonderful way of life for us. We also have more time now to travel and see the world and spend time together.
“Along with the wrinkles there is experience and wisdom that I didn’t have when I was younger. It certainly would be different these days with social media and influencers.
“Of course, my body isn’t what it used to be, as to be expected, but I keep fit doing yoga, pilates and walking every day and I eat a very healthy diet which obviously makes a difference for our longevity. I’m more into health and longevity rather than quick fix wrinkle cream!”
At 62, Gordana is the eldest of our models here today and says age has never been an issue for her. She is happily married to her soul mate Petar whom she has been with for 40 years and the couple has three children, Alexander, 35, Edward, 33 and Charlotte, 31.
“I am grateful for every birthday I have,” she says. “It’s more about how you care for yourself mentally, physically and spiritually. The older I have got I try not to worry about the small stuff. Always wear a smile is the best advice I can give.”
Some backstage fun at a fashion parade with, from, left, Rachel Gelis, Jane Morley, Tanya Powell and Melinda Parent.Model Casana Perryman was another local talent who worked in Adelaide and overseas for many years. She modelled extensively throughout Europe for brands such as Burberry, Louis Feraud, Jean Muir, La Perle and Harrods amongst others. Casana returned to Adelaide in the early ’90s and signed on with both Tanya Powell and Vivien’s Models in Melbourne, working regularly for David Jones, Myer, John Martin’s, Woolcock of Reynella, Harris Scarfe, Target, Carla Zampatti, Georges of Melbourne and Monica Monkhouse.
“I have very fond memories of working with Tanya when she produced and choreographed the parades for the Royal Shows in Adelaide and Perth and the Wool Board parades around Australia,” Casana says. “As there were 54 parades in total at the Royal Show, Tanya had to be very patient with us as we sometimes got up to mischief to alleviate the repetition of so many shows.
“I remember fun times in Goulburn where we were doing the Wool Board parades and Tanya stood out looking very glamorous in her Carla Zampatti dress in a particularly seedy nightclub. I also became friends with her outside the agency and remember several fun drinks parties where she always looked glamorous. It was only a year ago at a friend’s birthday celebration where she looked so beautiful. It’s so sad she is no longer with us.”
Casana also worked extensively with George Gross and Harry Who and was lucky enough to be included as one of their “Dream Girls” as part of their celebrations for 35 years in business. But not all of the modelling assignments were as high end and glamorous as the George and Harry work.
“One very fun experience was when the pokies first came to SA,” Casana says. “There was a group of us from Tanya Powell that went to several Booze Brothers pubs and we were called the ‘Slot Sisters’ and we had to dance around the main bar in fishnet tights and leotards miming to Diamonds Are a Girls’ Best Friend and Hey Big Spender, much to the amusement of the patrons sipping their beers. I also did a sketch on Channel 9’s Footy Show down at John Cahill Motors, where I had to pretend to be a secretary and (football celebrity) Sam Newman walked in; we locked eyes and walked off hand-in-hand. So cheesy, but hilarious.” When it comes to ageing, Casana, who has two adult sons, Oscar, 26, and Max, 23, says she is comfortable about turning 58 this year although she does admit to occasionally feeling much older.
“I’m quite accepting of getting older as we have no choice,” she says. “Back in my younger days when I had a metabolism I could generally eat whatever I chose but sadly after children and menopause that has disappeared.
Tanya Powell on a photo shoot with some of her models, from left, Gabrielle Leonello, Melinda Parent and Penny Johnson.“I take a number of supplements every day and have got stuck into juicing and regular facials to slow down the ageing a little. I am known for having my under-eye patches on every day which I keep in the fridge to pop on in the morning to try to freshen up and deal with tiredness or puffiness.
“On the occasion when I’m asked to do a parade now, I generally get undressed behind the rack as the other models are normally still at school or in their early 20s. An extensive collection of control undergarments always travels with me at those times!”
For Melinda, reflecting on her journey, she says there is little she would change, “except for being more confident in the path you’ve chosen and trying not to doubt yourself”.
“This is what I’d tell my 25-year-old self,” she says. “Actually, I did have a meltdown at 24, having almost reached quarter of a century, which I considered old at the time.
“At 50-something, I find that so much more is available to me now than 25 years ago, thanks to life experience. Age has also expanded my circle of friends, all of whom mean the world to Graeme, Willem and I.
“Age is just a number; what truly matters is your biological age, not your chronological age. The many mistakes I’ve made and the lessons I’ve learned have only been character building and the relationships I’ve nurtured have become increasingly important as I’ve grown older.
“Everyone is ageing from the day we are born, but it’s how we embrace it that truly matters.”
This article first appeared in the July 2024 issue of SALIFE magazine.
