Fresh Face: Melodie Monrose

18-year-old Martinique born Melodie Monrose has taken the catwalk by storm over the most recent stretch of Fashion Weeks, after only beginning work as a model 6 months beforehand. Melodie was chosen for shows including Marc Jacobs, Prada, Gucci and Marni, and has become a modelling sensation practically overnight.

Melodie signed with Wilhelmina only two months before the most recent Spring/Summer 2011 fashion weeks got underway, and somehow racked up a startling 49 appearances on the catwalk overall already. Standing tall at 5’10”, Melodie’s breath-taking hazel eyes and elegant stature has rocketed her to success. Named one of models.com’s top newcomers, Melodie’s winning streak is clearly only getting started. Interviewed by WWD, Melodie describes her teeth as her best asset, and when asked about taking to the catwalk for some of the season’s biggest shows, she gleefully stated:

"It was very exciting to do these shows, especially when you realize that five months ago I was looking at the pictures from them in all the magazines. Now, I’m wearing all these amazing clothes!” Melodie counts John Galliano amongst her favourite designers: "John Galliano. I really love his work with Dior. I always watch his show and am more and more pleasantly surprised. It’s more than a fashion show. It’s almost acting. I admire this kind of excessiveness (démesure) in the creations.”

Melodie says she would work in journalism or design if she hadn’t gotten her big break as a model, and her hobbies include reading and Bharatanatyam - a classic Indian dance. She describes how it felt to be discovered and how it has changed her life: "I think modeling has changed me, but in a good way. Having this experience of fashion week has changed the way I see the world around me. All this travel has made me discover different things, and I’ve met very nice people. It’s really opening my mind!"

Melodie’s fresh-faced beauty and sophistication are sure to become a regular fixture over the seasons to come, and we are sure to see this bright young star grace the pages of Vogue in the near future.