The g a p

If you are unfamiliar with the latest gap toothed trend, then please read on! Abbey Lee Kershaw, the 5"11 girl-next-door stunner from down under, is an image irresitable for campaign bookers such as the multi talented Karl Largerfeld. A personal favourite of mine, due to consistent runway appearences from Victoria's Secret to Dior, who never fails to work that gap-toothed open pout! I find with models such as: Grace Jones, Alla Kostromichova, Alek Wek, and other very avant garde faces, it is easy for casting directors to market them as high fashion and will effortlessly book edgey editorials in numéro or ID; however this isn't the best way to make a strong name for yourself, as a model, in the crazy world of the what is the fashion industry. Which is why I believe Abbey Lee is THE model of our generation. Abbey Lee has been blessed with a very pretty face and a flawless body, which in reality, is amazing and would give any teenage girl the confidence to strut down the beach in a bikini with a flirtacious grin. However, when it comes to fashion? That would ordinarily be an unhesitated "...NEXT please". But what changed all this for Abbey was her gap.

The beautiful and unique gap between her porcelain teeth, has set her apart from the pretty girl crowd. I believe without that gap, she wouldn't have made it out of Australia. For this, I applaud the fashion industry. The controversial industry is represented in a very negative light and is the prime suspect for responsibilty of increasing anorexia nervosa suffers. I am not going to dismiss this, as I think the statement holds an element of truth in the sense that an aspiring model, may feel to "fat" for fashion and starve down to nothing in the pursuit of a career. Although, fashion doesn't represent women of all bodily shapes and sizes, it does do that facially. If young girls are, as the media say, deeply influenced by what they see on the runway, when they see beauties such as Abbey Lee Kershaw, rocking a gap toothed smile, the gap being very common in youth, will allow a new idea of beauty; instead of the cookie-cutter perfect straight white grin.

Georgia Jagger, for example, booking a Rimmel London commercial with her unlikely gap. I say "unlikely" with a pinch of optimism. This is because Abbey Lee may be extremely versatile - because of her engagement with runway, editorial, covers, and lingerie modeling, but I am yet too view an abbey lee giggly televison commercial (exluding her very serious Gucci fragrance - Flora ad). So, back to the optimism, I feel that by Georgia being the face of Rimmel with her avant gardesck bone structure and teeth, gives girls with gaps (like myself!) - hope. Which is something that lacks within the teenage soul of a girl who doesn't look like Heidi Klum... *cough* tight toothed bitch... ANYWAY... Rimmel London being so mainstream, using a gap toothed girl riskily opens doors for the next commerical face with a gap. Lara Stone is also very similar too Abbey Lee, in terms of versatility, and is currently on top of her game knocking straight toothed Raquel Zimmermann off the spot of #1 on models.com's infamous top 50 models! This was a controversially anticipated move presumably made by Wayne Sterling (founder of MDC), due to the desire for Natasha Poly's so called "right" to the spot. Another straight toothed dominator, who is undeniably STUNNING with bone structure to murder for and a walk out doing Gisele Bundchen, yet is lacking something that clearly somebody feels Lara has. Personally if it was up to me Abbey Lee would be way up there not at the respectable, yet beatable #8.

Gaps are the future. I feel it would be unforgivable of me to write about gaps and not mention the women responsible, Madonna Louise Ciccone. I wish I could say that her gap is responsible for her sucsess and longevity, but that would be decieving as I think it's the voice behind her gap that is accountable for that one. Having said this, I do feel her gap is a trademark that has done nothing but help Madge along the way and I do feel her gap definatley encouraged her collaboration with Dolche & Gabbana - nevermind the campaign!