Winter arrives, and Gale gets set to bid farewell
Email Printer friendly version Normal font Large font Kellie Hush Fashion Editor
February 13, 2008
Catwalk queen ... Megan Gale made her next-to-last appearance for David Jones, at the unveiling of its autumn-winter range last night.
Photo: Sahlan Hayes
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MEGAN GALE is one step closer to hanging up her stilettos after taking her second-last sashay down a catwalk at David Jones's autumn-winter 2008 launch in Sydney last night.
The Royal Hall of Industries at Moore Park was transformed into a Japanese winter wonderland, with bare cherry trees lining the runway and images of a snow-capped Mount Fuji and Tokyo streets playing on giant screens.
There was even a tiny sprinkle of faux snow on Gale and her fellow models.
Some of Australia's leading designers, including Collette Dinnigan, Akira Isogawa and Jodhi Meares - who last year sold her Tigerlily swimwear label to Billabong for between $3 million and $5 million - were among the 600 guests. Delta Goodrem, Brian McFadden, So You Think You Can Dance judges Bonnie Lythgoe and Jason Coleman, and Darcey Bussell, a principal ballerina at the Royal Ballet in London, were also front-row.
Gale's last runway show will be at the department store's Melbourne winter launch on February 27.
"Last August I really thought about my future on the runway and for the first time there was a voice saying it was time to give it away," she said. "I do really love it but it was inevitable that I would eventually have to stop. Best do it now while I'm on a high and it's still a successful collaboration." Gale is contracted to David Jones as its brand ambassador until 2009 but plans to extend that contract for the introduction of its credit card.
She will also appear as Wonder Woman in George Miller's film Justice League Of America.
Miller sat front row next to Gale's boyfriend, the comedian Andy Lee.
"I can't say a word about the costume as it's top secret," Gale said. "All I'll say is the [screen writers'] strike has allowed me the time to work with a dialect and acting coach and to get into shape for that costume."
There is no feeling of retail doom and gloom for David Jones, which increased its profit as much as 25 per cent in the first half of the fiscal year. Profit for the full year is expected to be up as much as 21 per cent to $132.5 million.
"We're expecting a good season," said Colette Garnsey, David Jones's group general manager of merchandise.
