In fashion, beauty is a commodity. But supermodels like Elle Macpherson, Megan Gale and Miranda Kerr have turned it into a bankable brand.
The original queen of branding opportunities, Elle Macpherson, spun a myriad of product lines from her reputation as the Body - from underwear to bed linen.
At the age of 26, Kerr has already reinvented herself several times over.
She has transformed from Gunnedah breakthrough beauty to the girlfriend of Hollywood hunk Orlando Bloom and multi-million Victoria's Secret Angel.
Now she's turning her beauty into a brand that she owns, rather than hires out.
Kerr's new organic skin-care range KORA was launched at David Jones this month and is available exclusively at David Jones stores and online. She has also licensed the KORA name to include a clothing line and is set to exploit her appeal in other products, including her first book Treasure Yourself: Power Thoughts for My Generation.
"Being the Body is worth so much more than doing the catwalk in Paris, once you start commercialising it that's where the money is," says fashion photographer David Gubert of Macpherson.
Gubert has worked with the likes of Hawkins and Kerr and scored a coup as the first Australian photographer to ever shoot a Victoria's Secret catalogue.
"These girls continuously re-invent themselves... it's like Elle, it started with print and then she went into lingerie and now she is doing cosmetics," he says.
"They have to continuously reassess things, work on things, and (improve) the brand so they have something else to offer."
The commercial appeal of Kerr's beauty enterprise, like Hawkin's Cosi swimwear range, is a boon to the department stores who both support and benefit from supermodels' brand empires.
Megan Gale, another David Jones ambassador, also set to launch her own swimwear range later this year.
"We are delighted to have Miranda's range, KORA, in the store," said Colette Garnsey, David Jones Group general manager of apparel, cosmetics, accessories and footwear.
"They are exploring their own creativity - we welcome that and encourage that."
Emma Freedman, race wear ambassador for David Jones, says Kerr and Gale are in the right place monopolise on their appeal.
"Those two have the experience in the industry to create products that they know will work for women, and they know women.
"I think it's just another dimension to them," she says.
The sky seems to be the limit for Kerr, who is talking about creating her own fashion line with business partner George Moskos.
"She has a international profile and it would be negligent to not leverage off that," Moskos said of their plans to break into the US market with KORA.
The smell is amazing.
Too cute!
Does anyone know where to find her schedule? I would buy KORA just to meet her!
Cuteness overload.
The thing that sucks is, her signing is on the same hour and day as school, and I'm in my final year, I can't miss a minute of school (Not when this year matters the most. 
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Her agency hinting it to frockwriter and the way Miranda said "possibly" with the cheeky smile... I just have a feeling. Milan is so close, guess we have to wait and see. 
Details!
