Elle ‘The Body’ Macpherson to strut catwalk at PayPal Melbourne Fashion Festival

Beloved Australian supermodel Elle Macpherson is preparing to hit the catwalk at the Melbourne Fashion Festival, on the eve of her 60th birthday.

The Body is back.

Almost 15 years since she last strutted her stuff, supermodel Elle Macpherson will make a triumphant return to the runway to open Melbourne Fashion Festival.

On the eve of her 60th birthday next month, the Aussie icon will be the star attraction for her catwalk comeback at the Royal Exhibition Building on March 4.

The original supermodel, Macpherson has been one of the most recognisable Australians on the world stage since the 1980s, paving the way for the supermodel of today.

Queen of the curves, she was famously dubbed The Body.

Elle MacPherson on the runway at Paris Fashion Week in 2010. Picture: Dominique Charriau

Macpherson will hit the Melbourne catwalk on the eve of her 60th birthday. Picture: Getty

Macpherson appeared on several Sports Illustrated covers from as early as 1986, walking in numerous runway shows for luxury fashion brands from Valentino to Ralph Lauren in the 90s.

She was one of the first supermodels to carve a multifaceted career, where she called the shots and took control as a savvy businesswoman and entrepreneur from her eponymous lingerie label, to dabbling in the acting scene with memorable stints on Friends and in Batman Returns.

Headlines gushed and gasped when the then 46-year-old returned to the runway in 2010, walking for Louis Vuitton’s then designer Marc Jacobs for the closing day of Paris Fashion Week.

Now she is returning to her native homeland to open the Triumphant X PayPal runway on March 4 at the Royal Exhibition Building to opening the premium runway series for this year’s Melbourne Fashion Festival.

A special guest of naming sponsor PayPal, Macpherson will be part of the showcase of Australia’s design trailblazers, including homegrown labels such as Ngali and Viktoria + Woods which is marking their 20th milestone in the industry.

“PayPal is thrilled that Elle Macpherson will be returning the catwalk for the PayPal Runway to help us celebrate Australian designers that found success on the global stage – just like Elle,” said PayPal senior director of consumer Shane Capron.

Macpherson at the Australian Open. Picture: Getty

Macpherson is an iconic Australian. Picture: Getty

“She’s such an iconic Australian and a true household name.”

The Melbourne fashion festival, which was first established in 1996, has previously played host to big names such as models Helena Christensen, Christy Turlington, Claudia Schiffer, and Megan Gale; actors Andie MacDowell and Melissa George; and iconic designers Jean Paul Gaultier, Zandra Rhodes and milliner Philip Treacy.

After years of absence, Macpherson reignited her love for her home country when she was the headline act at last month’s Australian Open.

The wellness warrior was the keynote speaker for the AO Inspirational Series, championing her brand WelleCo.

It wasn’t expected she would be returning so quickly, but hats off to PayPal for luring the Body back.