Discovered at Frankston car dealership: Model Ethan Ashton goes from working at KFC to London Fashion Week
From working behind the counter at KFC to walking on runways at London Fashion Week - a 20-year-old’s decision to shop for a car at a Frankston dealership changed his life.
Lifestyle
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From working behind the counter of KFC in 2021 to walking the runways at London Fashion Week in 2024 it has been a steep rise for Frankston model Ethan Ashton.
But the career ascent is not one Ashton is getting carried away with, he wants to use his platform to be an “advocate and role model” for those struggling in their teenage years.
“I was a tiny kid,” he said. “I was incredibly small, skinny. I was about 5 ‘2 something like that, until I turned about 16 and I had terrible acne.
“In high school, there was a bit of bullying, and some mental health issues, and I ended up leaving. It was just a bit of a toxic environment.”
The now 20-year-old left KFC in 2021 to take up jobs at a bar and cafe, but it was while out shopping for a car in 2022 that he came to a scout’s attention.
“I was feeling a bit down, so mum took me to a car yard in Frankston, and I ended up getting handed a card for an agency in Melbourne,” he said.
“I thought, no harm in trying at least, maybe make a few more dollars every now and then.
“It was the second or third time I was in the office after I’d signed my contract with the agency in Melbourne and this guy from Milan was there.”
Next thing Ashton knew it was May 2023 and he signed with Independent in Milan and First Model Management in London, and he was doing shoots in places like Turkey.
“My first taste of it was an interesting experience,” he said. “I arrived at the wrong airport (in Turkey), so I was stressing my head out and my phone was about to die.
“I ended up getting picked up in this big SUV that had lights in the ceiling and floors and staying in a top floor penthouse of, like, a five-star hotel. I was like ‘this is a jump up from Frankston’.”
He has also this year walked in two shows during London Fashion Week.
Most of all though, Ashton wants to make sure this is all happening so he can help others, and he has a message for those that are struggling like him in his high school years.
“The way things look for a certain period of time is not how they’re always going to look,” he said.
“But be in the moment with yourself, believe in yourself, nothing’s forever.”
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