Supermodel Elle Macpherson proved she is the queen of curves during her surprise return to the catwalk in Paris.
The 46-year-old was joined by fellow Aussie beauties Catherine McNeil and rising star Julia Nobis in the Louis Vuitton autumn 2010 show on Wednesday night.
Elle Macpherson on the catwalk in Paris.Credit: Getty and AP Photo
With Macpherson and McNeil's curves on full display in retro inspired garments, their appearances cemented the return of the body beautiful after years of androgynous looks.
By jettisoning Macpherson - famously dubbed The Body since her megastar modelling days of the 1980s - into the closing day of Paris Fashion Week, Vuitton has scored a major coup for a season of runway surprises.
Bar Refaeli and Elle Macpherson pose backstage before the Louis Vuitton show at Paris Fashion Week.Credit: Getty
Suddenly, iconic designers, including Marc Jacobs for Vuitton and Miuccia Prada, have turned to casting Australian models to emphasise the point that womanly curves are the new height of fashion.
"Physically, Australia really is an incredible place and I find the women here very gutsy, strong and athletic," Jillian Davidson, the fashion director of Australian Harper's Bazaar magazine, told AAP about why Australian supermodels are all the rage.
"I think there's a very strong, athletic and very confident woman here and the rest of the world wants our lifestyle."
And it seems they want Australians' curves too.
Only two weeks earlier, Miranda Kerr made a surprise appearance at the Prada winter collection with Abbey Lee Kershaw and McNeil.
Oozing 1950s femininity but with all the sex appeal of a Victoria's Secret angel, Kerr's shock inclusion in the show highlighted a new sexual style revolution was occurring before the world's most powerful fashion media.
Not to be trumped, Jacobs turned to the ultimate womanly body, Macpherson, to prove Vuitton could also create a few runway shocks of its own.
The fact that at close to 50 Macpherson is fashion's newest muse shows that luxury labels are reaching out to a bigger and older consumer base with more spending power than the under-20s market the industry has traditionally courted.
"Designers are always talking about how they design for women, and then you look at our runways and there are no girls over 20," Jacobs, the American designer of Louis Vuitton, said backstage after his blockbuster catwalk show in Paris.
"This time, I set out to cast a variety of sexy women - younger, older, thin, voluptuous, from every ethnic background."
In previous advertising campaigns the powerful luxury brand has cast 40-plus celebrities famous for their sex appeal, including Madonna and Jennifer Lopez.
Industry rumours are now flying that Macpherson, who is a business woman in her own right with the successful lingerie line Elle Macpherson Intimates and a global brand ambassador for Revlon cosmetics, may continue her runway success by starring in Vuitton's next campaign.
AAP