It’s a classic rags-to-riches tale where someone is discovered on the street or behind a bar or counter, offered a modelling job and, with luck and good judgement, goes on to make a career from it.

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Such a discovery was the start for Alexandra local Jamie-Leigh Kerr, who two years ago was a 16-year-old working at Monteiths when Jamie Richards and Sue Laing, part of the WoolOn Creative Fashion Event, came into the restaurant.

“We’d had a model casting and went to Monteiths for a debriefing,” Jamie said. 

“Jamie-Leigh served us behind the bar and Sue and I just looked at each other.”

Jamie-Leigh picks up the story: “Jamie and Sue asked if I would like to model for them for WoolOn.”

That was her first modelling gig but she has since signed with Portfolio Model Agency in Christchurch, where owner/director Mel Radford Brown said she stood out even at age 16.

“Jamie-Leigh came up and did our teenage confidence and deportment workshop and she was quite a star,” Mel said. 

Jamie-Leigh is at the development stage of her career, building her portfolio and making connections, Mel said. Jamie-Leigh is also studying beauty therapy in Christchurch, which Mel said is a perfect match with modelling.

An image from Jamie-Leigh’s portfolio for Portfolio Model Agency. PHOTO: David James (@marlborough_lights)

“What stands out about Jamie-Leigh is her energy,” Mel said. “She has been so eager. I have had particular emails from the photographers to say how easy she is to work with.

“We are very happy to have her with us.”

Jamie-Leigh is keen to see how far her modelling can take her.

“In 10 years, I would love to see myself overseas modelling, but I will always have the beauty therapy also,” she said.

Growing up in Central Otago she enjoyed the outdoors life, but loved clothing construction and design, she said.

“At heart I was a bit of a farm girl but I loved fashion. I always used to go to my grandmother’s and use her sewing machine.”

Jamie-Leigh hopes to come back and model at WoolOn 2023 from August 11 to 13, but is having to juggle her fledgling career with her studies.

“I would love the opportunity to come back to WoolOn this year, but with my study up in Christchurch, I’ll have to try to fit it in,” she said.