A 15-year-old model will spend her half term on the catwalk at Milan Fashion Week – after her mum EMAILED a top designer to recommend her daughter.
Olivia Forsbrook is to become one of the youngest Brits to appear at the glitzy event after talking the fashion world by storm in just eight months.
She has already appeared at the London Fashion Week and made the the finals of Top Model UK – all while studying for her GCSE’s.
But after her mother Joanne Forsbrook, 52, sent an email to up-and-coming designer Chanel Joan Elkayam she was left stunned when she received a reply that evening.
The Manchester-based designer was so impressed with Olivia she offered her the chance to showcase her latest creations in Milan – without her even attending a casting.
She will now grace the catwalk alongside some of biggest names in fashion having gone from amateur to one of the most prestigious runways in the world all in a matter of months.
Olivia, of Menithwood, Worcs., said: “Its been an absolute whirlwind.
“I didn’t really expect anything from it. I’m really excited to be going to Milan Fashion Week.
“I’m looking forward to meeting the big designers and getting a chance to chat to them.
“I’d like to meet Elsa Hosk she’s amazing, she’s one of my favourite models, and my inspiration I would say is Kendall Jenner, she’s great.
“It meant a lot to me that Chanel choose me to walk in her clothes, I didn’t really expect her to say yes, when my mom emailed her.
“One of my friends had done work with Chanel before and that is how I noticed her and I really like her clothing too.
“I’d love to in the future work for all the big brand like Chanel and Versace
“Modelling has been the number one thing I’ve wanted to do for a very long time and hopefully I can do it for a very long time.”
Joanne said she emailed designer Chanel on February 3 with a selection of head shots and videos of her taking to the catwalk at the London Fashion Week.
The full-time mum-of-five added: “By that evening I’d had a reply – we couldn’t believe it, we’re really chuffed with how its taken off.
“A while ago she got in touch with the designer, and she was meant to go for a casting in Manchester but it was on the day when it was snowing really badly.
“So she missed that, I was at the UK Top Model rehearsal with her over the weekend in August last year, and one the other mums said to me, why don’t I email the designer.
“So I did and I sent her some pictures and a video of Olivia walking for London fashion week.
“The designer wrote straight back and said that Olivia was stunning but had already got all of her models at the time.
“But she wrote back again on the same day and asked for more head shots and that she really wanted Olivia to walk for her and would make her a dress.”
The teen, who attends Droitwich High School, started her modelling career in June last year when she was signed to London-based agency BAME Models.
Joanne said her daughter had always loved modelling from a young age.
She added: “It was when she was quite young, probably 12, when she had her first photo-shoot and she started to get really into it.
“She’s been fashion-centric since she was young, it’s what she loves.
“She’s very grounded, she’s a good girl and everything you want in a daughter.
“I’m really proud of her, we will always be with her all the way, if she needs to go anywhere for a shoot we will take her. The whole family is proud of her.
“Her father Mark is really supportive, if she need to be anywhere in country he will get her there, he’s just really proud of her.
“She going into sixth form to study textiles, so she can do fashion design, she’s just really dedicated to what she wants to do.
“She still is doing her GCSEs and she’s quite well and working hard at the same time of these fashion shoots and walks.
“Her friends are all excited for her, they encourage her as much as they can.”
