By Glen Williams
Pictures: Andrew Jacob
Antoinette Russell proudly remembers the photo shoots that saw her gracing the cover of
Woman's Day in September and October in 1949.
Back then she was Toni Kirkpatrick, a Melbourne teenager new to modelling.
"I was discovered at a ball," a still radiant 81-year-old Antoinette beams. "This woman came up to me and told me she had four French mannequins coming out to model the new look from Christian Dior and she said they were also looking for a teenager to model with them. Would I consider it? It was just after the war.
"Well, I said 'I'd love to,' and went straight home to seek permission off my mother. For that's what you did in those days."
Antoinette, with her beachy blonde hair and glowing suntan instantly turned heads and became very sought after. It wasn't long before she grabbed the attention of then
Woman's Day fashion editor, Isobel Kennedy. Before long she was a
Woman's Day cover girl.
"They were marvellous shoots to do," Antoinette, now an acclaimed artist and sculptor recalls. "It was a joyful and glamorous time. The team was marvellous to work for. It didn't feel like work at all."
One cover, September 12, 1949, shows Antoinette wearing a headpiece to illustrate a story about her favourite hats. She is alarmingly close to the sharp beak of a cockatoo.
"The cockatoo was stuffed," she says, roaring with laughter. "They borrowed it from the museum. I was pleased it was stuffed as they can give you a nasty peck."
Another cover, October 24, 1949 shows Helen in a high fashion wide cotton skirt, pointing to an article about cotton.
The only other cover line asks, "When is a bachelor eligible?"
"Such innocent times," she laughs. "And such beautiful covers."
Antoinette says modelling didn't take her all around the world.
"No my husband did," she laughs. "I married a geologist and we went to live in all sorts of strange places like the jungles of New Guinea and Alaska — everywhere."
She looks back on her
Woman's Day covers fondly.
"The years have flown so quickly," she says. "I used to think I'd never tell my age, but I'm rather proud now because I'm 81. The awful thing about getting to this point is you can't believe that life is practically gone. And I've got so much more I want to do."
One thing is certain — this is one former
Woman's Day cover girl who hasn't been wearied by the passing of time.
She still has those classic model moves and she can still turn heads.
In pictures
We take a look back at all past and present things glamorous as we celebrate
60 years of celebrity style.
Return to the Woman's Day 1950s page 
