Megan Gale

http://www.megangale.net/





The Perth born beauty is able to walk around in Australian cities, doing things any normal person would do - go shopping, buy an ice-cream, watch a play or check out the Web Wombat Fashion channel.
But in Italy, she can't even go into an Internet Cafe to keep up on the local issues.
It's true. In Italy - she is a goddess and worshipped in the same manner. She gets mobbed in the street and therefore can often be seen flanked by burly bodyguards wearing dark sunglasses and even darker temperaments!
But where did it all start for the Aussie-born Euro-starlet?
Born in 1976, Perth, Western Australia, Megan Gale was just another Aussie lass. Standing 180cm tall, Megan Gale was studying at Uni in when all of sudden she was offered a part in a new advertising campaign.
But unlike a lot of other top models, Megan Gale slogged her way to the top - the occupation didn't just fall into her lap. She has worked hard over the last eleven years to get to where she is now.
She dropped university, instead getting many a gig as a model on the Italian circuit. Over there, Megan is known to many people as many different things.
Either way, she won over the Italians in a way not thought possible until now. She's even been in a couple of Italian movies, starring as Viviana in Stregati dalla luna (2001) and playing herself in Vacanze di Natale 2000 (1999). You go grrrl!
Some call her the model with the eyes, some call her the smiling model, and some just say she's a very attractive woman.
But more than just superficialities, Megan Gale always makes an impression on those she meets via her charming persona.
She's also worked on drive time radio in Italy, an occupation where she must rely on more than her drop dead gorgeous body, all the while speaking in Italian. What a star! She's worked on dozens of different jobs in Italy, from print ads for mobile phones, and whenever she returns to Australia she can often be seen at Melbourne or Sydney's fashion events, keeping close tabs on the locals are up to.
She's tall, she's gorgeous, but she's down to earth in a very un-model like way. And one of her more recent annoyances - being called a supermodel. She says she's a model and there's nothing super about it.
Not only charming, but humble, too.

As the nationally acclaimed face of Vodafone Italy and David Jones in Australia and the Face of her own Product Range Megan Gale has transcended the title of Fashion Model.
It is now well known in Australia that Megan shot to fame after being cast in an Italian telecommunications commercial for Vodafone (nee Omnitel). Following a Sydney shoot in 1999, the TVC aired to tremendous acclaim in Italy and with Megan immediately flown in for a promotional tour, her popularity with Italians young and old skyrocketed.
Five years later and countless commercials and appearances for Vodafone/Omnitel down the track we see Megan’s star shining brighter than ever throughout Italy while also enjoying huge popularity in her beloved home country, Australia.
Megan’s time is now shared between Italy and Australia, and while Omnitel has been taken over by Vodafone, Megan continues to be one of the most recognised and feted faces in Italy today. With Vodafone’s involvement with Ferrari, Megan has become a regular guest at various Formula One venues around the world – including an exciting week as a celebrity driver in the Australian Grand Prix in 2003. [At which Megan’s partner, Marzio, took the chequered flag!]
Continuing demand among designers in the Italian market has seen Megan [when available] reach record appearance fees per show. The Italian Couture collections has seen Megan strutting the catwalk for Genny, Cocopani, Burani and Nemo while also being a regular in the famous “Spanish Steps” fashion collection, staged in Rome each year.
Megan’s photographic demand continues to outstrip availability.
Megan’s exclusive contract for the Italian Max Calendar of 2001 attained a record fee followed by record sales, and polls taken in Italy proved that Megan’s popularity encompasses all ages and demographics. Not restricted to young males Megan is just as popular with kids, mums, businessmen, grandmothers and grandfathers as Megan continues to attract huge crowds at all public appearances. Proving that this has not been a cultural spike, this same trend has been emulated in Australia!
Demonstrating her passion for animals and capitalising on her influence, Megan recently instigated and launched a personal project in conjunction with the Mayor of Milan focusing on the plight of abandoned dogs in Italy each summer. Megan personally initiated talks with the Mayor to highlight the growing trend of leaving unwanted pets tied up or released by the autostrada, where they die of dehydration, starvation and much worse each summer. Megan compiled and appeared in the TV and print campaign and held a press conference (written and presented entirely in Italian) to draw attention to this growing problem. This campaign and her previous initiative with the Mayor of Milan to reduce graffiti in the city highlight Megan’s commitment to her adopted community, endearing her even more with the knowledge she had donated all of her efforts in these well-received projects.
After the huge success of hosting the prestigious San Remo Music Festival of 2001 (watched by over one billion people) Megan again fulfilled hosting duties in 2003. With a firm grasp of the Italian language Megan travelled throughout Italy over the summer of 2003 hosting a Vodafone sponsored summer tour of music acts. Megan’s down to earth manner, exotic looks and her now fluent Italian see Megan being compared to the glamour idols of past and present Italy.
Early in her Italian career, her extensive exposure and popularity throughout Italy led the way for a lucrative three movie deal with the prestigious De Laurentis Company. Her first movie “Vacanze di Natale” (where she played herself), became the highest grossing movie of the year with Megan attaining top billing. Megan’s second movie “Bodyguards” saw her share top billing with Cindy Crawford and she again broke box office records. In her third movie, “Stregati Dalla Luna”, Megan was cast as the female lead and performed totally in Italian! In 2004 Megan was cast as one of only 3 women characters in the major US film “Stealth” shot in Sydney and scheduled for international release in 2005.
The Australian press soon realised what the Italians saw very quickly in Megan, with feature stories and covers of Marie Claire, Australian Vogue The Australian Women’s Weekly, Australian Style, Black & White, B Magazine, Ocean Drive, Harpers Bazaar and numerous other publications since published. In March of 2004 Italian Vogue brought Megan to further acclaim with a featured Editorial spread shot by legendary photographer Michel Comte.
In 2003 Megan was honoured to be announced as Australia’s Ambassador to Italy by the Australian Tourist Commission, joining other Official Ambassadors, Ian Thorpe and Paul Hogan.
With her official duties promoting Australia growing daily, The Australian Tourism Commission combines Megan’s love of Australia with a unique opportunity to showcase an individual that inspires true Australian pride.
With ever increasing demand from both Italy and Australia, Megan is committed to her various charities, while developing her own business interests. Adding her own top-20 radio programme – broadcast in Italian – to impressive list of accomplishments. Megan’s intelligent and practical approach to her career and management team has ensured an envious future forging as much an industry rather than simply recognition as acclaimed beauty.
Late last year, Megan launched her signature suncare range, Megan Gale Invisible Zinc. It is the fastest growing sunscreen over summer – the product has sold out three times around the country. With new top line products in the range scheduled for Italian and UK launch this year the Megan Gale brand is set to become a well-respected addition to top selling counters throughout these markets.
Megan Gale began her modelling career in association with CHADWICK MODEL AGENCY after winning a Chadwick Model Competition in Perth in 1994. Immediately establishing herself as a sought-after professional working model under Chadwick’s renowned direction, Megan remains in constant and ever increasing demand within the Australian and international fashion world.
Megan remains absolutely committed to charities such as Kids Help Line, The Humane Society, the Wilderness Society and the Taronga Zoo Foundation.

Fashion Fame – Megan Gale
Broadcast 6.30pm on 23/04/2003

International model Megan Gale

GEORGE NEGUS: Well, fame via fashion, you'd have to say, is quite a modern phenomenon. In this celeb-infested world of ours, if you're born with the right physical attributes and don't mind having your picture taken, then wealth and popularity could really be on. Case in point – one Megan Gale. Brendan Hutchens caught up with a very natural young woman from Perth, who now, as somebody so poetically put it, basks in the flashes of 1,000 cameras, most of them Italian.
BRENDAN HUTCHENS, REPORTER: Modelling – most of us probably perceive it as a strange, faraway place, an industry that in the past has had a reputation of chewing people up and spitting them out. It's highly competitive, seemingly glamorous, and would be many a little girl's dream but probably out of their reach. But as in all things, sometimes from out of nowhere someone comes along and takes the world by storm. At 27, Megan Gale, a regular girl from suburban Perth, is touted as a goddess in Italy. With your success, do you have to remind yourself what you're doing sometimes? MEGAN GALE: Occasionally, um... when people ask me to tell the story, and I tell it, I go, "My God! I still can't believe it all actually happened!" BRENDAN HUTCHENS: Some would consider Megan's meteoric rise to fame as a stroke of luck. She won an Australia-wide competition with an agency in Sydney in 1994 and from there it all moved very quickly and then exploded when she landed an Italian TV commercial in 1999. MEGAN GALE: If you can imagine, I went there not knowing anyone – I'd never been there before, didn't know the language – 60 million people knew who I was. I was famous when I landed. That was a lot to deal with. A lot to deal with. BRENDAN HUTCHENS: In Italy, there's nowhere to escape the continual glare of the media spotlight. It's a country where celebrity is worshipped. But these days, even in a country as relaxed as Australia, Megan's visits are never a chance just to chill out and catch up with friends and family. In fact, her star has risen and as a consequence, everybody wants a piece of her. RADIO INTERVIEWER: Megan Gale, good morning. MEGAN GALE: Good morning. RADIO INTERVIEWER: How are you? MEGAN GALE: I'm very good, thank you. BRENDAN HUTCHENS: From radio interviews to TV appearances, photo shoots and newspaper articles, modelling and appearances, and, in her role promoting Australia as a holiday destination for Italians, meeting with the Premier. MEGAN GALE: I mean, it does get to me. Because I'm not... I mean, a lot of people in my position who love travel might see it differently, but I... I'm very much a homebody. I'm very domesticated – I love my home, I love cooking, I love having all my creature comforts there. And when you're moving and living out of your bag a lot, you're unpacking, repacking, "Oh, where have I left that? No, that's in Australia." Um, it's... you feel a bit scatty, a bit like a gypsy, and that's not really part of my personality, so it's been hard adapting to that lifestyle. BRENDAN HUTCHENS: If you type Megan's name into an Internet search engine, the results are bewildering. Being Megan Gale means you're constantly on show – every move, everywhere, all the time. Well, it's here on the catwalk that Megan really caught the eye of the world's foremost fashion designers. The style and poise that she possesses, along with her obvious good looks, have seen the girl from Perth rise to the top of the notoriously cutthroat world of modelling. Martin Walsh started as a model himself some 24 years ago and has worked in the industry ever since. He's been Megan's manager since 1999 and certainly has an idea of what a winning formula is. MARTIN WALSH, MEGAN'S MANAGER: Megan has a lot of great qualities about her. She's very genuine and I think she comes across as being very open. And there's no real hidden agenda with Megan and I think that there's so much more to come from her as well, which is great – we have a ball together. We look at each other and go, "Can you believe this?" So, really, it's a lot of fun. BRENDAN HUTCHENS: And although it's fun, success and fame is certainly no game. MARTIN WALSH: Whenever we look at models, we always look at the support network. And certainly family and friends and those things are very important. Look at Elle Macpherson, Rachel Hunter – and there really is a common thing among those girls. I think they've got a great smile and a real down-to-earthness about them. And also, they're smart. These days... There's not much room for dumb models these days. You've got to know what you're doing. You can be the best-looking person in the world – if you're a pain in the bum, that's what you are. So it is important that you treat what you do professionally, but certainly do it in a nice way as well. I think certainly Megan does that. BRENDAN HUTCHENS: Makes sense to me. Add a dash of passion and the sky is the limit. MEGAN GALE: I really felt, at the point when I was thinking about giving up, I was saying to myself, "But I can't give up!" I was so sure I was meant to do it. Not that I was meant to be famous or successful. I was just... I was so 100% positive this is what I was meant to do. Like something that's born... I can't explain. It was just something inside me. BRENDAN HUTCHENS: It's this positive belief in herself that keeps Megan grounded, despite the intensity of her fame. And as for the future? MEGAN GALE: I'd definitely love to be a mum. Absolutely. Especially after getting to know my niece, 'cause she's so cool. I'd love to have... One of her would be perfect. GEORGE NEGUS: All that and nice to boot. A few old shibboleths smashed there, including the one about models being dumb. Actually, back when we were living in Italy, Megan was splashed all over the country's billboards and I thought she looked totally Italian until my 13-year-old told me that she was an Australian. Does that say more about me or Megan? You decide.