“Beauty is not your appearance, it's a soul level thing. I don't see beauty as something attainable, or something that's outside of ourselves. Beauty is a within thing; it's how we experience people and life and stuff in the world."
Charlee Fraser has one of those presences that feels calm right away. She’s funny, gentle, a little wry – and she doesn’t rush an answer. There’s always a small pause first, like she’s thinking it through. Nearly a decade into her career, the Newcastle-raised model and actor has seen a lot of the fashion industry. Campaigns, covers, and the kind of fashion month runway schedules that sound glamorous until you’ve actually lived them. It’s also been nine years since she covered our ‘Spiritualised’ issue. A RUSSH dream girl, always and forever.
Today, though, we’re here to talk about something else. Fraser’s latest project: the RUSSH Casting Files. A national showcase – the first of its kind for Fraser, RUSSH and Kérastase – created to identify and platform Australia’s next generation of on-camera talent.
It also marks a shift for Fraser. Within the Casting Files, she steps into the role of creative director and mentor, guiding our eight finalists — Brady, Nelly, Siv, Tyra, Evie, Bria, Amelia and Ahmarli – through the process. Here, for the first time and alongside Fraser, we share their portraits and personal journeys of confidence with you. Stories guided by their own experiences, perspectives and voices.
Produced in partnership with Kérastase, the initiative reflects a shared commitment to nurturing emerging creative voices. It also expands on Kérastase’s Power Talks initiative, through which the luxury haircare brand works to close the confidence gap through meaningful acts of female mentorship.
“I love what RUSSH stands for,” Fraser tells me. “You’ve supported models – young models – from the very beginning. That’s always been noticed and appreciated. Our values align in a really honest way.”
“With this project, the Casting Files, I wanted to create a space where I could pass something on,” she continues. “Some of the experience I’ve gained over the years. I’ve spent a long time learning how this industry works, and being able to share that with people who are just stepping into it – people who are excited to be there — feels really special.”
"It comes from focusing on my own journey without comparing myself to others, working toward my goals in fashion, and nurturing relationships with people who genuinely love and support me for who I truly am." – Nelly
“This type of mentorship was something that was missing in my experience as a young model. In most creative pursuits, modelling especially, there’s no workshops or playbooks that enable you to learn the craft. You’re thrown into it at a very young age. I have a well of tips and information, practical and otherwise, that I wanted to share. And this is such a deserving group to share them with.”
Fraser was just 18 when she was scouted in Newcastle. She’d just graduated with no concrete plan. The timing was kismet. “It was kind of perfect. I wasn't 100 per cent sure what I was going to do. I had aligned myself with studies but when the opportunity to model came around, I was very open to it.”
"Confidence is trusting my instincts, standing by my values and not needing constant approval from others." – Siv
“If I had known everything I know now, I would have been so nervous. Going in, being open and sort of leaning into the unknown and being like, ‘cool, where's this going to take me?’ I think that was the absolute best thing for me. Most of my life I've maintained that attitude. Things come up, and I kind of just go with it. I'm like, ‘if it happens, it happens, and if it doesn't, it doesn't’.”
The level-headedness is admirable, but almost to be expected. Fraser is a Capricorn. “It’s all Capricorn placements in my astrology chart, so I take things very seriously… I’m professional and I’m mature. But I’m curious. And I like to have fun.”
"Confidence to me is the quiet assurance that I don’t need approval to take up space." – Lia
Her hardcore modelling years fostered a lot of self growth. They also crystallised her inner dialogue and feelings of confidence. “I learnt a lot about myself in those early days as a model. I joke that I was mature, but then I grew up," she reflects. “Modelling really inspired my business acumen, actually. I truly had the intention to build something with longevity. I turned myself into a little business.”
“I think during those early years, I also learned, importantly, that my confidence is attached to my self worth. It's definitely been a journey in just meeting myself where I'm at, understanding my strengths as well as areas I feel I’m not as strong, and being okay with that. I’ve done a lot of work to understand my value as a creative and to know what I bring. It's a lot of deep stuff but finding confidence, to me, has been about knowing myself. Even now, I still feel a little lost in terms of direction or decision making at times, but I understand my self worth – that's where my confidence comes from.”
Over the past few years, Fraser has parlayed her successful modelling career into acting – she’s since starred in Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga, and Anyone But You alongside Glen Powell and Sydney Sweeney.
"Confidence to me means I can live my life on my terms." – Brady
“It's so interesting, because the way that I ended up in film was kind of the same way that I ended up with modelling – an opportunity presented itself, and I was open to it. Acting wasn’t really on my list… I loved modelling, I still do. But I was subconsciously looking for creative expansion and acting offered that.”
“Interestingly, I got a call from a casting director about a role – they were interested in seeing me audition for it. I was like, ‘I guess I'm giving it a go then’. I worked with an acting coach on the audition, did it, sent it in, and ended up getting it. That was my first gig, Furiosa."
"Confidence allows you to lift others up and to have faith in your inner voice." – Evie
When asked about comparing the two, Fraser notes there’s many similarities. “Cinema, like modelling, is a creative collaboration; there's a concept. But films are machines. So many things have to go right, and so many people have to come together and want to make it work for it to happen, because there are hundreds of people involved. Now that I’ve experienced a feature film, I find it incredible they’re made. The effort it takes is unbelievable. But modelling, for me, is more of a physical act, in a sense. With acting, the internal work is quite significant because it’s about getting to know another person so intimately that you can be them. They’re written on a page but it’s up to me to pull them off the page and dissect their mannerisms, thoughts, feelings and intentions. It’s something I take really seriously.”
"Confidence is trusting in myself on days when comparison creeps in. It's believing that it takes time and is all apart of the process." – Bria
Fraser is currently in Australia wrapping up an early development trip for a film she's working on in a production capacity. It’s mostly a secret for now, but she’s excited about the project ahead. Again, it's all about confidence and expansion.
"This has been my first time being really involved in a film from early development," she explains. "There's this sense of, ‘are people going to connect with it? Is it good enough?’ There's so much more questioning." But that vulnerability is precisely what makes it rewarding.
Her willingness to try, learn and most importantly share from an honest place is exactly what primed Fraser so perfectly for mentoring as part of the RUSSH Casting Files. As part of the process, Fraser spent a day on set with our finalists offering her support and creative direction.
“There was so much I wanted to share: how to move, how to collaborate, what works, what doesn’t. And importantly how to have fun, be comfortable and professional. I’ve not worked in this capacity before and it’s been incredibly rewarding. I’m very grateful. I'm not much of a solo artist – my artistry always involves other people, so I felt a lot of joy on set."
"Confidence is trusting your determination and abilities enough to pick yourself back up again after setbacks." – Tyra
Fraser is also passionate about industry progress and protecting young models. "Everyone in fashion or on a photoshoot has the exact same responsibility – show respect, understanding, communication and compassion. These are basic things and they shouldn't be considered hard to do. But I've lived through the experience of having to advocate for yourself in a situation that might otherwise be sold to you as a 'normal' part of the job. Why are photographers backstage when there's people changing? I really hope this isn't still happening. It's not 'normal', it's disrespectful."
Really, it's about safety, representation and progress. It's a topic close to Fraser's heart. She was the first Indigenous model to achieve many of her career milestones, something she's described as difficult to believe. "Within modelling, I want to see beautiful people, beautiful bodies, diverse and beautiful representation. I want young models to feel that they can have a career beyond the age of 24. Progress is happening, but there's still a long way to go."
Practical advice aside, what Fraser really distilled as a mentor was the power of self belief. It came through in each finalist, who showed not only raw talent but undisputed confidence on set.
"Training my mindset and thinking positively (faking it till I make it), helps me to feel like a confident person." – Ahmarli
"I know that everyone kind of defines confidence in their own way, so it's interesting to see how confidence sits with different people and in all different ways, especially on set. It's been an inspiring thing to watch in each finalist. Plus, I still get nervous. I'm not even sure I fully understand my nerves at times. But the best things are on the other side of what you're afraid of. The life that you imagine or dream of for yourself are on the other side of what you're afraid of. The courage and the bravery to be able to still do the thing whilst carrying those nerves is such a beautiful thing. It also means you care."
As for what's next, Fraser is focused on film and reshaping her relationship with fashion. "I miss fashion so much, and I'm very much figuring out what I want to bring to the industry. I will hopefully have some more of a modelling comeback soon – I love the work so much, I want to figure out how I can exist within it, and find my authentic place."
We really, really hope so.
PHOTOGRAPHER James Tolich
FASHION Hannah Cooper
CREATIVE DIRECTOR & MENTOR Charlee Fraser
TALENT Brady Saville, Amelia Gordon, Bria Kant, Ahmarli Greaves Hassan, Nelly Young, Evelyn Anne Chong, Tyra Christina Jennipher, Siv Ath
HAIR James Akers @ A.H Artistic Team using Kérastase Gloss Absolu
MAKEUP Isabella Schimid
DIGITAL OPERATER Orson Heidrich
PHOTOGRAPHER’S ASSISTANT Chelsea Oh
STYLIST’S ASSISTANTS Koby Dulac-Daley and Pia Malouf
HAIR ASSISTANTS Harrison Sansom and Suzy Kershaw @ A.H Artistic Team
MAKEUP ASSISTANT Sophia Rafeletos
Feature image: Charlee wears SAINT LAURENT shirt, skirt, earrings, shoes. BEAUTY NOTES – For hair, frizz was controlled and curl definition boosted without stiffness using Kérastase Gloss Absolu Curl Manifesto Crème de Jour and Curl Manifesto Refresh Absolu.
