Judith Watt
THE son of super-surgeon Dr Chris Barnard and a member of the Meerlust wine dynasty are to join Boss Models’s top overseas operation, swelling the ranks of the blue- blooded and beautiful strutting on world catwalks.
Chris Barnard, who joined Boss Models’s Cape Town business last year, is to fly to New York next month, while George van Reenen, scion of Meerlust’s Myburgh family, goes in November. New York is the launchpad for Boss Models’ new supermodels.
Barnard, the son of his father’s second marriage to Barbara, has been a model since 1992. He ditched a career in advertising for the Boss stable.
His father is said not to be overjoyed about his career choice.
“What does being a supermodel mean to me?” the 23-year-old Barnard says. “Better quality of life, but money is not an issue. I think beauty comes from within.”
Van Reenen says he sees Boss as a “stepping stone”. The 22-year-old student at Stellenbosch University has already modelled for Versace and Perry Ellis.
The ascent of the two is symptomatic of the fashion industry’s current penchant for “aristocratic” models – such as Stella Tennant, who is related to the British royal family.”
Their allure plays on the imagination of the industry,” says Michael Gross, author of Models: The Ugly Business of Beautiful Women.
“There is no better way to sell a high-end product than with a high-end girl.”
Barnard says he was attracted to modelling because of the “showbiz” aspect. “In a way, I’ve always been in the spotlight,” he adds.
“You wouldn’t be doing this interview now if it wasn’t for my name, let’s face it. But I’m not resentful and I’m very proud of my father. I’m not sure exactly how he feels about it. He’s not 100% sure about modelling being the right way to go. But my mother and stepfather support me completely.”
He adds he would “never appear nude or do anything to offend my girlfriend like kissing another girl, or to make my family uncomfortable”.