Born to be a cover girl

WITH a name like ‘Vogue’, model Vogue Williams was practically predestined to become a cover girl.

And last year, the 26-year-old lived up to her glamorous name when she shot to fame as one quarter of RTÉ reality TV show Fade Street.

Unlike that telly flop, however — which has reportedly been axed after just one season — Vogue’s star has anything but faded.

Ireland’s latest ‘It’ girl, the Howth beauty already has a top modelling contract with Assets, her own radio show on Phantom 105.2, a weekly DJ residency at Andrew’s Lane Theatre nightclub and a stint on stage in comedy Blow Up the Liffey Bridges, all under her size eight belt.

Not to mention a high-profile new romance with pop star Brian McFadden. No, really — don’t mention it.

Minutes after our interview, the blonde bombshell hopped on a plane to Australia — insisting she was off to visit her younger brother.

Refusing to allow questions about Delta Goodrem’s ex, the Irish model was unsurprisingly met at the other side of her trip by the man himself — at Melbourne airport.

And it all started with ill-fated Fade Street. Though savaged by the critics, the TV show was certainly kind to its biggest star. “I’m busy, busy,” says Vogue, on the set of her latest modelling gig for Impulse’s new fragrance Very Pink. “I haven’t had a day off in four months. But I’m lucky that the work is there and that my job is fun.

“Fade Street has given me this huge opportunity,” she admits.

“At the start we thought we were going to get a second series, but it doesn’t really look likely now. I wouldn’t say I’m disappointed.

“It was really stressful towards the end. By the time we finished filming, I was DJ-ing, modelling and doing acting classes.”

“But if another series came out, I’d definitely do it again.”

Billed as Ireland’s answer to MTV hit The Hills, Fade Street followed the work and social lives of four D4 dollybirds (well, actually, one was from Wexford) living in an apartment on, er, Fade Street.

Uncomfortable Celtic Cub viewing in the thick of a recession, critics and online forums pulled no punches — branding it an “awful concept that’s five years too late”, “idiotic and puddle-shallow” and its twenty-something stars “selfish, egotistical and completely unlikeable”.

Dubbed ‘Fake Street’ over a row that it was scripted, it also had the dubious honour of winning ‘Worst Irish TV Programme of 2010’ at the 4th Annual Gooseberry Awards earlier this year.

“Everyone’s entitled to their opinion,” defends Vogue, who was romantically linked to street artist Maser until April. “And I always knew that we’d be getting the odd slag.

“I think everybody loves to hate it, but it could have been a lot worse. If anything, I thought Fade Street made Dublin look amazing.”

“I wasn’t upset or offended by the reaction,” she adds. “Sometimes it’s a bit weird when someone shouts my name when I’m walking down the street. And you get the odd drunk person who’ll come up and start annoying you — but people are usually very nice.”

A bit like the love-it-or-loathe-it TV show, the statuesque model-slash-DJ has no shortage of admirers as well as detractors.

Men’s website Joe.ie has declared her a ‘national treasure’ — while some have even gone so far as to compare her to supermodel Cindy Crawford.

“It’s very flattering, but I don’t really see it myself,” says Vogue, with a modesty untypical of a middle child flanked by three siblings and a step sister.

“I think it’s just because I have a mole on the side on my mouth like she does — maybe I’m the Aldi version of Cindy Crawford!”

Despite laughing off her success, you shouldn’t judge Vogue by her cover.

Just 24 hours after her television debut last November, the in-demand model was devastated by the death of her dad Freddie to a long-term illness — something she says is “too raw” to talk about.

Fade Street may have portrayed her as a vacuous party girl, but the real-life Vogue Williams gives new meaning to blonde ambition.

Some celeb watchers have even speculated that her ‘showmance’ with McFadden has been deliberately orchestrated to give both a career boost. If so, it’s worked — she’s already hot property in Australia.

“If I had work abroad, I’d definitely go,” tells Vogue, fuelling rumours that she’s set to relocate Down Under to be closer to her beau. “In this industry, there’s definitely a shelf life — so you have to keep working for as long as you can.”

“My mom always says you have to push yourself and do things that make you feel absolutely terrified. In Blow Up the Liffey Bridges, I had to sing live, which was completely nerve-wracking — but I can say I tried it.”

“At the moment, I’m trying to pursue acting a bit more,” she adds. “I’ve got a few auditions but nothing really concrete.”

Although there’s been some confusion over her last name (she sometimes goes by ‘Vogue Wilson’), she insists her not-terribly-Irish first name is the real deal.

“My nana heard a girl being called ‘Vogue’ in a shop and told my mother who was pregnant,” relays Vogue. “Growing up my mom was quite strict, so I’m surprised she liked it — but fair play to her!

“She lives in Spain with my stepdad so she doesn’t really notice [the press attention].

“My brother in Australia just thinks it’s really funny — he finds the most random pictures of me on the internet before I’ve even seen them and sends them to me.”

“Honestly, my life hasn’t changed that much since Fade Street,” she adds. “When I’m not working, I just sit in and chill, watching movies or go out running with my best friend.”

The construction site-to-catwalk may seem an unlikely route to stardrom, but Vogue has a degree in Quantity Surveying from UCD.

And after reading this, builders across the country may be praying for her Tinseltown ambitions to flatline.

“I did it for six months in London and I actually loved it,” she says. “If it all goes tits up tomorrow, I’d happily go back to wearing a hard hat!”