See her video at SavvyTV!

Gillian Cooper is not only a beautiful woman. She's also a lovely girl with a refreshing attitude about the big, exciting world unfolding before her eyes.

At age 19, she has traded her home city of Melbourne, Australia for the northern appeal of coastal metropolis Sydney, where she connected with Savvy shortly after we opened our global headquarters there earlier this year. We met Gillian through photographer Gilbert Rossi, who captured both Gillian's beauty and the essence of the city's beauty in this pictorial, shot on location out on Sydney's famous harbour.

Basketball captured Gillian's fancy a lot more than modeling until recently.

"Fourteen months ago, I had braces on my teeth and was focused on getting into university", she said. "They have a big fashion school at 'Uni', so there's always photography students around. I just sort of got noticed. I started helping them out by posing for pictures, then I got noticed on the street. After those encounters, I started to build a book. It was nothing like the book I have now, but it was enough to start meeting photographers like Gilbert."

Savvy chose Gillian as our introductory model for a brand new style of photography we are unveiling, and this pictorial coincides with a major announcement from Savvy. All of the attention will put Gillian in the international spotlight, but she remains grounded.

"It's a whirlwind. Very exciting and so much fun. It feels too good to be true! It really is the opportunity of a lifetime, and I'm enjoying every minute of it," she said.

Here's the rest of our interview with Gillian:

Savvy: We understand you're quite the athlete.

Gillian: I like competitive sports and pick them up fairly easily. My friends all played basketball, so I got involved.

Savvy: Are you a competitive person outside of the basketball court?

Gillian: I suppose I am. I always find myself in positions where I need to keep on my toes: in modeling, studying and so forth.

Savvy: You're spending your second year of college online. How is that going?

Gillian: Yes, I'm studying full time via correspondence, which gets a bit tricky.

Savvy: What's your course?

Gillian: Criminal justice.

Savvy: Cool! Do you want to arrest us when we've had too many?

Gillian: I never really saw myself working in a particular sector of our criminal justice system. I know it's a bit dorky, but I just wanted to learn and try all of the different subjects and electives, just go with the flow. I'm really interested in crime prevention and community corrections, but I'm not interested in the traditional going-to-the-courts or police station roles. I hope to continue modeling for as long as I can, but criminal justice is my plan B.

Savvy: Now that you aren't playing sports, is it harder to stay in shape?

Gillian: It is a lot harder now. I had a very intense training regimen. I was training three-and-a-half to four hours a week and then playing games. A lot of my week was spent at the stadium, whereas now I have to force myself to go out and exercise. It isn't as enjoyable. I've resorted to running around the park and cycling on exercise bikes. It takes more effort. I have a major sweet tooth. People don't want to hear it when you're a model, but I crave ice cream and chocolates. (Laughs)

Savvy: Who doesn't?! (Laughs) In America there's so much pressure for models and actors to stay thin. Is it the same way here in Australia?

Gillian: I've never felt any pressure to look a certain way. As an athlete, I was aware of my health and do want to stay in shape. Here in Australia, the recent controversy seems to be about the age of a model rather than her body type. I think people are starting to become aware that there are different models doing different types of things rather than it being all about one body type or one type of modeling.

Savvy: You're referring to the intense debate over 12 year old Australian model Maddison Gabriel, who was chosen as the face of the Gold Coast Fashion Week last month. That move led to criticism from Prime Minister John Howard and a community backlash that girls that young shouldn't be put in that position of pressure. What's your opinion on the issue?

Gillian: It has been the contentious issue here at the moment. It's more about confidence and having the ability because every model grows differently. I personally had no desire to model until I was 18. I didn't know the industry. I wanted someone to guide me rather than skipping that and getting into situations I couldn't control. Whatever your age, you need to be in control as a model.

Savvy: You're a very curvaceous woman, which we love. Have you always been voluptuous?

Gillian: No, not always. (Laughs) If you asked any of my family, they would say, 'Ah, she's such a twig.' All of the women in my family are quite curvy, so I think it was something that was just going to happen. The fun began when puberty came!

Savvy: You seem to be a very outgoing person. Do you get to party much in Sydney?

Gillian: I'm outgoing, but I'm not going out. (Laughs) I've been doing so many photo shoots and studying that I haven't had time to go out and party and meet people. I am sharing a flat with another girl, and we rarely see each other because we are both coming and going so much. We catch up every now and then.

Savvy: What do you do for fun when you get the chance?

Gillian: Well, modeling is fun, but as for things that aren't work-oriented, I like just hanging out. I loved basketball and hanging out with the girls. Running around with them was such fun. I'm actually doing all of the things I've wanted to do, so I really can't complain.

Savvy: Your confidence shines. Where does that come from?

Gillian: If you were to meet me at a party, you'd think I was a blabber-mouth and never stop talking. (Laughs) I'm very conversational. I've always enjoyed performing arts and was school valedictorian. I was always doing public speaking and things like that. I was involved in team sports and leadership projects. I guess that's where it comes from.

Savvy: Two of the most common phobias are public speaking and the old nightmare about waking up naked in front of the whole classroom. How is it that you are so comfortable addressing a group of people and posing in skimpy outfits that show off your body?

Gillian: I'm not afraid of assets. They are the things I have embraced. I like talking and think I'm pretty good at it. I like the way I look, so I guess it is the same thing.

Savvy: Good deal. Tell us about this Savvy photo shoot, which is a new direction for us editorially.

Gillian: Yes. It was really fun. The weather was perfect, and I was just glad to be there. It was different for people working on the boat because they weren't used to having a photo shoot with a model on the yacht. And some people got seasickness and a bit lethargic from the ship rocking in the waves.

Savvy: Are you enjoying Sydney?

Gillian: It's a great city because it is upbeat. I love the intricate roadways and peninsulas. It's the iconic city on the water. I love living on the coast. I don't love parking here. It's quite a bit more expensive to live here.

Savvy: In America, where we were previously based, a lot of the models face a hard choice. They can get a lot of exposure and repeat work by posing nude in Playboy or magazines like that, but then there's a stigma that prevents them from getting other jobs that are more modest but more consistent. Is it like that here for you?

Gillian: Not at all. People outside of the industry may think so, but being a model, I don't feel that pressure at all to make choices. If I wanted to do that, I easily could. I wouldn' say that I am a specific type of model. I look at it differently from job to job. I try to make everything I do good. I've done a good bit of fashion and also some glamour type stuff. I think you do what you can do. If you're capable of doing it all, you should. I’m very goal-oriented and driven.

Savvy: It also helps having someone like Gilbert Rossi guiding you.

Gillian: Gilbert and I are like-minded. We enjoy working together. In two months, we shot together so much we filled up two hard drives with shots for my book and what not. He's done so many massive events like the Olympics. I couldn't go out and just find someone like him. I was lucky to find someone who has his experience and his approach to guide me.

Savvy: We thank you for your time and look forward to seeing your modeling career continue to blossom.

Gillian: Thank you for this opportunity, Savvy.

On the Web:

http://www.gilliancooper.com (Coming soon)

Watch the Video!

Credits: Photography by Gilbert Rossi; Photo Concept and Design by Candace Rae; Interview and Article by Steven Stiefel; Videography and Digital Retouching by Daniel Parkinson; Make-Up and Hair by RaniMK. Special thanks to Brad for the use of his yacht and for being a part of the first Australia Savvy Photo Shoot!