Embers Waiting A story about Model Madeline Cowe
August 2018
“I’ve been to some great photoshoot locations, but never to one like this,” Madeline says, as we ascend the alabaster-white steps leading to Residence 163.
I look up at one of Sydney’s tallest buildings as the sun glistens off its windows. Hidden above the tower sits the most expensive residential apartment in Australia as of 2018. Today, we are graciously allowed to have it as the venue for Madeline’s photo shoot.
We enter the lobby where the resident’s personal assistant greets us, and escorts us to the lifts.
Madeline’s slender figure stands tall against all of us, but it’s the radiance of her smile that demands attention.
On the way up, we reminisce and recall the last time we saw each other. As we step out of the lift, I nearly knock over a table and stumble into a wall.
“Are you okay? She asks. “Can’t take you anywhere, can we.”
There is a moment of laughter shared between her, our photographer, and the personal assistant, but this is short-lived as we are shown into the home’s great hall.
Residence 163 is lavish: marble walls separate the rooms, the largest custom-made rug in the southern hemisphere lines the floor, plush, and the guitar-like curves of the roof allow for near-perfect natural light to illuminate the entirety of the space. Furniture from Australian interior designer, Blainey North, populates the apartment. From the leather seats, to tables, to the architecture, there is no doubt that this home is worth its high eight-figure price. But what’s even more impressive than the décor, is the 360-degree view of the Sydney skyline. And today it is showing off: warm blue and cloudless.
Madeline pauses at the sight before us. “This view is unbelievable,” she says.
“Yeah, and from this angle it’s almost like it’s a new city. ” I reply.
She picks up her tote bag, not distracted from the task at hand.
“Let’s get these photos. Where can I get changed?” Madeline asks.
Madeline Cowe grew up in Tully, Queensland, known for being the wettest town in Australia. There she was brought up on a farm, where she has acquired many skills: preparing the land for sugar cane, branding cattle, shooting (not at living creatures), horse riding, and harvesting bananas. Later on in her teens, she pursued a modelling career, where some will probably remember her face from the Australian TV show Australia’s Next Top Model in 2013, while others might remember her as Miss World Australia 2016.
Madeline steps out from the bathroom, dressed in a navy-blue jumpsuit with florid print of subtle green and vermilion. She receives the general idea for the photos, then immediately steps in front of a bookcase and connects with the camera.
She moves her hands from her hip to her lips, and then back. A step forward here, and a head turn there. Every click of the shutter is economic.
“Growing up, what led you to do Top Model?” I ask, watching her pick up a book and incorporating it into the photo.
“In Tully, I’ve always grown up doing work that got me messy, muddy, and sweaty. So when the auditions came through our town, I thought I’d try my hand at it,” she replies.
There’s a smile on her face from a memory once cherished, like grasping at an old photo once thought lost.
“Getting on the show was actually unexpected. I remember I had just gotten home from picking bananas, dressed in messy overalls, and I picked up a call saying I had been selected for the show. I just couldn’t believe it.”
Madeline finished 9th in the competition for Top Model, amongst the top 50 for the TV show. Even though she didn’t leave the winner, she did leave with her head held high, and focused on finishing a Law Degree at James Cook University, Queensland, in 2015.
“Of all the things, what made you want to study law?” I ask.
“This might sound unusual, but when I was in high school, I read To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee, and it really inspired me. The story of defending the underdog, and the fight against injustice were things I was drawn to,” she replies.
Madeline spent some time working in property law, and legal aid before she got the opportunity to compete in the Miss World Competition. The pageant allowed her to combine all her experience in modelling and her passion for law and charity.
Care is a moral that pulses deep in all humans; a familiar virtue that we know we have encountered once before. It is a feeling that most people have experienced: whether we have been cared for, or we have cared for someone or something else. As philosopher Virginia Held writes in her book The Ethics of Care “The ethics of care builds on experience that all persons share, though they have often been unaware of its embedded values and implications”[1]
Simply, care is like an ember deep within us waiting to bloom, and once lit, has the power to spread like wildfire from person to person, enriching human value.
“I really believe that everyone has something to offer to charities. It could be time, it could be resources, but there is always something,” says Madeline.
Having an appreciation for an ethics of care pushes us past principles and consequences to somewhere deeper; a place where we can weave our conviction for concern to the people we care for. Because sometimes, the best help we can give ourselves is when we help someone else.
"Are you still working with charities or NGOs?” I ask.
"It was easier when I was doing beauty pageantry because they already had an established relationship with different charities, but when you work with a modelling agency, the focus is very different. I’ve been really lucky though, as my agency knows my passions and they try to get me work with brands that are doing a lot to help people," she says. “Not every job they book me has attachments to a social cause, but they do their best to make it work. I’ve actually thought about asking them if they could get me to do some volunteer work.”
As Madeline has been propelled into the public eye in recent years, she has become aware of the responsibility of having a platform, and the influence of her image to many. She doesn’t shy in using her social media to bring awareness to social issues. Most recently, she has been part of promoting a campaign by the Cotton On Foundation during World Water Day to provide clean drinking water for children in Uganda.
“How important is social media today?” I ask.
“Very important. Social media allows things to be relevant, and so many people want to be relevant. Sometimes, we put things on our social media so we won’t be forgotten. Then, there’s an illusion that your importance is reflected by the number of likes and followers you have,” Madeline replies.
For some, like Madeline, she sees her social media as a platform to bring change. It becomes an avenue to bring positivity to people, and to shed light on issues that we tend to forget. After all, maybe true relevance comes to fruition when we see how much each of our platform can ultimately affect other people’s lives.
Madeline steps out onto the open balcony, where a rogue gust blows her luscious brown hair around. The cold, and wind won’t deter her from having a great photo taken. This is her craft after all. She angles herself against the wind, leans against the railings, and looks out towards Sydney. She makes the moment look candid and natural. The sight of her looking out is reminiscent of an adventurer readying to step out into the unknown.
After the photo shoot finishes, I mention brunch and she lights up.
We make our way to Pablo & Rusty’s café in Castlereagh St.
As we step into the cafe, there are no shortages in the leers directed her way as we are taken to a corner table. Even with so many people looking at her, she is not distracted from trying to order food.
Since there is no more pressure of looking bloated for any more photos, she orders coffee, poached eggs, bacon, and avocado.
“What challenges you daily from accomplishing the things you want?” I ask as our food arrives promptly.
She is about to take a sip, but stops. Her reply is immediate, as if having anticipated the question.
“The assumption that my only value derives from my looks, and that I have to prove myself as more than that…”
Her face is stern, and unquestioning.
“…It’s a stereotype that I have to constantly face, and continuously break down. It is a challenge, but it’s one I don’t mind taking on.”
As we sat there for the rest of the morning, talking, Madeline shares a few laughs, tells some inspiring stories, but most importantly, she listens.
“You’ve achieved so much in a short span of time, and with so many options, which direction do you want to go to from here?” I ask.
She ponders at the question. “Modelling is for now, and law will be for the future, but the next thing I’m really committing myself to do is on being a presenter.
She looks outside. Pensive. Hopeful.
“Eventually, something apart from fashion.”
To see more of Madeline/ or get in contact with her: @madelinecowe
[Updated April 2019 - Madeline is currently raising money for a charity leading up to her participation to Miss Universe 2019. Follow the link to show her some support: https://missuniverseaustralia2019.everydayhero.com/au/miss-universe-australia-2019-3 ]
[1] Held, Virginia. The Ethics of Care: Personal, Political, and Global. Oxford University Press, 2006. p.21
Written by: S.I. Finlayson
Editors: Jenny Jaakkola and Zoe Knowles @storiesbyzak
Model: Madeline Cowe
Dress: We Are Kindred
Photos by: My Brother
With special thanks to: The owners of Residence 163, and Pablo & Rusty's @161castlereaghst