Meet Grace Cox, The New Zealand Model Who Made Her Runway Debut At Gucci’s Resort 2025 Show

A rite of passage for any successful model, walking for one of the world’s leading fashion brands still holds value for aspiring talent looking for their big break. This week, New Zealander Grace Cox shares with us her debut for Italian luxury behemoth Gucci and its resort collection presented at the Tate Modern in London.

Last year we noted New Zealand model Grace Cox is one to watch at Australian Fashion Week, and someone who made an impact towards the end of 2023.

Having appeared in a diverse range of work including campaigns for Partridge Jewellers and Lee jeans, the 20-year-old says the experience of walking a top fashion show came as a big surprise.

“It was such an amazing and exciting experience and I’m so grateful to have had the opportunity! All week I haven’t been able to stop smiling,” she says speaking from London before heading to her next gig in Barcelona.

Born in Auckland, Grace moved with her family to California when she was 2 years old and returned when she was 8.

“I was so surprised when I was told I had been put forward for the show. In this business, you never know what will confirm so I was stoked to find out I had been shortlisted, especially as this was my debut. My agents sent videos of my walk to the casting directors and I flew to Milan to cast with the Gucci team in person which was an amazing experience in itself! It was the first time I had ever been to Italy. It was a little intimidating but everyone was so welcoming and lovely to me, not scary at all in the end.”

Signed to Super MGMT agency in New Zealand, Grace is also signed to Priscillas Models in Australia and is part of the Elite Modeling Agency Network with offices in London, Paris and Milan. Grace says having the support of her agents from the beginning has played a pivotal role in her recent success. Her Auckland-based agent, Katherine Lowe, says it’s a special moment to see someone she scouted five years ago with no prior modelling experience.

“When someone starts, you are never quite sure how their modelling career will go because they are so young and still finding themselves,” says Katherine, “but I thought she had amazing brows, her height was good and it sounds cliche but she truly had such a beautiful energy and personality. We offered her a contract on the spot. It is really rewarding and special to represent someone from the very start like this, as you get to see them grow and go through all the ups and downs with them. Grace works really hard at this job and I think she is maybe the most positive, open and appreciative model I have ever represented.”

To prepare for the show, the experience of working with some of the global fashion industry’s leading creatives was a highlight of Grace’s physical Gucci transformation.

“My call time was five hours before the scheduled show start time. On top of that, I had hair extensions put in the day before. There’s also the fittings and the casting and the rehearsal, so there’s a lot of people’s time and energy put in to create something like this. I’m not complaining though, I loved every minute of it!”

Styled by a team of the industry’s best names — fashion stylist Alistair McKimm, makeup artist Lucia Pieroni and hair stylist Duffy, Zoe’s Gucci runway debut will hopefully open more doors and connections with some of fashion’s biggest names.

“It’s so exciting for us. It’s really what we do this job for,” says Katherine. “Super is a small agency so it is really wonderful when any of our talent gets the opportunity to do something big or achieve a career goal. I don’t know if a show exclusive holds as much weight as it did 20 years ago, but generally shows are extremely competitive so it definitely still matters. It’s a big deal to us and a fantastic achievement for us and for Grace!”

So what does it take for aspiring New Zealand models looking to make an impact internationally?

“Be kind to all the teams you work with, be prepared and get a good support network around you,” says Grace. “It can be a tricky job, so if you have friends, family and great agents to rely on to help you navigate the industry, that is so helpful.”

Following in the footsteps of other New Zealand models who have found success internationally, including current modelling sensations and previous Viva cover stars Jordan Daniels, Lili Sumner, Zippora Seven and Ashleigh Good, Grace is now part of a fraternity of professionals who are representing New Zealand on a global stage. What makes New Zealand models stand out in a competitive industry?

“I think it’s the personalities. They’re a bit more chill, more down to earth,” says Katherine. “I think it’s probably because we are so far removed from a lot of the main fashion hub in the Northern Hemisphere. Coming from the South Pacific is a bit rarer, and fashion loves exclusivity! I’m often hearing “we love Kiwi and Aussie models!”

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