The Kiwi supermodel who disappeared. And then decided not to stay gone.
She once ruled the runway like a Roman highway long, lean, impossible to ignore.
Kylie Bax wasn’t just a model. She was a presence. A platinum-blonde export from Morrinsville who conquered couture, charmed the paparazzi, and wore the crown of New Zealand’s original It Girl.
Then, she vanished. No scandal. No send-off. Just silence.
Now, she’s back with Bax & Beyond, a new documentary screening on SKY’s Rialto Film Channel in August, and the calm force of a woman who’s seen the machine from the inside and walked away intact.
We asked Kylie ten questions. Not about waistlines. About lifelines.
About fame, fragility, motherhood and why some comebacks don’t ask for permission.
She answered, precisely. And on point.
1. Do you remember the first time someone called you beautiful?
And did you believe them — or were you already bored of the word?
No because that wasn’t something I was hung up on. It wasn’t something I was waiting for someone to say.
2. What’s the one thing modelling taught you — that real life never could? (Hint: walking in heels doesn’t count.)
I learnt a lot about fashion. From how it’s created and why it’s created
The designers to the buyers and what impact it has on the various brands.
3. When the camera’s off, who are you? (No filters, no lighting, just Tuesday afternoon you.)
I’m taking care of my horses.
4. You’ve walked runways and graced covers — but what moment made you feel the most powerful? We’re betting it wasn’t during a photoshoot.
The photo shoots. The big campaigns I worked on. These are empowering.
5. In Bax & Beyond, we see the face — but what’s the one part of your story people always get wrong? And do you bother correcting them?
I’m shy. Very private person.
6. What’s in the suitcase you never unpack?
Memories, habits, outfits, ghosts?
I leave space. So, I can pack more after shopping abroad.
7. You’ve lived life in front of a lens. Ever wish you could erase a photo forever? Or do you keep it all — the glossy and the gritty?
Of course. But I can’t!
8. If your life was a playlist, what’s track one? And what song do you hope no one ever finds on it?
Defying Gravity
9. Do you feel like a New Zealander on the world stage — or is the world finally catching up to Aotearoa? (Because you’ve been ahead of the curve for a while now.)
I think NZ is getting closer to the rest of the world but it’s still mentally a lot of water between NZ and the rest of the world.
10. What advice would you give your younger self — before the cover shoots, the couture, and the chaos? And would she listen?
Nothing. I think I approached it well. But I would / should have collected more phone numbers from the people I worked with.
— Roger Wyllie, View Mag
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