The Flying Pinup's Miss Viva Las Vegas Application
Stage Name: Miss Kelly ‘The Flying Pinup’
Email: theflyingpinup@outlook.com
Website(s): www.theflyingpinup.com, Instagram: theflyingpinup, Facebook: facebook.com/theflyingpinup, www.theaustralianpinup.com, Instagram: theaustralianpinup
City/State/Country you want listed for promo: Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
Bio (1000 words or less):
After finding the Pinup community at the age of 14, Kelly made it her mission to learn everything she could about pinup. With no resources from family or friends, she set to the wide-web to research as much as possible on what a ‘pinup’ really was.
In her university years, Kelly had her first true taste of the pinup community, having landed a pinup’s dream job at reproduction-vintage clothing store ‘That Shop’. With daily access to the clothes, the music, the dancing and the people, her time at ‘That Shop’ was where she blossomed into the pinup she is today. She also set her sights on a 1957 Chevrolet (in Seafoam!) and works hard to save for her ‘future baby’ that she will restore to its original beauty!
Kelly graduated with a Bachelor’s degree; majoring in Journalism, Media & Communications and Fashion. In the process, she focused every assignment on the fashion and lifestyle of the mid-century era. One of her assignments was to create a blog, which saw the creation of ‘The Australian Pin-Up’ (theaustralianpinup.com). She still enjoys regularly updating and creating content for this blog.
In recent years, after meeting her partner who is a Warbird Engineer and Pilot, Kelly quickly fell in love with warbirds. She suddenly started to spend a lot of time in the warbird hangers, helping to fix vintage planes and restore them to head back to the skies. She began to research the golden age of flying, learnt how to rivet (just like Rosie!) and discovered past female pilots who became poster girls for equality.
With a growing passion and increasing amount of warbird photoshoots, Kelly decided to build a separate hub for her aviation adventures called ‘The Flying Pinup’ (@theflyingpinup, theflyingpinup.com). Now as Miss Kelly ‘The Flying Pinup’, she continues to learn every day and has set herself a goal to eventually gain her pilot's licence. In August 2017 she was elected to be a member of the Australian Women Pilots Association and looks forward to contributing to the rise in women in aviation. She is also an ambassador for non-for-profit charity ‘Angel Flight Australia’ and holds charity events in order to raise much-needed funds.
Kelly has had many Hollywood starlets inspire her pinup journey. Icons including Rita Hayworth, Lauren Bacall and Marilyn Monroe showed her the classic style, and modern muses including Dita Von Teese, Cherry Dollface and Victory Violet have showed her how to achieve it.
Her biggest influences, however, are figures of history who all became the ‘poster-girl’ for what they truly loved. Amelia Earhart is a huge influence, who became the ultimate pinup girl for aviation. Few know that she was such a celebrity for her time that she launched her own fashion label! Stars including Esther Williams and Betty Page inspire Kelly to take what she loves and promote it to the greater community to watch it grow.
Beyond the makeup, hair and styling, ‘pinup’ to Kelly means positive promotion and encouragement, set to inspire the community. This is much like the most well-known form of pinup girl, the WWII poster girls who encourage both men and woman in their war efforts.
Kelly is an active member of the pinup community, constantly busy indulging in industry events, air shows, car parades and Pinup photo shoots. She works hard to continue learning and sharing the legacy of pinup women and female aviators. Kelly feels that both the Pinup and Aviation community are like family and loves to encourage others to join her!
In October Miss Kelly ‘The Flying Pinup’ was crowned Pinup Doll Australia 2017. She jets off to London in late 2018 to compete in the Miss Pinup International competition.
CHARITIES WORKED WITH: Angel Flight Australia, Organiser of ‘The Bowled & The Beautiful’ charity fundraiser, Pinups with a Cause, Australian Woman Pilot’s Association
HOBBIES: Building and crafting projects including pinup props, sewing, getting hands-on in the shed, working on warbirds in the hanger, researching and learning about absolutely anything and everything!
COMPANIES MODELED FOR: Retrobomb Magazine, Fighter Pilot, Cherry Bomb Vintage Couture, Miss Victory Violet 2017 Australian Tour Workshop, That Shop Australia, Cam Attree’s Nylon Riot, Cooly Rocks On promotions, Greazefest Promotions, Dr Sketchy’s 2015, Cruzin Magazine #206
PREVIOUS PIN UP CONTEST WINS: Miss Pinup International Finalist 2018 Golden Ticket Winner, Pinup Doll Australia 2017 Winner, Pinup Doll Australia 2017 Best Hair, Pinup Doll Australia 2017 Best Makeup, Pinup Doll Australia 2017 Best Wardrobe, RetroBetty Pinup of the Month September 2017, Miss Wings and Wheels 2016, Miss Cooly Rocks On Runner Up 2017, Winner of Greazefest Pinup Parade 2015, Miss Glambour Finalist 2017, Garterbelts & Gasoline Finalist 2015
WHY SHOULD YOU WIN (1000 words or less): I represent the pinup community with a further intention beyond beauty, and focus on encouraging young woman in and beyond the pinup community to aim high! Equality is so close and yet so far, and we have a responsibility to push it forward. I can help to inspire woman to be strong, to embrace their individuality, to focus on their passions and conquer the world. I’d love to be a part of a world where woman are fearless and embrace pinup to promote their passion.