Beyond brand Bingle, Lara insists she’s a misunderstood model simply finding her voice.
Most women would feel uncomfortable with people drawing comparisons between her and Kim Kardashian. But then, Lara Bingle isn’t most women. The 24-year-old, who shot to fame at just 17 in the now infamous “Where the bloody hell are you?” Australian tourism ads, is following in Kim’s footsteps, launching a reality TV career. And while Lara points out that, personality-wise, Kim is “very different to me”, she admits the lifestyle similarities are uncanny.
“I love clothes and creating things,” says Lara, adding, “She does have endorsements the same as me [and] a reality show.” And the parallels don’t end there. Just like Kim, Lara’s had her fair share of high-profile romances and embarrassing moments – from those nude photos to her recent court case for driving without a licence. “I’ve just made some bad [decisions], or had some bad advice,” she says sheepishly. “S**t follows me and it’s annoying sometimes, but I feel like it’s a good place now.”
It’s this disarming honesty and surprising self-awareness that may see Lara win herself some new fans. “The perception out there is nothing that I can change,” she says. “Doing this show… just being able to be me, and create my own [image] and control it on my own, and how I envision it to be [is a good thing].” And it’s not just Lara who is going under the microscope for the sake of entertainment. In true Kardashian style, she’s rolling out the whole Bingle bunch.
“It was a hard thing to ask as well, because I need them to do the show just as much as I need to do the show,” she says of her family’s involvement. “They are the worst critics. My mum and brother really put me in my place!” Lara admits she used the much-hyped Kardashian clan as an example before cameras started rolling on her own show.”
Read more about Lara’s life as Kim Kardashian in this week’s Woman’s Day on sale Monday June 11, 2012.
