Fashion model Lucy Markovic, who first gained popularity as a competitor on “Australia’s Next Top Model” before professionally modeling for luxury brands including Givenchy and Versace, has died.
Elite Model Management NYC, which represented the model, announced Markovic’s death Thursday on Instagram. Markovic, remembered as a “bright shining light,” died after a “brave battle” with a rare brain condition, the management firm said. She was 27.
Markovic suffered a brain arteriovenous malformation (AVM), which the Mayo Clinic describes as a “tangle of blood vessels that creates irregular connections between arteries and veins in the brain.” A brain AVM disrupts the vital exchange of blood between the lungs and heart. It’s unclear what causes a brain AVM.
In Thursday’s announcement, Elite also remembered Lucy for her “incredibly dry sense of humor,” her warm and magnetic personality, and her love for modeling.
“She brought elegance, strength, and beauty to her work,” the statement continued. “But more than that, she brought herself — her warmth, her laughter, her light.”
Markovic’s sister Jelena Markovic also confirmed the model’s death Friday morning. In a joint Instagram post with her sister’s account, Jelena mourned her sister, writing, “words will never express the mark you left on all the people around you.” Jelena said she could not believe that her “little Bambi twin” was gone and that her heart was broken “in an infinity of pieces.”
Lucy Markovic of Australia’s Gold Coast first showcased her modeling abilities as a 16-year-old contestant on the ninth season of “Australia’s Next Top Model” in 2015. Markovic proved herself a strong competitor in her debut, taking the top slot in the first catwalk challenge. When Markovic wasn’t the top-ranked model of the season, she was consistently safe. She only faced the threat of elimination twice across 12 episodes, including in the finale. Ultimately Whittlesea’s Brittany Beattie won the the title of “America’s Next Top Model” and a spread in Elle Australia.
“I’m just really proud of myself right now. This is what I wanted to show you guys from the start, that I could do this,” she told judges in the finale.
Despite losing to Beattie, Markovic’s modeling journey was far from over.
In the years since, the model has posed for brands including Armani, AllSaints, Cult Gaia and Staud. She was also featured in Vogue Singapore, Vogue Korea and Vanity Fair Italia. Throughout her career, Markovic also appeared in fashion campaigns alongside modern modeling’s most notable stars including Bella Hadid and Alex Consani.
Before her death, Markovic sought to release her fitness app, her sister said on Instagram. Jelena shared behind-the-scenes footage of Markovic posing in active wear while lifting weights. “Your ambitions were always so high,” Jelenea said.
“In fact your dream was to be a Victoria Secret angel, and now you will be walking with all the Angels in heaven. They will all be jealous of you!,” Jelena wrote. “We will keep your happiness and energy in our hearts and will focus on all the amazing moments you had in your life. For now, fly free, enjoy your journey and we will see each other again on the other side. We love you Lucy, forever.”
