'I felt like I didn't fit': Shanina Shaik felt neglected in Australia because she wasn't a 'blonde beach girl'... as bronze beauty reveals she was booked as a 'Latina' after moving to New York

Published: 15:09 GMT, 10 March 2017 | Updated: 16:57 GMT, 10 March 2017

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Shanina Shaik has revealed the struggles she faced when trying to break into the Australian modelling scene.

Despite being born on these shores, having a father of Pakistani and Saudi Arabian descent and a Lithuanian mother meant the 26-year-old didn't fit the typical 'blonde beach look' of homegrown models.

Reflecting on the barriers she was confronted with, Shanina told The Daily Telegraph on Saturday that she felt like her face just didn't fit.

Opening up: Shanina Shaik has revealed the struggles she faced when trying to break into the Australian modelling scene

She said: 'When I was younger and starting out, the Australian modelling scene was very unaccepting of my look. I felt like I didn't fit, because the typical Australian look was the blonde beach girl and here I was, the complete opposite.'

After finding her career at a standstill, Shanina was compelled to seek a different route to the top.

The Melbourne native finished runner-up on the one and only series of Make Me A Supermodel, hosted by modelling royalty Jennifer Hawkins, earning herself a modelling contract in the process.

Odd one out: Despite being born on these shores, having a father of Pakistani and Saudi Arabian descent and a Lithuanian mother meant the 26-year-old didn't fit the typical 'blonde beach look' of homegrown models

Looking back: Reflecting on the barriers she was confronted with, Shanina told The Daily Telegraph on Saturday that she felt like her face just didn't fit

A move to New York followed when she was just 17, proving to be the catalyst for her career to take off.

She said: 'It's the main reason I went on the show because I felt like I had to try another way to get into modelling - I knew I had to get to New York and the show was my way to achieve that.'

Shanina's change of scenery coincided with some of the biggest names in the fashion world coming calling for her services.

Ahoy there! A move to New York followed when she was just 17, proving to be the catalyst for her career to take off. Pictured in 2011

Rise and rise: After strutting her stuff up and down catwalks for three seasons, Victoria's Secret provided her big break when she was cast in the lingerie giant's 2011 Fashion Show

After strutting her stuff up and down catwalks for three seasons, Victoria's Secret provided her big break when she was cast in the lingerie giant's 2011 Fashion Show.

And while her looks proved to be a hindrance in making it big in Australia, they had the opposite effect in the more diverse American market.

She revealed: 'I was booking lots of jobs and sometimes being categorised as a Latina, which was fine with me. There's certainly more acceptance and understanding about cultures now and that there is not just one look, but so many that can be celebrated.'

A home away from home: And while her looks proved to be a hindrance in making it big in Australia, they had the opposite effect in the more diverse American market