Supermodel at 15

This is the 15-year-old model from Bloomsbury blessed with the "face of the decade". Ester Keate has not even taken her GCSEs yet - but already she has been described as "the next Kate Moss" with as bright a future as last year's fashion sensation Lily Cole.

At 5ft 9in, she has the figure and stunning looks of a supermodel. Eloquent and highly intelligent, she was not discovered in Topshop or Covent Garden - typical venues for talent scouts - but protesting at the anti-war march in Hyde Park last year.

Until her first modelling assignment she had never worn heels, and was given special lessons in walking in stilettos. Her interest in fashion designers was limited to the highstreet collections in Topshop and H&M.

She has already starred in a major advertising campaign and a Vogue photoshoot, but her commitments have been limited by her GCSE timetable. She is predicted to gain top grades in her 10 subjects this summer, and says her friends at St Marylebone state school have been "really cool" about her new-found status. Her parents, both photographers, just want her to do "whatever feels comfortable".

When she was spotted, she assumed it was a "wind-up".

"I was a bit confused when I was tapped on the shoulder and asked if I wanted to model," she said. "I had not thought about modelling. I was really scared initially. I spoke to another girl at school who had been spotted and she gave me advice.

"It is all quite new to me and I was nervous about doing catwalk work because I was worried I would fall over, but it has been fun."

Despite her modesty, many in the fashion world believe her appearances will be a highlight of this year's London Fashion Week.

The event, sponsored for the first time by the Evening Standard, is set to be the biggest in its history, featuring leading designers such as Julien Macdonald and Giles Deacon.

The five-day show has gained a

reputation for promoting young talent and has helped forge the careers of supermodels including Jodie Kidd and Erin O'Connor.

Tory Edwards, who manages supermodels including O'Connor, Helena Christensen and Alek Wek, described the "incredible moment" she spotted Ester's "perfect, rosy face" among a crowd of protesters.

She said: "I knew I had found the hottest new face in town. She had such a strong look I knew we had found the next supermodel. It's almost unheard of to find someone so young with such a strong look.

"She will only blossom with age, but already she is among the most-talked about models in the industry. Her intelligence and maturity mark her out as the star of the future. She has the face of the decade."