Thousands of pounds has been raised through crowdfunding.
It is an approach that reaped rewards, with a leaked email from a Mirabella staffer admitting that the incumbent has been "outgunned" by McGowan's refreshing campaign, which has more than 400 volunteers and has raised $82,000 via crowdfunding.
INDIEGOGO iOS/Android Indiegogo is the main rival to crowdfunding website Kickstarter: a place where musicians, film-makers, gadget makers and others try to raise money for their grand schemes.
Turn attention to the grassroots: We can start crowdfunding the real solutions, like renewables, typhoon-resilient homes, electric cars, and mass transport systems.
Related: Amanda Palmer is crowdfunding again, but this time on Patreon Meanwhile, 30 have pledged at least $100 per item to join her "inner circle".
Every time US musician Amanda Palmer releases a new song, video or long-form piece of writing, she'll earn more than a total of $13,000 from her 1,400 backers on crowdfunding site Patreon, making her one of the site's most popular creators.
Related: British 'nano drone' Zano reaches £2m of Kickstarter crowdfunding Lily's manufacturer has opened pre-orders for the device at $499 £3199), with buyers charged immediately rather than when it ships, which the company says "helps us reduce risk".
Other rivals include US firm Pebble, which has taken more than $17m of pre-orders on crowdfunding website Kickstarter for its new Pebble Time smartwatch.
It will change the global market once we start crowdfunding what matters to us.
Anita Sarkeesian, who appealed for crowdfunding to make a web series about female characters, became the subject of an internet hate campaign as a result.
BrewDog, the independent Scottish craft beer maker, has launched Britain's biggest crowdfunding project – attempting to raise up to £25m from enthusiasts in a campaign that blames traditional financiers for ruining British beer.
