Foreign Minister Julie Bishop has been named Harper’s Bazaar magazine’s woman of the year.

Ms Bishop’s profile and popularity have been on the ascent this year as she’s attracted widespread praise over her handling of the MH17 plane attack at the United Nations Security Council.

Julie Bishop, a popular MP. Photo: AAP

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In a six-page spread, which includes pictures from a glamorous photo shoot in her own Giorgio Armani apparel, Ms Bishop reflects on being the only woman in federal cabinet.

But again she rejects the label of feminist.

“Stop whingeing, get on with it and prove them all wrong,” she told the magazine.

She plays down the prospects of being Australia’s second female PM.

“I went into federal politics with the secret hope (of becoming) Foreign Minister,” she says.

“It’s the greatest opportunity I could ever wish for. I am living my dream.”

Ms Bishop maintains Julia Gillard was not treated badly because she was a woman.

“In fact, when she became the PM there was enormous goodwill. She trashed it,” she said.

Ms Bishop’s support among voters has skyrocketed in the past five months according to a recent opinion poll that has her at level pegging with Prime Minister Tony Abbott as preferred Liberal leader.