‘The era in which I edited Vogue Australia was far more focused on the local market and Australian designers. Readers loved to see the Australian lifestyle celebrated and reflected back at them.’
What is one fashion trend you absolutely love, even if it goes in and out of style?
I always like the “menswear” trend, of tailored pants and boyfriend jeans and boyfriend cotton shirts, oversized blazers and coats with flat shoes and loafers. I prefer this style of clothing to anything too girly or tight or revealing.
What is one item in your wardrobe that you cherish the most, and what’s the story behind it?
A pink, white and silver tweed Chanel chain handbag that was given to me by Karl Lagerfeld when we worked together on the issue he guest edited for Vogue Australia in December 2003. He signed his autograph on the inside in silver pen!
Who is your all-time favorite fashion icon, and how have they influenced your style?
Miuccia Prada. I like the intellectualism in her designs for Prada and Miu Miu, the quiet femininity ,and the echoes of the past in her references to the elegance of the 40s and 50s. She dresses women intelligently, it’s not all sex, sex, sex but rather fashion that portrays an inner knowingness and a strong female sensuality.
Are there any figures outside the fashion industry who inspire your work and ethos? How do they influence you?
I am inspired by film and television and how characters are portrayed through clothes. I also like to explore textiles in places like India or Indonesia or Fiji or Bhutan, looking at handicrafts, embroidery, printing and fabrics, and all the traditional techniques. I’m far more interested in clothing than I am in fashion trends.
As a former editor of Vogue Australia, how did you navigate the balance between setting trends and reflecting the lifestyle aspirations of your audience?
The era in which I edited Vogue Australia was far more focused on the local market and Australian designers. Readers loved to see the Australian lifestyle celebrated and reflected back at them and we used a lot of local models, photographers, hair and makeup talent and shot in spectacular landscapes here at home. We took the trends from the overseas runways and then styled them to relate to how lived in Australia, so it was less about showing big coats and boots and furs but more relaxed, polished, lifestyle stories. We also used to cover a lot of local designers, so that we were presenting fashion from the relevant season!
Can you share a memorable moment from your time as the editor of Vogue Australia that significantly shaped your understanding of the fashion industry and its intersection with lifestyle?
My answer to this question really relates back to what I just said in question 5. I think that by using Australian designers and a lot of homegrown talent, rather than producing endless stories on the giant international luxury fashion houses, we had a closer understanding of how our reader really lived, shopped and wore clothes. It felt like we had a personal relationship with the reader. Fashion is so celebrity driven now, I think that’s been mostly lost. I resisted using celebrities on the cover (unless they were Australian) for as long as I could! I love models. They go on the creative journey with you. If it’s a celebrity, you go on theirs.
What’s your go-to outfit for a day when you want to feel both comfortable and stylish?
A well-cut pair of trousers and a blue cotton shirt or a black cashmere sweater. Jeans. A trench. Flats. Easy. I don’t think I currently own a skirt!
As someone who has broken boundaries in fashion, where do you see the intersection of lifestyle, technology, and fashion heading in the next five years?
I think fashion is in a bit of a mess. Musical designer chairs at the luxury houses, too many shows, too much production. Fast fashion ruining the planet. We need to slow down our consumption, make artistry and creativity and rarity important again. Technology isn’t helping, it’s actually causing us to just buy more and more things that we don’t need.
Reflecting on your tenure as the editor of Vogue Australia, how do you believe the magazine influenced the lifestyle and fashion landscape?
Every fashion publication should have some influence on the time and place that it is inhabiting, but I increasingly see most modern media products as a (financially necessary) reflection of advertising spend and their need to attract big online numbers rather than being taste leaders. A lot of my time at Vogue was pre-Internet and I think that might have been the golden era!
And finally, which upcoming fashion trends are you excited about and which will you incorporate into your personal wardrobe?
I truly couldn’t care less about trends. I’m intending to wear all of my winter clothes from last year again and just style them differently this time around. But if I could have one of those black tulle gowns from the recent John Galliano for Martin Margiela show, even just to hang in my wardrobe and marvel at daily, I’d be a happy person.
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