Revealed: Adelaide’s 25 most stylish people
Our fashion guru Anna Vlach selects 25 fab folk from our fair city who, as Taylor Swift famously sang, “never go out of style”.
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They are fab folk from our fair city who, like Taylor Swift famously said, or rather, sang, “never go out of style”. Let’s celebrate the sartorial success – and class – of 25 of them.
BELINDA HEGGEN
If Belinda’s face is familiar it is because she was a big name on the small screen at Network 10. These days she has her own business FLUENT Media teaching people how to make the most of their 15 minutes of fame. Polished and poised, she still looks like a TV presenter – and poster girl for Scanlan Theodore – but she also has that X factor a newsreader needs: genuine warmth. When Belinda’s working the room she takes the time to find out everyone’s story and that’s what makes her truly stylish.
SARAH ABBOTT AND DAISY BUCKLAND
With clients including the upcoming Illuminate festival, Sassafras PR’s Sarah and Daisy don’t just know how to work a room – they positively light it up. So much so, that they don’t just compile guest lists to exclusive events around town – they are on them. Black-tie dressing is their specialty, as illustrated above.
ADUT AKECH
Being the world’s top model, Adut probably doesn’t style her own outfits – especially when she’s wearing Valentino to the 2024 Vanity Fair Oscar Party. It’s her job to look the part of a supermodel and she knows how to work it. But we love how the Vogue cover girl, who could have donned couture, hired a dress from ONS (like any other Adelaide school leaver) when she graduated from St Columba College back in the day. And the way she’s used her international profile to highlight the plight of refugees and share her own struggles with mental health to help others. That’s real style.
STAVROULA ADAMEITIS AND CARLA LIPPIS
Captured on the red carpet at the opening night of TINA: The Tina Turner Musical, these two are repeat offenders, in the best way possible. As in, they have fabulous form, having previously featured in our line-up of best-dressed people of interest. And the fashion police will never have a problem with them because they stay in their lane. For Stav, who is the founder of Frida Las Vegas, that’s “haute kitsch”, while Carla, is a rock chick with a banging blunt fringe that she calls “Lego Man hair”.
SARAH PARKYN AND BABY MARGOT
You know how some people are just stylish without even having to try? Enter Parlare Public Relations founder Sarah. A fan of understated, oversized pieces, like this cool take on the classic white shirt, she has casual chic nailed right down to her Chanel Rouge Nor mani a la Uma Thurman in Pulp Fiction. BTW, nail varnish is pretty much the only make-up Sarah wears because she is also one of those girls who looks beautiful without it. And, cute as a button in a Liberty print frock, baby Margot is Sarah’s equally stylish “Mini Me”.
FRANK SEBASTYAN
MERIDY DUNN AND DR STYLE
This isn’t the first time Meridy featured on our most stylish list … and something tells us it won’t be the last. Like we said before, the former nurse, and one-time owner of the Jumping Beans Playhouse Cafe, injects fun into fashion. Whether the TAFE SA/Flinders Uni fashion graduate is wearing her own colourful creations or out-there outfits from Aussie brands such as Gorman with gorgeous glasses, her @groovygreylook Insta account always gives us a rush of endorphins. Let’s not overlook the man with specs appeal that the dopamine dresser has dubbed “Dr Style”, namely, her hubby Peter.
VIRGINIA GAY AND HANS
While Adelaide Cabaret Festival artistic director Virginia was born in Sydney she’s clearly at home in SA like fellow adoptee, boy from Berlin, global superstar Hans (the alter ego of Matt Gilbertson who is an Adelaidean). Pictured together at TINA, she was like a modern Marilyn Monroe in a white halter-neck dress and bouncy bob, while bling was his thing. FYI, Matt’s mum, who makes all Hans’s costumes, has single-handedly kept DK Fabrics on Port Rd in business for yonks.
EMMA REBELLATO
Emma loves a singer. And, no, we are not just talking about Tex Perkins, who looks rather spiffy in his blue velvet suit in this happy snap. Rebs also adores her Singer sewing machine. Yes, making her own cool threads is as easy as ABC for the Aunty presenter. Suiting herself with classic tailored pieces, in block colours and prints, Emma always looks elegant. Bonus points for her signature red lippy.
BRUCE DJITE
The Property Council SA executive director is one sharp-dressed man. A fan of the classic suit and white shirt combo, which he looks equally good in with or without a tie, the former Socceroo and ex director of football at Adelaide United, is in the running to be Adelaide’s best-dressed bloke. Game on.
CHARLEE WATT
Speaking of red lippy, what is not to love about Charlee’s pout-shaped purse? The Adelaide Cabaret Fringe performer has turned up the volume for her Beating Up The Beatles show’s promo photo shoot. We are digging the retro vibe and the way she’s matched her Cosmo cocktail with her headband, bag and shoes.
ALLY AOUKAR, AMELIA MULCAHY AND SAM COSTELLO
They say three makes a trend, but we say these three make style, which, unlike fads, is eternal. Striking a pose at The Advertiser Sunday Mail SkyCity 2024 Woman of the Year Awards, they have style in the bag, which in this pic happens to be a D&G patent clutch that’s red hot. Ally and Sam are both a sheer delight in lace, while Amelia – whose currently on mat leave from her 7News Adelaide weather presenter role – looks like a walking walk of art in an abstract print dress and Frida Kahlo-inspired slicked back do and statement earrings.
HENRY DOYLE AND ALEX DE PORTEOUS
Whoever said wearing all black was boring. When Henry and Alex played host at Out in the Paddock’s pop up SOHO Supper Club they were anything but. Henry dared to bare, by donning a see-through striped top under his shiny jacket, while Alex showed more than a bit of leg in an asymmetric gown that looked like it might be made of latex. It was black magic and everyone was spellbound by their style.
VI AND EMMA BALFOUR
Discovered by Finesse Models Australia’s Brigette Mitchell, who signed her on the spot, New-New Delhi born Vaibhavi “Vi” Lath is one of Australia’s top models, working on campaigns for international labels such as UNIQLO and Ralph Lauren, plus Australian names David Jones, Scanlan Theodore, Country Road, Peter Alexander and Mimco. In a campaign for the latter, she starred alongside Adelaide-born Emma Balfour, who made a name for herself in the early 1990s as the London “waif” before Kate Moss, and Australian Indigenous model Charlee Fraser. Like Emma and Charlee (who can’t be included on our list because she’s not from Adelaide despite being uber stylish), Vi has an unmistakable “X factor”.
DAMIAN PORCARO
This Westfield stylist’s fashion icon is Miami Vice star Don Johnson in the 1980s, who had a hit song with Heartbeat and also recorded a duet Till I Loved You with his then girlfriend Barbra Streisand. But enough with the trivia. Like his idol, Damian knows how to rock a pastel suit with a T-shirt. But we reckon he could show Don a thing or two such as how to make your outfit that little bit extra with accessories such as a pocket square and lapel pin.
NICOLE BONYTHON-HINES
Known and loved as the stylist’s stylist, Nicole famously transformed Neighbours star Kylie Minogue from girl next door to knockout for her Better The Devil You Know video (and introduced her to INXS frontman Michael Hutchence). Based in Sydney but born in Adelaide (her mum and dad were the late, great Julie and Kym Bonython), Nicole hasn’t forgotten her roots, literally. As in, she won’t get her hair done anywhere else but Clip Joint in Adelaide and regularly flies into town to have her trademark tresses tended to, and has been doing so for years. That kind of loyalty is super stylish.
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