Most influential Victorians in fashion, beauty and design in past 30 years
They have a striking sense of what’s hot, make celebrities red carpet ready, are the original influencers and one even made gold hotpants famous. These are the 30 most influential Victorians in fashion, beauty and design.
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LANA WILKINSON
Melbourne’s most popular celebrity stylist, Lana Wilkinson has steadily built a name for herself as the red carpet queen. Whether it be the Logies, the Brownlow or the NGV Gala, Lana is behind the scenes guiding many of the best dressed celebrities.
“Red Carpet dressing is my sweet spot. The Logies (especially when they were in Melbourne) and Brownlow Medal are always favourites of mine to style because I work on each client’s outfit from concept to ‘go time’ and it’s always nice to see the look come full circle,” she says.
“Scherri-Lee Biggs in Cappellazzo Couture, was a stand out for me at the 2015 Logie Awards – I remember that dress going everywhere, brides, other celebrities wore it and it was a big moment for my career. Other favourites are Elyse Knowles for Glamour on The Grid in Toni Maticevski, Rebecca Judd in Alex Perry on Melbourne Cup Day in 2015, Megan Gale in Paolo Sebastian for Cup Day 2019 and Jessie Murphy at the Brownlow 2018 in Oglialoro Couture.”
While she loves showcasing Australia’s leading design talent with red carpet glamour gowns, Lana generally opts for more pared back looks for herself.
“I would say my style is classic with a few trend pieces mixed in - a blazer, denim and stilettos will forever be my go-tos. I love anything from the 80s and early 90s and I’m definitely not afraid to wear colour. I think it’s important to have fun with fashion and remember that it’s subjective, so what you love someone else might not, but that’s okay.”
CHRISTINE BARRO
Style queen Christine Barro is the original fashion influencer. Her eponymous boutique has been the go-to for Melbourne’s most stylish women for 20 years.
Her client list reads like a who’s who of the country’s social elite, as well as a mix of style-conscious, chic women who prefer to fly under the radar rather than flaunt their fashion purchases on social media.
“I’ve never listened to so called retail intelligence, preferring to follow my own intuition. Fashion is a language that encodes a complexity of global culture and influence. I try to localise it to our attitude, climate, economy and energy, create a Melbourne dialect if you like,” she says.
Christine believes the current global crisis will eventually have a positive impact on design and fashion.
“History is littered with brilliant designs that were born of a crisis. If anything our style will look more concertedly to solve problems and lift the spirit. I think we will move into an era of heightened creativity, new consumer consciousness and enlightenment.”
KYLIE MINOGUE
Kylie Minogue may have lived in London for 30 years, but she remains a Melburnian at heart.
“I think about being in Melbourne all the time, I don’t have my own place in Melbourne anymore, I stay with my parents, but it’s an absolute dream to have a place in Australia. Back in the day I had my Chapel Street apartment which I thought was the coolest thing ever. I think some Brits still think I live in Australia. I feel like a part of me will always live in Melbourne.”
The Princess of Pop has made a name for herself not only for her chart topping hits but for her striking sense of style.
It all began in a low key fashion as Charlene in khaki mechanic overalls and puffed sleeve wedding dress in Neighbours, but quickly escalated up the fashion ranks when she stepped out on Michael Hutchence arm in a figure hugging embellished mini dress by Morrissey Edmiston in 1989.
But it was the famous gold hotpants she sported in the Spinning Around video that garnered the most attention and are now housed at Melbourne’s Arts Centre.
“If there was one piece I’d sneak in at night like a cat burglar to steal them it’d be the hotpants,” she says.
CHYKA KEEBAUGH
Chyka and husband Bruce are behind one of Melbourne’s most exclusive and creative events and catering companies, The Big Group. Super stylish and always bursting with colour, Chyka has also crafted her own personal brand with lifestyle books and as one of the Real Housewives of Melbourne.
MARGARET PORRITT
Feathers founder Margaret Porritt is living proof that age is no barrier to style. At the helm of her famous Melbourne based label for almost 50 years, the glamorous octogenarian continues to influence what women of all ages wear.
EFFIE KATS
Designer Effie Kats launched her namesake label in April 2018 and since then has been the go-to girl for cool custom women’s suiting, and more recently red carpet cocktail gowns. She’s created chic looks for celebrities including Moana Hope, Delta Goodrem and Carrie Bickmore.
ELLIOT GARNAUT
Fabulous and fun, Elliot Garnaut has become one of the leading celebrity stylists in Melbourne and a spokesperson for big brands such as Chadstone and the Victoria Racing Club. He’s styled a long list of famous faces including Rebecca Harding, Elyse Knowles and Rebecca Maddern.
LILLIAN FRANK
One of the original style setters, Lillian Frank famously owned her own salon in Toorak before becoming one of Melbourne’s best known social reporters before social media existed.
JENNY BANNISTER
Flamboyant designer Jenny Bannister is more than just a fashion designer, her quirky and creative pieces are works of art. So much so that many of her designs have been collected by galleries around the world, including the National Gallery of Victoria.
REBECCA JUDD
Uber influencer Rebecca Judd was one of the first to grasp the power of social media and she has maximised it to create her own powerful brand and promote partner brands along the way. With almost 850,000 followers she is one of the most highly sought after ‘influencers’ in Melbourne.
ZOE FOSTER BLAKE
The creator of her own beauty brand, Go-To Skin Care, Zoe Foster Blake is also an author and all around glamour girl. Married to comedian Hamish Blake, she is a style stand out whenever she steps out on the red carpet and events around town.
FELICITY KENNETT
Always flawlessly groomed and chicly styled, Felicity Kennett made her mark as the first lady of Victoria when her colourful husband Jeff was Victorian Premier from 1992-1999.
NICKY BUCKLEY
Most famously the co-host of Sale of the Century, Nicky Buckley stepped out five nights a week in fashions of the moment. But the outfit that had the most impact was a fitted black dress with a love heart cutout over her beautiful pregnant belly.
HANAN IBRAHIM
Melbourne Muslim model Hanan Ibrahim is leading the charge for diversity and inclusion in fashion. She was the first participant to walk Melbourne Fashion Festival runway in a hijab last year and has been featured in Vogue as one of the top female voices for change.
TONI MATICEVSKI
Master couturier Toni Maticevski is one of Australia’s leading designers creating spectacular, artful and intricately designed collections, both bespoke and ready to wear. He’s a celebrity favourite, dressing a long list of local and international stars including Beyonce, Jessica Chastain and Jennifer Hawkins.
GRAEME LEWSEY
Graeme Lewsey has been an advocate for Australian designers and retailers in his role at the helm of the Melbourne Fashion Festival for nine years. His passion and enthusiasm for supporting local brands through the largest consumer fashion event in the world has had a significant influence on the industry.
J’ATON - JACOB LUPPINO AND ANTHONY PITTORINO
Couture kings Jacob Luppino and Anthony Pittorino have become synonymous with red carpet glamour. Their spectacular creations have topped best dressed lists at every major A-list event on celebrities including Kylie Jenner, Kelly Rowland, Rebecca Judd and Nadia Bartel.
SONIA CAPPELLAZZO
Much loved bridal and red carpet designer Sonia Cappellazzo is renowned for her architectural and sculptural gowns. She has famously dressed Emma Hawkins for her wedding to Geelong star Tom, Megan Gale at the NGV Gala and Kelly Rowland for The Voice.
KIT WILLOW
Kit Willow has been a leading voice in sustainable fashion long before it was in vogue. Her philosophy on the environment and unique design aesthetic has a garnered her a fiercely loyal following.
JASON GRECH
Bold, colourful and courageous, Jason Grech has survived the ups and downs of the sometimes fickle fashion industry to emerge stronger than ever.
SIMONE HAAG
Simone Haag is a leading Melbourne stylist and interior designer. She worked for one of Australia’s pre-eminent architectural firms Hecker Guthrie before branching out nine years ago and working on her own award-winning projects.
MARGIE WOODS
Margie Wood’s is founder and creative director of Viktoria & Woods, a Melbourne based brand known for its chic, feminine and contemporary aesthetic. Not simply stylish herself, Margie is an astute businesswoman who also runs The LOFFT, a fashion agent representing local and international ranges.
AMELIA COOTE
Amelia Coote is one of Melbourne’s most stylish women and influences the wardrobes of many of Melbourne’s best dressed women as fashion buyer for exclusively curated South Yarra boutique Le Louvre.
ANDREJA PEJIC
Andreja Pejic has become one of the world’s most recognisable transgender models after coming out as transgender woman in 2013. She famously walked in both the mens and women’s Jean Paul Gaultier shows in Paris in 2011 and has been named in the top 50 models in the world list.
RICHARD NYLON
Master milliner Richard Nylon’s pieces are widely regarded as works of art. His sculptural and innovative designs been collected by the National Gallery of Victoria.
JESSICA HART
Jessica Hart became an international model sensation in 2009 when she appeared in the iconic Sports Illustrated Swimsuit issue. She went on to walk in several Victoria’s Secret lingerie shows at the height of the success of the event and has walked for top fashion designers in New York, Paris and London Fashion weeks.
DAME EDNA EVERAGE
The world famous Moonee Ponds housewife, created by comedian Barry Humphries, made a fashion statement every time she stepped out in embellished cat eye glasses, lilac hair and bold colours.
SHANINA SHAIK
Supermodel Shanina Shaik got her break in reality TV show Make Me a Supermodel and went on to walk in eight shows in her debut season in New York. She’s featured in the Victoria’s Secret runways and on major magazine covers including Cosmopolitan, Cleo and Harpers Bazaar.
POPPY KING
Poppy King famously started her own cosmetic company at the age of 18 with her trademark matt lipsticks, making her name as the Lipstick Queen. Her extraordinary business success led her to be awarded Young Australian of the Year in 1995.
SHAYNNA BLAZE
Interior designer and TV personality Shaynna Blaze has influenced home styling across the country as one of the judges on the popular reality TV show The Block and as a co-host on Selling Houses Australia.
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