Fashion Week.

Rosemount Australian Fashion week began in 1996, I was chosen for the very first Collette Dinnigan show.

Sitting on the floor back stage, hair teased and tortured into a crazy sculpture on top of our heads, sharing a violet crumble chocolate bar with super babe Annalese Schubert and clowning around with the gorgeous Sarah O'Hare, waiting excitedly for the show to begin. The buzz in the air is becoming clausterfobic. The feeling of excitement amongst the models is infectious, whilst the dressers , show producers, photographers and hair and make up artists all buzz around you.

Suddenly there is a  hush from audience beyond the walls that separate front and backstage, you see the  lights dim , then BAM! the music explodes and the show commences. The models are ushered like cattle for the slaughter one by one in a line ready to hit the stage, instructions are firmly relayed to you in a low voice from the shows coordinator  "look straight ahead, no hands on hips, walk down the right back up the left...." this is repeated to each girl as we are sent into the void of bright lights on the catwalk. As the music pulses you are, within an instant, strutting out into a sea of faces, some you recognise most are a blur, with-in a couple of seconds you hit the mark at the end of the runway, stop, pose, heart pounding in your ears , flash lights in your eyes, turn and strut off back the way you came. Once backstage again you are rushed to your dresser who is literally  pulling the last garments off you and putting the next ones on, you have no time to think, no privacy and all this is happening whilst someone is yelling at you "your supposed to be back on!" Second time out goes as quickly as the first however this time you are a little more prepared. so with a wink and a slight cheeky grin you pose for the cameras at the end of the runway, turn and before you know it your job is done and the show is over.

Left with a feeling of "Umm....what just happened ??" After the 3 hour hair and make up preparations, dealing with stressed out dressers, show organisers and the ramble of photographers fighting to sneak back stage I drive home feeling a slight anti-climax. The peak must have happened whilst I was on the catwalk and I didn't even get a chance to relish it.

Still I felt privileged to be one of the chosen few in Collette Dinnigan's show at Australia's first Rosemount Fashion Week.

Backstage RAFW 96'

Bulls on Parade.

Whilst shooting the Bra's n Things Catalogue for the nationwide letter box drop, the photographers assistant came up to me looking curious...."I think I saw you at The Big Day Out (music festival) but,  I wasn't sure..... ?"

"If I was wearing doc's, black top and Flannel shorts going nuts to Rage Against the Machine.....Yep! that was me..."

"...yeah... I thought so...." he walked away shaking his head laughing.

she said/ he said.

One afternoon spent standing precariously on a table top, wearing boots two sizes too large for me, being photographed by an asian chick, I believe who was in the process of her sex change.

The shoot was done in a spare room in her apartment which all ran very smoothly, until her boyfriend came home, acted incredibly uncomfortable, embarrassed, then annoyed ( in that order) he couldn't wait for me to get out of there... 

Bring it!

Berlie's new lingerie campaign had me sporting an interesting selection of props.

"It's better to burn out than to fade away."

Sitting, in shock, in the car parked on the side of a busy high way, I have just finisehd my fitting for the new Brian Rochford catalogue and instore posters campaign... Courtney Love is reading out the suicide letter from Kurt Cobian over the radio . The man has shoot himself in head!!!

 "It's better to burn out than to fade away." - Kurt Cobain 

Me and the boys.

Canterbury Campaign photography by Ian Golding

Courage.

I remember  a women coming up to me in the perfume section of a department store, 

"I liked your hair better blonde!", she had snapped at me.

I had no idea who she was, I could tell her son who was with her was greatly embarrassed.

I guess it was all part of the journey, I had no idea it would up-set people, but, I also liked the idea that it did.

It's hard to change people's conceptions, especially when they're so used to you looking/being one way. However, change is the only constant in life, so I had decided to re- invent myself.

Most people where confused by my choices, It was more then just being young and bored, It was part of a metamorphosis and I was shedding my skin.

 

Angst.

                                                             test shoot photographer unkown

faded.

"I dont remember where , with whom and how... I only remember the way I felt."

Black & White V's Colour

When I look out my window,
Many sights to see.
And when I look in my window,
So many different people to be
That it's strange, so strange.
You've got to pick up every stitch,
You've got to pick up every stitch,
You've got to pick up every stitch,
Mm, must be the season of the witch,
Must be the season of the witch, yeah,
Must be the season of the witch.
When I look over my shoulder,
What do you think I see ?
Some other cat looking over
His shoulder at me...
Season of the Witch- by Donovan

Photographer unknown.

naked.

Cast away your blues

Stripped back naked and raw.

Take the plunge.

New hair colour = new address, new client list & new lifestyle.

Incognito.

My first tattoo caused a bit of a stir, wait until they saw my wig!

Sometimes I'd wear it too the supermarket, or just walking around Bondi in between castings, mostly I wore it out dancing at the 'Good Bar' on weekends. Once I spent an entire evening incognito, not one of the regulars recognised me... it was the perfect escape.

below test shoot tuned into a scene from 'Barberella'

Photography by Wayne Daniels

The Funeral.

"I'm not sure if it was a hit, most likely suicide, like all fashion junkies, he was a victim from the get go...."
  I am innocent of course, my twin and I always were. 

It was a dangerous game, we were just playing our part in the sick and twisted world of drugs, money and fashion....

.

 

It could have been any of us even the priest had a curious glint in his eye        

....the last thing I remembered was the blood splatter on the creeps imitation crocodile skin mules.

                                                                                            Twinny gave me the nod and we were gone.

'The Funeral'

Sponge Magazine Editorial

Photographer Ellen Dahl

Styling Michael Azzollini

 Make up Dotti and Tina Gordon

Hair Bernice and Paul Jason