| We talk to leading NZ stylist KYLIE COOKE... |
| Written by Sacha Young | ||||||||||||
| Monday, 29 August 2011 12:00 | ||||||||||||
It's not everyday that one gets the opportunity to sit down with a highly respected professional in their industry, so when I had the chance to interview one of the leading stylists in New Zealand KYLIE COOKE, I treated every minute like it was dusted with diamonds and delved into her wardrobe-full of style wisdom. As the key stylist on 'New Zealand's Next Top Model', Kylie's role is to add creative concepts towards the photoshoots, style the spectacular outfits, as well as decking out the judges on the show to always look fab-to-the-lous. As a fashion junkie myself it's always thrilling to chat collaborations, personal style and influences, not to mention gushing over the fact that her favourite store is Colette in Paris - which is definitely mine too! In some ways, I feel like Kylie has a similar 'go-getter' attitude to us here at Coup De Main and I have respectfully shelved my time with her in my memory as completely inspirational. In the below interview, I consulted her knowledgeable trendy brain about what it was like working on 'New Zealand's Next Top Model' and what she wanted to be when she was seven-years-old...
COUP DE MAIN: Can you share with me a little bit of your background and how you got into styling? KYLIE COOKE: I sort of just fell into it really, I had been in film production for about five years. I started out my film industry career on Xena as a P.A. and worked my way up. I got an understanding of the industry and I was freelance for about three years and I just stopped enjoying what I was doing so I had to question what I really wanted to do. Up until that point in my life, I hadn’t really done that, it’s not like I left school and said “I know I want to be a stylist” or “I know I want to be a writer or...” - so it wasn’t until I questioned what I love, and where I get enjoyment that I realised that I should/could be a stylist, because I love fashion and I've always been interested in it. Luckily I was in an industry where that’s a possibility, so I sort out just segued into doing little TV commercials and then focused on photographers that I wanted to work with and just approached them. I did ‘my time’ really and earnt my stripes and worked my way up. And like I say, I’m lucky that I was supported and everybody already knew me in production, they already saw me as ‘Stylie Kylie’, so it was an easy transition. It was before there were any courses, or diplomas, or anything like that to really foster that area of the industry. It’s like anything - if you're good and you work hard and you’re talented then people will support you. CDM: What’s it like working as a key stylist on ‘New Zealand’s Next Top Model’? KYLIE COOKE: It’s quite a handful of a job. I mean it’s a fortunate position, it’s a weird cross over of all of my skills - I understand TV production and that area, I’m creative so I can get into the creative side of the job. It’s sort of a weird combination, you do have to be really organised, it’s a massive project and there’s a lot going on. It’s not just having the creative ideas for the photoshoots, and organising all of that, it’s also the judges and the hosts and it’s quite demanding in a way. You need a really good support crew around you, I had really amazing assistants this year and it’s not a job you can do on your own, you have to have a good team around you. It’s an acquired taste, I don’t think everyone who is a stylist would enjoy it. Excluding all of the publicity and promo shoots, we shoot thirteen photoshoots, it was kind of like having thirteen clients all on the go at the same time, which is quite full on. There was a lot of sponsorship on the show this year, so there are expectations that you have to deliver for the clients - to be specific to their brands and their needs, and you still want it to be creative and interesting.
CDM: I loved the clothing in Episode One - the Colonial shoot - can you tell me about the process of the selection of clothes and how you put the outfits together? KYLIE COOKE: Actually lot of people have liked that episode, we received a lot of good feedback – and I really loved it too, I’m quite organic in my process, I know what I want when I’m sourcing and I’m quite specific about what I’m looking for, but I don’t usually style an outfit before I see the girl, especially on Top Model where you aren’t dealing with someone you’ve dealt with before, or cast... you don’t know what you’re getting until you see them. With that particular shoot I did actually put outfits together prior to us leaving for up North, because I had so much going on that I had to be really, really organized. Because obviously I know what people have out there in their collections and archives, I just thought about who had pieces that I really wanted to use and complimented it with young designers that I haven’t used before... because it’s such a long show we have so many shoots to do, you can run out of clothes really easily so I found this girl 'Hermoine Flynn' from Wellington - I think she’s on her second or third collection - I saw her garments in the fashion supplement in the Dominion Post, checked out her stuff online and it was perfect, it was exactly what I was looking for, it was a crossover of modern clothes with a Victorian twist. I was all about making sure it still had a really strong fashion edge but was still historical in it’s overall vibe and paid homage to that time, it was such a cool time. CDM: In Episode Three the girls wore the same silver dress, how did you pick that dress?! KYLIE COOKE: That was in part - because I needed to find a way to manage this shoot and we needed to have an element of challenge for the models. Because it was inspired by Mario Testino style shoots, where there are always big groups of gorgeous people all standing around looking amazing I didn't want to have to dress each model (contestant) differently. I sort of had to make it an even playing field for all of the girls. 'Halston Heritage' has made a comeback and we had decided that the seventies was definitely an era that we wanted to theme that shoot with, it was a no-brainer. I scoured the Internet for a dress that would fit everyone, cause we have all shapes and sizes, but it still had to be dramatic. I actually found it on 'ASOS' for a ridiculously good price but for some reason they don’t ship 'Halston Heritage' to New Zealand. My sister lives in the UK so I had it sent to her and she shipped it to me, every day I was texting her asking "has it arrived yet"! I had a small window if time to get it here, but it worked out beautifully.
CDM: What is the best part of being a freelance stylist? KYLIE COOKE: I think the best part is getting the opportunity to collaborate with a variety of talented creative people and work in different mediums, stills, film, and TV. Working with good clients who respect you're creative and who want your support and in turn to support you. I think the variety is a cool part about it and keeps it exciting. CDM: Is there anything or anyone you look up to that influences your personal style? KYLIE COOKE: I’m pretty all over the place with my own personal style, I like to think that I’m brave in my appearance, I’m willing to take risks and am not afraid of colour. In terms of style icons, I'm a seventies lover, women like Bianca Jagger I find inspiring. I like style that is bold and unafraid like Catherine Baba and New York Textile Mogul Iris Apfel, they're both women who are always fearless in their approach to fashion and are fiercely individual. I like it when you’re showing your personality unashamedly. CDM: I feel like every decade takes on its own personality with music, film and fashion, but in the 2000's it's kind of been one massive technology bomb. What's your opinion on the overall fashion of today? KYLIE COOKE: I think the great thing about today is that the kids are actually quite brave and inventive, and they're into having their personalities show, I guess it’s probably always been like that, but it seems more evident now because of technology. Anyone can have a blog and anyone can put their opinion out there on fashion, which is completely subjective. It’s like art, everyone is entitled to an opinion but not everyone is going to like the same thing. What I think they tend to do these days which can get boring is find a trend and then everyone imitates it, like denim cut-off shorts and top-knot buns for girls or nipple crazing t-shirts and skinny jeans for boys = Boring. Ultimately I think because it’s easier to access information internationally it influences young people's fashion choices.
CDM: I read in an interview on FashioNZ that you said animal print-pieces are a staple to have in the wardrobe, do you have any tips on the selection of print or how to wear it to keep it classy? KYLIE COOKE: I think it’s important to have the classics, as much as it is to have fun with fashion so it could be a well-cut blazer (for the brave), a pair of jeans, a scarf or just a bracelet, the key is to wear it your way and not have it overpower you. For me a good animal print would ideally be in a luxe fabric and the print shouldn't be too big. Keep your silhouette simple and let the print be the statement. CDM: I also read in Dominion Post that your sister sent over a piece from the Lanvin and H&M collection to you. It seems like collaborations are rapidly taking over the world, have any grabbed your attention lately? KYLIE COOKE: Anything after 'Lanvin' is going to be a hard act to follow. 'Versace' are the next 'H&M' colab but I won't be sending my sister to line up for that one. Collaborations that Opening Ceremony do always catch my attention. CDM: Can you name five staple pieces for a girl to have in her wardrobe? KYLIE COOKE: Definitely a good white shirt – it can make you look cool and it’s easy to accessorize, actually it doesn’t have to be white, just a good shirt. A cute blazer of some description, double-breasted, single-breasted or a tuxedo jacket is always a good thing to have. A really well-cut pair of pants, a men's style trouser is my favourite, or a skinny. Cashmere anything - sweaters, cardigans, scarves. A good pair of wedges, whether they are boots or sandals, if they are sandals you can wear them with socks and make them Wintery or if they are boots you can wear them with a little dress in Summer making it a little edgy. I’m totally big on accessories, everyone needs more accessories, they inject personality into outfits quite easily and affordably. That’s the great thing about Karen Walker jewellery, it’s made cute little studs accessible and affordable for people, which I think is clever.
CDM: If you could style any film past, present or future, what would it be? KYLIE COOKE: Past it would have to be ‘Grease’ it's one of my all-time favourite films, there is such a cool array of characters and it's such a fun time in fashion. Future projects, I actually am really keen to design a film, I would love to sink my teeth into a film that is really character-driven, but also set in a beautiful time period. There's a book called ‘As The Earth Turns Silver’ by Alison Wong, she's a New Zealand Chinese woman and it [the book] is set in Wellington from the late nineteenth century to the 1920's. If anyone ever turned that into a New Zealand film I would love to design that! CDM: What did you want to be when you were seven-years-old? KYLIE COOKE: I always wanted to be an air-hostess mostly because they seemed to have amazing uniforms. CDM: What is the best advice you’ve ever been given? KYLIE COOKE: I’ve been lucky enough to have some amazing mentors, but I think the best advice that anyone can ever give you is to speak the truth, and do whatever is truthful and honest to you and that way can never go wrong. I think that transcends fashion and it’s just about life. CDM: Finish this sentence: In another life I… would have liked to be in New York at the same time as Patti Smith and Robert Mapplethorpe, I have just read ‘Just Kids’ and it’s such an amazing read, she is an incredible poetic writer. They were in New York at a really important time when everything was emerging in the late sixties, early seventies, when things were being redefined.
A guilty pleasure of mine is… 'Big Fat Gypsy Weddings' - Thursday nights in front of the TV! The best advertisement of all time… Anything with pussycats... 'Lanvin' AW'09 campaign featuring Kristen McMenmy and two very good looking black cats, genius! Your favourite song ever... The song my husband serenaded me with at our wedding - 'Porcelain' by the Yeah Yeah Yeahs. I think paisley shirts are… difficult to pull off and probably best left in the seventies. The LIVE Final of 'New Zealand's Next Top Model' screens on TV3 Friday 2nd September at 7.30PM. |
