Stylist in the frame - The Australian

Vogue Australia's stylist Naomi Smith. Picture: Vogue Australia/Candice Lake Source: The Australian

IN the 1990s fashion was ruled by models worthy of the term super, such as Naomi Campbell, Christy Turlington and Linda Evangelista, all rolling out of bed for at least $10,000 a day.

In the noughties photographers took and called the shots, with Mario Testino, Steven Meisel and Bruce Weber achieving celebrity status. Now stylists are ushered into the frame as fashion's dictators for the decade.

The shift in power happened with the 2009 documentary The September Issue, which looked at the creative team behind US Vogue. Standing out from cover girl Sienna Miller and editor Anna Wintour was flame-haired septuagenarian Grace Coddington. The creative director of US Vogue spent the entire film coaxing poses from models, agonising over clothing and tenaciously fighting for the perfect photograph to make it into the magazine.

The world had a tantalising glimpse of the people blowing the smoke and holding the mirrors in the fashion industry and the hard work involved in producing the perfect photograph.

"The lead-up to getting a fashion shoot that you can be proud of can take months, even years," says Naomi Smith, fashion director of Vogue Australia.

"There is so much that goes into producing that one moment that most people will never know."

Smith, 45, fell into the profession by accident.

"I was assisting in a photo studio and wearing an outfit from Paddington markets," Smith says. "A woman called Jane Roarty saw me and told me that I should become a stylist. I had no idea what that was. She explained the role to me and when I saw a fashion shoot take place I knew that's what I wanted to do."

Now Smith travels to Milan and Paris at least twice a year, watching runway shows, spotting the new models and assessing the trends. Her job is to translate those trends visually into the pages of Vogue Australia.

"If you see the fashion shoot in our August issue covering off the looks of the season, it was literally years in the planning," she says. "We have been working with a modelling agency to see when this new Australian girl, Lydia Willemina, would be right for us to shoot. Finally we felt she was ready for Vogue and you can see that she was strong enough to carry off 18 different outfits. Last season she walked for Givenchy and now she's based in New York."

Casting the right model is only part of the story, with Smith having to select the appropriate photographer and hair and make-up artists who will transform gangly teenagers into confident women and bring her vision to life. There's also the small matter of securing the clothing.

"You deal with a lot of fashion publicists, fighting to get the key looks of the season and praying that they will turn up on time and with the right shoes and accessories," she says. "Having the right team is incredibly important. You have to all be working towards the same vision."

Having toiled in the background for 25 years Smith is surprised by the recent rise to prominence of her peers.

Stylists Carine Roitfeld, now working on campaigns for Chanel and Jean Paul Gaultier after her stint as editor of French Vogue, Lucinda Chambers and Katie Grand are almost as famous as the designers with whom they work.

"I love the quirky nature of Lucinda's work at British Vogue, but Carine's shoots are much sexier," Smith says. "I also love Emmanuelle Alt, who is very sexy, and Grace Coddington has that slick US Vogue approach."

Stardom doesn't cut out the hard work. Smith says it takes an overwhelming love of fashion to pursue a career as a stylist.

"If you didn't love clothes you would throw it all in. Your head is in fashion 24/7 and to get the right look you will put up with models changing dates, bad weather, clothes not turning up and ridiculously long hours."

The development of digital technology and the ability to remove creases from dresses as well as faces hasn't reduced the workload for stylists, who spend hours before shoots steaming outfits and taping the soles of expensive stilettos.

"Everything has to be perfect on the day," says Ken Thompson, fashion director of The Australian's Wish magazine who also has worked with celebrities such as Natalie Portman, Cate Blanchett and Eva Longoria.

"As a stylist you have to make the talent look their absolute best, whether that's in the studio or on the red carpet. You want the model or star to feel a million dollars and you can't fake that feeling with airbrushing."

Thompson sees the stylist's role as a problem-solver, turning up to shoots with a calm attitude and enough bulldog clips to deal with any unflattering sagging or stubborn zips. "It's your job to make the talent feel good and to forget the hours of dealing with celebrity agents, managers and publishers that got you there," he says.

For Smith, surprisingly, the day of shooting is the least stressful part of her job.

"The hard work is done and you get to watch that vision you have had in your head since it was sparked in Milan or Paris finally come to life," she says. "Sometimes a shoot will go in a completely different direction and you have to adapt, but other times it's exactly as you imagined it."

While the increased public attention on her profession is intriguing, Smith's ultimate pleasure is the day the finished product lands on her desk. "I can tell whether it's a good job and that satisfies me."

But, like Coddington pleading with Wintour, there's one more box to tick. "When the editor [Kirstie Clements] is happy I can be happy. Fortunately, we have a similar vision most of the time."

Who adds pizazz to the local picture

Victoria Collison, contributor, Vogue Australia:

EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Kirstie Clements described Collison as the V in Vogue, putting the final polish to countless shoots at the magazine. Now Collison focuses on special projects, most recently a shoot with former cover girl Kristy Hinze-Clark. Collison styled Nicole Kidman in her Chanel No 5 advertisement.

Jane Roarty, executive fashion editor, Marie Claire:

THE most colourful presence locally has been at lifestyle powerhouse Marie Claire since its inception, with a detour to Harper's Bazaar. Don't be fooled by the warmest smile in the business; Roarty is a fashion force with an impressive knowledge of design history. People still dream about her work on Easton Pearson's 2008 show at Australian Fashion Week.

Judith Cook, style director, Australian Women's Weekly:

THIS veteran of Vogue Australia, In Style and Cosmopolitan is known for her artist's eye and flawless bower-bird instincts. A shoot with Graham Shearer for Vogue in December, 1988, with custom-made calico dresses, inspired a generation of designers. Cook prepared Julia Gillard for her Australian Women's Weekly close-up last year.

Mark Vassallo:

SMILES are rare in Vassallo's world. In his work at Harper's Bazaar and Grazia models adopt highly stylised poses with severe expressions. Vassallo's face is just as impenetrable, particularly when working on shows at Australian Fashion Week as creative director. This year he was at the helm for eight productions, including the acclaimed outing for Lover.

Nicole Bonython-Hines, fashion director, Madison:

ANOTHER stylist who honed her craft with Vogue Australia's steaming iron, Bonython-Hines is most famous for her early work with Kylie Minogue. Bonython-Hines created the Australian flag suit Minogue wore at her 1990 Enjoy Yourself concert.

The ones to watch:

Meg Gray, fashion editor, Vogue Australia:

GRAY'S quirky shoots are as easy to spot as her signature pink hair. Her March cover for the magazine was a knock-out.

Christine Centenera, fashion editor, Harper's Bazaar:

REGULARLY photographed outside the shows in Milan and Paris, Centenera helped Lara Bingle find her fashion edge.