Browsing Tag

exclusive interview

Date with Kate, Fashion

Date with Kate: Ruby Rose

15th September, 2013
Lunch with Ruby Rose.

Lunch with Ruby Rose.

Ruby Rose splits her time between DJ’ing, presenting on television, acting and being the face of brands such as Maybelline cosmetics and JAG jeans. After taking six months off to deal with depression, the 27-year-old is back and set to star in coming film Around the Block, due out next month. I caught up with Rose to talk about giving up alcohol, how overcoming her depression has inspired others, and her raunchy sex scene with Christina Ricci.

Tell me about your new film.

Around the Block is a film that is about Redfern 10 years ago, when the government was trying to take away the land that belonged to the indigenous people. No one knew what my role was but then the trailer came out and there is the sex scene so everyone is like, ”Oh my god, you’re naked, having sex with Christina Ricci.”

Were there awkward moments while filming the sex scene?

I thought it would be awkward and I was not looking forward to it – you know, being alongside Christina Ricci, who has been a famous actress since she was born, pretty much. I remember her as Wednesday in The Addams Family and [in] Casper. So I was sort of spun out on the idea of having to be this dominating person in a role with her, but she is a pro.

Did Christina give you any advice?

She said, ”I know that I am tiny but just throw me around, I’ll be fine,” and for that moment I was like, ”I can’t do this.” I wanted to be, like, ”Are you OK? Is it OK if I pick you up?” but then as soon as they shout ”Action”, you just fall into the part. She is just such a seasoned actress; you don’t want to be that immature, so you just go, ”OK, I’ll get into it.”

And with no booze, either!

[Laughs] I know – and she doesn’t drink, either. It was funny because we met at a bar and we are both doing these shots of water and I was like, ”Oh, you don’t drink, either?” and she was like ”No”, and I was like, ”Oh, thank god, we are both sober for this!”

Did you give up drinking for health reasons?

Yes, alcoholism runs in my family, so it just got to a point where I was either run full pace and do the jobs that I love doing and turn up and be healthy and happy, or I can try to do both [drink and work] and one’s going to give. I was getting sick because I have depression, so it wasn’t doing me any favours in that department. As soon as I quit I felt happier. It’s the best decision I have made.

You have always been open about your depression. Has that helped many of your young fans get through their tough times?

Just recently I was speaking at a school and I introduced myself as ”I’m Ruby. I have bipolar and this is what I do.” At the beginning they were kind of ”Oh!” And then, bit by bit, people started to open up and said, ”My mum has this” and ”I struggle with that”, and it gives some kids a lot of confidence … When I got home I had over 100 private messages on Facebook from students at that school.

Ruby Rose

Where do your priorities lie, work-wise?

I have realised that my priorities now lie in happiness. Before my priority was working as much as possible; I just had to be working all the time. But I burnt out and I got to a point where I didn’t know what made me happy. I took a break from everything and I kept working closely with the people who feel more like family than work – like Maybelline, JAG – and I have the same feelings towards my DJ’ing. Anywhere that I find myself feeling comfortable and that I can be myself, I am really happy. I now say no to a lot of things.

Are you in a relationship?

No, I’m single. I’m in such a good place right now.

How did you feel when you heard the news of your former fiancee Catherine McNeil becoming engaged to Miles Langford?

Of course I was happy. I think they looked really happy together. I did think it was funny. I saw a photo of them and I was like, ”He is wearing my Givenchy T-Shirt, and he has an arm that looks like my [tattoo] sleeve. [Laughs] My only sadness of it is that I wish myself and other gay and lesbian people in this country could have the freedom to get married, the same way that Kat and Miles can. I think the rest of the country deserves that same opportunity.

 

BITE SIZE

WE WENT TO Glass Brasserie, Sydney city centre.

WE ATE Salt-baked beets, sheep’s labna, compressed pear and walnuts; spelt risotto of prawn, crab, parsley and rock samphire.

WE DRANK Sparkling water.

I WORE An Ellery top and Bec & Bridge skirt

RUBY WORE Ann Demeulemeester top and Assin pants.

smh.com.au

Photo: Janie Barett

Date with Kate

Date With Kate: Georgia May Jagger

8th September, 2013
Chatting with Georgia May Jagger.

Chatting with Georgia May Jagger.

Georgia May Jagger has grown up in the spotlight. As the youngest daughter of Rock legend Sir Mick Jagger and model Jerry Hall, the gapped toothed beauty has carved her own career as a successful international model. The 21-year-old was in Australia with her mother Jerry and I caught up with her to talk about her career highlight, travelling with her mum, and the best advise her parents have given her.

Is having a famous last name was a help or a hindrance in carving your own career?

I think its both, it’s a help because for obvious reasons, you are more well known but it’s also a hindrance because people think you haven’t created any of your own career, that sort of thing.

What is an average day for you?

Usually changes quite a lot, depending on what I am doing, I’m either travelling and working really early, like today I woke up at 4am and I had a photo shoot and events but sometimes I’m just at home in my pajamas and just relaxing, so it’s whether I’m working or not pretty much.

What is the best part of your job?

The best part of my job I think is getting to travel and meet incredible people, I love that.

What is the worst part of your job?

The worst is not having very much sleep and having to stand for very long periods of time in very awkward positions [laughs].

Does you mother get to accompany you on many media commitments or is this a one-off?

No, we don’t get to travel much together for fun, sometimes we do things together for work but this is a one-off. It’s nice to do things with her.

What has been your career highlight so far?

One would be my cover of British Vogue when I first started modeling and my incredible Rimmle Contract, I been with them for four years now and the London Olympics as well.

Tell me about what did you do with the London Olympics.

I walked in the closing ceremony as part of Britain’s Fashion Hall of Fame [along with fellow models including Kate Moss, Naomi Campbell and Lily Donaldson].

Who is your style icon?

My mum obviously, she is the ultimate glamour icon!

What is the best beauty tip you have received from your mother?

She always says it’s about confidence and to have fun and smile. She is not really the “less is more”[type] so she always says “more and more”!

What is your beauty routine for a night out?

It changes, depending on how I feel; I think you always have to have fun with fashion and with your makeup. For me, it’s either lipstick – red or pink is my favourite – or mascara.

What are you doing while you are in Australia?

I have been to Australia many times and absolutely love it but I’m only here for two days this time so I didn’t really get a chance to do much. I’m just here in Sydney as the ambassador for 30 Days of Fashion & Beauty as my main kind of thing. But I did get to catch up and have dinner last night with [designer] Camilla Franks who I did her show [during Australian Fashion Week] that was really fun.

What are your favourite things to do for fun in Australia?

Last time I went to Hamilton Island and that was pretty amazing, and I did a helicopter ride over the Great Barrier Reef, that was pretty cool.

What are your favourite restaurants in Australia?

I love Ms G’s; Mr Wong is fab and I also really like Porteno.

What are your favourite Australian fashion labels?

My favourite labels include Willow, Rachel Gilbert, Sass & Bide, By Johnny, Zimmermann and Camilla.

What is next in the pipeline?

After Australia, I’m going to New York for a [photo] shoot and then back to London for work and then straight back to New York for Fashion Week.

Where do you see yourself in five years time?

That’s a hard question, I really don’t know, I hopefully will still be modelling, and I would like to be doing photography or something like that.

What is the best advice your parents have given you?

I think to do what makes you feel happy because that is when you feel your best and you are the most confident.

 

BITE SIZE

WE WENT TO 30 Days of Fashion and Beauty Launch Party, Lower Town Hall, Sydney CBD.

WE ATE A selection of canapés including Lobster risoni and a garden mix of peas, broad bean, dill and Rosewater Eaton Mess.

WE DRANK Grant Burge 2012 Moscato Rosa and Pink Steinbok Mararitas.

I WORE A Miu Miu dress and Hardy Brothers jewellery.

GEORGIA-MAY WORE A By Johnny dress.

 

Date with Kate

Date with Kate: Kate Ritchie

25th August, 2013
Made for the screen: Kate Ritchie says Home and Away ''made me who I am".

Made for the screen: Kate Ritchie says Home and Away ”made me who I am”.

Kate Ritchie grew up on our screens on Home and Away. The dual Gold Logie Award-winner left the soap in 2008 after 20 years playing Sally Fletcher. She then spent two years as a breakfast-radio host on Nova 96.9. She earned an AFI nomination for playing Judi Kane in Underbelly: A Tale of Two Cities. Kate Waterhouse caught up with the 35-year-old to chat about returning to Home and Away, the most challenging role of her career and her hopes of starting a family with her husband, former rugby league player Stuart Webb.

Is being back on Home and Away a one-off or will you continue to revisit the show?

Oh, goodness, I don’t know … I think that regardless of whether this is a one-off visit or the beginning of something else, it will always be part of my life because it has made me who I am in lots of ways – professionally and personally as well.

In what way?

Professionally, it was where I learnt my craft. I’ve never had any formal training, so I grew up with the likes of actors Ray Meagher and Judy Nunn teaching me things. That’s where I learnt my skills. It also made me who I am personally because it’s almost, in many ways, one and the same, you know? A lot of my experience, especially growing up, mirrored what happened to my character. We grew up together, really, and I know it sounds corny, and if we had hours and a bottle of rose´, I guess I’d sound like a mental case talking about it, but there is so much of me in that character.

Do you ever look back at your early days of Home and Away and cringe?

Oh, absolutely. There are about 15 years of cringeworthy moments and, unfortunately, they are all documented, but I think I’m now at a point where I’m 35 and, you know, that stuff is OK. I have been put through excruciating embarrassment and having to watch and rewatch footage, and I’ve worked with the likes of Merrick and Rosso just giving it to me about everything … It’s like when you’ve cried every tear you could possibly cry, I have exerted every ounce of embarrassment, so I can’t do it any more.

Did you care when you were younger?

Oh yeah, you do care when you are younger. Sally wasn’t the cool character … I didn’t have cool storylines, and I didn’t have the cool boyfriends, and I wasn’t the beach babe of the show. At the time, that probably bothered me because I thought, ”What’s wrong with me?” … but looking back, that’s what has probably made Sally the character that she is and the character that so many people identify with, because so many women feel like they grew up with me and that they were more like me than Angel [Parrish, played by Melissa George]. There are more Sallys in the world than there are Angels. When I look back, I think it’s made me far more well-rounded because of that.

Speaking of Angel, were you surprised when Melissa George reportedly threatened to walk off the set of The Morning Show if they referenced her Home and Away character?

No, because I think, ”Well, not everybody’s experience on Home and Away or their memory of it is what mine is,” so I can’t judge that.

Kate Ritchie.

Of all the things you do – TV, radio, presenting – where do your priorities lie?

Acting is certainly where I feel most at home, and that’s probably because it’s what I have done the most of. I love doing the radio, but I hate getting up for breakfast radio. I think in the short term, I’d like to be back working in Australian drama.

What’s been the most challenging role of your career?

They’re all different. I guess the biggest challenge for me probably was when I did Underbelly because it was the first acting gig that I had done since leaving Home and Away.

If you’d never gone down the road of Sally, what would you have done?

I don’t know … My ideal would have been to finish school and go to university and study architecture – that would have been my dream job. But I already had a job [laughs] – and the one that I couldn’t bear to give up.

What do you do for fun?

I like to do simple things. Stuart and I are working on our house at the moment. I love cooking. We cook a lot now that Stuart is learning to be a chef.

Do you hope to one day start a family?

Yeah, it hasn’t happened … but that is definitely something we look forward to.

Do you have a secret talent?

I can tap dance!

BITE SIZE

WE WENT TO Pink Salt, Double Bay.

WE ATE Confit ocean trout tian with avocado and cucumber; goat’s-curd salad with baby beets; Belvedere vodka-cured kingfish with ruby red grapefruit, watermelon and colona citrus oil.

WE DRANK Veuve Clicquot.

I WORE Isabel Marant knit dress.

RITCHIE WORE Rebecca Vallance.

Pink Salt Pink Salt Pink Salt

smh.com.au

Photography: Danielle Smith.

Date with Kate

Date with Kate: Delta Goodrem

18th August, 2013
Lunch at Sake Restaurant with Delta Goodrem.

Lunch at Sake Restaurant with Delta Goodrem.

Delta Goodrem is one of Australia’s most accomplished female performers of the past decade, having achieved multi-platinum-selling status, eight No. 1 singles and three No. 1 albums. The singer-songwriter has also been a coach and mentor on The Voice for the past two seasons. I caught up with the 28-year-old to chat about whether she will return to The Voice next year, how the show has changed her, and how she finds single life.

What are you up to at the moment?

I just [had] a bit of time off before I start making a new album. I’m based in LA – my cats are there, my whole world is sort of there. But in fairness, I tend to live between there and Australia, and it’s been like kind of half and half for quite a few years.

Will you return as a coach on The Voice again next year?

I have no idea. I mean I’m honoured to be part of the show, but we haven’t had a chance to think about next year yet.

Are you still in contact with the other judges?

Yes, definitely. I have a special bond with all of them. It’s such a good group. We have so much fun.

Has The Voice changed your life?

Yes, in so many ways. I’m just so thankful for it – musically and in life – on deeper levels than I can probably explain.

You really opened up on the show. Do you find Australia has really gotten to know you?

Yes, [before The Voice] I just didn’t know how to open up. I’ve always protected myself, I’ve always just done music and treated it like work. Then I have my own world of my friends. [Being in the spotlight] at a young age, it helped me keep my innocence by keeping those worlds separate … Being on The Voice, it forces you to open up and I’m proud of what I’ve done with the lessons I’ve learnt since then.

In what way has The Voice given people a different perception of you?

I think it’s probably the fact that before, people see you as one dimension. I’ve got emotions, I’m passionate, I’m fiery, I love to dance, I’m a prankster, I love joking around – I’m not as serious outside music … It’s been nice to share that side of me.

You’ve achieved so much at a young age. What’s your biggest career highlight?

I would say it was the other week, when it was my 15th top 10 and I was just really blessed and thankful for it.

What’s the best part of your job?

The singing, without a doubt. Getting to sing live, that’s my favourite thing to do. And when you invite people to your show and you’ve got an hour-and-a-half to sing, there’s nothing like it. That’s my favourite part because it shows the actual connection with the audience.

What’s the worst part of your job?

Without a doubt, the wonderful things balance it out, but I would say control, I guess. You can’t control everything. I mean, it’s kind of hard when things are said [that aren’t true], but you can’t battle it. I’ve never ever snapped or said anything, I’ve just sort of accepted it.

Delta Goodrem

What do you do for fun?

I love food; I’m a foodie. I love being with my friends. I’ve had the same friends since I was five. I love going to dinners, I love going to movies, or I love watching a TV series. I love getting a box set. I’m addicted to Once upon a Time.

What are your favourite restaurants?

I like China Doll in Sydney and Cafe Sydney.

Do you have a nice man in your life?

No, no [laughs]. I don’t, but my friends are all having fun pimping me out. I haven’t had any time to sort of look at that side of my life … I mean, you know I’m a love bug, but I’m really happy kind of enjoying single life.

Where do you see yourself in five years?

I would just love to be doing what I love to do, surrounded by the people I love. I love writing hit songs for people and myself and continually touring the world with music.

Do you have a secret talent?

I’m very good at languages. I can pick up languages very, very quickly. If I am somewhere more than a couple of days, I naturally just pick up the language.

BITE SIZE

WE WENT TO Sake, The Rocks.

WE ATE Edamame, sashimi tacos with chilled tomato salsa; salmon avocado salad and mixed sashimi and sushi.

WE DRANK Sake and Rose.

I WORE A Dion Lee top, Miu Miu leather pants and Gucci necklace.

DELTA WORE A Versace dress.

Sake Sake Sake

Photography: James Brickwood.

For video footage see smh.com.au

Date with Kate

Date with Kate: Kate Ceberano

11th August, 2013
Tea for two: Hightea with Kate Ceberano.

Tea for two: Hightea with Kate Ceberano.

Kate Ceberano has been a much-loved Australian performer for more than 20 years. She has just released her 21st album, Kensal Road – her first of original material in almost 10 years. During that time she became a mother, recorded cover albums and was artistic director of the Adelaide Cabaret Festival. I caught up with the 46-year-old singer-songwriter to talk about music, her ’80s cringe moments and her love of crocheting.

How did your new album come about?

[Sony Records] said ”we’d love to have you do an originals record”. I’m a singer-songwriter by trade but then I artistically direct festivals and I look after other artists and I’ve made films and I’ve been on television and done all of that. But my keenest wish is to just play music.

You’ve had an amazing career. What’s been the biggest highlight?

It’s tough, actually, to kind of pinpoint something because it seems like I’ve been living to discover who I’m going to become, rather than living to be happy with who I’ve been. It’s never really interested me who I have been – like, I very rarely listen to my back catalogue.

Don’t you?

Oh, no, very rarely. And, in fact, this is the first album and the only reason why I listen to it so avidly is because I was actually a part of its production and I took a lot more responsibility for every single component and I studied the sound of my voice and I wanted to have the production be a certain way. It seems that every other album to date, I’ve never taken full responsibility like I have for this.

Why is that?

I would say ”undereducated” on the subject of music; feeling perhaps when I was younger that it wasn’t my position to tell producers what I don’t like. Often [their] translation of you could come out vastly different from how you see yourself and I think that’s really occurred in previous days. As you get older, you get more determined to hold those reins yourself. I’ve got perhaps a lot more confidence, too, in helping other artists, because from the [Adelaide] festival I can see what they need … [Artists] are sort of like thoroughbreds – we are skittish and we are idiosyncratic, it’s all of those things. We’ve got to be fed properly and when we are not, we misbehave; it’s exactly the same thing [laughs].

What do you think about the phenomenon of reality talent shows?

I get a little nervous. I think the judges fare better than the acts themselves and I do think that if you accelerate a person’s career with that experience, at some point there is a price you have to pay for that. I don’t really have a judgment over the process of putting up a competition, which is, I think, a very healthy thing. However, if artists are given the idea that they don’t have to work really hard … it’s a bit of a false promise – almost like a camouflage hole one day they are going to walk into, and they won’t be prepared for the fall.

Do you look back and have any cringe moments?

Oh god, there are so many, I can’t even tell you. You always have to get beyond two decades to fully enjoy what you are doing, you know. But all of the ’80s- like flamenco skirts and – oh god!

Do you still enjoy performing all your hits or are there songs you just don’t like any more?

Well, funnily enough, I’ve almost made a museum of myself in that now I can actually walk through my catalogue and can admire when and how and what circumstances were happening [around different songs]. And I actually feel I’ve come through the other side and I can respect the body of work, whereas about 10 years ago I definitely think I had my midlife crisis and I was just, like, burn and slash every possible evidence that I ever was around in the ’80s. I don’t know why but I think that late-30s is such an awkward era for women.

How do you juggle having a career and being a mum?

I won’t be winning a mother-of-the-year award any time soon [laughs] but … I suppose you just have to be clear with your children about what it is you are doing and insist that they understand and learn how to be a part of that, because there is a lot to be respected about a working woman.

What do you do for fun?

I’m the biggest nerd – I crochet. I make wild-coloured crocheted gypsy rugs.

BITE SIZE

WE WENT TO The Gallery Tea Lounge, Sheraton on the Park, Sydney.

WE ATE A high tea.

WE DRANK Tea and coffee.

I WORE A Dion Lee Dress.

CEBERANO WORE A Leona Edmiston dress.

Photography: Wolter Peeters

smh.com.au

Date with Kate

Date with Kate: Miranda Otto

4th August, 2013
Lunch with the talented Miranda Otto.

Lunch with the talented Miranda Otto.

Miranda Otto is among Australia’s best-known actors for her work on stage and screen. She was the warrior maiden Eowyn in Peter Jackson’s The Lord of the Rings trilogy and starred opposite Tom Cruise in Steven Spielberg’s remake of War of the Worlds. Otto returned to Australia to attend the NIDA Foundation Trust Fundraising Gala dinner before she relocates to the US to shoot the US adaptation of TV series Rake with Greg Kinnear. I caught up with Otto to talk about her coming films, how she prepares for a role and working with Tommy Lee Jones.

What are you up to at the moment?

Unpacking and repacking. We just got back from three months in the States, I’m heading off to Brazil [this month] for the opening of a film I made there, then back to Sydney, then to LA in September.

Tell me about your coming films.

I, Frankenstein comes out in January. It’s a supernatural action movie with Aaron Eckhart and Bill Nighy, shot in Melbourne. Reaching for the Moon is set in 1950s Brazil, about the relationship between Elizabeth Bishop and Lota de Macedo Soares. The Homesman is with Tommy Lee Jones, Hilary Swank, Meryl Streep, set in 1854, about a claim jumper and a pioneer woman who take three insane women across the plains from Nebraska to Iowa.

Miranda Otto

How do you prepare for a role?

Different every time. I always take notes the first time I read a script, as I’ll never have that fresh take on it again. Often I will come back to those first notes. If it’s a real person, I will try to find out as much about them as I can. When I played Elizabeth Bishop I read her poems, her letters to Robert Lowell and an amazing oral biography. I listened to recordings of her reading poetry and studied photos of her. I researched Brazil at that time … and then I used my imagination. On The Homesman I was playing a woman in 1854 in Nebraska who loses her mind. I researched that time period in America, I looked at photos from that time and place, I read several first-hand-account novels on various forms of mental illness and I spoke and worked with a psychiatrist. Sometimes it’s maybe just one little thing that opens the door into the character for me.

Do you ever go home in character or do you make sure you switch off before leaving the set?

I switch off before I go home but I think it still affects my mood. It changes your internal chemistry a bit.

What has been your biggest character challenge to date and why?

Playing Bishop last year in Brazil. She was a fascinating, deeply talented and complex woman and technically the role required so much – a 15-year time span with different wigs and ageing make-up, east-coast accent, speaking Portuguese. I only had two weeks to prepare. And to me the hardest part is the responsibility of trying to bring a real person to the screen with all the integrity they deserve.

What has been your biggest career highlight so far?

On stage playing Nora in A Doll’s House. It was a role I always wanted to play. And I met my husband.

Who is the most interesting person you have worked with?

Tommy Lee Jones. I’ve never worked with an actor who was directing at the same time. I found him a fascinating actor and deeply insightful director and I loved watching him glide seamlessly between those roles. I kept trying to catch the exact moment he was changing hats.

If you could play any role, who would it be?

Hillary Clinton.

What is next in the pipeline?

The pilot I did for the American version of the ABC show Rake has been picked up, so I’m off to work on that. There’s also a film here that I’m hoping will be funded soon.

You studied at NIDA. What is your favourite memory of your time there?

Being told I had inarticulate feet. I’ve been working on that ever since. It was nice to revisit the school for the gala, too. I had a great night.

What is the best lesson you learnt from NIDA that you still use every day in your work?

Take risks.

Will you relocate to the US for the filming of Rake?

Yes, [I’ll be based in] Los Angeles. The show is set there.

What do you miss most about Australia when you are away?

The coffee, the humidity and the sense of humour.

What do you like to do in your spare time?

Read, hang out with family, travel. In 14 weeks in the US we managed to visit 15 American cities around my shooting schedule.

Do you have a secret talent?

My feet are somewhat articulate.

BITE SIZE:

WE WENT TO ARIA, Circular Quay.

WE ATE ARIA Catering’s NIDA Foundation Trust Fundraising Gala menu of yellowfin tuna and Alaskan crab parcels with udon noodles, soy and wasabi; jamon with celeriac remoulade, pickled beetroot and walnuts.

WE DRANK Sparkling mineral water.

I WORE Dion Lee skirt and top.

MIRANDA WORE Maje dress, Carl Kapp jacket and Isabel Marant shoes.

 

ARIA ARIA

Photography: Dallas Kilponen

smh.com.au

Beauty, Fashion

Five Minutes with – Jessica Gomes

31st July, 2013

Jessica Gomes jetted into Sydney this week for tonight’s SS13 David Jones launch. Here is the behind-the-scenes footage of her David Jones Spring/Summer TV campaign. Plus I chatted to Jess to find out her beauty secrets and her favourite trends for this summer.

What are you doing while you are in Australia?

I’m very busy with David Jones, from launching the Spring Summer season to shooting up-coming campaigns. We are also travelling to Melbourne and Perth (my home town), which I am really looking forward to.

What trends are we seeing this Spring/summer?

Sport Luxe is probably my favourite trend, it is contemporary and minimal with a cool edge and this is very much my aesthetic.

Who are some of your favourite designers?

Bassike, camilla and marc, Dion Lee and Josh Goot.

What are your fashion wardrobe essentials for this season?

Great tailored jacket from Dion Lee, a fabulous one-piece swimsuit, Isola has done some amazing ones. A great pair of jeans, I am loving Nobody right now and a great heel. At the moment I can’t go past Saint Laurent.

What splurge items are on your wish-list this season?

Proenza Schouler over the shoulder handbag and a Dion Lee tailored jacket.

What is your beauty regime?

At the moment I am using SK11 products and I get a great result. I cleanse, tone and moisturise twice a day and when I can, I avoid wearing makeup. I also love the AESOP products and love their face oils for extra nourishment and body creams.

What is one beauty product you couldn’t live without?

Moisturiser – SK11

What are your must-have hair products?

I love the Kevin Murphy haircare range.

How do you keep fit?

Living in LA I do a lot of hiking which I am really enjoying. I also do Pilates and the Tracey Anderson exercise classes.

What do you do to prepare for the catwalk?

Being healthy and taking care of myself are part of my daily routine. I make sure I get plenty of rest, eat healthy, steering clear of sugars and processed foods and making sure I get lots of nutrients through green juices and proteins.

Date with Kate, Fashion

Date with Kate: Candace Bushnell

28th July, 2013
High tea with Sex and The City author Candace Bushnell.

High tea with Sex and The City author Candace Bushnell.

Candace Bushnell is the best-selling author of Sex and the City, The Carrie Diaries, Lipstick Jungle and more. Sex and the City was published in 1996 and went on to be the basis for the HBO hit series and two subsequent blockbuster movies. I caught up with the New York-based author during her trip to Sydney.

What are you up to during your time in Australia?

Maybe some crazy things like the Thunder boat on Sydney harbour. I’m here with my sister, so we have been doing a bit of shopping. This is probably my 10th trip. I’ve been out here a lot with my book tours. But this time I’m out here for the Business Chicks lectures. Business Chicks is the biggest women’s business organisation in Australia, so I’m looking forward to meeting lots of inspiring women.

When you started out, did you ever expect your books would be so successful?

No. When I first started out, my goal was really just to write a book and get it published. I started writing when I was really young – I was first published when I was 19. I knew that I wanted to be a writer at the age of eight and I knew I wanted to write novels. So that was always my dream and my passion.

What is it like when you see your novels come to life on screen?

I’m usually really proud. I mean, I’m always really proud because there are so many people who put in so much hard work.

CandaceBushnell1

What do you think it was about Sex and the City especially that people love so much?

I think it’s very relate-able and I think that women see a part of themselves in each one of the characters. And I think that the situations that the characters are in are – they are very modern. We are striking out on our own and having careers and then also trying to navigate relationships, and those are always things that women can relate to.

Of the four main characters in Sex and the City, which character are you most like?

Well, Carrie Bradshaw was my alter ego. In fact, I actually started off writing Sex and the City in first person and then I felt it was maybe a little bit limited. So then I remember I was sitting at my computer and I was like, ‘I have got to come up with an alter ego and a name.’ And the name just came to me in a flash: Carrie Bradshaw.

Are you as passionate about fashion as Carrie is?

Yes, I’m into fashion, but I spend a lot of time at a house in the country and I have a horse, so most days I’m in a pair of very casual pants – something resembling pyjama bottoms – and flip-flops. But I really appreciate fashion and I like the visual aspect of it, and putting things together.

What’s next in the pipeline for you?

I’m working on another book and the working title is Killing Monica. I had a different title but it was very strange because I had sent a bit of the first draft to my editor and it ended up getting hacked. It’s the times that we live in.

Tell me about your writing process.

Each day I get up, have an Earl Grey tea with lemon, read The New York Times, check my emails and then I just try to get to work and write. I usually work five or six hours and then I’ll go and ride my horse and/or go mountain biking. When I am writing it’s a very simple life, so then I’ll go home [and] make dinner. I’ll get ideas and I’ll take notes while I watch a little bit of TV – sometimes The Bachelor or The Bachelorette, some sort of reality show usually – and then I go to bed and get up and do it all over again. It’s a pretty disciplined life.

What would be your best bit of advice for someone who is just starting as a writer?

Practise. It’s the same kind of discipline that you need for sports or playing an instrument. You practise and practise. I’ve been doing it since I was 19; I’m 54, so that’s 35 years, and I feel like, oh, I’m really starting to understand who I am as a writer and how to say what I want to say. But it’s a continual learning process. It takes a lifetime to do it and to master it, so every day I hope I’m going to be a better writer. You just keep refining it and you have to push yourself.

What do you do to relax when you’re not working?

Well, I ride my horse and then I do dressage, which also is an incredibly disciplined kind of horseback riding. Other than that I spend time with friends and I have two standard poodles.

BITE SIZE

WE WENT TO The Darling, Pyrmont.

WE ATE Finger sandwiches and a selection of cakes.

WE DRANK Earl Grey tea.

I WORE Dion Lee top, Miu Miu leather pants, YSL heels.

CANDACE WORE Missoni dress and Christian Louboutin heels.

Photography: Dallas Kilponen

smh.com.au

Date with Kate

Date with Kate: Whitney Port

18th July, 2013

WhitneyPort

Whitney Port jetted into Sydney this week to launch the Magnum Sydney Pleasure Store last night. I caught up with the the reality star-turned-designer for a “speed” Date with Kate!

What are your favourite things to do in Sydney?

Can you believe that I have visited Sydney several times but I still have not been inside of the Opera House! Hopefully I have some time to work that into my schedule on this trip.

Where are your favourite places to shop in Australia?

I have always been a huge fan of Sportsgirl. We have nothing like it in the states.

What inspires you when designing your collection?

I become inspired by various things. My last collection was inspired by the vastness of the sea, all the creatures inside of it and the different moody environments it takes on. I usually try to have a theme to work with to then design my prints and then the silhouettes come later. I design pieces missing from my wardrobe, my sister’s wardrobes, and my friends. I design what I want to wear.

What are your wardrobe essentials?

Black dropped tee, skinny comfy jeans, little black Alexander Wang dress, Ancient Greek sandals, Rag and Bone ankle booties, Steven Alan hat.

What is on your fashion ‘wish list’?

I’d love a new great bag! I don’t know what yet but perhaps a Celine or Givenchy. I’d also love some new little booties. Maybe some new Isabel Marants too.

What is your most precious item you own?

My Rolex.

Who are your favourite designers?

I really love a lot of Aussie and New Zealand designers – Cooper St, Cameo, Shakuhachi, Karen Walker, Finders Keppers and Keepsake are a few that come to mind but there are so many talented designers in this part of the world!

What is your beauty regime?

All depends on what I am getting ready for but usually less is more. I wash, tone and hydrate. Then I mix a tinted moisturizer with a regular moisturizer. I then brush a mineral powder over, a little bronzer, some crème blush, brush up my eyebrows, curl my eyelashes, pop on a little gloss and I’m good to go for the day! If it’s nighttime I will smudge a little chubby eyeliner on and some mascara!

What is one beauty product you couldn’t live without?

My fresh brand high noon tinted moisturizer.

What are your must-have hair products?

Tangle teaser hairbrush, it’s a ten leave in conditioner; enjoy luxury shampoo and conditioner and Shu Umera oil.

What are you listening to right now?

Vampire weekend’s new album. A lot of the Beatles. I need to download Rita Ora!

Where is your favourite travel destination?

It’s a lake in Osage beach, Missouri that my Family and I have been going to since the year I was born. We boat, lay out, do watersports, cook, go mini golfing and go karting! It’s the best.

All-time favourite movie?

Hard question! Maybe Mermaids!

Do you have a secret talent?

I’m a pretty decent dancer. Danced all throughout growing up. I’m really good at painting nails too!

What are you doing while you are in Australia?

I’m here to unveil the Magnum Sydney Pleasure Store at Westfield Sydney, which is running for just six weeks from July 16th. It’s a really exciting pop-up store concept – you actually get to design your own customised Magnum and watch as it’s brought to life in front of you!

How did you get involved with Magnum?

I’m a big ice cream fan and as a designer, I love to experiment and be creative, so the concept of ‘Making my Own Magnum’ is just up my alley! When Magnum approached I was so excited to come to Sydney help them launch their new store. It’s been activated across the globe – from Paris to Shanghai to New York – so I feel really special to be involved!

What is your favourite flavour?

My ultimate Magnum creation is honeycomb pieces, rock sea salt and chocolate flakes – but I can’t wait to try all 18 different toppings!

Date with Kate

DATE WITH KATE: Dannii Minogue

14th July, 2013

Dannii

Singer-songwriter Dannii Minogue splits her time between being a judge on Australia’s The X Factor, her duties as an ambassador for ModelCo and being a mum of her three-year-old son, Ethan. I caught up with Minogue to talk about being in the public eye, working with her sister Kylie again and her secret love of cross stitching.

Are you enjoying living back in Australia?

I love being back in my home town with my son. It’s just magic being streets away from family. Ethan loves playing with his cousins – they are both boys, so there is a lot of playtime outside with footballs and scooters.

Being in the public eye, do you feel the pressure to always look your best?

I love the balance of life: slopping about in no make-up and a tracksuit, and then getting uber glam and made up for an event. Motherhood keeps my feet firmly on the ground, without a five-inch stiletto in between! It is a mixture of flats and heels these days. Growing up in the public eye, I guess I am well aware when lenses are following me, but I don’t feel pressured to look a certain way. The best thing you can wear is a smile.

You must be asked to be an ambassador for so many brands and products. Why did you align yourself with ModelCo?

Because I am a fan. Fibre Lash is one of my favourite products. If I am a fan of something, all my friends know about it. Being an ambassador just means I get to do it on a bigger scale.

Are you excited to be part of The X Factor Australia?

Yes! It is so great to be able to do this show on home soil. I spent four years judging on the British version and loved all the mentoring with my acts. It brings out the nurturer in me – but I am all about ”tough love”.

You shot an episode with your sister recently. What was it like to be on air with Kylie again?

Kylie and I are blissfully unaware of what a big deal it is for other people to see us together. For us it is normal. There was a buzz in the air on the filming day, as being on screen together is rare. It has been likened to a Loch Ness monster sighting – it just never happens.

Did you know other judges Nat, Ronan and Redfoo before the show?

I had met Ronan many times in Britain at various TV studios, but I never knew him. I had met Natalie a few times and I love her music. The three of us love to laugh and love a party, so there is always a festive mood. Redfoo – there is only one Redfoo! Ronan, Nat and I are speechless when Redfoo tells a story; the guy is so heartfelt and has had a life growing up that we could never imagine, full of music history in the making.

If you were starting out in the industry now, do you think you would audition for a reality competition?

I would say yes. I’m not sure I would win a show like this, but I would give it a red-hot go, as it is a major platform for music success these days. I remember being in a talent competition on Young Talent Time a few years before I joined the show. I never won the competition, but in the end I felt as though I had, after spending six amazing years being a Talent Team member on live TV. It has become the basis of everything I do now. Similarly, with shows like this, even the runners-up are making huge success stories. For instance, One Direction.

Do you think Ethan will follow in your footsteps?

We are starting to sing songs together for fun. One week I started with Baa Baa Black Sheep, and a few days later Kylie had taught him the chorus to Thrift Shop. However, I do think that sport is his thing. He has a great swing at anything with a bat and ball.

What do you do for fun in your spare time?

I love cooking with friends. There are lots of cook-offs in my kitchen. I love interior design, so I jump at the letterbox when my copy of Vogue Living arrives each month. I love to wander around the local markets – Ethan always stops to watch the buskers and I hide in case I have sent any of them home on Australia’s Got Talent!

Do you have a secret talent?

I can cross stitch! I have done it since I was a kid. I find it really relaxing.

Dannii

BITE SIZE

WE WENT TO Hayman Island Resort, Queensland.

WE ATE Crispy skin kingfish, roast pepper puree, lobster ravioli and baby bok choy; raspberry and cream implosion.

WE DRANK Laurent-Perrier rosé.

I WORE Alex Perry

DANNII WORE A Lisa Ho gown

smh.com.au

Photography: Caroline McCredie