The Wrap - A Week in the life of a Fashion Editor

A Week In the Life of a Fashion Editor.
Take a tour through the craziness that is life in the fashion industry, during QT Fashion Week and Awards, with our Fashion Editor, Courtney Thorpe.
Monday
Being a fashion editor, stylist, model, event co-ordinator, style director, styling teacher and the head of the styling department at a fashion academy, means my entire world is about fashion. When I first started announcing that I wanted to work in the fashion industry, everyone told me that it is not as glamorous as it looks, and usually that is true.
A lot of my time is spent doing prep work for shoots and events from my office at home in my daggy old pyjamas, not having time or motivation to do my hair and makeup unless I am going to be seen by my industry peers and working insanely long hours. Not to mention the only slight visible form of a social life I have is with my television.
But this particular Monday was one of those rare “glamorous” days. With the QT Fashion Week and Awards launch party that night, I had a big week ahead of me as a Fashion Editor, and what is more important in the fashion world than what you wear, right? So after a few meetings at the Australian Institute of Creative Design, where I also work, and Katz Management with my modelling agent, I practically whistled and skipped my way into Igedo at The Oasis, to pick out my entire wardrobe for the week. After about an hour, and with the assistance of the lovely staff, I definitely wasn’t skipping and whistling back to my car, not due to lack of excitement, but due to the fact that I was heavily weighed down with seven different outfits, one for each day, which Igedo had given me to wear during the week.
That night was the launch party, a room filled with the who’s who of the fashion industry, all dressed to impress. If the night was a sign as to how the week was going to go, it was going to be one big explosion of decadence, trends, socialites, jaw-dropping fashion.
After tirelessly networking until close to midnight, it was time for this little fashion editor to make the hour and a half drive back to Brisbane to get her beauty sleep.
Tuesday
I awoke bright and early raring to throw myself in the first day of shows. I selected my first outfit from Igedo and I was on my way back down the coast! Another perk of being a fashion editor is being allowed access backstage. This is where the real action happens. With one big table in the middle of the room were the makeup artists from Runway Express and the hair stylists from Tony & Guy, working their creative magic on the 12 stunning models.
As I made my way to the back of the room, I was instantly and uncontrollably drawn to the racks of the most incredible lingerie I had ever laid my eyes on. Marlies Dekkers was showing that night and the designs were all lined up ready for the models to work on the catwalk in only a matter of hours.
It was the perfect show to begin the week, the perfect mix of luxury, sophistication and fashion, that left the audience in awe.
Wednesday
Wednesday was a night of flawless, statuesque beauty, as the models stood elevated above the crowd, in the jewels and dresses that dreams are made of. Nomiki Glynatsis welcomed guests into a world of Spanish love at the installation show, where they would be captivated by the designs in her new collection “A Touch of Romance”, and serenaded with Spanish music by Trio Serenata.
Thursday
Thursday morning after selecting my next outfit from my “Igedo Wardrobe” and writing a review on the Nomiki Glynatsis show for GC MAG, I was headed back down the coast for day 4 of QT Fashion Week and Awards. Up first was Rumar by Rochelle and Niki Teljega. Rumar by Rochelle, with her carefully designed dresses to suit women of all different shapes and sizes, was a favourite of the week. Each dress was displayed in a different and wearable way on the runway, in bright bold colours and angelic white, accented with stunning headpieces and accessories of fresh flowers. It was certainly a hard act to follow, but Niki Teljega more than rised to the challenge. This designer’s collection demonstrated a mix of femineity and fashion forward thinking. In keeping with the fast paced turnovers of fashion, the models were rushed backstage for a hair and makeup change, before heading back out on the runway for the second show of the evening. Talulah and Minty Meets Munt were the next designers on show. Both labels were featuring their new collections and were both strong favourites of the week.
Friday
The QT Hotel was the place to be on Friday for the Designer Lunch. It was the chance of a lifetime, as the designers showing during the week were answering questions and mingling with guests whilst enjoying lunch at Bazaar in the QT Hotel.
After an afternoon of rubbing shoulders with the who’s who of the fashion industry, there was plenty of buzz about the evenings event. It was time for the long awaited swimwear shows. Saucy Rose, Peony, La Biquini, Muchacho, Carmel Simone and Mijanou was not your usual swimwear parade! These designers were also competing for the White Sands Best Up and Coming Swimwear Designer Award. It was a touch competition with the designers pulling out the goods with tassels, salsa dancers and headdresses, but as they say salsa is the dance of love, and the judges definitely loved Muchacho, who were awarded the prize.
It was another whirlwind turn around backstage for the KS Swim and White Sands show. There could have been two more contrasting collections, with KS Swim showcasing their Egyptian inspired pieces and White Sands looking pretty in pastel floral’s.
Saturday:
The day had finally arrived that guests had been talking about for months! Mac & Bain, La’Or, Ringuet, Muchacho Clothing and Threadbare featuring Josh Goot, Ellery, Dion Lee, Hyde Leather, Mok Theotem and Story by Tang were all showing over three separate shows. Josh Goot took away the prize of Best Establish Designer of 2013, Ringuet won the Gold Door Australia Best Up and Coming Designer. Ringuet in particular has left everyone talking, and would have been one of my favourite collections of the week.
Sunday
After a long week, QT Fashion Week and Awards was coming to a close, but not before going out with a bang. Lisa Brown and Nicola Finetti closed the week with their collections. It was the perfect way to end a week full of decadent fashions. I am already counting down the days for next year, but in the mean time, my feet have healed from the ordeal of 5 inch heels, my skin has had a chance to breathe from under all my makeup, and regrettably I have returned all my gorgeous clothes to Igedo. It isn’t always a life of glamour as a fashion editor, but I do live for each fashion week and QT Fashion Week and Awards was unforgettable.
Until the next fashion week, I will be busying myself with interviews with celebrities and fashion icons, and organising fashion editorials for our upcoming issues. Don’t be fooled, what this actually means is you can find me in my pj’s on the phone, running around stores like a maniac, glued to my laptop or crying myself to sleep, all in the name of fashion!

Courtney Thorpe

Courtney Thorpe

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