25 People Who Made Sydney
Sydney Morning Herald
Tuesday July 20, 1999
Who influences what we wear, what we eat and how we live? GEORGE EPAMINONDAS profiles the city's style set.
For a long time, it seemed the Harbour Bridge, the Opera House and meat pies from Harry's Cafe De Wheels were the defining elements of Sydney style. But millennial Sydney is a dramatically different creature. We now live in a society that is multifaceted and design-conscious, a city that richly deserves its star ranking as one of the leading destinations in the world. Right before our eyes, the cringe factor has been superseded by the - crikey! - cool quotient. To mark the transformation, and as a tribute to the people who made it happen, we've assembled Sydney's rollcall of cool.
Who are the style arbiters of Sydney? The people who influence what we wear, what we eat, the way we live? The names that appear here were culled furiously from a list as long as the credits for a George Lucas film. For practicality, business groups have been counted as one. The criteria were simple: the people who made the cut are visionaries in their fields, setting standards in food, fashion or design. Some of them you may never have encountered; others may inspire protest. Rest assured, they are all shaping the aesthetics of the city.
The style file reveals a diverse bunch. In selecting Sydney's style elite, some names were too obvious to mention. Much has been said already, for example, about Simon Lock, who pulled Australian Fashion Week out of an Akubra hat. Likewise, the careers of fashion designer Collette Dinnigan, chef Neil Perry, architect Harry Seidler and hair stylist Joh Bailey have been well documented over the years.
While we've steered clear of the too-obvious, no doubt some inclusions in the list will be controversial. This is to be expected. After all, style, like beauty, is in the eye of the beholder.
ian
nessick
As the man behind YPV and Pigsinspace, the two coolest labels in Sydney, Ian Nessick is way ahead in street cred. The English emigre opened his hip store, YPV, on Crown Street, Surry Hills, long before the strip evolved into an alternative retail hub, stocking his own labels as well as Mooks, John Smedley, Sharp Eye, G-Star and, more recently, Roy and Todd Robinson. Earlier this year, he created an opium den-style boutique to house Pigsinspace, in a tiny Paddington laneway, where designer Natasha Ivachoff can explore her creativity to the hilt. Now he is to open another store, in Campbell Street, Surry Hills, trading in designer seconds and experimental pieces left out of collections. Named ? II (that's division two), "It's for people who might not be able to afford the real thing," says Nessick, also working on his second CD.
rodney
adler &tull
price
The trainer revival can be attributed to two entities: Sporty Spice and Royal Elastics. Royals are the lace-free, slip-on sneakers seen pounding pavements from Bondi to Bond Street, London. They hail from the Alexandria, Sydney, offices of Rodney Adler and Tull Price, two astute designers who first espoused the idea of a "fashion trainer" sans laces two years ago. Soon, people including Bjork and Goldie were devotees; Robert De Niro and Harvey Keitel wear them with Armani tuxedos. Royal Elastics are among the most sought-after trainers in the world. "I still get a buzz when I see people wearing them," says Adler, who has set up a satellite office in Costa Mesa, southern California, to consolidate the American market.
terry & robert
schwamberg
He was a former hair stylist, she a one-time model and fashion editor. Together, Robert and Terry Schwamberg have refashioned the Sydney boutique hotel scene with two key properties - Medusa and the Kirketon. Both on Darlinghurst Road, Darlinghurst, the two hotels couldn't be more different. Medusa reflects designer Scott Weston's affinity for ringing colour, while the newer Kirketon, conceived by Iain Halliday, is a minimalist masterpiece. Within weeks of its opening, the style magazines were jostling to shoot there, British Conde Nast Traveller, Wallpaper* and Harper's Bazaar Australia among them. With Luke Mangan's
restaurant, Salt, still packing them in, a happening cigar bar at the back and guests such as Chadwicks model agency and M.A.C cosmetics in the function room, the Kirketon buzz continues unabated.
stan
sarris
First there was Banc, the ultimate power-lunching restaurant in Martin Place. Banc begat Winebanc, an upmarket wine bar around the corner with a late-trading licence and snappy food. Winebanc begat Mint, an even groovier bar in the same building. Now, Stan Sarris, the food sultan who has restyled the CBD, has added the GPO to his empire. Restored to its former glory, the new GPO boasts two restaurants (a steakhouse and an oyster and crustacean bar), cocktail and espresso bars, sushi counter, and a vast food hall with butcher, baker and candlestick maker. "It's a big beast," says Sarris of the 3,000 square metres under his suzerainty. "The whole thing has been designed to accommodate the needs of the city." Accordingly GPO, opening in August, will trade seven days a week.
mandy & david
heimann
Few have done more to perpetuate cult homewares than Mandy and David Heimann, the mother and son team whose Woollahra store, Orson & Blake Collectables, is the undisputed altar of designer interiors. The name is synonymous with a widely mimicked style of decorating that brings together unexpected elements: an antique tapestry, a '50s-style ceramic bowl and a modern stainless-steel table. After almost eight years of trading, the emporium was given a Burley Katon Halliday lift to make way for more fashion and furniture tidbits: Jonathan Adler ceramics from New York, Didier Bladhart wooden trays from Paris and all manner of objects from Asia. "It's about intuition," David Heimann says. "We know what people want."
tina
engelen &
ian
moore
On the drawing boards of Engelen Moore lie some of the most exciting real estate projects in Sydney. The duo's first big success story was The Grid, a 38-unit apartment block in Rushcutters Bay, gobbled up off the plan. This led to a raft of projects, including Altair, a 140-unit tower at Kings Cross and the most giddily anticipated building since Harry Seidler's Horizon. Interior designer Tina Engelen and architect Ian Moore pride themselves on being perfectionists and idealists. As a result, they are setting a benchmark in design. "We're committed to raising the standards," says Engelen, whose imprimatur on a building or space raises its profile sky high. "And these days the options are opening up."
prasit
prateeprasen
The love affair between Sydney and Thai food continues to be a hot-blooded one. With three branches of his Prasit's Northside Thai - one in North Sydney and two in Surry Hills, including a teeming takeout bar - Prasit Prateeprasen is at the forefront of inspired cooking with a chilli factor of 100. He has set the standard for other Thai kitchens - fast, accessible and consistently delicious. The man whose mother cooked for Thai royalty has also spawned a host of new kids on the block, including Phat Boys in East Sydney and Spice Market in Double Bay. Now, Prateeprasen has bigger fishcakes to fry and is on the lookout for another satellite kitchen.
james
houston
James Houston is a fashion photographer with a taste for naked flesh, his work in black and white epitomising the inherent narcissism of the city, the body culture, the hedonistic spirit, influencing a host of other local photographers. Houston could not exist in Melbourne. Two years ago, he released a book, Raw, which pulled together some of his best work. He is busy on another book of nudes, with subjects queueing to be photographed. He's a deft hand at advertising campaigns, too - he did the RayBan ads with Pat Rafter and Matt Shirvington. He is currently shooting many of our Olympic athletes - in their birthday suits, of course.
deeta
colvin
Because she has stitched up the Cointreau Ball - still the hottest ticket on the social scene - for the past 14 years. Because she has a clutch of haute clients, including Louis Vuitton, Loewe, Lindt chocolates, M.A.C cosmetics, Hotel de Crillon in Paris and Remy Australie (Piper Heidsieck, Charles Heidsieck, Krug). Because she has an innate ability to stage memorable functions to which other spin doctors aspire. The Colvin Communications invitation list traverses fashion, politics, big business, media and the arts. As Colvin says: "The difference is these are people we know; they are not just names on a list." If clients don't fit the calibre, they are not represented. "We don't do Coca-Cola and Meadow Lea." Not that butter would melt in her mouth.
david
katon, iain
halliday
& david
selden
Burley Katon Halliday is a name equivalent with sexy design. Indeed, David Katon, Iain Halliday and new partner David Selden are responsible for some of the most glamorous residences and restaurants in Sydney. The Summit, the Kirketon, 8 Billyard Avenue in Elizabeth Bay and Republic 1 and 2 in East Sydney all stem from the design group that Neil Burley established 32 years ago. These days, the principals are more like rock stars, with devoted groupies, Italian threads and a signature worth framing - that is, if they let you. Some people have accused them of being control freaks, but Halliday is unrepentant. "I think that's our job." Among the latest commissions are the restyling of the national Simona stores, a New York apartment and a yacht interior. Smooth sailing.
JON
OSBEISTON
Jon Osbeiston manages The Ultimo Wine Centre - one of Sydney's most respected wine outlets - giving him a major platform from which to air his views. While all-knowing about the vast repository of wines, Osbeiston and staff are never dictatorial about their choices. They prefer to guide our palates. It is Osbeiston's opinion that food and wine go hand in hand, not exactly an earth-shattering assessment until you consider the tendency of some viticulturists to be maddeningly obscure. "Our emphasis is food-friendly wines which are full-flavoured and balanced," he says. His wine lists grace some of our leading restaurants, including Tetsuya's, Cicada and Ampersand. "It's a partnership with these restaurants. We make recommendations in styles and categories."
ERLE
CRAMER
Located in the middle of Darlinghurst's Victoria Street cafe strip, Cramer Property Agents is percolating with hot residential projects. Erle Cramer was perhaps the first person in Sydney to realise that people who wore Prada, read Elle Decor and drove Mercedes-Benz also wanted to live in a cleverly designed apartment by a name architect. The prototype was Seidler's Horizon, its very existence due to Cramer convincing Malaysian investors that it would be a commercial success. It was. "I just had a sense people were fed up with mediocre developments," he says. Cramer has since launched other snazzy buildings, including The Grid, Altair, The Excelsior in Surry Hills, Aero in Camperdown and Republic 1 and 2. "I've enjoyed my real estate career more in the past two years than ever before," he says.
REG
MOMBASSA
No other street, surf or fashion label can claim the iconic power of Mambo. The Sydney company has captured the essence of Australia's larrikin humour and turned it into a fashion statement sought after worldwide. Reg Mombassa's work is integral to the label. In his allegorical, Bosch-like visions imprinted on T-shirts, the designer creates an absurdist landscape peopled with characters including the two-horned spaceman, crazy chooks and an Australian Jesus. His exhibitions are a sellout, but Mombassa has said he prefers designing for T-shirts, which are like "walking galleries". Mambo founder Dare Jennings once described him as "the most intellectual puerile" he had met.
MARK
KEIGHERY
It would be difficult to imagine the Sydney fashion scene without Marcs. If you can't find anything you want to wear in one of Mark Keighery's four stores, among labels including Diesel, Helmut Lang, Yohji Yamamoto and Marcs, then there just might be something wrong with you. Keighery tries hard to be one step ahead, travelling
overseas regularly on scouting and buying missions, coming back firing with new ideas and labels. His latest baby is London discovery Maharishi. The flagship Marcs store in Pitt Street Mall is undergoing a metamorphosis to accommodate his new take on fashion. "We're trying to redefine the label for 2000," he says, "with new labels, new graphics, new accessories."
SIMON
JOHNSON
He is the consummate exponent of fine food; the apostle of gourmet ingredients who hunts the countrysides of France, Italy and Spain for organic delicacies to sell in his Pyrmont and Woollahra stores. Simon Johnson knows that oils ain't oils, which is why you can choose from 30 varieties in his stores. He set up shop 10 years ago with a view to supplying restaurants and hotels with high-grade ingredients. Soon the public wanted to know where to buy the stuff. Now we take for granted places like Johnson's, jones the grocer and Fuel.
MIRIAM
CORDELLIER-WEAVER
Man cannot live by bread alone but, if he did, Victoire Bakery in Balmain would be a good place to start. Miriam Cordellier-Weaver is responsible for baking some of the most divine breads and pastries in Sydney, her list of commercial clients as long as a baguette: Qantas, MG Garage, bills et al. Don't bother asking this straight-talking, French-born woman about the biggest thing since sourdough bread, the style she was responsible for promoting long before it turned up at your local baker. "I do what I like to do and what I like to eat," she says, matter of factly. The business began as a friand-sized Balmain bakery in 1985 and moved to its Darling Street location five years ago. Pastry chef Lorraine Godsmark, ex-Rockpool, has joined the team.
JAMES
GORDON
He turned the Town Hall into a Christmas tree, staged a dinner for 300 for Poppy King and created a set for Collette Dinnigan in Paris as pretty as the clothes. James Gordon is the set decorator nonpareil, the man whose life revolves around making an entrance and the man other party decorators can't help but be shaped by. His signature is maximalism to the max. His philosophy is weddings, parties, anything. The Gordon oeuvre stretches back almost 25 years. In the '80s, he dreamt up the opulent Krystal party, the fragrance launch that was to be a prototype for all others. Does he expect creative veto? "I always get it whether clients want to give it to me or not."
ANDERS
OUSBACK
Anders Ousback might have been a mathematician in another life. His favourite expression is "It has to add up". It's the formula he has used in creating the flawless restaurant. Recently, he has worked his arithmetic on two exceedingly successful ventures. The Clock Hotel in Surry Hills was retooled from skanky to swanky, while The Summit was remade for a new generation. When it comes to food, Ousback says he would rather err on the side of tradition than explore every trend that comes around. "If I see one more seared tuna nicoise on a menu I'll scream." And projects have to make their mark on their city. "I expect tourists who visit Sydney to go to the Opera House, climb the bridge and come to The Summit." Before these landmarks, his name was associated with Hyde Park Barracks, The Wharf, the Art Gallery Cafe and Bennelong.
ANTONIO
ZECCOLA
By bringing together film, food and literature under the one roof - at the Norton Street cinema complex in Leichhardt and the Verona cinema in Paddington - Palace hit on something. The original experiment was The George in Melbourne's St Kilda, which inspired in owner/managing director
Antonio Zeccola the belief that such an entertainment hybrid could work elsewhere. "The mix is magical, you must admit," Melbourne-based Zeccola says. "We never doubted that they wouldn't be successful." So ingrained are the Sydney complexes that for many urbanites it is difficult to imagine the city without them. The striking design by Tim Greer, of Tonkin Zulaikha, ensures they will age well, too.
DENNIS
PAPHITIS
Packaged in clinical amber bottles and using only the purest botanical ingredients, Aesop was the first beauty company to provide an alternative to the beauty-industrial complex with exceptional homegrown products. For founder Dennis Paphitis, our daily ablutions are a ritual. In the past decade, he has co-ordinated a stream of quality products to facilitate the process, with suitably blissful names such as Resurrection Hand Balm, Revitalising Hair Sealant and Ginger Flight Therapy. From his base in Melbourne, he has marketed his wares to the world's coolest stores: Colette in Paris, Barneys New York and The Cross in London among them. In Sydney, the products are available only at David Jones' Elizabeth Street and Bondi Junction stores, Empire in Paddington and the MCA stores.
RICHARD
ALLAN
Known mostly for his work as an extraordinary graphic designer - he created
T-shirts for Mambo in the early days, founded streetwear label Mooks with Richard and Stephen Hill and created album covers for countless bands - Richard Allan's work calibrates shifts in the spirit of the times. In Sydney, he is regarded as the godfather of cool, whose signature can be seen in graphic design, streetwear and illustration. Allan has lent his art directing talents to the forthcoming book by Marc Newson, with whom he has collaborated on projects for many years. Allan has also dreamt up illustrations for magazines such as HQ and the American Raygun, as well as witty murals for hip new London restaurant The Great Eastern Dining Room.
UTE
ROSE
In her Redfern store Anibou, Ute Rose stocks a United Nations of 20th century design. Alongside functional pieces procured from overseas - Artek glassware from Finland, Halifax chairs from Italy and Philippine cane furniture - Anibou has always promoted the best of local talent. Rose was one of the earliest exponents of Marc Newson's work. She also put Caroline Casey on the map almost five years ago. "We offered her an exhibition on the spot,"
Rose says. This year, Anibou celebrates its 10th anniversary. To this day nothing excites Rose more than discovering a hot talent. "This morning a man from Canberra came in and showed us this magnificent chair," she says, beaming.
KARIN
UPTON BAKER
When Mode was remade as Harper's Bazaar Mode last year it seemed a strange hybrid, a publishing experiment gone awry. Even among the cynical publishing cognoscenti, few would now doubt that Harper's Bazaar Australia has stolen the thunder of the other up-market glossies. Here is a magazine as big, bold and brassy as anything from overseas. At the helm is the indefatigable Karin Upton Baker, the magazine editor from Central Casting with her seamless designer wardrobe, Joh Bailey blow dry and regal charm that has advertisers eating out of her hand. So impressed is Hearst Magazines with her performance she was asked to fill in when Liz Tilberis, editor of US Harper's Bazaar, died recently.
PETRINA
TINSLAY
If you've ever glanced longingly at a food image in a magazine, chances are Petrina Tinslay shot it. Tinslay is one of the most in-demand food and interiors photographers in Sydney, with clients including marie claire (she shoots the stunning cookbooks), Elle Cuisine and Vogue Entertaining. Lately, Tinslay has been commissioned by US food bibles American Food & Wine and Martha Stewart Living, as well as Britain's Food Illustrated. "There's a lot of interest in Sydney right now," says Tinslay, whose work is known for its delicate lighting and scrumptious focusing, the so-called "yum factor". "If it doesn't look like you want to eat it, then I'm not doing my job."
BELINDA
SEPER
Like a style-conscious bowerbird, Belinda Seper scours the world for the designer picks that fill her three lavish boutiques (MLC, Double Bay and Paddington): the Clements Ribeiro sweater from London, the Martin Grant suit from Paris, the Marni skirt from Milan and the Sigerson Morrison boots from New York. These are the labels that leave style devotees panting with pleasure. Even more titillating is that Seper stocks current collections from overseas; currency is integral to a fashion aficionado. "My stores are not for everybody," she says, "but I'm comfortable with that because the people we do exist for love what we do." Coming up: her own label.
© 1999 Sydney Morning Herald