While in Sydney for Australian Fashion Week, Dan Ahwa reconnects with the New Zealand faces and creatives who are making an impact across the ditch with their talent and tenacity.
Finding your feet in a new city can conjure a range of emotions, particularly if you’re living away from home
In this photo essay, Sydney-based New Zealand photographer Rob Tennent tapped a coterie of faces and names who have made strides within the Australian Fashion industry for both their look and work ethic. Aside from modelling, these nine faces have also persevered with personal interests that have helped shape their identity and confidence in a new town.
Some, like endearing leading model and previous Viva cover star Manahou Mackay, have made a distinctive impression on the scene, working with a range of designers both established and emerging, bringing a unique, collaborative spirit to every project. Others, like Christchurch native Noah Tumataroa and Matamata-raised Emily Baker, have made their mark walking international runways for the likes of Versace and Prada. They join an alumni of other New Zealanders who’ve paved the way internationally including Kylie Bax in the 90s, Ashleigh Good in the late 2010s and more recently, Jordan Daniels and Georgia Pratt-Holiber.
While in Sydney for Australian Fashion Week, it’s clear the work of New Zealand creatives has become a vital part of a thriving Australian fashion industry. From designers and agents to stylists, photographers, hair and makeup artists, New Zealand models also play a significant role in bridging the gap between the two markets, bringing their unique voices and experiences to the industry along the way.
In a celebration of transtasman creativity, we catch up with nine models living and working in Sydney right now, styled in a collection of fashion from Australian and New Zealand fashion brands that are available in both markets.
The model has a self-assured charisma that has helped her find her people in Sydney since moving there five years ago.
Te Manahou Mackay is represented internationally by IMG Models and N Management (NZ), and has worked with some of Australia and New Zealand’s leading fashion designers including Paris Georgia, Michael Lo Sordo and Common Hours. Appearing on the cover of Australian Vogue in 2023 for its seminal Pride issue, the model has made a home for herself in Sydney since arriving there five years ago aged 18. “I completely flopped,” she recalls when we catch up in a Potts Point studio. “I didn’t work a day at all. I was a big party girl, just a mess. My eyes weren’t on the prize back then.”
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Advertise with NZME.These days she’s laser-focused and happy, finding her feet with the help of a community of people who have supported and championed her along the way, including our photographer Rob who Manahou counts as a close friend and creative collaborator.
“I’ve definitely found my community of people who understand me and have witnessed my life here in Sydney,” she says. “I have good friends at home, but they don’t have that same level of understanding because they haven’t been part of my recent life journey. I consider Sydney to be my home now.”
These days, time back in Aotearoa is a chance for a reset from the pace of life in Sydney.
“It can feel sheltered in New Zealand, with not much access to the world, but there is a lot of beauty in being grateful in this too. It’s like an oasis where you can escape and find silence and the necessary space from the world to heal and reset.”
As someone who represents a bridge between New Zealand and Australian fashion and who is adept at communicating our fashion on a global scale, Manahou says the lessons learned are all about staying true to your values — whether you’re a model, an artist or a fashion designer.
“It does make me sad to hear big names like Kate Sylvester closing down. The New Zealand fashion consciousness is very much about sustainability and ethical practices which is a really beautiful thing to nurture. I have a lot of hope that beautiful things in fashion can still survive the times we’re living in — factors like sustainable practices need to survive and evolve for our industries not to succumb to the capitalist machine. We can and we will keep creativity alive. The things we do without financial motivation still matter when it comes to true, genuine creativity.”
Moving back to Sydney after living in New York for several years, Emily’s wealth of experience has led her to help other models coming through the ranks.
Emily Baker is one of New Zealand’s leading international models, having appeared in campaigns for the likes of Gucci and featuring in countless magazine editorials and covers, including the eternal rite of passage for any successful model — being photographed by Steven Meisel for Italian Vogue. Represented by 62 Management in New Zealand and Kult in Australia, Emily has been based in Sydney since late 2020 after moving from New York during the pandemic. The 30-year-old has come a long way from when she first entered the scene in 2011, fast becoming a runway favourite at Prada, Miu Miu, Gucci, Fendi and Carolina Herrera.
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Advertise with NZME.“Most of my close friends are overseas so I tend to be a recluse and focus on my health and wellbeing. I guess my community comes from work. I think when all my friends from around the world can all be in one place, I’ll be able to say yes to having a community.
“I’m also probably more of a mentor for younger girls as opposed to when I started. I was so naive then. So I think the knowledge I’ve gained has evolved so much, but I think that comes with growing up and life experience. Understanding myself more than anything has probably evolved the most.”
Having travelled the world through modelling over the years, Sydney is much closer to her hometown of Matamata.
“I think the transtasman transition was a lot easier, among others I’ve had to take,” she says. “Sydney feels similar to home in some ways. Being able to bounce between the two has offered me a bit of a break from the hustle and bustle of New York while still being able to work and maintain my profile as a model. I never really intended to stay as long as I have, to be honest.”
So what does the concept of “home” mean to her now?
“I think I’ve spent most of my life searching for that when I’ve been away from New Zealand,” she says, “and learned that it’s no longer a place, but it’s finding that inside yourself, wherever you go. Sounds so cliche, but that’s my truth. I’ll always call New Zealand home though. It’s my time to rest and reset. Nothing beats a New Zealand summer with my family, going fishing in the Coromandel.”
When it comes to understanding the value of New Zealand creatives in the Australian market, Emily says it’s our humble traits that make us stand out. “It’s our purity, our humility and our sense of humour. Those Kiwi roots are engraved within us.”
The actor and model was the star of Viva Magazine — Volume Eight, and is making a name for herself as a fearless actor.
Roxie Mohebbi, star of shows such as Miles From Nowhere and Critical Incident, is also one of the local fashion industry’s beloved faces, working for the likes of Georgia Jay, Kate Sylvester and Paris Georgia. But her transition to recent life in Sydney wasn’t a smooth journey.
“I had a challenging transition to Australia,” she says. “I came to Sydney initially and tried to get into the fashion scene and I found it isolating at the start. Maybe it was because I was doing film in New Zealand and dabbling in fashion in Sydney, but that was not it for me. The fashion and modelling industry is a lot harsher here. So I had an on-and-off ‘situationship’ with Sydney for three years, and during that time I was constantly auditioning for Australian work. I told my agent I wanted to work overseas, that’s always been a goal of mine. And then I did a job here in October which was gruelling. I had three days to pack up my life and move. It was then that I began to fall in love with the industry here, and decided to stay. It’s been weird because I didn’t think that was how it was going to go.”
The perseverance has paid off, with a range of new work releasing just as Roxie is finding her feet in Sydney, including the Jonathan Ogilvie-directed film Head South, which recently premiered at the Sydney Film Festival.
“It’s so weird how it all comes crashing all at once,” she says laughing. “I’ve been really blessed, but it’s been funny the timing moving here and then all the work I did in New Zealand all coming out at once. It feels aligned. It’s sounds cheesy but it does. I’ve also learned the Australian film industry really backs their creatives, from actors to the production crews, everyone has the potential to make it on an international level too.”
With a renewed understanding of Sydney, has she found her community of people?
“Yes, but it’s been hard. Sydney has this reputation for being notoriously exclusive and cliquey. But I genuinely believe that with the amount of Kiwis moving here, we’re changing this culture. I walk around on the street and say hey! to people. We work as a community, you just know everyone. Here people are a little bit more individual and trying to get ahead by themselves, which is also great — I love that ambition, there’s a positive in this too. But by merging that Kiwi sensibility of really truly supporting one another with that very Australian ambition, to me, that’s the perfect combination to make it here. Because your community is everything. That’s been my hardest thing. Moving somewhere new to have to start again with a new community. It’s what makes someone anyone really. You can be talented, fortunate, lucky etc but I genuinely believe it’s your community that makes you unique.”
The Wellington transplant is a multi-talented creative who counts modelling as only one feather in his bow.
“I moved to Sydney at the end of 2018 and was scouted by a model agent in 2019 in Sydney.” From designing jewellery to working in 3D animation for a range of clients including Vogue, Inprint Magazine, Mecca and Kit, Mika’s creative universe has played a part in the Wellington native’s life in Sydney.
“There’s a real sense of community with people I share that online connection with, it’s really good to find a kindred connection with Kiwis wherever you are, especially here in Sydney.
“Sydney has taught me to find balance. It’s taken a while for me to find that because when I first started experimenting with the world of jewellery for example, I needed to set an example for myself of what true play feels like. Now I’m lucky that I’ve fallen into a niche sector with 3D beauty which has been great in terms of finding a commercial area for me to develop. Finding time to balance both creativity and commercial pursuits is what I have found interesting as I live and work in Sydney.”
The effervescent ‘Westie’ from Te Atatu has lived in Sydney on and off for nine years, and now makes her move toward video content and presenting.
At Australian Fashion Week, Emma’s joyous dispatches reporting from some of the shows on the schedule proved she’s no one-trick pony, with her knack for making people feel at ease on camera. Making the move to Australia at a young age, Emma, who was scouted at 15, says the fashion industry has become a teacher of sorts as she has navigated life as a young adult.
“I feel like I’ve had different phases living and working in Australia. I came here quite young, started very fresh and didn’t know anybody at all, not a soul. I think I met my best friend on the bus. Then slowly I feel like the industry here is like my family, every time I’m working I’ll know someone on set. But I go home regularly, maybe twice a year. I feel like I always need a New Zealand injection. I can’t pick which one is my home now, Auckland or Sydney. It’s a bit of both.”
She’s a fan of New Zealand fashion designers, making a considered effort to support local designers.
“I always wear Kiwi designers. There’s something individual about New Zealand designers. It doesn’t look like the rest. There’s always something different that sets them apart from Australian designers.
“My personal favourites include my best friend Charlotte who does Frisson Knits. I wear her designs all the time. She’s a powerhouse and constantly making new pieces. I also love Rory William Docherty. I am obsessed with him. He is the cutest human. Paris Georgia is also a staple in my wardrobe.”
The Viva cover star is a favourite of designers Wynn Hamlyn and Entire Studios.
Hailing from Wellington, Ayan’s modelling portfolio includes working with some of New Zealand’s brightest names in fashion, including Entire Studios and Yu Mei. Her Viva cover story by photographer Scott Hardy from 2019 remains one of our favourites, and she is one of contributing fashion editor Chloe Hill’s favourite models. Undeterred by Sydney’s hustle culture, Ayan is prioritising the freedom of exploring the city’s creative offerings at her own pace.
“I’m working on myself and I’m happy with where I’m at. If I dove into things really fast, I think I would have burnout quickly. So I’m taking my time with Sydney.
“It’s been hard to break through into the industry and find my people, but I know there are people there,” she says. “There is definitely space for Australians and New Zealanders to work together more, 100 per cent. We’re so close. Even though we do have differences, we have a lot more in common.
“Right now I miss the food in Wellington! I also miss the fashion. In Wellington, people wear whatever they want. I miss that freedom of self-expression back home.”
He’s the male model on the rise, currently starring in Versace’s spring/summer 2024 campaign. Noah’s time is now.
Noah was signed to Sydney-based modelling agency The Scouted in 2021 after being discovered through Instagram, and founder Simone Hellicar has played a vital role in his rapid trajectory, walking international runways for the likes of Versace and Jacquemus. The 19-year-old has also made Sydney his home for the past two years, finding time to reconnect with family in Christchurch during the summer holidays.
“Sydney has been really great and I’ve got so much support from my agents. I’m not a fan of travelling! Long-haul flights suck sometimes, but what I love about travelling is the food. I love food so much. Going to Paris for a good croissant is next-level.”
Connecting with his Māori heritage is also something he’s been interested in recently, and for the shoot, Noah wears a Toitū te Tiriti Kaupapa Pakeke T-shirt by artist and curator Melanie Tangaere-Baldwin from Moana Fresh.
“No matter what indigenous background you identify with, I think it’s cool to see what goes in behind the designs,” says Noah. “Actually having a story behind the garments is something that feels special and unique. It’s great to see patterns, colours and how people introduce their culture into their designs. It makes the clothes way more interesting for me to wear, to talk about and look at.”
The recent psychology and Japanese graduate is making waves in Sydney.
Charlotte Moffat has had a busy week — for her first Australian Fashion Week she booked eight key runway shows.
“Australians are more friendly than I realised. Everyone wants to get to know you and is interested that I’m from New Zealand. People have quite a good image of New Zealanders.”
Debuting at another debut — fellow New Zealander Rory William Docherty’s show, Charlotte loves the connection of seeing other New Zealanders thriving in Sydney. “Being backstage at Rory’s show, It felt very homely, with some of the hair and makeup artists backstage and people from New Zealand at the show. I also loved being surrounded by other models from my agency, such a nice start to the week.”
Represented by Prisiclla’s in Sydney and Super Management in Auckland, Charlotte’s first month in Sydney is off to a good start.
“It’s gotten chaotic throughout the week, running in between shows. I had to run to a show in slippers because my shoes were lost from my previous show. I haven’t had much sleep but it’s been energising at the same time. I love being part of someone’s vision and performing in different ways.
“I think I’ll be in Sydney for about six months. Now that I’ve finished my degree in psychology and Japanese as a double major at Victoria University, I’m going to give modelling a serious go as a full-time job for now.”
On the other end of the modelling spectrum, the fresh face from Tauranga is on the cusp of bigger things.
Another recent transplant, Tauranga native Sam Presland has been in Sydney for a month, represented by 62 Management in Auckland and Chadwick Models in Sydney. He has already made an impact, too, opening for Sydney-based fashion label Xi Wu Studio at the brand’s recent runway show.
“It’s been a lot busier than New Zealand, everything is bigger and faster and while it takes a while to adjust, I’m really enjoying it. Sometimes I do get homesick. Being in a whole new country you tend to miss your friends and family. I miss the Kiwi vibes sometimes, it’s a lot slower in some sense and a bit laid-back. I miss the simplicity of life.”
Finding opportunity and learning the ropes in a bigger market, Sam says he’s admiring Australia’s unique take on fashion.
“There’s a lot more variety than New Zealand, and everyone has their own unique sense of style which is really great to see.
“My goal with modelling in Sydney is to build my runway portfolio. I’d love to do more runway. I’d love to do the European Fashion Weeks like Paris or Milan. That would be a big dream come true for me walking for the big names.”
Photographer / Rob Tennent. Fashion director / Dan Ahwa. Hair and makeup / Georgia Ramman. Photographer’s assistant / Conrad Wainwright.
Dan Ahwa is Viva’s fashion and creative director and a senior premium lifestyle journalist for the New Zealand Herald, specialising in fashion, luxury, arts and culture. He is also an award-winning stylist with more than 17 years of experience, and is a co-author and co-curator of The New Zealand Fashion Museum’s Moana Currents: Dressing Aotearoa Now.
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