A CONVERSATION WITH VANESSA COYLE

A CONVERSATION WITH VANESSA COYLE

To know Lee Mathews is to know the work of Vanessa Coyle. The stylist, consultant and creative director is a long-time friend and collaborator of the brand - a part of the visual identity you see today. From the shores of Sydney to the streets of London, her career has seen her work with renowned publications, leading brands, and celebrities including 032C, Harpers Bazaar UK, Interview, British Vogue, Stella McCartney, Givenchy, Cate Blanchett, Grimes and Adwoa Aboah. With her unwavering commitment to craft, unique eye and visionary approach, we visited her in her Sydney home in Stanwell Park to kick off our stylist series - talking everything from her history in the industry and how to approach one’s personal style, through to creating a space that reflects it.

Your career has led you around the world - from Sydney to London and the spaces in between. Can you tell us a bit about your journey and how you got to where you are today?

I was heavily influenced as a teenager by the youth culture featured in British fashion magazines like i-D and The Face. I longed to be a part of the culture, art, fashion and music scenes in London. I completed an honours degree in fashion design at RMIT (Melbourne) and promptly moved to London, where I spent a couple of years working as a freelance designer. After co-founding a fashion label with my friend Natalie Wood, I unexpectedly side-stepped into styling in London where I became Senior Fashion Editor of Harpers Bazaar UK. This led to many freelancing opportunities in Europe and New York. I feel fortunate to have collaborated with so many talented and inspiring creatives over the years. I became the Fashion Director for Under The Influence shortly after my tenure at Bazaar, which in turn brought more creative collaborations with magazines, established and emerging designers, musicians, directors and photographers. In 2020 I found myself back in Australia during COVID - a planned 5-week stay became 3 years!   

What inspired you to pursue a career in the fashion and creative industry?

I’ve been into fashion, art and design for as long as I can remember. My mum is a very artistic person, and she always encouraged me to express myself creatively. I grew up surrounded by art and sculpture and used to attend workshops which mum taught in the summers.  She was also quite the dressmaker and used to make the clothes I designed as a teenager. I went through some pretty experimental years customising my own clothes and looks, so when I realised you could get a degree in fashion, there was no other path for me. 

Vanessa wears the Mortimer Blazer and Lucille Skirt.

Your mastery of aesthetics is highly sought after, how would you describe your personal style, and how does this influence your work?

I love to play with balance and tension - tomboy/femme, buttoned up/sexy, structured/soft. The ‘slightly-off’ element is always the clincher. I think this naturally comes through in my work with the people I style, and the editorials / campaigns that I work on. I get to indulge in and explore these ideas more so on fashion shoots - especially when creating editorial for magazines. I particularly love to experiment with form and exaggerated silhouettes.

There is a natural need for collaboration within styling and creative direction, how do you approach working with other professionals (photographers, designers, etc) to bring a creative vision to life?

I enjoy the collaborative process. A fashion shoot generally starts with the exchange of an initial idea - and whether that originates from me, or a magazine pitching you a story concept, or a designer discussing a new season - the process of bringing that vision to life is pretty much the same. Inspirations are shared, and mood boards are created to help conceptualise and illustrate an aesthetic and visual direction. I love this exchange of ideas with other creatives - building upon a concept, researching directions, and finding the unexpected twists and turns along the way when pulling it all together and executing to create something unique.

Vanessa wears the Chelsea Tunic.

Both London and Sydney are home to you, how do you ensure that your space reflects your lifestyle in each city whilst retaining your personality?

Both homes feel like a creative journey, with personal collections and objects sourced over time. Many of our favourite items have travelled with us between the two countries. My Sydney home has a seventies architecture and is situated by the sea, whereas my London home is Victorian. The two are very different - so the space and light of each naturally lend themselves to certain pieces of furniture. Our design choices reflect our personality, regardless of which home we are inhabiting.

Vanessa wears the Soho Dress.

Within your house, art and shape are highlights within your choices. Would you say there are any key elements or design principles that you follow when pulling a look (or a room) together?

I think the atmosphere of a home is really important - does it have a soul? Is it coherent, and is it welcoming? I’m drawn to both architectural and brutalist design, as well as sculptural shape and organic curves so I always look for these elements in my furniture / object choices. I like to contrast textures - mixing natural wood, rattan, and stone with metals and softer furnishings.  I collect what I love and allow our rooms to grow organically rather than being intentionally designed.

You have some beautiful abstract pieces within - what are some of your favourite pieces that you've collected over the years - both in home and wardrobe? How do you incorporate personal mementos without overwhelming the overall aesthetic?

I like my objects to have space and carefully consider them before I buy. My home is a personal mix of design pieces and unique objects. Some of my favourites include a Frank Gehry chair constructed from corrugated cardboard - the resilience and strength is rather fascinating and I love that it feels a like a sculpture. I find the black lacquer of my Massimo Vignelli Saratoga sofa very seductive and have personal attachments to a limestone organic sculpture by my mum Maria Coyle, a pair of John Dickinson Africa side tables, and an artwork by friend and acclaimed Australian artist David Noonan - his piece always reminds me of the artistic community we are surrounded by in London. My favourite wardrobe pieces include a collection of Junya Watanabe and Margiela, some iconic Helmut Lang, some Balenciaga by Nicholas Ghesquiere pieces from the early 2000’s. And, of course, anything I own from the Phoebe Philo days at Celine.

Vanessa wears the Maddy Trench.

What role do you believe a well-designed home plays in enhancing one's overall well-being and creativity?

Being a visual person, it’s enormously important to curate an exciting space in which I can be creative and feel at home - I need to be inspired by my surroundings. I like to move objects and furniture around frequently, and constantly play with space and arrangement in my rooms. Everything we’ve collected tells a story and reminds us of a place, a person or an experience.

Finally, what’s next for you?

I’m going back to the UK for a stint and looking forward to immersing myself in the energy of London again, whilst retaining and working with some of the wonderful Australian connections I’ve made. Alongside my fashion work, I love sourcing furniture, and I’m driven to learn more about interior, architectural and furniture design as this also inspires ideas for fashion shoots and design. It’s become my second passion - or obsession.

Vanessa Coyle

Photographer: Holly Ward

A CONVERSATION WITH VANESSA COYLE

To know Lee Mathews is to know the work of Vanessa Coyle. The stylist, consultant and creative director is a long-time friend and collaborator of the brand - a part of the visual identity you see today. From the shores of Sydney to the streets of London, her career has seen her work with renowned publications, leading brands, and celebrities including 032C, Harpers Bazaar UK, Interview, British Vogue, Stella McCartney, Givenchy, Cate Blanchett, Grimes and Adwoa Aboah. With her unwavering commitment to craft, unique eye and visionary approach, we visited her in her Sydney home in Stanwell Park to kick off our stylist series - talking everything from her history in the industry and how to approach one’s personal style, through to creating a space that reflects it.

Your career has led you around the world - from Sydney to London and the spaces in between. Can you tell us a bit about your journey and how you got to where you are today?

I was heavily influenced as a teenager by the youth culture featured in British fashion magazines like i-D and The Face. I longed to be a part of the culture, art, fashion and music scenes in London. I completed an honours degree in fashion design at RMIT (Melbourne) and promptly moved to London, where I spent a couple of years working as a freelance designer. After co-founding a fashion label with my friend Natalie Wood, I unexpectedly side-stepped into styling in London where I became Senior Fashion Editor of Harpers Bazaar UK. This led to many freelancing opportunities in Europe and New York. I feel fortunate to have collaborated with so many talented and inspiring creatives over the years. I became the Fashion Director for Under The Influence shortly after my tenure at Bazaar, which in turn brought more creative collaborations with magazines, established and emerging designers, musicians, directors and photographers. In 2020 I found myself back in Australia during COVID - a planned 5-week stay became 3 years!   

What inspired you to pursue a career in the fashion and creative industry?

I’ve been into fashion, art and design for as long as I can remember. My mum is a very artistic person, and she always encouraged me to express myself creatively. I grew up surrounded by art and sculpture and used to attend workshops which mum taught in the summers.  She was also quite the dressmaker and used to make the clothes I designed as a teenager. I went through some pretty experimental years customising my own clothes and looks, so when I realised you could get a degree in fashion, there was no other path for me. 

Vanessa wears the Mortimer Blazer and Lucille Skirt.

Your mastery of aesthetics is highly sought after, how would you describe your personal style, and how does this influence your work?

I love to play with balance and tension - tomboy/femme, buttoned up/sexy, structured/soft. The ‘slightly-off’ element is always the clincher. I think this naturally comes through in my work with the people I style, and the editorials / campaigns that I work on. I get to indulge in and explore these ideas more so on fashion shoots - especially when creating editorial for magazines. I particularly love to experiment with form and exaggerated silhouettes.

There is a natural need for collaboration within styling and creative direction, how do you approach working with other professionals (photographers, designers, etc) to bring a creative vision to life?

I enjoy the collaborative process. A fashion shoot generally starts with the exchange of an initial idea - and whether that originates from me, or a magazine pitching you a story concept, or a designer discussing a new season - the process of bringing that vision to life is pretty much the same. Inspirations are shared, and mood boards are created to help conceptualise and illustrate an aesthetic and visual direction. I love this exchange of ideas with other creatives - building upon a concept, researching directions, and finding the unexpected twists and turns along the way when pulling it all together and executing to create something unique.

Vanessa wears the Chelsea Tunic.

Both London and Sydney are home to you, how do you ensure that your space reflects your lifestyle in each city whilst retaining your personality?

Both homes feel like a creative journey, with personal collections and objects sourced over time. Many of our favourite items have travelled with us between the two countries. My Sydney home has a seventies architecture and is situated by the sea, whereas my London home is Victorian. The two are very different - so the space and light of each naturally lend themselves to certain pieces of furniture. Our design choices reflect our personality, regardless of which home we are inhabiting.

Vanessa wears the Soho Dress.

Within your house, art and shape are highlights within your choices. Would you say there are any key elements or design principles that you follow when pulling a look (or a room) together?

I think the atmosphere of a home is really important - does it have a soul? Is it coherent, and is it welcoming? I’m drawn to both architectural and brutalist design, as well as sculptural shape and organic curves so I always look for these elements in my furniture / object choices. I like to contrast textures - mixing natural wood, rattan, and stone with metals and softer furnishings.  I collect what I love and allow our rooms to grow organically rather than being intentionally designed.

You have some beautiful abstract pieces within - what are some of your favourite pieces that you've collected over the years - both in home and wardrobe? How do you incorporate personal mementos without overwhelming the overall aesthetic?

I like my objects to have space and carefully consider them before I buy. My home is a personal mix of design pieces and unique objects. Some of my favourites include a Frank Gehry chair constructed from corrugated cardboard - the resilience and strength is rather fascinating and I love that it feels a like a sculpture. I find the black lacquer of my Massimo Vignelli Saratoga sofa very seductive and have personal attachments to a limestone organic sculpture by my mum Maria Coyle, a pair of John Dickinson Africa side tables, and an artwork by friend and acclaimed Australian artist David Noonan - his piece always reminds me of the artistic community we are surrounded by in London. My favourite wardrobe pieces include a collection of Junya Watanabe and Margiela, some iconic Helmut Lang, some Balenciaga by Nicholas Ghesquiere pieces from the early 2000’s. And, of course, anything I own from the Phoebe Philo days at Celine.

Vanessa wears the Maddy Trench.

What role do you believe a well-designed home plays in enhancing one's overall well-being and creativity?

Being a visual person, it’s enormously important to curate an exciting space in which I can be creative and feel at home - I need to be inspired by my surroundings. I like to move objects and furniture around frequently, and constantly play with space and arrangement in my rooms. Everything we’ve collected tells a story and reminds us of a place, a person or an experience.

Finally, what’s next for you?

I’m going back to the UK for a stint and looking forward to immersing myself in the energy of London again, whilst retaining and working with some of the wonderful Australian connections I’ve made. Alongside my fashion work, I love sourcing furniture, and I’m driven to learn more about interior, architectural and furniture design as this also inspires ideas for fashion shoots and design. It’s become my second passion - or obsession.

Vanessa Coyle

Photographer: Holly Ward