The Entrepreneur

@skye_ross_

I met Skye Ross in person last week down at NZFW after following her on Instagram for some time. Like many of you, I adore all of her insta stories showing her daily makeup routines and are in love with just about every outfit she puts on. After meeting Skye I can confirm she’s just as lovely and down to earth as she appears on the gram and is undoubtedly one of the most stylish girls in the Auckland Fash-Pack.

After working in magazines since leaving school, Skye has now created a brand new business venture for herself, adding the title of entrepreneur under her belt (Gucci of course!) I caught up with her to chat about all things style and beauty and her new business venture @theattentionstudio

You’ve recently started an amazing new company @theattentionstudio how did you find juggling your business and fashion week instantaneously?

I’ve loved the pressure but it has been pretty exhausting using every spare moment – in the morning beforehand, in between, and after the show at night – to work on the business. Armed with a can-do attitude, pre planned outfits and a laptop was vital!

What excites you most about creating a brand and business of your own?

Being my own Boss is very appealing. I’ve always been one to work quite autonomously. Now it’s really up to me to choose when and how hard to work and if the past two weeks are anything to go by, its going to be more intense than ever but that’s something I’m proud of.

What were your top 3 beauty essentials to keep you looking polished throughout Fashion week?

1. Tribeca Skin Tonics Sleeping Balm has kept dry skin at bay and has been a welcome nourishment for my face at the end of a long day. It also saved my eczema which flares up when I’m stressed.

2. Evo Dry Shampoo has been my saving grace. TMI but I’ve done the hair thing all wrong this year – I forgot to book in for my weekly blow wave and I made my appointment to fix my regrowth for next week. Rookie mistakes! Luckily no one knew, thanks to this god send of a beauty product!

3. NARS’ new Powermatte Lip Pigment in ‘Under My Thumb’ really lifted my outfit on day three and acquired many compliments. It lasted all day and amazingly for a matte liquid lip it didn’t feel drying at all.

Whose style do you most adore from New Zealand’s fashion scene?

Jess Thomson. Okay, so I’m slightly bias because she’s one of my besties but I greatly admire her elegance. Our styles are very different but she has impeccable taste and always provides a refreshing perspective on what’s cool and beautiful. She is an incredibly talented stylist.

And lastly what’s on your current fashion wishlist?

I’m off to Sri Lanka in three weeks with my boyfriend so I’m in need of a new bikini – the Hunza G Tracey Frill bikini in yellow is calling my name. I also wouldn’t say no to the Amplifier Jacket by Stolen Girlfriends Club, I’ve been coveting it ever since I saw the sample.

The Model

@_cassidymorris

One of the most naturally beautiful models in New Zealand Fashion. Cassidy Morris is the perfect balance of beauty and brains and is one of the most down to earth Models I’ve come across. I managed to catch up with her over lunch to chat about her preparation for fashion week and experiences behind the scenes.

Congratulations on all your shows this week Cassidy! Tell us, what do you do in preparation for fashion week?

I make sure I take care of my skin. I always remove my makeup thoroughly with Neutrogena makeup wipes and try not to wear makeup on my days off. If I do it will usually just be my favourite BB cream from Rimmel London. I also usually like to prep my body with Bondi Sands self tanner if I haven’t caught up on my tan.

Top 3 beauty essentials to get you through the week?

Osmosis eye cream is amazing, I use morning and night! I’m in love the new ‘Shock’ mascara from YSL and have been using the most gorgeous lip balm from Khiels.

Go-to off duty style look?

I love anything vintage and comfortable! Usually my go-to look would be a Vintage tee and denim + some great sneakers.

Favourite moment from Fashion week?

Hands down attending the Stolen Girlfriends Club show – I just love the creativity they always bring to their shows!

And lastly what are you most looking forward to now that fashion week has wrapped?

Having some time with my man & getting back into the swing of things – Fashion week is definitetly such a busy week and seems to soak up all of my time.

The Blogger

@ashowens_

An incredibly talented writer & photographer with a glowing personality to match. I have really loved following this hardworking babes journey and all of her success! I catch up with her down at Fashion Week to find out how much hard work goes into covering the shows and how on earth she gets that insanely gorgeous, glowing skin!

Phew what a week! I’m sure you must be thankful to get some down time now that NZFW is finally over. What have you done to relax and unwind after such a busy week?

Don’t even get me started! I must have spent a good two days off social media and away from people just because all of the socialising and pressure to be posting up on Insta gets a bit too full on. After an amazing NZFW I spent an evening with my best friends for a few wines, binge watched The Blacklist on Netflix with my boyfriend and have been getting back into my exercise. Also catching up on my favourite Youtubers and Bloggers!

What did you find key in helping to organise yourself and all of your commitments throughout the week?

I keep a diary on me at all times and turn to it each and every day, so I used that to write in all of the shows and their times, when I had breaks to get some work done in between and when I had to turn up to a shoot for my Converse collab. Luckily I was on Uni holidays so I had 0 commitments other than NZFW which was great because I could dive into it properly, I also didn’t have any blogger campaign commitments either that week which kept me quite free!

How much thought and planning went into organising your outfits for NZFW?

TOO MUCH! Haha just kidding, I am luckily enough to have a great relationship with the girls at Trelise Cooper and Undertow Media who look after Witchery & Leo + Be, so I was able to borrow some incredible pieces. I was also very kindly gifted my Dune London Heels and Converse One Stars for the week so that made my life a lot easier too.

You are such a talented writer and photographer Ash, are these areas in which you studied in? Or have these been completely self-taught?

Awww thanks Holly you darling! I always enjoyed English and study a Bachelor of Arts at Uni so the past three years of study have been very literacy based, in terms of Photography I am completely self taught! Cannot even tell you how many Youtube videos I have watched to figure out how to nail that perfect depth of field shot!

And lastly you have the most gorgeous, glowing skin! Please tell us Ash, how do you keep your skin looking so flawless and fresh?

That is SUCH a compliment! I’ve never been confident with my skin so thank you so much! Keeping your skin hydrated (even if you’re oily) is the absolute key and sticking to a skincare routine morning and night. I use a hydrating cleanser, toner, facial spray, serum and moisturiser each and every night and it makes ALL the difference. Once the skin has been looked after, using glowy makeup products is the next step. The IT Cosmetics CC cream (purchased off Beautylish.com) is the most amazing base I have ever come across that’ll get you the glow without looking oily, it’s also packed with some incredible skin benefits which I believe we should always be looking for in our bases.