Jess Scully
Editor SummerWinter
If Sydney was a magazine...
It would be on glossy, but on 51% recycled stock (making it just green enough), in full colour with embossing and foil details all over the cover. The social pages would cover about 60% of the content, followed by profiles (mostly on people featured in the social pages) and two fashion editorials (one representing ‘glam' Bondi style, the other ‘grungy' Newtown style). Like the Sydney magazine, this super fantasy Sydney mag would pretty much ignore the parts of Sydney you can't get to on the Beachcomber bus. And upon it's release people at the launch party would sniff that, while it looks good, Melbourne had a cooler one years ago.
Jess Scully is a fashion editor with her finger on Sydney's pulse. As well as being the editor of fashion bi-annual SummerWinter and arts and pop culture bi-monthly Empty, she is the fashion producer of the Qantas Spirit of Youth Awards
Where do you go to get inspired?
Sydney has no shortage of beautiful stores, driven by buyers with an eye for their customers more than for trends. My favourite fashion stores are the places I head to stock up on inspiration or treat myself to something that's going to make me feel inspired for a long time to come, and there's lots of them:
Pretty Dog, Brown St, Newtown: The original and the best. I've been coming here since I was in high school, getting changed in the station bathrooms and changing lines and trains about a dozen times just to get here, browse sloooowly around the racks, and talk to owner Tanya Stevanovic who introduced me (and most of Sydney) to most of the young designers who have gone on to be big names in Australian fashion.
The Vintage Clothing Shop, Castlereagh St, City: Tanya taught me about new Australian designers, Lorraine and Grayson from The Vintage Clothing Shop taught me about the designers that came before. Their incredible expertise in, and enthusiasm for Australian style is only matched by the incredible collection they have accrued over the years. It's the reason they're the one-stop-shop for every film production crew that rolls into town, and the place every smart fashion editor heads when they need that killer piece for a shoot, or a dress that they know no one else will be rocking at an opening. I'll always be grateful to them for their patience with me, explaining the who, what and when of Australian fashion, and for those bottomless glasses of red wine in the loading dock.
I could go on for hours! A few more:
Bloodorange, Elizabeth Bay: Most beautifully presented collection of understated, chic pieces from Sydney designers like Ellery and Therese Rawsthorne along with incredible imports like A.P.C.
Parlour X, Five Ways: The place to go for cool luxury, amazing up-to-the-minute collections that no one else in Sydney can match. Get Isabel Marant, Comme, Westwood and more.
Poepke, William St: Those Belgians are so damn cool. Get the best intellectual Euro brands here along with awesome Aussies like Rittenhouse and Bassicke.
Pigeon Ground Public: These inner-westie rebels stock some great vintage bits alongside great records and knick knacks.
Bookshop
Ariel and Berkelouw on Oxford Street have saved my bacon countless times (last minute presents or late-night inspiration) but my absolute favourite is Abbeys in the CBD for the depth of their collection in history, politics, foreign language and all the rest of that clever stuff fashion people aren't meant to know about.
Magazine
There have always been some crazy zines coming out of Sydney but my current favourites are Duke (the place where celebrity culture goes to die), Doingbird and... can I say SummerWinter and Empty?
Website
I love getting TwoThousand in my inbox every Wednesday, a friend just recommended Kripy (and I love it), and I'm a secret stalker on the Vogue Forums every now and then too.
Outdoor space
My best outdoorsy weekend in Sydney would start with a walk around Centennial Park, a swim at Bronte, a walk over the bridge to have another swim in the pools at Cremorne, then a drive up to Mona Vale beach for another swim, and hot chips with gravy (just to make up for all that activity) at North Head National Park. Of course, you can't do any of this in winter, so I just tend to stay indoors from May to October.
Creative space
I'll have to go with my desks at home and at work, both of which have pretty nice views of trees and big Sydney skies.
Gallery
I love the MCA and the Australian Centre for Photography, and I'm also a fan of First Draft Gallery and Kaliman Galleries.
Cinema
I love the Chauvel (/) but those big, deep plush seats at Bondi Junction Westfields have lured me away.
Sydney street or suburb
The grannie in me loves Queen Street, Woollahra, more than anywhere else in Sydney. But I'm also a fan of William Street, Paddington, for the shopping, while my Sydney-property-envy-genes adore Lang Road, Centennial Park and Rose Lane, Darlinghurst.
Restaurant
I could eat at Mehrey Da Dhaba, Samsun or Sushisuma (all on Cleveland Street) every night of the week. Or at Assiette if you're paying
Who is your ultimate Sydney style icon and why?
Chrissie Amphlett: OK, OK, so technically she's a Geelong girl but she did scandalise Manly for a few years in the 80s so I'm claiming her. I love her raw, petulant sensuality and, um, messy hair.
Brad Ngata: Brad is the kind of guy who sparks trends without knowing it. He always looks like a rockstar and I steal ideas from him every time I go in to his salon... Right now I'm working on ripping off his "bracelets as necklace" look, having knicked his heavy-rimmed frames idea last time round.
What element of style does Sydney have that the rest of the world needs?
We love colour (and I think the rest of the world is pretty afraid of it), we're into light layers (because the rest of the world is too cold to have the luxury), and we really appreciate and value vintage pieces (because it's pretty hard to get great vintage here).
Who in your sphere is an up and coming Sydneysider to watch?
My top three:
Therese Rawsthorne: The amazing designer of YouthWorld has matured and developed into Therese Rawsthorne. I find her collections comfortable, thoughtful, fun and timeless without ever revealing too much or being tricky to wear, a balance that is really hard to get right. I hope I'm wearing her clothes for years to come - I think the world will be.
Friedrich Gray: Ben Pollitt is another one who is going to take on the world, no doubt. His collections have a real international flavour to them and a beautiful severity... It's the kind of stuff Karl Lagerfeld would diet for.
Romance Was Born: Anna Plunkett and Luke Sales are giving Sydney what it needs - more colour, more insanity, more playfulness and experimentation. Just putting on one of their pieces can have you smiling all day long. I can't wait to see what they are cooking up for Fashion Week.
What would advice would you give to aspiring people in your field?
Aim to support yourself doing what you love but be aware it's a slow process - be prepared to be skint for about five years. When you're pitching to magazines, think about ideas, not just profile pieces. And if no-one seems to get what you're on about, just do it yourself. Once you get your ideas out there in your own, pure form then you'll be surprised how many people just like you will come out of the woodwork.