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The Rise of the 'It' Girl
Sydney is a town that loves to party - and these girls show us how
it's done.
Love them or hate them, there is no denying that an "it" girl turns an event into a papparazzi-popping party. The likes of Paris Hilton, Nicole Richie and Mischa Barton may not be striving for world peace, but they do provide a hell of a lot of entertainment.
And these savvy women use their ability to look good in a tight dress to turn their meagre incomes into million-dollar industries. Say what you like about Miss Hilton, but the girl earned about $16 million from 2003-06, according to Forbes magazine, and much of that was made from just turning up to parties.
London may have given the world Twiggy and Jean Shrimpton, New York supermodels such as Naomi Campbell, Cindy Crawford and Linda Evangelista, but Sydney's "it" girls take partying to a whole new level. Since Mrs Macquarie built Government House so that she could hold bigger parties, Sydney has been a city to kick up its heels.
What better place for an "it" girl to cut her well-kept teeth? The Sydney social scene really took off in the '80s with charity balls and private parties. The Black and White Ball was the big event in town and Deeta Colvin's Cointreau Ball was the VIP gig of the times.
Lady (Sonia) McMahon was the society hostess with the mostest and headline-grabbing party girl Manon Youdale was the talk of the town. Ex-Miss World Belinda Green married advertising giant John Singleton - and ruled the scene.Former model Mink Sadowsky, herself an "it" girl and now booker at Chadwick Models, has seen the concept change through the years.
"In the '50s and '60s to win a beauty pageant was the top success in the modelling world, but this changed in the '80s and '90s when supermodels claimed their territory. Elle MacPherson and Rachel Hunter and even Jill Waddy became 'it' girls and they all became very big on the social scene," says Sadowsky.
Sadowsky names Elle MacPherson as someone who has survived the times. "She's always been switched on and had her head on her shoulders. She has been very aware of the fact that what she does can definitely be a stepping stone onto other things and her relationships with people have given her a chance to use her social status to become a successful businesswoman in her own right."
read on below advertisement
Of course, an "it" girl needs a hip hotspot to hang out. Just like Ivy or Woolloomooloo Wharf today, Sydney has always had VIP venues where the bold and the beautiful flocked. Photographer Robert Rosen (who is currently showing his work at the Art Trader's Gallery, Paddington) remembers Mario on Stanley Street as the place to be seen.
"It was definitely the place to be," he says. "The place was famous for long lunches on Fridays from 1pm where people would just hang around, table-hop then order dinner." Other hip hangouts included Stranded in the Strand and Juliana's Nightclub at the Sydney Hilton.
While the dollar has always been a major motivator, today's scene is less about breeding and more about how much you want to earn. Bill Ranken has witnessed the scene morph from an insular slice of English-style society to a flash-trash series of never-ending parties. He has been snapping the social elite since 1988.
"In the old days I think people went to parties because they were all friends and they were all invited. Nowadays there's a lot of underlying business going on, and there's a lot of people there to promote a product," says Ranken.
Looking good and being photographed at the right place (with the right man), is the "it" girl's ticket to making money. "It's one thing to actually just go to the opening of an envelope but it's another thing entirely to be a success in your own right. Tickets to the right party and ambiton make a pretty lethal combination," says Sadowsky.
So what makes an 'it' girl here in Sydney? You need the right dress, and most importantly an invite to the hottest event in town. But don't worry if your budget doesn't stretch to Manolos. Even in the surreal world of Sydney's social scene, real girls can get their share of the limelight.
Ranken says the real "it" girls are the ones who see events as photo calls. Girls who grab the attention of the photographers are those that go out simply to have fun. "These girls are natural, they're not affected," he says. "They're not a self-promotion thing, pushed by PRs. I often find the lesser the star, the more attitude they have."
it's done.
Love them or hate them, there is no denying that an "it" girl turns an event into a papparazzi-popping party. The likes of Paris Hilton, Nicole Richie and Mischa Barton may not be striving for world peace, but they do provide a hell of a lot of entertainment.
And these savvy women use their ability to look good in a tight dress to turn their meagre incomes into million-dollar industries. Say what you like about Miss Hilton, but the girl earned about $16 million from 2003-06, according to Forbes magazine, and much of that was made from just turning up to parties.
London may have given the world Twiggy and Jean Shrimpton, New York supermodels such as Naomi Campbell, Cindy Crawford and Linda Evangelista, but Sydney's "it" girls take partying to a whole new level. Since Mrs Macquarie built Government House so that she could hold bigger parties, Sydney has been a city to kick up its heels.
What better place for an "it" girl to cut her well-kept teeth? The Sydney social scene really took off in the '80s with charity balls and private parties. The Black and White Ball was the big event in town and Deeta Colvin's Cointreau Ball was the VIP gig of the times.
Lady (Sonia) McMahon was the society hostess with the mostest and headline-grabbing party girl Manon Youdale was the talk of the town. Ex-Miss World Belinda Green married advertising giant John Singleton - and ruled the scene.Former model Mink Sadowsky, herself an "it" girl and now booker at Chadwick Models, has seen the concept change through the years.
"In the '50s and '60s to win a beauty pageant was the top success in the modelling world, but this changed in the '80s and '90s when supermodels claimed their territory. Elle MacPherson and Rachel Hunter and even Jill Waddy became 'it' girls and they all became very big on the social scene," says Sadowsky.
Sadowsky names Elle MacPherson as someone who has survived the times. "She's always been switched on and had her head on her shoulders. She has been very aware of the fact that what she does can definitely be a stepping stone onto other things and her relationships with people have given her a chance to use her social status to become a successful businesswoman in her own right."
read on below advertisement
Of course, an "it" girl needs a hip hotspot to hang out. Just like Ivy or Woolloomooloo Wharf today, Sydney has always had VIP venues where the bold and the beautiful flocked. Photographer Robert Rosen (who is currently showing his work at the Art Trader's Gallery, Paddington) remembers Mario on Stanley Street as the place to be seen.
"It was definitely the place to be," he says. "The place was famous for long lunches on Fridays from 1pm where people would just hang around, table-hop then order dinner." Other hip hangouts included Stranded in the Strand and Juliana's Nightclub at the Sydney Hilton.
While the dollar has always been a major motivator, today's scene is less about breeding and more about how much you want to earn. Bill Ranken has witnessed the scene morph from an insular slice of English-style society to a flash-trash series of never-ending parties. He has been snapping the social elite since 1988.
"In the old days I think people went to parties because they were all friends and they were all invited. Nowadays there's a lot of underlying business going on, and there's a lot of people there to promote a product," says Ranken.
Looking good and being photographed at the right place (with the right man), is the "it" girl's ticket to making money. "It's one thing to actually just go to the opening of an envelope but it's another thing entirely to be a success in your own right. Tickets to the right party and ambiton make a pretty lethal combination," says Sadowsky.
So what makes an 'it' girl here in Sydney? You need the right dress, and most importantly an invite to the hottest event in town. But don't worry if your budget doesn't stretch to Manolos. Even in the surreal world of Sydney's social scene, real girls can get their share of the limelight.
Ranken says the real "it" girls are the ones who see events as photo calls. Girls who grab the attention of the photographers are those that go out simply to have fun. "These girls are natural, they're not affected," he says. "They're not a self-promotion thing, pushed by PRs. I often find the lesser the star, the more attitude they have."
Story: Chris Urankar
