Q&A with Sally-Ann Mullin
Sally-Ann Mullin may be a boss lady killing it in Auckland but she's a Naki girl at heart who still loves to come home and check in with all her local favourites. She's far from sipping an Ozone coffee at Fitzroy beach every day, Sally is currently the Fashion Director of Bauer Media New Zealand and the Director of Bauer Media's new venture, The Fashion Department.
Sally has had an amazing life long career in the fast paced fashion and beauty industry, from editing Fashion Quarterly to gracing our screens as a judge on Project Runway NZ. She even had a decade long stint in film and television working on the costumes for some of our most memorable local dramas. Sally gifts her talent and experience to every brand she has worked with - she was instrumental in two consecutive 360 brand award wins by Fashion Quarterly and the growth of the Miss FQ millennial brand.
Today, Sally is still evolving and is excited for the future that is still to come in her industry:
"As a passionate supporter of New Zealand fashion, I have a relentless enthusiasm for all facets of NZ design and look forward to many more adventures within our industry in the coming years."
We managed to sneak in some time to chat to Sally about her career, what she does in her down time and her life mantra.
Do you have a defining moment in your career that leads you to where you are today?
It’s been more like many small defining moments. My career trajectory hasn’t been linear or traditional in any way. It’s taken lots of twists and turns around beauty, film and media. Despite that, I’ve always believed in my ability and vision and I’ve had the confidence to back myself and put my hand up for some big roles; often ones I wasn’t qualified or ready for, but had the innate knowing I was the right candidate. For me it’s been the various men and women in managerial positions in film, fashion and media over the years who believed in me enough to take a punt on the wild card that have defined my career, for that I will always be thankful. It’s something I try to pay forward when I’m hiring for my own teams.
What is your life mantra?
Believe in yourself, work hard and take chances. Be kind. Family and friendships are everything. Respect and listen to your elders; they have been here longer than you so they probably know a thing or two about life and how to manage it. Positivity brings positivity, and nothing good ever happens after 3am.
How has the industry changed since you first started?
So much changed I could write a novel. When I started out in media, life was easy; we didn’t have to fight for your attention. Most people watched free-to-air television, saw the 6pm news every night for their nightly news updates and consumed fashion from the pages of magazines. There just weren’t alternative options. With the popularity of social media, specifically Instagram and Facebook, YouTube and Twitter, the media landscape has changed rapidly and the way consumers can receive information along with it. People can be inundated with visual and written content on all subjects 24/7 if they desire. It’s meant as an industry we have had to evolve, become more multifaceted in our practices and try new things to keep up. The majority no longer work in a siloed way on one product, you’ll find most of us in the media now will wear many hats, i.e. write, present, have a podcast, write a blog etc. I think it’s positive and it’s forced the industry as a whole to try harder and be better.
What kind of responsibilities does your job entail?
I’ve recently moved into a new role as fashion director for Bauer Media. It’s a new role and fairly multi-faceted to be honest, no day is the same and I’m never at my desk. I run a team that creates all fashion content, covers and market pages for many of NZ’s most-loved magazine brands including Fashion Quarterly, Simply You, Kia Ora, NEXT, Good Health and Wellbeing, Woman’s Day, Woman’s Weekly and Australia Women’s Weekly NZ. I don’t attend all the shoots of course, because at any given day there are many but I generally know what is going on across these titles. We also work with clients to shoot creative campaigns or branded ad material for them which is a new area we are moving into. Much of my time is spent doing fashion-related special projects like shows or events. I also work as a consultant to fashion brands, curate ranges for department stores and speak at events when I’m asked.
fashion in your blood or your genes?
That’s a hard question. Yes and no. I feel like in some ways I’m the black sheep or anomaly of my family, predominantly because my path and passions have been quite different from the rest. I grew up on the coast and come from a farming background so fashion wasn’t exactly in the forefront of the mind day to day. That being said, my mother was and is a stylish woman and knew how to put things together, plus she loved NZ fashion and magazines and we always had the latest issue of FQ in the house which had a big influence. I admired the way even while working on the farm, she would put her work clothes together in a chic considered way and she loved dressing up beautifully whenever she went out. Our parents also made the conscious effort to expose my brother and I to fashion, music, art, ballet and theatre as children and let us know there was a big world out there outside of Rahotu.
When you catch a moment for yourself what do you like to do?
Generally it’s anything in, around or on the water. I live close to the sea and walk on the beach with my dog whenever possible. I’ve also recently learnt to sail so I’ve been getting away to do that whenever I can. It’s nice to do something so far from my day to day and I’m still learning but its becoming a great passion.
What do you like to do when you come home to Taranaki?
I bike along the walkway, visit Fitzroy Beach, eat at Social Kitchen, drink Ozone coffee, get a beer and check in with a long lost pal at West End Precinct, see an art show at The Govett Brewster, sit at the table with my dad Paddy while he tells me amazing old stories – each time I’m home a new one, or several are told. I’ll also visit my beautiful aunts and spend time talking and laughing with my mum Philly. *books flight to New Plymouth* #THC
