Of the hundreds of covers I’ve styled over the past 15 years, this one is my favourite.
When I was a little girl, I had a dream of becoming Miss South Africa. I remember when the contest was broadcast on TV, my whole family would gather around to watch and hedge friendly bets on whom the winner would be. The contestants always appeared to be so glamorous, articulate and beautiful. Needless to say, my dream of winning the title didn’t materialize…
In 1992 Amy Kleinhans was crowned Miss South Africa. She was the first non-white winner and she was my ABSOLUTE FAVOURITE. I loved everything about her – her beauty, wit and humour.
In 2000, I got the chance to meet and work with her when I styled her for True Love Magazine’s 30th birthday cover. I remember her being funny, gracious and punctual (very few cover stars are).
Last month, I got to work with her again, this time for a Destiny Magazine Cover. To say I was excited is an UNDERSTATEMENT! I’ve been waiting in anticipation to load this post, but could only do so once the mag hit the shelves.
The thing that comes across when you meet and chat with Amy, is her passion for education and uplifting women. You’ll see in the video interview below. She looks incredible for her age, but I think that has something to do with her healthy lifestyle, positive outlook and general sunny disposition.
The brief was to style her in a trench coat with the mountains as a backdrop. I managed to get one from Burberry that retails for R10 000 (I kid you not). Now the thing with taking an ‘appro’ on merchandise such as this, is that if you get even the smallest mark or pull on the item, you have to buy it. GULP!
It just so happened that on the day of the shoot, it was a sweltering 27 degrees. My conversation with Amy went something like this: “Now Amy, this coat costs ten grand, you are not allowed to sweat in it – never mind that you’re standing outside in 27 degree heat, in a coat & boots”. Amy responded with, “I don’t sweat” – this had us all in fits of laughter. And she didn’t sweat, not a drop.
Here’s a few behind-the-scenes snaps of the shoot
Amy’s glorious home in Franschoek
Amy on the cover of Cosmopolitan 1992
Tricks of the trade
Cameron McDonald, our photographer, in action. The brief was to have Amy in a trench coat with the majestic mountains as a backdrop.
Amy in the (R10 000) Burberry Trench Coat
Here’s a little ‘behind-the-scenes’ video of the shoot & an interview with Amy – Enjoy.
