BETTER THAN I WAS YESTERDAY - JADE LEUNG

Jade Leung is a Creative Director, fashion stylist and curator. Her decade long experience in the industry in the commercial and editorial styling world, have seen her work for brands like Mecca Cosmetica, Nike, Uniqlo, Levis, Adidas, Frank Body and The Australian Ballet while her work can be seen in publications such as Marie Clare and Broadsheet. Jade’s attitude while creating or styling incorporates an attention to detail for modern classics, with a touch of the on-trend, and finishing it off with a sense of humour.

For our latest edition of Better Than I Was Yesterday, we sat down with Jade to shoot the shit. You can shop the Jade Leung edit here.

Hey Jade. What’d you have for breakfast this morning? 

A long black and an Amaretti.

How long have you been styling?

I have been styling since 2007.

(Without naming names) what’s been the worst set you’ve been on and why was it so shit? 

I feel like I must have some sort of trauma response to bad sets because I can’t put my finger on one single one. But they certainly happen and it’s generally due to bad production.

Who’s your favourite designer and why?

My favourite designer is Raf Simons because I love his use of volume and proportion.  I love the way he uses clean lines but also creates so much drama with it. His era at Jil Sander was my absolute favourite.

What do you think about the concept of the celebrity creative director? Is the whole multi-hyphenate thing justified or not?

I think it depends on the situation and the person involved. Sometimes they can be really fun; does everyone remember the Anna Dello Russo collection with H&M. And the amazing video she made for the campaign? I feel like that was outrageous and fun. And so on brand for her. But I can see how it all might seem unjustified or unfair for a celebrity to get that role simply because of their media presence or fame.

What makes a perfect image to you?

The perfect image for me is usually one that isn’t planned out or expected. The perfect image for me evokes some sort of emotion. I think good images should make you feel something.

If you could work with any photographer in the world, who would it be?

(this one was really hard for me!) I love Willy Vanderperre and Mario Sorrenti’s work. Harley Weir is amazing too.

You can only listen to one artist or band for the rest of your life – who are you choosing and why?

I don’t think I can commit to the rest of my life with only one type of music. At the moment I’m listening to Rosalia and Black Pink. Because I’m a hardcore Blink 😛

Dream holiday destination? 

I always love travelling to Northern Italy.

Is a Sunday morning better spent on a walk with friends or hungover in bed revelling in the night before?

I genuinely believe you can have it all.  Sundays are best spent hungover in bed until about noon from talking to friends all night the night before.  And then going for a walk with your friends while you walk the dog.

In terms of your own career progression, what are you most proud of and why?

I’m most proud of the community I have around me: like-minded, passionate and creative people. I love the support and kindness we have for one another and how much it keeps pushing us to grow.

Cheers Jade! See you soon!