New Zealand Fashion Week has wrapped up for another year and amongst all the great fashion, we couldn’t help but notice a certain blue eyed, full lipped stand out when she appeared on runways for NOM*d and Stolen Girlfriends Club. Marnie Harris is a 21 year old blonde beauty from Sydney, currently living and studying in Auckland. We caught up to discuss being young and creative, her love of film photography and why she just wants to be known as the funny girl.
How was New Zealand fashion week?
It went really well. I like working in New Zealand just because it’s such a small place that you’re really just hanging out with your friends.
How do you find New Zealand fashion different to the rest of the world?
I feel like there’s a certain aesthetic, a lot of people say that New Zealand has a lot of black. I guess if you look at the brands – like Zambesi and NOM*d, their aesthetic is very black. I really like it. I think New Zealand is also different in that young designers can do well. Look at Georgia Alice, she’s young and just starting out. She’s doing well overseas. It’s pretty cool.
How do you prepare for fashion week?
I feel like I’m pretty lazy [laughs]. New Zealand fashion week is pretty chilled. It’s funny because I have been doing it for a little while but I’ll get sent group emails from my agency to the girls because NZFW is pretty much just new faces. They’re all at school, mostly like 14 and 15 year old girls. So they’re almost like these puppies with big feet trying to figure out what they’re actually doing.
I read you’re studying medicine. Are you still pursuing that? How do you go about juggling both modelling and studying?
I started doing a pre med course last year but I decided it wasn’t really for me. I really, really, really enjoy studying. I’m doing psychology now, I’m in the end of my second year, which is interesting. I do it full time and I do modelling when I can. New Zealand is pretty good in that people are flexible when they want to work with you. My family’s all based in Sydney so I’ll go home to work. It’s the best of both worlds.
How did you get into modelling?
I finished school and was working at a restaurant. I was just walking to work when my now agent came up to me and was like, “Hey!”. I was just on Crown St and she started chasing me into one of the stores. I guess it went from there. It was never really anything I thought I would do. I did my gap year, which was cool, and some of the experiences you have are crazy. My inclination was to always study but taking a gap year I was like “I don’t know if I want to do it”. It was cool to do it for a while full time but I’m glad now I do a bit of both.
I started doing photography and taking photos too. It’s good to have that creative outlet that’s not study and work all the time because I think I’d go insane.
Do you prefer film photography or digital?
I really love to take all my photos on film. I find that’s really cool and great but while I’m trying to pay my rent here it’s not that sustainable. I feel like when you’re trying to start out it’s all about experimenting but if you’re doing it with film it’s really cool, but every time you experiment with one roll it’s expensive. At the moment, I’m just going to go sees with a few new faces that I like and starting to learn how to do digital photography.
So how would you describe your style?
I’m kind of really lazy with what I wear. I wish I wasn’t. I usually end up wearing my Levi’s and a jumper because it gets cold here. I wear a lot of turtle necks. Guilty of a good turtle neck thermal t shirt but I guess we all are. Pretty relaxed.
Is there anyone you really want to work with?
There’s so many people I would love to work with. When I was on my gap year, I shot a few times with Alasdair McLellan and I really, really, really loved his work. When I was on my gap year, since I was new to it all, I wasn’t really thinking about who I was working with. It was more like you go on a shoot, you shoot, that’s what you do. Now I can look at these people’s work and I love their work. I kind of wish I could do my gap year again and shoot with them again. Alasdair McLellan definitely.
Who else? There’s so many and there’s so many people in Australia that I would love to work with. I would love to work with Stevie Dance over in New York. Thistle Brown, he’s from New Zeland but he does amazing styling as well. There’s so many people I would love to work with. The more you look at it, the more you can appreciate the nature of collaboration.
What’s been your career highlight? Have you had a moment that felt completely surreal?
There have been really surreal moments, like locations I’ve been to. We shot this thing in Queenstown on this chalet on a top of mountain that you could only get to by helicopter. You know you’re blessed when you get to do things like that.
What’s the best thing about being young and creative in 2015?
I feel like these days it’s so easy to collaborate and work with or alongside people that you really find inspiring. I feel like without social media and without the tools we have to get into contact with people, it just wouldn’t happen. It’s funny how you can post a photo and it can reach so many people, it kind of solidifies what you’re doing. You kind of move forward. I feel like if you’re working and doing projects just for yourself without being able to share them, is there a point in doing them?
That’s interesting, so where do you see yourself in the future?
I’m definitely tied down to my study for the next year. I’ll keep modelling, keep taking photos, see how that goes, see where that takes me. I’d like to travel again. I really wanna go to Japan. I’ve heard so many people rave about it. Japanese is my favourite food. Right now, I don’t know where it’s going or what I’m doing but I know I want to finish my undergraduate study and see what happens.
Any secret hidden talents?
I feel like I can talk to a lot of people. I always say this, if I was able to choose a talent or a superpower, I would choose to be one of those people that are funny to a mass audience. Like a funny that everyone gets. Not just the funny only your best friends get. I wish I was blessed with having the humour that appealed to everyone and they’re like “Oh, she’s that funny girl”.
@marnieharris
Credits
Text Claire Le
Model: Marni Harris @ Unique Model Management