Style Profile: Nicole Trunfio: Vogue Fashion Night Out

Australian born, international model Nicole Trunfio is the official Vogue Fashion's Night Out 'insider' when the world's biggest fashion (& social) shopping event, VFNO illuminates Sydney's CBD fashion precinct on Thursday 6th September.

Nicole is a fashion force to be reckoned with, born in a small town outside Perth she has resided in New York for the past decade since winning Australia's Search for a Supermodel in 2002. Nicole has graced the cover of Vogue and has walked for designers including Chanel, Dolce & Gabanna, Versace, Christian Dior, Gucci, Valentino and Victoria's Secret. This is the catch however. She isn't just an extremely successful model, she has her own jewellery line, blogger, is lead singer for her band Henry Black (and is crazy about music). And the best part. She is nice. And down to earth. And normal.

Being a fellow sand groper (West Australian) it didn't take long before Nicole and I were work-shopping the (late 1990's) Claremont serial killer. We did move well away from morbid, unsolved mystery topics and swapped our conversation for Tom Ford, jewellery and smuggling garlic across the boarder.

Q:What are you reading at the moment?
A: At the moment I'm reading a couple of different books. I'm reading 'The Brain on Music' it's about how the music gets together and how the human psyche reacts when you hear it. It's a really interesting and fun read. I'm also reading a book on The Ramones. I'm not a huge fan but I think they have such a great lifestyle. And I'm also reading a book on existentialism. I love books.

Q: Who are your favourite Australian designers?
A: I really love Dion Lee, ever since he started he has been so consistent. Every-time he makes a piece of clothing it is so well orchestrated. It's like a piece of music, it sings to me. I aslo love Josh Goot, I've always been a fan of his, Lover for their simple pieces and Alex Perry for his silhouette. I wore one of his amazing dresses for the David Jones fashion show and to this day I'm like how did he make my body look like that?? I looked like a curvy, voluptuous woman! I also love Willow, Camilla and Marc -they are really sweet people, Sass & Bide which is my go-to and Ksubi.

Q: What is your off-duty style?
A: I was really schizophrenic with my style when I was younger and have found myself now. I wear a lot of black and white, I'm very simple and classic. I love what Celine is doing internationally. I recently did a shoot with Vogue in New York and Christine Centenera was doing a white story and had a whole rack of white. It was all beautiful. The first time I shot with Vogue, Trevor Stone the stylist said 'Nicole you should only wear white'. I now find myself following in the footsteps of Bianca Jagger - the dark hair against white.

I love really simple things that are effortless. I love a chic, classic, timeless look. That's my favourite look and any age can wear it. I don't buy costume jewellery, I only buy investment pieces like my Rolex which I have been waiting for for a really long time. I've tried to buy them before but the new ones are too heavy for me. This is a 1969 vintage. It's gold and it's perfect.

Q: Tell me about your jewellery line, Trunfio Jewels
A: I'm wearing a modern day charm bracelet from my range. Its like Cartier love bracelet meets Pandora. You can change the charms. If you're going somewhere special you can wear the heart or if you're going somewhere casual you can put the plain pyramid on. The bracelet is solid silver and is under $1000. Charms range from $200-$7000. We are also doing a mens line. The website is launching today, www.trunfiojewels.com and we also sell in New York

Q: What has been the highlight of your career so far?
A: Tom Ford was the highlight because he basically made my whole career. He was such an influential person in the fashion industry, and still is. He believed in me when he first saw me. So did designers like Vera Wang, Roberto Cavalli, Tommy Hilfiger and Karl Lagerfeld - but Tom Ford was the most influential person in fashion at that time and if you walked in the Gucci show everyone listened. When I got booked for that, everyone booked me. So that was a very pivotal moment for my career. And he appreciated a woman with character and her own personality. As soon as he left the fashion industry it changed a lot. But I will never forget that moment in my career. I always think maybe in the future we'll meet again and work on a different medium.

Q: What do you like most about the man Tom Ford, not the persona?
A: His whole demeanor, he is so dapper, his smile and his eyes. He is inspiring to be around and he sparked something inside of me. I loved him.

Q: You're successful in so many parts of your career. How do you feel about putting yourself out there with your music? Does 'tall poppy syndrome' concern you?
A: I've been thinking about that a lot lately....Music, for me it's so much fun. It's always been in my life with my dad being in a band. I don't take it very seriously, my modelling career comes first. People around me are like wow you can write, compose and put music together. It's like my down time because I'm so busy with branding, advertising, modelling and designing my jewellery line. I wear so many hats, music is my escape and it's so much fun. For me music is an expression and celebration.

Q. So how did it become that it's now serious for you?
A. The way it came about was I was shooting a movie in New York and I was playing the guitar and singing on set in between takes and the producer heard me. He needed a girl singer for his band so I just did it for fun in my spare time. I then had to move to Paris but when I went back to New York we were all hanging out we wrote a new song and recorded the song in Paris. People loved it and we performed it at New York fashion week this time last year. There were 300 people there so I had a little bit to drink to calm the nerves, but we did it and it was so much fun. We wrote one song two days before because my mentality then was 'why not'. After playing it people were coming up to me crying, it was very touching. Then we got asked to perform in Paris and London. One of my friends is a music producer and he said "You know people like it so go for it". And that is what we have been doing for the past year. We are still mixing right now. The band is called Henry Black. I always wanted my name to be Henry, and the guy I write with has a really funny story about why he is called Henry. It's like an alter ego and a person that we share together.

Q: What are you good at that has nothing to do with fashion or music?
A: Cooking. I'm amazing at cooking. I have a blog called 'Dear Guiseppe', it's my dads name. I love gardening as well, I'm such a 50s housewife. The last meal I made was a spinach with ricotta and artichoke cob (which is up on my blog).

Q: What bands did you listen to growing up?
A: My dad was in a band and I always thought he was Jim Morrison, I used to play the tambourine in his band. He loved Deep Purple, Daddy Cool, The Eagles and The Doors. Then when I grew up I listened to Silver Chair, Jebediah and Foo Fighters. I got into hip hop and when I moved to New York and I got into Brenda Lee, Robert Johnson, Lead Belly and Moon Dog. Then interesting artists like Elliot Smith. Lately I've been listening to a lot of female artists like Joan Jet, Blondie and Dolly Parton. I've also been obsessed with Lana Del Ray.

Q: If you had a sound track for this trip back to Sydney for Vogue's Fashion Night Out what would it be?
A: Lana Del Ray - 'Born to Die', 'Summertime Sadness' and 'This is What Makes Us Girls Cry'

Q: What are you doing for Vogue Fashion Night Out?
A: I'm going to be in Pitt St for the opening at 4:45pm. I'm so excited I love Vogue Fashion Night Out. Everyone is out; models, designers, celebrities. Everyone is there to celebrate fashion and designers. The streets are crawling with people and you run into so many people you know. It's the biggest celebration of fashion in the year. I've been to them all over the world but I haven't been to one in Sydney yet.

Nicole's jewellery from her collection and that incredible 1969 Rolex watch.

Here is a guide to some of the special events happening for VFNO tomorrow there are so so many...
http://www.westfield.com.au/sydney/news-and-events/2012/events/09/vfno

And pop into Ginger and Smart and be styled by designer Genevieve with drinks and a cash prize.

And this one is for YOU specifically........Yves Saint Laurent are offering Style By Yellow Button readers the chance to visit the YSL counter at Myer and David Jones to receive a complimentary mini Rouge Pur Couture red lipstick. Stock is limited so make sure you don’t miss out.