Meet Vanessa (@by__vanessa), Faz (@fazshu), and Danica (@D_RoseMakeup), the skilled creatives who made up Team 1 in Project T.M. They gave us a little insight into the Project T.M. process—what parts they loved, what surprised them, and how they felt about the final result!


Tell us about yourself.


V: My name is Vanessa. I work full time in a salon and studied Cert III Hairdressing at The Masters. My favourite thing about hair is colour. I love the science behind it, the creativity, and the way it can completely transform someone’s look! I love when I can make someone feel happy. There is no better feeling than seeing a client feel confident and beautiful and that’s why I’m excited to do this for the rest of my life.


F: My name is Faz and I study Fashion Business. My favourite aspects of fashion are styling and creative directing. My mother had a boutique when I was growing up and she always had an effortless style that was so true to herself, so that’s what inspired me to study fashion myself.


D: My name is Danica. I study a Diploma of Screen and Media. I’ve loved makeup since I was young. I’ve always been an art student and I love makeup, so combining my two passions to create a career is something I’ve always wanted to do.


What’s one word you’d use to describe Project T.M.?


V: Creative-house.


D: Challenging.


F: FUN!

 

What was your favourite part of Project T.M.? Did anything about it surprise you?


V: My favourite part was being able to meet a bunch of other creatives: models, makeup artists, photographers, stylists, you name it! I think it’s so important to network in this industry and The Masters do a really good job of ensuring all students get the opportunity to do so. I was actually surprised how much staging goes on behind the scenes! You watch reality TV shows and everything seems so natural and authentic, but in actual fact, lots of things may be staged, reenacted, or produced.


F: My favourite part of the competition was my amazing team and what we were able to achieve. I was surprised by how much thought, detail and preparation was put into the competition and had to be put into the photoshoot.


Did you learn anything new about the creative industries? Did you learn anything new about yourself?


V: I learned plenty of little things throughout the shoot, but most importantly I learned that it is essential to be a team player. Put your ego aside and make sure everyone feels included. If you start off with a good foundation, it’s so much easier to work from there because the mutual respect makes ideas and opinions flow. Teamwork really does make the dream work! 


F: I learned that it’s important to sometimes put aside your own thoughts to listen to other people’s opinions because they might point out something that you didn’t think about, which may end up making a huge difference. Collaboration is everything! I also discovered how much I really enjoy styling.


What’s the difference between an everyday hair/makeup/outfit look vs. curating a look for a photoshoot?


V: There are SO many differences! The lighting, the prep, the photographer, the products—just everything. It really does go to show that you can’t trust everything you see online or in magazines because there was definitely a lot of behind-the-scenes work put into all that content.


D: An everyday look is simple; curating a look for a photoshoot is a whole new thing. You have to take into account the angle of the lighting, the brightness, the outfit, the tones and textures of the theme, the products you use. You also have to put the client’s needs and wants first.


F: For your own day-to-day look, you are essentially your own client and you have the flexibility to express yourself in whichever way you want to. In a curated shoot, you’re working on a client brief. You need to listen to what they want and to work collaboratively with your team of hair stylists, makeup artists, models, and photographers to achieve a final look. If you’re styling the shoot, you have a responsibility to lead the team by bringing out the best work in people and to make sure everything is cohesive.


How did you feel once your look finally came together in the photoshoot? Would you do anything differently if you could have a do-over?


V: I felt amazing! Everyone’s photos came out so beautifully. It was a huge relief to see that all of our hard work was worth it.


D: I was surprised by how well the photoshoot turned out considering the time constraints we had. If I could do anything over, I would go with different lashes on our model.


F: I remember thinking, wow, that looks amazing! I wouldn’t do anything differently. I am happy with how we all worked together and how it all came together. We were vigilant with our time and resources.


Any advice for incoming Project T.M.ers?


V: Take every opportunity to learn something new and meet everyone you can! It was such a great opportunity that I am very thankful to have been a part of.


F: Listen to the brief carefully, work well with your team, encourage and support each other, and drop your ego at the door.


D: Breathe, relax. Your team is there for you and so are the mentors. There is no ‘i’ in ‘team’! 10/10 I would do this again.


Have you met the other Project T.M. teams yet? Click here to meet Team 2 and here to meet Team 3!