From kicking the year off working on Style Up's January cover photo shoot, to taking on several new clients, Mildura-based First Nations makeup artist Louise Stuart is now taking on the Melbourne Fashion Festival.

This week Style Up caught up with the talented creative to learn more about what it is like to work behind the scenes in such a large scale event.

"This year, I had the incredible opportunity to work with Clothing The Gaps x NIT Style Up on the Not a Date to Celebrate campaign, doing hair and makeup alongside some amazing people in our community. It was such a fun shoot and I was so grateful to be apart of such a powerful and meaningful campaign," Stuart told Style Up.

"I'm also thrilled to be working with PayPal Melbourne Fashion Festival, and I can't wait to be part of such a major event in the industry."

"All of this while juggling my two young sons (two and four years old) and managing two businesses (My makeup business and I also own a boxing gym with my partner) —it's been a busy but exciting start to 2025."

Stuart shares that she is thrilled to be involved in not one but many shows this year.

"I'll be working at PayPal Melbourne Fashion Festival from Monday to Thursday, contributing to several incredible shows, including Opening Night, National Designer Award, National Graduate Showcase, Resort Glam, Glam Up, Back In Blak, and Menswear Edit Runway," she said.

"I'm especially excited to be part of the Back In Blak show on Thursday—it'll be amazing to reconnect with familiar faces and catch up with mob I've worked with before. Plus, the look that Lara (Director of Lancôme) has created for this show is hands down my favorite.

"This opportunity came about through my connection with Nathan McGuire—Indigenous model and Founder/Director of Mob In Fashion, a First Nations-owned and led creative studio focused on increasing representation behind the scenes in fashion. Leading up to PMFF, I had been in touch with Nathan, who encouraged me to apply for the Mob In Fashion x PMFF Pathways Program—and my application was accepted.

"There are so many incredible designers I'm excited to see this year! A few that I'm especially looking forward to are AJE, Liandra, Con Illio, By Josh Dean, Lychee Alkira, and Miimi & Jinda—just to name a few. It's always great reconnecting with friends and seeing them shine on the runway."

"I've worked on a few fashion runways now, and I absolutely love being behind the scenes. There's something so rewarding about seeing your work come to life—whether it's models walking down the runway or your makeup being published. It's an incredible feeling," she said.

"Each show is different when it comes to timing. I've worked on runways where we've had a full hour per model, but I've also had to complete a full makeup look in just 15 minutes. It really depends on the show and the complexity of the look. For PMFF, we have about 30 minutes per model.

"As for watching the runway—sometimes we get to sneak a peek from the sidelines after final touch-ups, but most of the time, we're racing around backstage making sure every model is runway-ready. Backstage is absolute chaos—a whirlwind of hair stylists, makeup artists, dressers, and stylists all working at lightning speed to pull everything together. It's high-energy, fast-paced, and intense, but that's what makes it so exciting to be part of."

On the topic of opportunity for First Nations creatives at events such as the Melbourne Fashion Festival, Stuart says that while she loves seeing positive changes there is still room for greater improvement.

"I definitely think there's still room for greater representation, but I love seeing the steps being taken to create more opportunities for First Nations creatives. Events like PMFF and MFW are making real efforts with shows like the Back In Blak Runway and the Ganbu Marra Runway, which spotlight First Nations designers," she said.

"At MFW, the Ganbu Marra show and other events throughout the week featured a strong presence of First Nations models, and on the makeup team, we had three Indigenous artists, including myself. It's so refreshing to see mob taking up space in these spaces and having their talent recognized.

"For PMFF, it's still early days for me, but the fact that they have a pathway program in collaboration with Mob In Fashion is such a positive step. It's initiatives like this that help create long-term change in the industry, and I'd love to see more programs like it across major fashion events."

Stuart shares her plans for what is looking to be a busy year for the talented makeup artist.

"I'm currently manifesting a spot at Australian Fashion Week in Sydney, which would be an incredible experience. I'd also love the opportunity to work on the Country to Couture runway—it's such an important platform for First Nations designers and creatives," she said.

"Beyond that, I just want to continue working with Mob, supporting each other, and creating more opportunities in the industry. And of course, the biggest milestone coming up—I'm expecting my third baby boy in July! But don't worry, it's not going to slow me down though. There's still so much more to do and achieve."

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