e - Spotlight Promotions

creative people •
Above: Kerry O’Brien (right) with colleague
dressing
A woman with a bird’s eye view
Melbourne-based publicist Kerry
O’Brien has been front and centre
on countless red carpets. National
publicist for five Logie Award
Ceremonies and five Australian
Film Institute Awards, she says
that managing the red carpet is a
“huge job” with close to 200 media
representatives accredited to be on
site and reporting each year.
From 2000 onwards Kerry says
red carpet dressing in Australia
became “incredibly glamorous”. She’s
“impressed and stunned at the effort
that goes into dressing the stars” and
says many local designers are using
this avenue as a marketing tool for
their labels.
“I believe the Internet has helped
because there are enormous
increases in the amount of media
coverage received from a red carpet
event; photos and footage can be
distributed to the world media in a
matter of minutes,” says Kerry.
Reluctant to choose just one
Australia favourite, the publicist says
Collette Dinnigan, Lisa Ho and J’Aton
are among her top choices.
“Did you see Asher Keddie’s Logies
outfit last year?” she asks. “It was
truly stunning! Kat Stewart also always
looks amazing, as does Jennifer
Hawkins – of course! These women
are stylish and it’s not about how
much skin they are showing but the
perfect gowns they choose. I have also
had Naomi Watts and Cate Blanchett
on my red carpets and they are always
stunning.”
While Kerry’s work ensemble is
normally limited to sharp suits and
shoes that can keep her on her feet
for 12 to 14 hours at her time, she
personally loves Lisa Ho and chose
one of her gowns to get married in,
one she spied on Rebecca Gibney on
the Logies red carpet.
And, after all these years watching
starlets come and go, via memorable
moments, wardrobe malfunctions and
pure glamour, what is Kerry’s idea
of successful red carpet dressing?
“Don’t over accessorise, make the
gown the hero. Less is more is my
motto!” she declares. •
www.kerryobrienpublicity.com.au
@
“Kat Stewart (above) also
always looks amazing, as
does Jennifer Hawkins – of
course! These women are
stylish and it’s not about
how much skin they are
showing but the perfect
gowns they choose”
– Kerry
Get Creative Quarterly Autumn 2012 127