A 4am pick-up from your inner-city hotel to drive to Cronulla would make anyone a little grumpy, but Alyssa Sutherland isn’t showing a hint of it – for an international model, I guess constant travel comes with the job! There’s time for a little chit-chat with the crew and a rest until we arrive, still in the dark, at the Cronulla Surf Life Saving Club in Sydney’s south, our shoot location for the day. The mission? To shoot 13 gorgeous pink dresses especially commissioned for 30 Days of Fashion & Beauty, which will be auctioned in aid of Fashion Targets Breast Cancer.

Click here for exclusive behind-the-scenes pics from Alyssa’s Angel fashion shoot for

First, some food and coffee, then hair and makeup starts. The crew come alive chatting about the difference between Australian and American pronunciation (Alyssa is now based full-time in New York and our photographer, Harold David, is American): coffee, cinnamon, cell phones, all the big topics are covered (it’s 5am, after all!). Harold announces the sun is rising, so it’s into the first dress and onto the cold sand we go! We have a lot to get through this morning. In and out of the surf club, we whirl through shooting all the dresses – from goddess-like maxi lengths to fab little minis, and a full-on ball gown for the finale. It’s all a bit like a dream…

Alyssa says she has another shoot today, so she gets through the last shots, changes and off she runs to the studio. Wow, what a day – and all before 1pm!!!

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Make your bid on one (or all 30!) of these fabulous dresses now

The Australia’s Next Top Model finalist models the new Portmans collection. Clare Maclean goes behind the scenes

Have you walked past a Portmans recently? You have to go in and have a look,” says the label’s creative director, Nikki Hillier. The dynamic Brit, who’s worked for Topshop and Marks & Spencer, is in the throes of discussing her current passion – the reinvigoration of the iconic Aussie label that has been around since the 40s. It’s impossible not to get caught up in her enthusiasm, especially once you’ve had a look at the slick new collection she and designer director Leanne Follett have put together.

Click here for more behind-the-scenes shots of the new Portmans collection starring Cassi

“We dug through the archives and discovered this wonderful tailoring heritage and a sexy warm spirit that’s distinctively Australian,” explains Hillier of the new direction.

“And that’s the frame we are using to interpret all the hottest catwalk trends of the season.”

Now she’s called in the big guns for their lookbook to kick that direction into high gear, including Balenciaga’s movement coach and casting director extraordinaire, Nikola Koke. And giving her all in front of the lens is ANTM finalist Cassi Van Den Dungen.

“Portmans has a long tradition of working with up-and-coming models such as Miranda Kerr, so we thought Cassi would be perfect,” explains Hillier of the rising star, who was recommended to her by long-time friend and ANTM guest judge Claudia Navone, fashion director for Harper’s Bazaar. “But she’s still very young and inexperienced so I thought we should have a day which was all about arming her with the tools she needs to reach her potential.” Call it a mini model makeover…

Buy Grazia magazine on sale now for the full story

Photographer Nicole Bentley captures the action; oversized blazer, $199.95, boyfriend tee, $49.95 and skirt, $69.95 (All Portmans, 1800 650 600). Image: Andy Baker.

Grazia’s junior fashion editor, Peter Simon Phillips, takes us behind-the-scenes with swim star Stephanie Rice

Arriving wearing an over-sized knit dress, skinny leg pants, black Dior motorcycle boots and a classic Chanel necklace and earring set, Stephanie looked more like she belongs on New York’s Fifth Avenue than in the pool.

Click here to see exclusive behind-the-scenes shots from Stephanie Rice’s Grazia shoot

Fresh faced and happy to meet the crew, Brisbane girl Stephanie was delighted with the rack of clothes, announcing that she “loves to dress up” and excitedly asking what she was wearing. We went through the man-style suiting, feminine high-waisted pants and nipped-waist jackets and she loved it all. Then it was into hair and makeup, with Stephanie excited about the transformation and being given a character to play.

Stephanie looks like she’s definitely been in front of the camera before. She laughed and joked between shots and was excited to see the results…

The final shoot was outdoors on the stairs, then the shoot was wrapped. She was so happy with the portraits she brought a number of the pieces from the shoot, which she plans to wear to L'Oréal Melbourne Fashion Festival events in the coming weeks.

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Buy this week's issue of Grazia magazine for our exclusive interview with swim star Stephanie Rice

Stephanie wears an Alexander McQueen jacket, $4490 (Arida, 02 9357 4788); Georg Jensen necklace, $730 (1800 269 911). Photography Harold David. Styling Peter Simon Phillips.

Arriving on set after a delayed long-haul flight from New York, Miranda arrived at Sun Studios in Sydney fresh-faced and with FAB new lighter hair, wearing a Dior Homme jacket, long grey jersey tank dress, Jimmy Choo Jellies, an LV bag and simple personal jewellery.

Click here to see exclusive behind-the-scenes shots from Miranda’s Grazia cover shoot

We did quick hellos to the Grazia team assembled to shoot the Aussie supermodel for this week’s cover (with only a mere hour up our sleeves to pull off the shot), a hot drink to warm her up and into hair and make-up she went… a bit of a blowdry and a quick turn in the makeup chair, then our fashion director Mark Vassallo announced to her there is a bit of a Pirates Of The Caribbean theme. Her eyes lit up as she smiled and nodded while taking a quick flick through the rack of clothes. Feeling at home in a bikini, (she is a Victoria’s Secret Angel after all), we whirled through the shots with ease. Mission Impossible accomplished, Miranda changed back into to her own clothes and was off again.

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Grazia has arrived in Rome, time to get back to our Italian roots!

Sportsgirl invited Grazia’s fashion team (fashion director Mark Vassallo, accessories editor Anouk Colantoni and myself) to Melbourne last weekend. First we hosted a mini fashion show at the Bourke Street megastore, then it was on to the new Style Me suite to work with the Grazia/Sportsgirl competition winner, Lauren. Lucky girl scored a one-on-one Sportsgirl styling session with us, and was allowed to take home one of the outfits!

Click here to see some behind-the-scenes shots

We filled the suite with Sportsgirl pieces ready to style up Lauren. While we put together a number of looks, the inhouse stylists helped us to change sizes, grab more accessories and generally just add to the fun-ness of it all. Can you believe the Style Me service (exclusive to Bourke Street) is free? Way to go, Sportsgirl!