What can you tell us about Cashmere Mafia?
Four powerful business women in New York — looking at their lives, their friendship and their relationships with the opposite sex, both personal and professional. With lots of great frocks.
Describe your character’s style?
High end Park Avenue, refined with a splash of sex.
What is your favourite item that you wore in the show?
A black Norma Kamali dress with floating panel in the back. Or this vintage 80s Azzedine Alaia suit.
What’s it like to walk the red carpet?
I wouldn’t like to do it every night but it’s fun to wear great clothes and have your hair and makeup done. As long as you don’t fall over!
What do you do to de-stress and get away from the cameras?
Hang with my daughter in the park. Ride on the carousel. Sum up your personal style in five words…quick, bohemian, feminine, tactile, bower bird. Brisbane is fast becoming a fashion mecca…There’s certainly some great shops.
Who is your favorite Australian designer and why?
Collette Dinnigan — her clothes are feminine, fit really well and make you feel a million bucks.
Who is your number one fashion influence?
Influenced by too many…
What’s your favorite shopping haunt in Australia?
You know, I’m not that much of a shopper. I pick up bits and pieces everywhere.
What’s your favorite international shopping spot?
Paris — my best friend lives there and she knows where to go. I never really got it before.
What has been your biggest fashion blunder?
Too many to name. But maybe frosty coral lipstick.
What’s the one beauty product you couldn’t live without?
Sunscreen.
What’s the number one thing you miss about Australia?
The beach. Even though I’m not a sunbaker I love to know it’s there, that it all stops somewhere. I love the expanse and the smell of salt air.
If you could be someone for a day who would it be?
My daughter. I would love to experience a day where everything was new and yet I felt so confident and joyful.
Brisbane-born (and Sydney-raised) actress Miranda Otto has become one of Australia’s hottest exports in recent years, starring alongside Viggo Mortensen in Lord of the Rings, Tom Cruise in War of the Worlds and most recently alongside Debra Messing in The Starter Wife (filmed in Queensland earlier this year). Here, she takes a break from filming the new television series Cashmere Mafia in New York to speak to Claire Miles about all things cashmere, fashion and home…
To me Brisbane is…
coming of age.
The New York fashion scene is…
ubiquitous.
I can’t live without…
my friends, family and fresh food.
I feel good when I’m…
walking.
The best advice my mum ever gave me was….
don’t wear frosty pink lipstick with a red dress.
The best advice I will give my daughter Darcy will be…
keep your sense of humour, it will get you through most things.
I will always love…
the ‘tween seasons. Spring and autumn.
Photo courtesy of Shanahan Management