“Sarah Burton really wanted Kristen to play that role,” explains casting director Jess Hallett of the decision to give the pivotal closing slot for the recent McQ spectacular to iconic supermodel, Kristen McMenamy...
“Sarah Burton really wanted Kristen to play that role,” explains casting director Jess Hallett of the decision to give the pivotal closing slot for the recent McQ spectacular to iconic supermodel, Kristen McMenamy: “I think she was perfect for it and illuminated everything. She worked out who she was meant to be and really went for it.” So McMenamy, dressed as some sort of Gothic wood nymph played up the theatricality of the occasion, seizing on a rope that led to an illuminated forest at the back of the runway. Then just as she disappeared into the darkness, the lights flipped on to reveal a raucous party, cementing it as the show of the LFW season.
Such casting coups go some way to show why Hallett has become one of the most influential casting directors working today. Besides her enduring 10-year collaboration at Alexander McQueen (she cites Plato’s Atlantis, The Girl Who Lived In A Tree and They Shoot Horses Don’t They? among her many highlights) last season alone she worked on shows such as Kenzo, Mugler, Mary Katrantzou and on editorials for AnOther Magazine, Another Man and W; all of which must give her a rare insight into what it takes to fulfill a designer or stylist’s exacting vision. So what makes one girl stand out above all others? “It could be her beauty or her style or her presence or charisma, combine that with hard work and intelligence.”
"I love finding the right person to fit into the jigsaw and achieving something that seemed impossible at the beginning"
It’s all a far cry from Hallett's first job in fashion where she found herself temping for an agent while her assistant was away on holiday. She cringes at the memory: “I had absolutely no idea what I was doing but was told to expect Judy Blame who was coming to collect something. I, in my naivety, was expecting a woman but instead met Mr. Judy Blame. It kind of set the tone from then on.” After running the studio for the photographer Carrie Branovan, she became a booker at Storm where she met a young Kate Moss. She enthuses, “I just loved her immediately and I remember my friends telling me to stop going on about her. Kate was really into fashion even in 1989 when she was just a kid. Most new faces have to be taken shopping but she was way ahead of everybody.” Rapidly becoming close friends, Hallett travelled with Moss during her early years meeting other supers along the way. “I met Naomi Campbell when she was 16. She was such a bambi, all long limbs and very shy. Susie Bick was also an incredible creature, I loved her. She was and still is amazing. They were all such individual beauties, so commanding. You couldn’t help but be impressed by them.” Maid of Honour at Moss’ wedding to Jamie Hince, she recently cast Moss as a bewitching mermaid centerfold clad in specially commissioned McQueen for the S/S12 edition of Another Man. While her runway casting is defined by cool girls with killer walks, her magazine editorials showcase her love of strong personalities – casting musician William ‘Wild Cat’ Blanchard in a roadtrip photographic essay by Niall O’Brien and stylist Katy England for Another Man. “Wildcat brought his own identity to that shoot which was essential. The character had to be believable and he was. In an editorial you have more time and the pages are there forever. You can really tell a story.”
As hectic as the fashion season is for her, she finds herself thriving on the adrenaline. “I love all of it really. I love the people, everyone from the designers, stylists, hair and make–up, and the assistants. I love being involved in something, the adrenaline and hard work. I love finding the right person to fit into the jigsaw and achieving something that seemed impossible at the beginning.”
