With a rich history in Australian publishing, this year saw Suzanne Wangmann make the leap from print into digital with the launch of sayChic. beautydirectory sat down with the award-winning journalist to discover her career progression, how she has embraced the industry's changing pace, and her advice for young journalists.
How long have you been in the beauty media world and how did you get your start?
25 years and counting! I started at The Australian Women’s Weekly in 1988. They needed someone to produce the beauty make-overs and I was it. It was a great way to start because I learned from the best hairdressers, make-up artists and beauty therapists in the business. It also taught me a lot about beauty photography and the underlying premise of all beauty editorial: that we are talking to real women who have a genuine interest in the art and science of beauty and then use that information to feel good.
What has been your career progression since starting out?
I’ve written, sub-edited, edited and contributed about many different subjects for many different magazines and newspapers, and now for digital media. At the time when I probably should have been editing a magazine full-time, I had twins and one developed autism which threw a spanner in the works. But I’m happy how my career has worked out. I’m working from home, available for my kids in the afternoons, and doing work that I love.
How has the beauty and media industry changed since you first started?
In one word – digital. It’s so exciting but the industry is going through a major transition. The rules aren’t yet written about how to do business on content-driven sites so it’s a major learning curve for everyone involved. For me, personally, it’s about making decisions about strategies like social media. (People who post every day, whether it’s via a site email or through Facebook, quickly become white noise to me, but am I doing it the best way to reach the readers I want to talk to? Time will tell.) But it’s also tons of fun. For most of my career I’ve worked with big design teams and now I do it all at home on my PC. It can be challenging but I just love pressing that post button!
What has been your most memorable beauty experience to date?
I feel… what’s the word…”humbled.” I have had some of the most indulgent experiences you can possibly imagine. Stood in massive fields of lavender in Provence, had tours through the most exciting cosmetic labs in the world, done a perfume-making session with Jean Claude Elena (Hermés), been to Chanel haute couture shows in Paris, interviewed movie stars, world-famous make-up artists and hairdressers. It has been such an amazing ride.
I think perhaps the most memorable of all, which was a personal visit rather than work, was attending the memorial service of Evelyn Lauder. I’d interviewed her many times over the years and tried to meet her for tea whenever I was in New York. She was such a dear person, who touched so many lives through the Pink Ribbon campaign which she started. Her memorial was one of those crying one minute, laughing the next, services that you never forget. I attended with a dear old friend of mine, perfumer Sophia Grosman, and after the service we went home to Sophia’s and shared our stories of Evelyn. Sophia worked on many of the Lauder fragrances, which was Evelyn’s pet love. It was a poignant, perfect day where you experience every emotion and go to bed thinking about the good stuff.
You are known for your beauty interviews. Out of all your subjects, who has left a lasting impression?
I think that would be Nikos Koutsianas, the founder of Apivita. He’s in his late 60s now and came from very poor circumstances in rural Greece. He was the first boy in his town to finish high school, he went on to study pharmacy in Athens and built this great company on his basic belief that we all should try to do good in this world. Sounds like a marketing motto, doesn’t it, but with Nikos, I really believe him. He learnt about herbs and bees as a kid, scrounging for bush foods and medicines. He has this incredibly infectious warmth and wisdom. It was a real privilege to spend time with him.
You have now branched out online with sayChic. What are the lessons you've learned from this experience?
That computers can be frustrating and patience is a virtue. I’ve always worked on very high circulating titles so I’ve had to stop worrying all the time about numbers. It’s tricky… a few Best Hollywood boob jobs/Worst cellulite stories might well accelerate growth but that’s not where I want to go. I’ve learnt so much over the years about the industry that I feel like I’d be burning down the library if I went for the quick buck and don’t maintain the credibility of what I write. And I don’t want to be posting rubbish or purely marketing-driven material just to post. So I’m just cruising along, posting stories I think are worth reading, ideas worth seeing. What’s that line from Field of Dreams? If you build it, they will come”?
Can you give us a snapshot of what we can expect from sayChic?
It’s a weblog for people who like reading about beauty. It’s information they can trust.
Has your attitude towards beauty changed throughout the years?
Not really, accept now I get quite upset when people trivialise the subject – that probably comes from working a long time in newspapers.
What's in your beauty bag right now?
foundation or (depending on where I’m going), Chanel Les Beiges Healthy Glow Sheer powder, mascara, , and SuperStay 24H Concealer . I usually have a NARS lipstick – I like a shade called Autumn Leaves - and a pink Revlon lip gloss.
What single beauty product is always part of your routine?
I’m a firm believer in SPF so I don’t leave the house without foundation, CC or BB cream with sun protection.
If you weren't working in beauty what would you be doing?
I’ve always quite fancied being a midwife but art was my second choice leaving school. I’d probably be working in fine arts or design.
What advice would you offer young journalists in the media industry today?
Be honest. You don’t have to slam products you don’t like but you can leave them out. Someone reading your story is putting their trust in you so don’t let them down.
