Friends of Viva: Katherine Lowe

Model booker and influential blogger Katherine Lowe tells us why kindness, downhill running and juice play a big part in her life

Reflecting diversity is not something the fashion and beauty industry have traditionally excelled at, but in recent years, brands and advertisers have increasingly used models from a wider variety of ethnicities, ages and sizes. There’s still much room for improvement but New Zealand appears to be doing better than other countries, says Katherine Lowe, a model booker at Clyne Model Management.

“I think it can seem a little token,” she says, “but anything is better than nothing. We definitely get more requests for different sizes and not just your stereotypical model. People are looking for other things.”

Her job is not only to scout new faces (and personalities) but to help develop models’ skills to put them forward for jobs for editorial, runway and TV commercials. For instance, after signing Izzi Zigan when she waited on Katherine in a Mission Bay cafe, the model has since gone on to become a Viva cover star and frequent muse in our pages. But there’s an even bigger component to Katherine’s job that she says people often overlook: she’s a pseudo-big sister to many of the models, primarily teenage girls, who wind up on Clyne’s books.

“It’s a hard industry, extremely competitive, and a lot of people don’t look out for them. So I feel a huge responsibility to be realistic and kind. They start so young, and they’re expected to do a full day of work and navigate all these adult expectations. ‘Why did she forget her nude bra?’ Because she’s 16!”

Katherine’s pragmatism isn’t surprising. Anyone who followed her blog Katherine is Awesome — or the more recent Rally with Radio New Zealand journalist Leilani Momoisea — will know she can be painfully honest and self-deprecating, whether she’s talking about clothes or her personal life. What started as an outlet for her love of fashion was what led the former graphic designer to work behind the fashion industry scenes. She was spotting talent and alerting agents — or photographing the stylish and cool for the blog — long before she worked at Clyne. She’s also big on social media, particularly Instagram, where she has 11,600 followers.

“It can be quite rewarding looking after new faces, helping them get what they want and watching them grow.”

Like her models, Katherine keeps healthy and active. One of her favourite workouts, besides hot Pilates at Sweat Yoga, yin yoga at Studio Red and the outdoor group training regime, Fitness All Together, is to walk up Mt Eden and run back down. All of which leads to washing several loads of “very sweaty” workout gear, and frequent hair-washing. (She’s scared of using the clothes dryer, as she’s never quite sure when it’s finished, or how gentle it will be with her clothes.)

Having moved back home temporarily while she house-hunts in Auckland, she’s enjoying the creature comforts of the house she grew up in. She has her eye on an apartment in Ponsonby but for now is staying in Mt Eden with her Mum in a three-bedroom, three-bathroom townhouse. Built 30 years ago and later renovated, it does make the property search, with its endless open homes and less than salubrious offerings, more frustrating.

“Every time I hear murmurs of [Mum’s place] being sold I lose the plot,” she says. “I’m super attached.”

Plus, Mt Eden village is a short walk away for her to indulge her love of Italian food at Pasta & Cuore, or grab her favourite egg sandwich from Olaf’s Artisan Bakery. And while she does eat out frequently, she has several gotos for cooking at home. Pasta with prawns, chilli, garlic and olive oil is a favourite, as is steak and vegetables, panfried fish with avocado and salad, soft-boiled eggs with bread and avocado. Two years ago she tried the lowcarb, high-fat keto diet for two months and wrote about it for her blog.

“I felt quite amazing,” says Katherine, who has relaxed the rules but maintained her commitment to eating less sugar. Because the diet shuns processed foods, that’s been another, ahem, takeaway — these days she even makes her own mayonnaise, “because it tastes so much better,” breaking out her trusty hand blender. She’s never been much of a breakfast person, so a bought coffee often stands in — she agrees a coffee machine would be great for her new place, not to mention all the other things she’ll need when she moves. A fridge with a dedicated door for drinks is up there on her wish-list.

“I’m a massive juice drinker so I’m fascinated by those.” She’d also love a steamer for her clothes.

“It’s the ultimate luxury because I hate to iron,” she laughs. “I know that’s crazy for someone who works in fashion.”

This is despite not being a “really together, chic, corporate power woman”. She’s happiest in jeans, a t-shirt and flat shoes.

“I’m pretty casual, pretty relaxed. But I do have some nice clothes and if it could save me going to the drycleaner, I’d be happy.”