“She went to the top very, very fast. Her look defined a decade because she was so unique”
VogueTheloving having a moment in New York where I wasn’t working because then I could enjoy living there. When you’re working that much, your home is on an airplane – you don’t spend a lot of time in the place that you actually live.”
She describes the working reunion as a “dream job”. Although Ward enjoyed her recent return, it is clear her move from beachside hamlet to buzzing metropolis has come to suit her and her young family. Ward is full of enthusiasm for her life in New York, and she’s relishing life in the city in a way she wasn’t able to in her teens.
“I’m always reinvigorated when I [go] back to New York. I love the walking culture, that’s my favourite thing,” says Ward. The family lives in the trendy Tribeca neighbourhood this time round. “That’s been fun, especially because it’s really great with kids, and everything’s convenient. We’re loving it.”
The move came out of a desire to work more regularly in fashion again, and she is happy with the opportunities New York affords. In the past few months, she’s shot editorial for Italian and Thai and Sunday Times’s style glossy in the UK, walked in fashion shows for Proenza Schouler, and fronted campaigns for Zimmermann and jewellers Hardy Brothers. “It doesn’t feel super-busy like it used to be, but I’ve definitely been keeping busy in a way that I’m happy about; that’s why I’m there. I’ve been working with
difficult,” says Fantauzzo. “I couldn’t read or write. I got put in special classes and felt stupid. I had extreme anxiety about certain tasks, like copying from the board or reading out loud.”
Owing to his own experience, Fantauzzo is always keen to break down some of the stigma and confusion that often surround the condition. “A lot of people are ashamed of being dyslexic, but they shouldn’t be. Dyslexia is a gift – a superpower,” he says emphatically. And he has taken a role as ambassador for the new Australian charity Code Read Dyslexia Network to help spread that credo. Navigating the school years as a dyslexic is not easy; according to the Australian Dyslexia Association, 95 per cent of adult dyslexics recall being either told they were, or they were made to feel, “dumb”, “lazy” or “stupid” by a teacher. “It breaks my heart that nothing has really changed,” Fantauzzo tells Stellar. Although he no longer has to worry about reading out loud, dyslexia still impacts Fantauzzo’s everyday life. Short-term memory is an issue (“If I could get back all the time I’ve spent looking for keys…”), he hates filling in forms and, although he listens to two audio books a week, the thought of actually reading a book from cover to cover “makes me want to vomit”.
He admits to a haphazard approach to organisation, pointing out that “I never document or plan anything. I fly by the seat of my pants most of the time.” In sharp contrast, his other half Keddie is meticulous. “Asher never forgets anything,” he says. “She is extremely organised; I’m the opposite. She understands that when I don’t do something that she would have liked, it’s not because I’m inconsiderate. I’ve just forgotten about it.”
As if on cue to perfectly illustrate the point, Keddie – having just arrived home in her own car – interrupts the interview by tapping on the window of Fantauzzo’s vehicle, which is stationary now he’s arrived at his destination.
