IN THE SUN: spring looks inspired by the 1960s

Erika Heynatz is soaking up the sun this season in retro spring hues and timeless designs inspired by the 1960s.

Stretched out on the decking beside a shimmering aquamarine pool, Erika Heynatz, 43, effortlessly evokes the wealthy subjects of high-society photographer of the 1960s Slim Aarons, who inspired The Weekly’s spring fashion shoot on location in Sydney. The soft, sorbet-tones recall the photographer’s iconic portraits of America’s rich and famous and they suit Erika, who studied him at university, to a T. “That idyllic Slim Aarons glamorous lifestyle and attitude of long summer days lounging poolside, sun tanned and bikini-clad, summer cocktails and endless entertaining and fun really appeal to me,” she says. “They are my summer goals.”

A chameleon who conquered the worlds of modelling, theatre and television, Erika is relishing her latest role as mother to Charlie, now two. She and her husband Andrew Kingston recently bought their rst home, and the family is enjoying the settled life.

“After years of living a very transient life in the entertainment industry, it’s been a beautiful shift in my personal life to start a family and create a permanent base, decorate a home and immerse myself in the local community,” Erika says.

But settling down and slowing down are not the same thing. Erika went back to work when Charlie was just three months old, touring with the cast of Singin’ In The Rain, in which she played the shrill starlet Lina Lamont.

The characters she plays often in uence her style, she says. “My style is pretty haphazard and hurried these days,” she says. “I try to nd pieces with great design details, cut, and design.”

Whether she’s on set or enjoying a casual meal at her new home, basic denim, crisp white T-shirts and linen blazers are her go-to out ts of choice. Of course, dressing up is a perk of the job, particularly when it involves recreating the carefree pool parties of a bygone era.

“Legend has it that the original owner won the lottery in the ’50s and built the biggest pool in the neighbourhood which made it the destination for everyone to swim and socialise,” she says. “While our house and pool have since been modernised, I hope that the spirit of its original hospitality breathes through us. There’s big palms, a huge frangipani tree and plush green grass underfoot.”