I have to admit I was a little surprised when I discovered that Newcastle had it's own successful editorial stylist. Mainly because I couldn't imagine there would be enough work in Newcastle to sustain a full-time position. But Tim Neve has managed to do what many freelancers only dream of - living in place you love outside of the big three (Sydney, Melbourne & Brisbane) and still garner great clients, beautiful magazine commissions and international recognition.
Tim's aesthetic seems very much influenced by the beautiful coastline we enjoy in Newcastle - light, natural and organic. I love how Tim mixes textures, tones and structure to add layers that draw the eye in for a closer look.
And as if styling isn't enough, Tim self-publishes Darby + Junction several times a year, promoting all the shopping goodness Darby Street and The Junction are best-known for. I'm sure it's not without tireless hard work and dedication. All kudos to Tim for making it happen.
Tim Neve, stylist extraordinaire.
TIM NEVE
Condensed CV:
After I completed a degree in Set & Costume design at NIDA, I established an advertising agency in Newcastle that I managed for five years. But I longed to get out from behind a computer, so I started styling for interior and fashion magazines. As a self-confessed home-body and magazine-junkie it seemed inevitable I would end up in this field.
What has been your most memorable project?
A fun job recently was styling a television commercial for a well-known Novocastrian big, fluffy animal. That’s all I can say right now, but it will be on-air soon. It was an amazing shoot with everyone involved knowing we were creating memories for years to come.
My other local claim to fame is that whilst creating the branding for the revamped The Junction Hotel (204 Corlette St, The Junction, 4961 4529) a couple of years ago I designed the graphics for the now infamous ‘wee wall’. Those that frequent the men’s bathroom will know what I'm talking about.
What would be your dream project?
Interiors-wise I'd love to realise a design and fit-out of a big commercial project like a nightclub, jazz club or retail. Something imaginative, a wonderland kind of space that mixes eras, styles and design concepts. Creating the interior for, or even one day owning, a boutique hotel is another.
The dream project on the cards right now is a magazine showcasing the best of our coastal lifestyle which would hopefully lead to a book as well. Both would be filled with beautifully styled images. Despite print media being in an uncertain period at the moment, it’s what I’m most passionate about. Nothing beats the smell of fresh ink on recycled paper stock.
What do you consider your greatest achievement?
Building a business from nothing. One day I was playing around on my computer in my apartment, then within twelve months I was running a graphic and advertising business, which isn't something I'd trained in. It all happened overnight and came out of the blue. The best bit is then-clients that are now best friends.
What is your most treasured possession?
As a stylist I’m constantly accumulating props from shoots, and with my short attention span my favourite possession changes almost weekly. However, I went through a bird cage phase a few years ago and at one point, I had almost twenty hanging around. I’ve managed to hold onto a unique ornate, wooden vintage cage - it’s hanging hook is a carved Bambi-type figure. That one’s a keeper.
What does a typical day at work involve for you?
There’s probably four kinds of jobs I’d be doing on any given day, or juggling at the same time:
+ Producing features – sourcing props, locations and properties for shoots and pitching these as ideas to magazine editors.
+ Out shopping or begging and borrowing props for shoots. I’ve often said ‘stylist’ is just a glamorous term for someone who packs and unpacks their car 10 times a day. At the moment I’m considering buying a ute! I have a wonderful family of retailers and shop owners in Newcastle who always go the extra mile to help me out.
+ On location styling and photographing. My interiors photographer Johan Palsson comes from Sydney and has worked in magazines for over a decade and over the past couple of years we’ve become a great team, working efficiently. I’ve also recently collaborated with fashion stylist Tahnya Morris, and hair and beauty stylist Lisa Fowler – so we have a great little team now, who totally ‘get’ each other. Shoot days are so exhilarating, inspiring, non-stop and exciting, but also exhausting.
+ Finally, writing stories to accompany interior shoots, or Photoshopping images, editing and doing the final layouts. I love pulling the whole process together from concept to completion.
I now also like to blog on my website after each production to share the whole process ‘behind the scenes’ – which people have responded to really well, with feedback even coming internationally which is nice for someone in little ol' Newy.
What is your most valuable pearl of wisdom gained since starting your business?
Embrace the new mindset. Being an artist or working in a creative industry is now a legitimate business occupation. No longer do you have to play the ‘starving artist’, I’m constantly amazed by how many new creative businesses pop up in Newcastle. There’s obviously plenty of work to go around, which is fantastic! However, being freelance also means you have to be always forward-thinking and forecasting and pre-planning work. No one’s going to look after you but yourself – it’s all up to you. One of my favourite quotes is, ‘It’s hard to know who you’re following – when you’re following yourself".
Where do you derive creative inspiration?
I am a magazine junkie. I walk out of a newsagency with arms full of the latest issues of interior and fashion magazines. First, I flick furiously, folding pages to come back to revisit, then finally rip them to pieces to create reference folders for projects.
Which other designers, artists or creative people are you most inspired by at the moment?
Stylist Sibella Court. She has carved a career in styling for big-name clients while maintaining her own eclectic aesthetic. She was based in New York for a decade but has been back in Sydney for two years and has since wrote her first (huge and beautiful) book, Etcetera, hosted a TV show, opened the store The Society Inc. also designs a range of paints. I’m in awe! I admire that she has been able to branch the occupational title ‘stylist’ into so many exciting areas. I hope I can do the same.
How ingenious is Tim's twig lamp?
Newcastle in a word?
Chillaxed - my buzz word/mantra of the moment!
What do you love and hate about living in Newcastle?
Love – my home. Last year I moved into a beach-front apartment with ultra-cheap rent that I redecorated in a serene beach-shack style. Every morning I look out at the ocean view and can’t believe how lucky we are here.
Hate – that’s a strong word! Um, the culture divide with people I guess. There’s a great creative, warm community – but the opposite also exists in force in parts also.
How is Newcastle different to anywhere else?
The unbelievable, affordable lifestyle compared to other cities. My Sydney friends are so jealous of the fact that it takes five minutes to get anywhere, that I live on the beach-front affordably and have established a CBD studio space also on great terms thanks to the amazing Renew Newcastle initiative.
Where are your favourite places in Newcastle / Hunter to:
+ eat
Junction Hotel (204 Corlette St, The Junction, 4961 4529) – gourmet food at pub prices and ultra-luxe atmosphere.
+ drink
Fancy drop: The Depot (143 Darby St, Cooks Hill, 4929 2666) – best cocktails.
Cheap beer on a Friday arvo: Lowlands Bowlo (Centennial Park, Dawson St, Cooks Hill 4929 3046).
Coffee – from Swell@Merewether (Merewether Surf Club, John Pde, Merwether). You don’t mind waiting for a latte to be brewed while there’s such an amazing view!
+ shop
Fashion: Abicus (142 Darby St, Cooks Hill, 02 4929 7278). Tim and Tiff source the hottest emerging menswear designers so I always feel like I’ve scored something unique. I’m also loving Shop 5 at the Centenary Antique Centre (29 Centenary Rd, Newcastle 4926 4527) – two sisters have collected the largest collection of vintage clothing to sell there, and are slowly taking over the whole space! Love their accessories, they have walls of pre-loved designer bags for example.
Homewares: Auld & Grey (100 Maitland Rd, Islington, 0402 087 571). Jenny Auld scours markets and auctions for the most amazing rustic and quirky furniture pieces. I could also happily live at Habitat Living (513 Gelebe Rd, Adamstown, 4952 3887). Their organic and natural furniture and homewares are 100% my style.
For styling props: I’m addicted to $2 shops (can’t walk past one without going in, you never know what you might find!) and Asian grocery stores: I’ve been using dried lotus leaves and strange but beautiful edibles on table arrangements recently.
+ play
Being a self-confessed home-body I prefer to have friends over or vice-versa for some good grub and some home made grub.
+ relax
I try to swim everyday at Newcastle or Merewether Baths. Nothing clears my head more after a big day at work. Salt water is so refreshing. It’s starting to get a bit nippy – but I’ll keep soldiering on through the icy waters for as long as I can. It’s picturesque at both sunset and sunrise, and I can’t help but stop between laps to admire the view of the ships coming into the port.
What is Newcastle / Hunter’s best-kept secret?
My morning alarm clock - the sunrise over the cliff at Bar Beach pouring in through my bedroom windows each morning. Divine!
Website: www.timneve.com
Blog: www.timneve.com/blog
Twitter: @timneve
After I completed a degree in Set & Costume design at NIDA, I established an advertising agency in Newcastle that I managed for five years. But I longed to get out from behind a computer, so I started styling for interior and fashion magazines. As a self-confessed home-body and magazine-junkie it seemed inevitable I would end up in this field.
What has been your most memorable project?
A fun job recently was styling a television commercial for a well-known Novocastrian big, fluffy animal. That’s all I can say right now, but it will be on-air soon. It was an amazing shoot with everyone involved knowing we were creating memories for years to come.
My other local claim to fame is that whilst creating the branding for the revamped The Junction Hotel (204 Corlette St, The Junction, 4961 4529) a couple of years ago I designed the graphics for the now infamous ‘wee wall’. Those that frequent the men’s bathroom will know what I'm talking about.
What would be your dream project?
Interiors-wise I'd love to realise a design and fit-out of a big commercial project like a nightclub, jazz club or retail. Something imaginative, a wonderland kind of space that mixes eras, styles and design concepts. Creating the interior for, or even one day owning, a boutique hotel is another.
The dream project on the cards right now is a magazine showcasing the best of our coastal lifestyle which would hopefully lead to a book as well. Both would be filled with beautifully styled images. Despite print media being in an uncertain period at the moment, it’s what I’m most passionate about. Nothing beats the smell of fresh ink on recycled paper stock.
What do you consider your greatest achievement?
Building a business from nothing. One day I was playing around on my computer in my apartment, then within twelve months I was running a graphic and advertising business, which isn't something I'd trained in. It all happened overnight and came out of the blue. The best bit is then-clients that are now best friends.
Tim self-publishes local magazine
Darby + Junction several times a year
As a stylist I’m constantly accumulating props from shoots, and with my short attention span my favourite possession changes almost weekly. However, I went through a bird cage phase a few years ago and at one point, I had almost twenty hanging around. I’ve managed to hold onto a unique ornate, wooden vintage cage - it’s hanging hook is a carved Bambi-type figure. That one’s a keeper.
What does a typical day at work involve for you?
There’s probably four kinds of jobs I’d be doing on any given day, or juggling at the same time:
+ Producing features – sourcing props, locations and properties for shoots and pitching these as ideas to magazine editors.
+ Out shopping or begging and borrowing props for shoots. I’ve often said ‘stylist’ is just a glamorous term for someone who packs and unpacks their car 10 times a day. At the moment I’m considering buying a ute! I have a wonderful family of retailers and shop owners in Newcastle who always go the extra mile to help me out.
+ On location styling and photographing. My interiors photographer Johan Palsson comes from Sydney and has worked in magazines for over a decade and over the past couple of years we’ve become a great team, working efficiently. I’ve also recently collaborated with fashion stylist Tahnya Morris, and hair and beauty stylist Lisa Fowler – so we have a great little team now, who totally ‘get’ each other. Shoot days are so exhilarating, inspiring, non-stop and exciting, but also exhausting.
+ Finally, writing stories to accompany interior shoots, or Photoshopping images, editing and doing the final layouts. I love pulling the whole process together from concept to completion.
I now also like to blog on my website after each production to share the whole process ‘behind the scenes’ – which people have responded to really well, with feedback even coming internationally which is nice for someone in little ol' Newy.
What is your most valuable pearl of wisdom gained since starting your business?
Embrace the new mindset. Being an artist or working in a creative industry is now a legitimate business occupation. No longer do you have to play the ‘starving artist’, I’m constantly amazed by how many new creative businesses pop up in Newcastle. There’s obviously plenty of work to go around, which is fantastic! However, being freelance also means you have to be always forward-thinking and forecasting and pre-planning work. No one’s going to look after you but yourself – it’s all up to you. One of my favourite quotes is, ‘It’s hard to know who you’re following – when you’re following yourself".
Where do you derive creative inspiration?
I am a magazine junkie. I walk out of a newsagency with arms full of the latest issues of interior and fashion magazines. First, I flick furiously, folding pages to come back to revisit, then finally rip them to pieces to create reference folders for projects.
Which other designers, artists or creative people are you most inspired by at the moment?
Stylist Sibella Court. She has carved a career in styling for big-name clients while maintaining her own eclectic aesthetic. She was based in New York for a decade but has been back in Sydney for two years and has since wrote her first (huge and beautiful) book, Etcetera, hosted a TV show, opened the store The Society Inc. also designs a range of paints. I’m in awe! I admire that she has been able to branch the occupational title ‘stylist’ into so many exciting areas. I hope I can do the same.
What are some of your favourite websites or blogs?
I actually resisted joining Facebook for about two years because I thought it was just a fad, and was against the whole socialising online rather than in person thing. But now I’m an addict!
I’ve recently been contributing to the international culture-hunting blog Lost at E-Minor, run by Zac Zavos, who is also based at our collaborative studio space, The Clinic. It’s full of daily trend-spotting from around the globe.
Apart from that, I usually blog-look when I need a hit of inspiration – but usually find myself in a blog-link-cycle that can last for hours, so I have to be careful!
Apart from your work, what other interests, passions, hobbies do you have?
I happily admit I struggle with work/life balance, but I hate that term anyway because as a creative person my work is my hobby and my passion. I’m very lucky to be able to say that. Nothing beats socialising with my close-knit group of friends and enjoying the coastal lifestyle of Newcastle. My true friends ground me and I always feel re-energised after our catch-ups. Family is also an important part of my life. Time for self-reflection and affirmation is important for me to process, re-energise and prioritise and I try to fit this in daily.
How long have you been a Novocastrian?
Born here. Bred here. Spent four years in Sydney studying and working there, then decided to come back to Newcastle for twelve months because of family reasons… Seven years later I’m still here! And not planning on leaving again anytime soon (except to travel, fingers crossed).
I actually resisted joining Facebook for about two years because I thought it was just a fad, and was against the whole socialising online rather than in person thing. But now I’m an addict!
I’ve recently been contributing to the international culture-hunting blog Lost at E-Minor, run by Zac Zavos, who is also based at our collaborative studio space, The Clinic. It’s full of daily trend-spotting from around the globe.
Apart from that, I usually blog-look when I need a hit of inspiration – but usually find myself in a blog-link-cycle that can last for hours, so I have to be careful!
Apart from your work, what other interests, passions, hobbies do you have?
I happily admit I struggle with work/life balance, but I hate that term anyway because as a creative person my work is my hobby and my passion. I’m very lucky to be able to say that. Nothing beats socialising with my close-knit group of friends and enjoying the coastal lifestyle of Newcastle. My true friends ground me and I always feel re-energised after our catch-ups. Family is also an important part of my life. Time for self-reflection and affirmation is important for me to process, re-energise and prioritise and I try to fit this in daily.
How long have you been a Novocastrian?
Born here. Bred here. Spent four years in Sydney studying and working there, then decided to come back to Newcastle for twelve months because of family reasons… Seven years later I’m still here! And not planning on leaving again anytime soon (except to travel, fingers crossed).
How ingenious is Tim's twig lamp?Newcastle in a word?
Chillaxed - my buzz word/mantra of the moment!
What do you love and hate about living in Newcastle?
Love – my home. Last year I moved into a beach-front apartment with ultra-cheap rent that I redecorated in a serene beach-shack style. Every morning I look out at the ocean view and can’t believe how lucky we are here.
Hate – that’s a strong word! Um, the culture divide with people I guess. There’s a great creative, warm community – but the opposite also exists in force in parts also.
How is Newcastle different to anywhere else?
The unbelievable, affordable lifestyle compared to other cities. My Sydney friends are so jealous of the fact that it takes five minutes to get anywhere, that I live on the beach-front affordably and have established a CBD studio space also on great terms thanks to the amazing Renew Newcastle initiative.
+ eat
Junction Hotel (204 Corlette St, The Junction, 4961 4529) – gourmet food at pub prices and ultra-luxe atmosphere.
+ drink
Fancy drop: The Depot (143 Darby St, Cooks Hill, 4929 2666) – best cocktails.
Cheap beer on a Friday arvo: Lowlands Bowlo (Centennial Park, Dawson St, Cooks Hill 4929 3046).
Coffee – from Swell@Merewether (Merewether Surf Club, John Pde, Merwether). You don’t mind waiting for a latte to be brewed while there’s such an amazing view!
+ shop
Fashion: Abicus (142 Darby St, Cooks Hill, 02 4929 7278). Tim and Tiff source the hottest emerging menswear designers so I always feel like I’ve scored something unique. I’m also loving Shop 5 at the Centenary Antique Centre (29 Centenary Rd, Newcastle 4926 4527) – two sisters have collected the largest collection of vintage clothing to sell there, and are slowly taking over the whole space! Love their accessories, they have walls of pre-loved designer bags for example.
Homewares: Auld & Grey (100 Maitland Rd, Islington, 0402 087 571). Jenny Auld scours markets and auctions for the most amazing rustic and quirky furniture pieces. I could also happily live at Habitat Living (513 Gelebe Rd, Adamstown, 4952 3887). Their organic and natural furniture and homewares are 100% my style.
For styling props: I’m addicted to $2 shops (can’t walk past one without going in, you never know what you might find!) and Asian grocery stores: I’ve been using dried lotus leaves and strange but beautiful edibles on table arrangements recently.
+ play
Being a self-confessed home-body I prefer to have friends over or vice-versa for some good grub and some home made grub.
+ relax
I try to swim everyday at Newcastle or Merewether Baths. Nothing clears my head more after a big day at work. Salt water is so refreshing. It’s starting to get a bit nippy – but I’ll keep soldiering on through the icy waters for as long as I can. It’s picturesque at both sunset and sunrise, and I can’t help but stop between laps to admire the view of the ships coming into the port.
What is Newcastle / Hunter’s best-kept secret?
My morning alarm clock - the sunrise over the cliff at Bar Beach pouring in through my bedroom windows each morning. Divine!
Blog: www.timneve.com/blog
Twitter: @timneve
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