An enigma of sorts, Fashion Week is the week within the year when the town (be it New York, London, Paris or, in this case, Sydney) becomes a runway. With the who’s who of the fashion and beauty industry, designers, models, influencers and photographers running around to make it backstage or to the frow (aka the front row) on time, it’s likely that the only glimpses you will catch are the ultra-glamorous selfies or street style images. 

But for Indigenous Australian model Charlee Fraser, Fashion Week is the busiest week of the year. Filled with fittings, quick hair changes, kilometre-long runways and many (many) Ubers, the glamour certainly has its fair share of reality. Here, we speak to the proud Awabakal woman about every single thing she does to prepare for a week of runway shows.

The Alarm: “My call time is different each day depending on when the show starts. For a typical 9am show, I’d be expected to be backstage at around 5am so I’m definitely up before the sun!”

The Breakfast: “I am an intermittent faster, so I generally don’t eat until around 12pm depending on when I finished eating the day before. It definitely doesn’t work for everyone, but for me, I truly feel my healthiest and most energised when I do it. And energy is everything during Fashion Week! Generally all I do before I head out the door is make a hot water and lemon drink. It feels like a warm hug on the cold mornings.”

The Skincare: “I have a more complicated skincare routine at nighttime, so in the mornings, to save on both time and sleep, I use only two products. The first is my trusty MV Skin Therapy Rose Hydrating Mist. This comes everywhere with me as I find it super hydrating and calming which is perfect for my skin in between shows. I also love Macabalm. I will pop this on my lips right before I walk out the door and will put the residue on my cheek bones for extra glow.”

The Essentials: “My Fashion Week essentials, apart from the obvious hand sanitiser and mask, would be my crystals. I keep them floating around in my bag in case I need a moment of grounding amongst the craziness. You will also always catch me with my favourite lip balm—which is actually a nipple cream—it’s called Lansinoh and it’s amazing. And then headphones, my portable charger and my reusable drink bottle. I keep it pretty simple.”

The Skincare: “The evenings are really when I get to prioritise myself, so I will always wash my face as soon as I walk through the door. I love to use The Travelista’s Micellar Mist Makeup Remover to take the day off and will then go in with their Jetset Antioxidant Boost which is full of hyaluronic acid and peptides. I finish it off with The Travelista’s Omega+ Facial Oil to really lock in moisture and prep my skin for the next day.”

The Wind Down: “Whether I’m at Fashion Week or not, my wind down routine stays the same. Once I’ve washed my face, had dinner and am really ready to go to sleep, I have to put on at least one episode of the show I’m really into at that time. I don’t know what it is but I just find it really helps to calm my brain down and helps me get out of my head. It’s the perfect distraction from checking my phone or thinking about my early call time.”