Meet Australian Style Institute’s 2026 Awards Judge, Rhys Ripper.
As a stylist, creative director, photographer, and model agent, Rhys has built a career around recognising talent early, creating space for new voices and trusting a distinct point of view before the wider industry catches up. For him, success has never been about waiting for acceptance. It has been about building community, creating opportunities and helping emerging creatives find the confidence to develop a voice of their own.
As well as running his own creative business, Rhys is the founder of Cobber Mag and Mate Model Management, and director of Mob in Fashion.
For the 2026 Australian Style Institute Awards, Rhys joins our industry judging panel, bringing a perspective shaped by storytelling, resilience, creative instinct and almost two decades of experience in the fashion industry. We spoke with Rhys about the fashion references that shaped him, the importance of creating opportunity, what makes styling feel fresh and considered, and why the long game matters most.
Read the full conversation below.
@rhysripper styling, captured by @clintpeloso
What was the moment you knew fashion was the thing for you?
Growing up as a teenager in the ’90s, I was heavily influenced by the music videos, films and fashion magazines of the era. Fashion wasn’t just about what people wore, it was how stories were told, identities were expressed and culture was shaped. That fascination has stayed with me throughout my career, and it’s still what excites me most today: the power of fashion to communicate something without saying a word.
Whose work shaped how you see style, and why?
I grew up in the era of printed magazines. Despite being a small country town, there was one newsagent that stocked L’Uomo Vogue and Interview, and they quickly became my window into the fashion world. Those magazines shaped how I saw style, not just as clothing, but as culture and storytelling. Outside of print, I was heavily influenced by British music videos and the Britpop era, where fashion, music and attitude were inseparable. Those influences continue to shape my creative perspective today.
What has been one of your ‘moments that matter’ or a standout moment in your career?
The moments that have mattered most in my career have always involved creating opportunities for emerging talent. Whether it’s inviting a new stylist to shadow me behind the scenes at a runway show, assisting on an editorial, or trusting them to style an entire shoot from a rack I’ve pulled, I’ve always believed the best way to learn is by doing. Watching someone gain confidence, discover their voice and go on to build a career of their own is far more rewarding than any individual project I’ve worked on.
What’s something about this industry you understand now that you wish you’d known at the start?
One of the biggest things I’ve come to understand is that success doesn’t come from acceptance. It comes from leading with your own vision, creating opportunities and trusting that the right people and clients will find you. That’s something you learn through experience, it can’t be taught. I didn’t have mentors or much support in the beginning. Around three years into my career, Sir Paul Smith embraced my work, and that was an incredibly meaningful moment. His encouragement reinforced what I’d already begun to discover: if you stay true to your vision, you’ll attract the people who believe in it.
When you were starting out, what would it have meant to be seen by people already established in the industry?
When I was starting out, I quickly realised I couldn’t wait to be validated by the established fashion industry in Australia. Rather than chasing acceptance, I began creating my own community of emerging creatives, models and newcomers who were also looking for a way in. That became my ethos, and in many ways, my business model. For the past 20 years, my work has been about recognising talent early, creating opportunity, and building spaces where people can be seen before the industry decides they are ready.
What do you think recognition like this means for someone early in their styling career?
Recognition like this can open doors earlier, but it should also be seen as the beginning of the work, not the end goal. In any creative industry, you still need to earn your stripes, learn the craft, adapt, and develop the skills that allow you to keep growing. For an emerging stylist, recognition can give them access, confidence and visibility, but what matters most is how they use that opportunity to refine their point of view and build a style that truly sets them apart.
What are you hoping to find in the finalists’ work?
I’m looking for a stylist with a distinct point of view—someone whose work feels recognisable, yet isn’t limited by a single aesthetic. Great stylists combine creativity with strong processes, professionalism and the ability to adapt to any brief, whether it’s e-commerce, advertising campaigns, editorials, celebrity dressing or personal shopping. The strongest finalists will demonstrate not only great taste, but the versatility to deliver consistently across different areas of the industry.
What separates good work from work that genuinely stops you in your tracks?
The work that stops me in my tracks is the work that inspires me. It’s the kind of styling that makes you look twice because it feels fresh, considered and confident. That’s one of the reasons I’ve always loved collaborating with emerging talent. New creatives often aren’t bound by convention – they bring new perspectives, challenge the familiar and remind all of us that the industry is constantly evolving.
Success is for those who…
…stop waiting for acceptance and start creating opportunities – for themselves and for others.
Share some straight shooting wisdom with us.
The long game is everything. This industry is not a race, and short-term wins only matter if they help you build something sustainable. Focus on building your portfolio, learning the craft, developing strong processes and understanding your own personal style. The strongest stylists are the ones who know how to tell a story through clothing in a way that feels unique to them. Resilience matters, but so does patience. Keep doing the work, keep learning, and trust that your point of view will become clearer with time.
Follow Rhys at @rhysripper
Learn more about the 2026 Australian Style Institute Awards here.
