Getting lippy

Lipstick guru Poppy King. Photo / Babiche Martens

Poppy King knows the power of a good lipstick. King successfully launched her own lipstick brand just months after graduating from high school in the 90s. Now she's back with a new label, appropriately called Lipstick Queen, which recently launched two new products - Shine Hard Core Gloss and smooth and creamy lip liners. The Australian beauty queen is obsessed with the 1940s, which she channels into her wardrobe with red lips, an ultra-glamorous wardrobe and penchant for vintage.

Who are your favourite designers?

Azzedine Alaia, Lanvin, Balenciaga and Marc Jacobs. I also love vintage stores and opshops.

What was the last item of clothing you bought?

An Alaia dress from the sale store in Paris.

What's your biggest indulgence/guilty pleasure?

Handbags. I collect them from everywhere, including opshops and designers.

Who or what inspires you?

Meeting my customers. The stories they tell me and their interactions with the world around them inspire me.

Your favourite accessory?

Handbags, handbags and more handbags.

Best fashion bargain?

Topshop clothes in London - they don't last long but are fun while they do.

Who does the best shoes?

Christian Louboutin. They are the quintessential in stilettos.

The best jeans?

Levis - they are the original.

What's the one thing everyone should have in their wardrobe?

Something they adore and feel amazing in every single time.

What endures throughout the seasons?

Leopard print because it is always ultra-glam.

What do you really want this coming season?

A Comme des Garcons coat.

Your favourite shop?

Lyell, a clothes shop in New York owned by my friend.

Your favourite shop elsewhere?

I do love Zambesi.

What is your beauty routine?

Sunscreen and lipstick.

Your best beauty tip?

Wear red lipstick with very little eye makeup

What can't you live without?

It has to be red lipstick.

Your fashion obsession?

Mixing vintage with designer.

What does the word "fashionable" mean to you?

Individuality is always fashionable.

Whose wardrobe would you most like to raid?

My mother's in the 1970s. She had fabulous Maud Frizon and Sonia Rykiel.

Is there anything you'd never wear?

Fake nails.

What do you wear to work?

Eclectic. No two days are the same: jeans one day and Alaia the next.

Any style icons?

A woman from the 1940s called Slim Keith, who is also an idol for Chloe Sevigny (hers is another style I admire).

The one rule you always dress by?

Take one thing off before you leave the house - I don't like overdoing things.

The one fashion rule you always break ... or that you think should never have been a rule in the first place?

Red lipstick is only for when you dress up. Not true - I love it best with jeans.

Best sartorial advice you ever had?

Appreciate quality; it will make you work hard to afford it.

Best sartorial advice to pass down to your own daughter/son?

True style comes from your actions.

Favourite fashion-y movie?

Cabaret.

Personal style quirk?

My obsession with leopard print.

Dress to impress whom?

Yourself. If you feel good, it shows.

Best T-shirt slogan you ever saw?

"Barack to the Future!"

Most underrated item in fashion?

Sweaters. A great sweater can be so sexy.