McKinnon has 20 years experience in fashion, including styling, wardrobe design, prop sourcing, set design and dressing, and food styling.
After completing a post-graduate degree at Sydney College of the Arts, McKinnon went on to co-own and design the iconic, streetwise fashion label Status Symbol. This led to her being commissioned to design costumes and props for numerous music videos and commercials.
McKinnon’s contemporary portfolio is a testimony to her ongoing success as one of Australia’s most versatile advertising stylists. From her design and production expertise, to her strong visual eye honed from many year’s experience styling and art directing stills and TVCs, she is renowned for her ability to translate and execute complex briefs in a confident, time-effective way.
Over the years, McKinnon has consistently produced a high standard of creative work for a wide variety of clients in print and television, and has worked on numerous award-winning campaigns. She has an extensive list of professional contacts in Australia and overseas, which she uses to add value to all the jobs she undertakes. Her impressive client list is due to her collaborative spirit, creative flair and level headed attention to detail.
Career highlights include:
- In 2007 McKinnon was selected in the semi-finals as one of the Australia’s top 10 Barbeque Chefs on the Great BBQ Challenge on the Lifestyle Food Channel.
- In 2003 The Production Book named her as one of the “Top 10 Costume Designers in Australia.”
- In 2002 she was commissioned as the interior stylist for Feng Shui in the Home published by Lansdowne and Barnes & Noble.
- In 1999 she was the winner of “Fashion on the Fields” at Randwick Race Course.
- In 1986 she represented Australia at the Commonwealth and Edinburgh Festivals in Costume Design in Australian Art Clothing. Several of her designs are held in the collections of the Power House Museum and The National Gallery of Australia.
Print campaigns
Animal Planet; Australian Wool Innovation/Kookai; Barbeques Galore catalogues 03, 04, 05, 06, 07; Canadian Club Skidoo; Canon Pixma Pro Fairy; CBA Travel Plus, Angkor Wat; Citibank ready credit; CommInsure; Country Cup Scarecrow; Country Road Homeware; David Jones; Dunlop Retro; Foxtel fashion, fish, goggles; Frosty Fruits; Gloria Jeans; GPS OZ navigation, directions from above; H&M 2007 Summer catalogue; Hahn Venice; Jurlique product & Lifestyle; JWT 2007 Year Book; Kerry Grima catalogue; Kit Kat; Kookai; Levis Deconstructed; Listerine; Love My Way; Mastercard; Monistat; Nicabate; Penfolds Kunnunga Hill catalogue; Salano where pleasure lasts longer; Sandler, Easy Steps; Sensis; Sugarless-V; TDK; Telstra Extreme Cable; UPS; 3 Starburst bombers fan & pool; Westpac spring home loans.
The Photographers
McKinnon has worked on numerous print campaigns with leading Australian photographers including: Neil Bailey, Andreas Bommert, Skeet Booth, Michael Corridore, Ellen Dahl, Steve Greenaway, Ingvar Keene, Sean Izzard, Ian McPherson, Brett Odgers, Mark Rogers, Andreas Smetana and Helen White.
Magazines
McKinnon has published editorials in magazines including: Black+White Cream, Good Weekend, Gourmet Traveller, Marie Claire, and Sunday Life.
TVC campaigns
As combined Art Director and Wardrobe Designer:
- Newcastle Permanent Building Society, director Kimble Rendall
- Instant Scratchies, Poker Texas Hold ’em and Win for Life, with Plush, director Tim Denton
- MTV House Guest, director Kelly Brown
- Myers /Foxtel, directors Kelly Brown & Dean Friske
- Toyota Estima, director Antonio Saraceno
- Star City and Foxtel, with Plush, director Peter Bloomfield
- KFC, Spiderman, with Plush, director Matt Wilson
- David Jones Chefs, The Directors Group, director Ben Saunders
- Career One, with Plush, director Lisa Stonham
As Art Director:
- Diet Coke Original, Lime, Vanilla, with Plaza, director Paul Middleditch
- Panasonic Air conditioning, doll with Plaza, director Paul Middleditch
- Birds Eye originals with Plaza, director Paul Middleditch
- Wrigleys Eclipse, Nurse Veronica, director Paul MIddledtch
As Wardrobe Designer:
- On the Hahn, Venice, with Plaza, director Paul Middleditch
- Wilkinson Sword, 8 commercials, director Derek Richards
- AAPT campaigns x 6 commercials, with Plaza, director Paul Middleditch
- Channel V PM titles, director Richard Swan
- Herbal Essence, Punk, director Nick Reynolds
Personal
McKinnon is an active member of the Art Gallery of NSW Library Committee, which promotes art books and produces an important resource database for the art industry. She travels extensively for inspiration for her work.