Fashion stylist to the stars Donny Galella will return to his hometown of Wollongong this week to work his magic, but he'll do so with a heavy heart.
Galella is running styling sessions at Wollongong Central from Friday to Sunday, but especially wants to brighten the days of any woman struggling with cancer following the death of his beloved sister Maria.
"She worked at Wollongong Central Shopping Centre as a cleaner, and while she was alive, she often said to me, 'Donny you should come to Wollongong ... to do some styling'," he said.
"I feel like my beautiful sister made this happen from up above."
While anyone can book a styling session with Galella through Humanitix, he especially wants to hear from women struggling with feeling beautiful while fighting a health battle.
"I'd love to make them feel amazing, maybe give them a mini-makeover and pamper session [while in town] maybe have their hair and makeup done," he said, urging people to direct message him on Instagram.
"I just love doing that, there's this transformative power that comes from within once you've had a bit of pampering."
Often when people are going through a challenging time - especially women - Galella said it was common for self-care to be forgotten but it was hugely important to lift spirits.
One of his top tips for brightening your mood with fashion styling was with colour.
"There's definitely science in colour therapy," he said.
"When you wear bright colours it actually stimulates a good energy and makes you feel good. Rather than reaching for that black outfit, maybe grab some colour because that will make you feel good."
Galella has more than 15 years of industry experience and has dressed celebrities for awards nights and red-carpet appearances like the ARIA Awards, the Dally M, Brownlows and The Australian Cricket Awards.
He will be visiting Wollongong from October 26 to 29. For more details on his retail styling sessions, visit: wollongongcentral.com.au.
Follow him on Instagram @donnygalella
TOP TIPS TO LOOK GOOD AND FEEL CONFIDENT:
- Dress for your style, wear what makes you feel good, and don't dress for other people.
- Always dress to accentuate your best assets, know what your best assets are, and show them off and the parts of your body that you are not as confident with, you can employ many styling tricks to help conceal these areas.
- Colour is so powerful, know what colours work best for your skin tone. Dopamine dressing is a thing, wearing bold colours makes you feel more powerful and confident.
- It's not about how much you spend, it's how you wear it. I love showing people how to look amazing on a budget, it's all about choosing clothes that suit your body shape and colours and the right proportions.
- The small details make a big difference, pay attention to accessories like shoes, bags, and jewellery and ensure clothes are well tailored. All these small details make a huge difference.
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Desiree Savage
I write about arts and entertainment, plus other bits and pieces in between at the Illawarra Mercury.
I write about arts and entertainment, plus other bits and pieces in between at the Illawarra Mercury.
