Connecting food through social media, Fiona Hugues found great joy in preparing and sharing food throughout her life. This passion was instilled in her from a very young age, as she stood beside her grandmother making kindy shared lunch pikelets and, later, helping her mother's dinner parties.
Growing up on a farm in the Waikato, Hugues was fortunate enough to have early exposure to paddock-to-plate practices and the opportunity to work in restaurants and fruit and vegetable stores during school holidays. This allowed her to develop a deep understanding of an array of flavours and seasonal eating.
After moving from Hamilton to attend art school in Auckland, Hugues came to appreciate the story of food and all it represents. Following a detour into the fashion retail sector, getting married and having kids, it was only after a meeting with a magazine editor that her career as a food stylist truly began.
Over the years, Hugues was featured in numerous editorial spreads, showcasing the details of her soirees at home and the accompanying recipes. Commercial jobs soon followed, with clients seeking her for their advertising campaigns.
Through reading, examining food images, and researching online, Hugues honed her skills. They drew on past experiences to develop her expertise, and today, after more than a decade in the field, she is proud to look back on all that she has accomplished.
"Every photographer I work with has their style and preferred way of doing things, so watching and collaborating with them has been an incredible opportunity to refine and nurture my skills," said Hugues.
Hugues finds herself frequently collaborating with the food and art departments. The demands of each campaign vary depending on the director's vision, and her role usually spans a wide range of responsibilities, from cooking with a team and styling a scene on a remote West Coast beach to overseeing a grand banquet table in Queenstown. In other cases, she directs skilled chefs on how to plate their dishes in their restaurant spaces.
Her professional journey has been marked by several highlights, including being part of the creative team behind numerous award-winning ad campaigns. She has also won prestigious international photography awards for her food photos created during the lockdown.
However, being named one of the top fifty most inspirational women in food and drink in New Zealand this year has to be the most significant accomplishment of her career.
Other creatives constantly inspire Hugues, most of them being creators she has met over social media, mainly Instagram. The platform has been a game changer for connecting and nurturing ideas within the global food and creative communities.
"I regularly chat via direct message with other stylists in Berlin, Paris, Canada, the USA and London and now have many industry friends I can call on in Australia thanks to meetings and friendships made through Instagram."
Hugues admits that the industry can often be fake, so staying honest and as true to yourself as you can be, along with practice, is the key to success.
"When I have downtime, I usually spend time in my garden, harvesting things to photograph, maybe creating a recipe and shooting it. Write and take notes. Post things you love, engage with others, ask questions, share thoughts and ideas, successes and failures - it's how we all learn, and knowledge is wonderful."
She also advises those entering the industry to invest in good equipment and assemble a basic styling kit to help cook and keep a tidy kitchen. Growing garnishes, even if it is a few herb pots on the deck, makes all the difference to a shot. Op shops are a great place to find inexpensive things that may be the missing detail you need on a shoot one day.
Fashion, culture, art, and her children are all sources of inspiration. However, it is the changing seasons that drive her the most. She finds the shifting light and weather, as well as the new foods that each season brings, to be quite exciting.
"My artistic mind goes into overdrive as I imagine novel ways to savour, showcase, and enjoy the latest season's flavours. I relish the first asparagus of spring and the field mushrooms that sprout up in our paddocks in autumn."
At the end of a long day, Hugues usually takes a moment to absorb and be inspired by nature, which she describes as the most incredible designer.
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