The Bachelorette New Zealand’s Lesina Nakhid-Schuster (left) and Lily McManus (right). Image supplied.
The Bachelorette New Zealand has been on our screens for a few weeks already and we’ve been enjoying the style (and the dates) of leading ladies Lesina Nakhid-Schuster and Lily McManus. It’s the first season of the popular show in NZ and also the first time globally there has been two bachelorettes at the same time with Lesina and Lily sharing the spotlight in their search for love. The show sees them dating 25 single Kiwi guys first in New Zealand, then in Argentina as they narrow down the list and try to pick the right guys to win their hearts in the end.
So far the show has served up plenty of drama (and a few A&E visits) as the guys compete for the girl’s attention and more than a few laughs. There is something fascinating about watching people try to figure each other out and the sometimes awkward, sometimes romantic but always interesting nature of the dates keeps viewers coming back for more week after week.
Lesina and Lily are both smart, confident and independent women who know what they want and as such they’re certainly putting the guys through their paces on their quest to find the right one. It became clear early on that the two share a strong bond too, they went as far as getting matching tattoos while in Argentina and however the show turns out for each of them relationship-wise they definitely have each other’s backs. After three seasons of The Bachelor NZ with the guys calling the shots it’s empowering to have a dating show with two strong women taking the lead.
Making a TV show is a full-on process and as Lesina and Lily were on-screen for most of every episode there were lots of outfits to be chosen for their dates, cocktail parties and rose ceremonies. The duo had a glam squad to help them prepare for the more glamorous nights and worked with a stylist on choosing their on-screen outfits for the big occasions. Looking good on camera requires quite a bit of effort and we love the style of both women who let their personalities shine through their choice of outfits as well as their conversations.
We caught up with Lesina and Lily to find out what it was like filming the show, which guys they thought had the best style and what their tips are for dressing for a first date?
Lesina Nakhid-Schuster
What’s your favourite outfit that you wore on the show and why?
I really loved the outfit I wore to the Bake Off group date. It was a brown crop top from Boohoo and some flare denim jeans. My outfit was a retro style and was comfortable and sexy all in one go!
What was it like working with a stylist for the show and how long did you spend planning your outfits?
We had a stylist for our Cocktail Party and Rose Ceremony looks only. We met for fittings of the key dresses that would be used (the first red carpet dress for example) prior to filming. It was a fun process and we had input into the outfits that we loved and wanted to wear at certain times. During the day we could dress ourselves using the products that were sent to us from our sponsor Boohoo.
You wore some stunning looks for the cocktail parties, what was your favourite part about getting ready and how long did it take to get your look camera ready each time?
Firstly, thank you! My favourite part about getting ready was towards the end of the show we had an absolute routine. We would crank up the music, eat our lunch and our makeup artists and hairdressers knew all the little tidbits that looked good on us. We would also use this time to go over our plan for the evening and generally pre-brief.
You spent a lot of time filming in Argentina which must have been exciting, what was your beauty routine for filming days like?
I would try and remove my make up every night before bed so that I started the morning feeling fresh. Then my beauty routine would be; Cleanser/toner, Serum/face moisturiser. I definitely didn’t look after my hair as well as I should’ve given the fact I was using heat styling equipment multiple times day. So, I definitely would recommend getting a good heat defence product in the future.
Out of the guys on the show, who do you think had the best sense of style?
I loved Terence’s sense of style! He wore this ‘Dora’ backpack everywhere he went, and I was always interested to know what was in it. And he rocked his tie-dye t-shirts, braces and hat like nobody’s business!
How would you describe your personal style and do you have a style rule you always obey?
I would say urban chic? Is that a thing? Ha! I don’t actually even know my own sense of style! If I think it looks good with my figure, then I’ll get it. I buy a lot of clothes based on how it looks on me because it’s hard to buy clothes sometimes as I have a skinny waist but a really big butt.
Who are your favourite New Zealand designers/brands?
I Love Ugly and Stolen Girlfriends Club but I’m not a huge label person so those would definitely be a luxury item purchase.
What is your all-time favourite fashion purchase?
It truly changes all the time. At the moment it’s not even a purchase, but these blue boyfriend Levi’s jeans that I stole from my sister when she came for hometown visits. She bought them from a vintage store in NYC.
What are your tips for dressing for a first date?
A mixture of casual/sexy and comfort. I think you want to wear something that you feel comfortable and confident in. That sets your mood up for the whole date. And then you don’t want to be too dressy, but you also want to look cute. So, I usually do jeans with a cute crop top!
Finish this sentence – You would never catch me wearing…
That’s a hard thing, because we all know what fashion is like. It all comes back in eventually!
Lily McManus
What’s your favourite outfit that you wore on the show and why?
I’m a sponsor’s worst nightmare because I like to wear my own clothes. Especially when I’m trying to show someone myself. I think clothes are definitely a way of expressing yourself, so I tended to wear my own shit wherever possible. I liked my outfit on mine and Richie’s date, a pair of Alice McCall knitted shorts and a warm coloured mesh crop. Hard to describe but I promise it was loose!
What was it like working with a stylist for the show and how long did you spend planning your outfits?
I’ve been fortunate enough to be working with the stylists for a little while now. They have a gist of what I’d be into and what I wouldn’t. Cocktail parties were a bit of a breeze, the stylist T, always had my back. Didn’t take us long to decide on something out of the options she’d have for me.
What was your favourite part about getting ready and how long did it take to get your look camera ready each time?
I hate getting ready. Putting on makeup sucks feet. Especially in the morning. I carried around a UE Boom with me everywhere we went, often made glam time less boring if I could DJ.
You spent a lot of time filming in Argentina which must have been exciting, what was your beauty routine for filming days like?
We just did our day makeup ourselves. I suck at curling my hair or doing anything technical with things that are hot so luckily enough for me I’m a wash your hair once a week kinda lady, so my hair was always still kinda doing something nice from the last cocktail party. Cocktails parties there would be a whole team on me sorting my shit out for me.
Out of the guys on the show, who do you think had the best sense of style?
The boys all looked great at the cocktail parties. Terence and tie-dye tees always got me good. Jesse and Richie also had a pretty nice laid-back style thing going on.
How would you describe your personal style, and do you have a style rule you always obey?
Leather boots work with EVERYTHING, I don’t care what you say mum.
Who are your favourite New Zealand designers/brands?
Stolen Girlfriends Club, Brie Leon and Lonely.
What is your all-time favourite fashion purchase?
Anything from Alice McCall. Worth an arm and leg. Or my 7-year-old black leather RM Williams boots. They are well cooked and “ready for the bin” according to 90% of the people that love me, but I love them. They’re like crack to me.
What are your tips for dressing for a first date?
Wear whatever makes you happy. Never dress for someone else, always dress for yourself.
Finish this sentence – You would never catch me wearing…
G string spanks, life ruining invention.
Images supplied.