Babette Hayes (1936–) was born in Syria of French parents. She moved to London with her family and completed her education at the Lycee Francais and Hammersmith Art College. Married in 1955, she graduated with a diploma in art 1957, then worked for Wedgwood as a merchandise display stylist. She also styled studio and location photographs for UK House and Garden and other homemaker magazines. In 1964, she arrived in Sydney and joined Australian Home Journal as a design stylist and design editor; later moving to Belle and the Australian Women’s Weekly. Working with leading photographers Rodney Weidland and later Lewis Morley, she pioneered the modern design-styling industry – borrowing merchandise from showrooms to arrange in studios and houses to establish new trends. She also produced numerous architecture and design features and, from 1966 to 1970, a variety of design and cookery books. These included Australian Style (a portfolio of works by late 1960s designers and architects), Sydney Hamlyn: 1970; Australian Home Decorating, Hamlyn, 1970, and Design for Living in Australia, Hamlyn 1975. Since 1975, she has operated an interior design consultancy with numerous Australian and international projects and has freelanced as a design writer for various design magazines and The Sydney Morning Herald.
Source
—Babette Hayes curriculum vitae, 2004.
The above information was confirmed with Babette Hayes in November 2004.
- Writers:
-
Michael Bogle
Davina Jackson
- Date written:
- 2012
- Last updated:
- 2015
