“I’ve always been driven by personal style and a good negotiation.”
Welcome to How I Got Here, where we talk to people who are killing it in their respective fields about how they landed their awe-inspiring jobs, exploring the peaks and pits, the failures and the wins, and most importantly, the knowledge, advice and practical tips they’ve gleaned on the journey.
In a way, Lily Guthrie was always destined to work in fashion. From an early age, her childhood dream involved being a full-time ‘fashionista’, to the point that she single-handedly challenged her school’s uniform policy and won. “I negotiated an agreement with my principal to allow me to wear my signature all-black suit pant, turtleneck and floor-length leather trench instead of the uniform as long as I looked smart and showed up on time,” she remembers.
From there, Lily leaned into immersion, rather than formal education. She was scouted at 12 and was captivated by seeing her own agents at work. Then, when she was 18, she relocated to Sydney to pursue modelling and started assisting stylists on-set. Lily continued with this full-time, before moving into production, which took her overseas and around Australia. “I was definitely thrown in the deep end and had to learn everything on the job,” she says.
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Now, alongside modelling and styling, Lily works as the Head of Image and Development at People Agency – a role that blends scouting, photography, styling and agenting into one. “I walk up to random people on the street, give them my business card and the next day they’re a model.”
With a résumé including a modelling feature in Vogue China, working in the costume department for Mad Max: Furiosa, and producing and styling People’s 2026 campaign, it’s safe to say, Lily’s younger self would be proud of her now. As for her career advice? She’s straight to the point: “Engage your core and bend your knees when lifting things. Protect your back and ditch the ego at all costs.”
Fashion Journal: Hi Lily! What do you do and what’s your official job title?
I’m Lily Guthrie, a stylist, model and Head of Image and Development at People Agency, overseeing creative direction, portfolio development and brand alignment for our talent.
Did you have an idea of your dream job growing up?
My childhood dream was to be a full-time fashionista. I wouldn’t leave the house unless I was wearing one of my fairy dresses, paired with white knee-high go-go boots covered in pink bows. As a child, I would refuse to go to school and instead would stay home and choreograph performances and runway shows using my siblings as the talent.
In high school, I spent a lot of time in detention for not wearing a uniform. It got to the point where I negotiated an agreement with my principal to allow me to wear my signature all-black suit pants, turtleneck and floor-length leather trench instead of the uniform as long as I looked smart and showed up on time. What can I say, I’ve always been driven by personal style and a good negotiation.
How exactly did you make the leap into the industry?
My route was unconventional. I had no formal degree, just early immersion. At 12, I was scouted as a model and spent years watching my own agents at work. I would ask them questions every time I visited the office about what it was like to do what they do. I felt inspired by them and dreamed about myself being in their shoes one day.
In year 11, I left school to become a hairdresser (which lasted a whole six weeks) and instead moved to Sydney to pursue modelling when I was 18. I began assisting established stylists, to whom I credit a lot of my career success and work ethic. They led by example and showed me what it meant to be a hard-working creative. Through assisting, I learnt everything from communication with clients, building PR and brand relationships for loans, pitching, mood boards, steaming, prepping, packing and courier logistics.
Eventually, bookings increased and I found myself working full-time on set. Through this, an opportunity to become a producer kind of fell into my lap. The job required me to travel a lot, both overseas and around Australia, for fashion and advertising productions. I was definitely thrown in the deep end and had to learn everything on the job.
We would work 24/7 and spend a lot of time emailing from my phone in a taxi on the way to the airport to catch a flight I had booked not an hour before. Although incredibly stressful, it was a crash course in organisation, problem-solving and keeping calm under pressure. Honestly, it was pretty cowboy and after that job, there aren’t many situations that surprise me anymore.
In 2022, during Australian Fashion Week, I met the incredible founder and director of People Agency, Agnieszka Chabros. We’d emailed a few times about role at the agency but the stars hadn’t aligned. When we bumped into each other at a Fashion Week party, she mentioned there could be an opening at People Agency if I ever wanted to make the move down to Melbourne.
At this time, I was feeling so ready for a change in my life and jumped at the opportunity. Within a few months, I had moved down and begun working as a junior model agent. Over time, this role grew and one thing led to another… I’ve now been at the company for three and a half years and am heading the image and development sector!
Can you walk us through a typical day in your life on the job now? What are some of your daily tasks?
A typical day is heavy on admin and creative direction: emails, booking test shoots, planning campaigns, sending call sheets, writing pitch decks, managing portfolios and overseeing brand alignment for both developing and established models. I style shoots, shoot tests and provide creative briefs, copywrite and maintain communication with our models. The role blends scouting, photography, styling and agenting all at once.
What has been a major career highlight for you so far?
As a model, being featured in Vogue China, photographed by Jess Ruby James, was a huge honour. Working in the costume department on Mad Max: Furiosa was also incredibly inspiring. I had the opportunity to collaborate with brilliant costumers and experimented with an array of new materials.
Most recently, producing and styling the People Agency 2026 campaign, where we reimagined iconic paparazzi images through the People lens, ‘Capturing People’, iconically doing things. This was an absolute joy to be part of and I feel so lucky to have the freedom, trust and support to create such wonderful projects.
What challenges or hurdles have you faced getting to where you are now?
The biggest hurdle by far has been burnout. Making moves to pursue my passion meant being non-stop since I was very young and I learnt the hard way that it all catches up with you. Learning to balance ambition with rest has been a necessary change. I’ve had to be honest about limits, build routines that protect my energy and have learnt ask for support when needed instead of battling it out alone.
Another huge setback was a back injury that left me on bed rest for nine months after lifting a heavy box on set. This forced me to reassess the physically demanding side of the job, which eventually led me to look down the office job route.
What’s the best part about your role?
The people. Meeting, working with and being mentored by incredible creatives has made this journey so fun and enjoyable. Especially over the last few years at People Agency. I feel so lucky to have landed in a company that understands work-life balance and practices a people-first approach. That supportive ethos has allowed me to continuously grow and evolve within my role, keeping things fresh, challenging and fun… (AKA, whenever my ADHD brain needs a switch-up).
What would surprise people about your role?
I think the idea of scouting models surprises people the most. It’s a strange concept and a little hard to comprehend unless you’re already in the industry. I walk up to random people on the street, give them my business card and the next day they’re a model.
What skills have served you well in your industry?
The drive to keep learning, curiosity, being observant and having humility have been the key in helping me develop the ‘informal education’ I now have. People say I have a good eye, which I don’t think can be taught. That said, personal research in whatever way works for you will sharpen your creative practice. For me, it was hours spent flicking through, scanning and archiving favourite images from ’90s photography books in the basement of the NSW State Library.
What advice would you give to someone who wants to be in a role like yours one day?
Be humble, driven and open to feedback. Be friendly and respectful to everyone — relationships matter at every level. Dress with intention, be authentic and stay curious. Build resilience, network genuinely and say yes to any and all learning opportunities that come your way.
What about a practical tip?
Maintain boundaries and advocate for yourself. Keep clothing rails organised, hangers facing the same way and garments colour- coordinated. Learn to tape shoes and pack efficiently. Lift heavy suitcases up 20 flights of stairs, instead of hitting the gym (stylist’s arms are built differently). Finally, engage your core and bend your knees when lifting things. Protect your back and ditch the ego at all costs.
Find more of Lily’s work here.