Anthony Albanese looks forward thinking, fit and confident in his latest photo shoot alongside his girlfriend of two years Jodie Haydon, professional image experts say.
The Labor leader, 58, posed up in a fitted white shirt, skinny grey chinos with a black belt and $129 Country Road gum sole sneakers at his Marrickville home for the March edition of the Women’s Weekly.
Image consultant and personal stylist Imogen Lamport told FEMAIL the aspiring prime minister appeared ‘ready for action’ and prepared to take on a bigger role in the shoot, which saw him cosying up to a beaming Ms Haydon.
‘He looks happy. Especially because he’s a middle aged white man… he looks much more forward thinking and it’s a modern look. He looks like he’s stepping into the future,’ she said.
Anthony Albanese looks forward thinking, fit and confident in his latest photo shoot alongside his girlfriend of two years Jodie Haydon, professional image experts say
Anthony Albanese is pictured at home in Sydney with his girlfriend Jodie Haydon and dog Toto
Mr Albanese is hoping to become the next Prime Minister of Australia, with an election in May
Mr Albanese’s choice of shoes were clever, in Ms Lamport’s mind, because they show that he’s agile, ready to move and ‘not stuck in the past’.
‘His trousers are on trend which gives him a more youthful rather than middle aged appearance.’
Meanwhile the pattern on the inside of the collar stand on his blue shirt tells the public he’s modern, approachable and ‘there may be more to him than meets the eye’.
‘His belt and watch are still more classic and traditional which says he’s professional, responsible and successful,’ she continued.
Ms Lamport pointed to his posture as ‘relaxed’ and ‘friendly’, showcasing that he’s a man of the people as he’s not positioning himself as better than the reader.
The 58-year-old Labor leader, a craft beer fanatic, enjoyed his first night out with 43-year-old Jodie Haydon (pictured together) at the Young Henrys brewery in Newtown
‘His hands in the pockets but thumbs out says he’s comfortable and confident,’ she said.
Personal brand expert Suzie Lightfoot agrees, suggesting that the first thing she instantly noticed about the Labor leader was his confidence in the images.
‘I think he must have had a good rapport with the photographer to allow him to radiate his natural energy,’ she told FEMAIL.
‘Fashion and clothing choices can dress you up on the outside however, it’s your energy and presence that will elevate your brand and image to the next level. So I think he has nailed it in that department.
She describes his choice of a slim white shirt as tactical because it’s very fresh and ‘pure’ by nature.
‘His stylist may have made a wise decision to portray Mr Albanese subconsciously to voters as the right man to lead the way for new beginnings post-pandemic,’ she said.
The pair (pictured) met in early 2020 at a conference in Melbourne where Mr Albanese was speaking
Celebrity stylist Donny Galella said the pictures in Women’s Weekly showed a stark contrast between Mr Albanese and Prime Minister Scott Morrison (centre) who typically opts for baggy chinos and RM Williams boots
‘It gives a perception of a more youthful contemporary silhouette than Mr Morrison’s usual baggy chinos and navy jacket.’
The jury is out, according to Ms Lightfoot, on Mr Albanese’s sneakers, which while they are ‘all the go now’ can’t necessarily beat ‘the classic RM Williams the prime minister favours’.
Celebrity stylist Donny Galella said the pictures in Women’s Weekly showed a stark contrast between Mr Albanese and Prime Minister Morrison.
‘Comparing the two, Mr Albanese definitely has a much more tailored and stylish look, especially with the white shoes,’ Mr Galella told FEMAIL.
‘Albo is looking pretty stylish in the classic combo of a white shirt and well fitted chinos.
‘His white trainers are a big trend at the moment and the blue stripe even matches Jodie’s dress.’
The Opposition leader had a significant makeover last year, losing 15kg, investing in new suits and snapping up some $349 Byblos Black Havana spectacles (pictured)
The Opposition leader had a significant makeover last year, losing 15kg, investing in new suits and snapping up some $349 Byblos Black Havana spectacles.
The photos were taken as Mr Albanese and Ms Haydon conducted their first interview together just three months out from the looming election, where women’s votes could prove decisive.
Mr Albanese revealed he wooed his new girlfriend with a date at a hipster brewery in Sydney’s inner west.
The craft beer fanatic enjoyed his first night out with 43-year-old Jodie Haydon at the Young Henrys brewery in Newtown.
‘We had what I thought would just be a drink at Young Henrys in Newtown, and we got on really well. That’s how it started,’ he told Women’s Weekly.
The pair met in early 2020 at a conference in Melbourne where Mr Albanese was speaking.
Labor leader Anthony Albanese with his son Nathan (left) and partner Jodie Haydon in January at the National Press Club in Canberra
The Opposition leader asked the crowd if there were any fellow South Sydney fans present and finance worker Ms Haydon, who lives in his Grayndler electorate, shouted: ‘Up the Rabbitohs’.
He later introduced himself and they decided to go for a drink when they were back in Sydney.
Mr Albanese, a father-of-one, had recently split from his ex-wife Carmel Tebbutt after 19 years of marriage and 30 years together.
He said he was still ’emotionally bruised’ from the sudden split which involved no third parties but came as a shock.
Ms Haydon, who has never been married or had children, said she wasn’t looking for a relationship but realised she had fallen in love with Mr Albanese when he had a car crash in January 2021.
Mr Albanese attends the Australian premiere of Hamilton at Lyric Theatre last year with girlfriend Jodie
His Toyota was rammed by a Range Rover and he was rushed to hospital for X-rays but escaped serious injury.
Ms Haydon recalled arriving at the scene of the crash in Marrickville after a phone call and seeing her boyfriend’s smashed-up car.
‘I saw the mess of a car before I saw him and thought ‘he couldn’t survive this”. It was very scary, and in that moment, you realise just how much you love this person – the fear of losing them,’ she said.
‘As I jumped in the ambulance and saw Anthony, I knew then the depth of my feelings towards him.’
The interview is Ms Haydon’s first and comes after Prime Minister Scott Morrison appeared on 60 Minutes with his wife Jenny and two daughters.
Analysts believe Mr Morrison’s family is his ‘secret weapon’ in connecting with voters.
Mr Albanese and his ex-wife Carmel Tebbutt – the former NSW deputy premier. The potential future prime minister said he ‘didn’t see it coming’ when Ms Tebbutt ended their marriage on New Year’s Day 2019
Mr Albanese, who earns $390,820 a year, and the First State Super financial worker were first spotted kissing at an upmarket Sydney restaurant in June 2020.
It was eighteen months earlier on New Year’s Day 2019, that the 58-year-old separated from his ex-wife.
The aspiring future prime minister said he ‘didn’t see it coming’ when Ms Tebbutt abruptly ended their marriage.
‘It was a really tough period and that’s the truth and I’ve acknowledged that. I think part of going through a difficult period and coming out the other end is acknowledging that you’re going through it,’ he told ABC Radio.
‘I found it very tough. The relationship was 30 years old.
‘It’s made for a difficult period. I certainly will always, always remember New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day for that momentous event in my life,’ he said.
‘I needed to stop trying to understand it and just accept it and accept that it was a decision that had been made and she was moving on with her life in a different direction and I needed to do the same,’ he said.
‘You can tie yourself in knots trying to understand someone else’s decisions and thought processes.’
Mr Albanese and Ms Tebbutt met in Young Labor during the late 1980s.
Nathan, the couple’s only child, had just turned 18 and completed his HSC exams when Ms Tebbutt ended the relationship.
Mr Albanese declared his relationship with Nathan to be the strongest it’s ever been in January 2020, as the pair were forced to rely on each other more than ever in their two-person household.
The Australian Women’s Weekly March issue is on sale Thursday February 24, 2022
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