From the New York nightclub scene, to the catwalks of Paris and the Academy Awards, to the clandestine movement to free East Timor, The Ladies' Room reveals the "real stories" behind some ground-breaking women. Journalist Laura Demasi has compiled a collection of intimate and candid portraits of some of Australia's hottest names including fashion designer Collette Dinnigan, novelist Lee Tulloch, film producer Jan Chapman, cookbook author Donna Hay and theatre director Gale Edwards. This is an insider's look at how these women made it to the top of their professions.