I have always loved clothing and putting outfits together since I was a little girl. I fondly remember playing dress ups using my dear mum's dresses and high heels as a kid. It brought me such joy - the playfulness and creativity of it.
That being said, I never put much weight on considering a career in fashion as I thought the only pathway was to be a fashion designer and I couldn't sew nor draw to save my life! I studied commerce at university and ended up in the corporate world as an accountant for a whole decade. I wholeheartedly never felt like being an accountant was truly me, but I can tell you what I absolutely did love about that job. . . I loved the feeling I got every morning when I was able to dress up in my power outfit and head into the office. I can't fully describe it, but it made me walk with my head a bit higher, an air of confidence, and a deep sense of excitement and anticipation for the day ahead (even if it meant just working with numbers and spreadsheets!).
Whenever I had a job interview, I made sure to curate my outfit intentionally because I knew how it impacted not just the impression I would make of those I met there, but far more importantly, how I would feel about myself when walking into that room.
When I finally built up the courage to question myself, what I truly wanted to do with my life (knowing my current job did not spark joy), I stumbled across a personal styling course with the Australian Style Institute (ASI). It blew my mind that what I have loved doing in my wardrobe all my life was an actual career pathway. More importantly, I learned that there is so much more to being a stylist than just clothing and fashion.
Many might perceive clothing and fashion to be superficial and all fluff. Instead, what I took away from my stylist training was the acknowledgement of the incredible power clothing has in helping you express authentically who you are and who you want to be. As a stylist, I get the privilege of working with my clients to discover their true style, which in turn, enables them to tell the world their beautifully unique story through what they wear. I have the honour of being on the journey with my clients as they learn more about themselves and their style, and as they start to feel not only comfortable, but also confident in their own skin.
Having now worked as a stylist for over five years and working personally with over a thousand women in all sorts of capacities, I have seen this change and total transformation take place with so many of the women I work with. It is true that when you start to discover your style and build a wardrobe perfectly aligned to who you want to show up as in your world, right here and now, everything begins to shift. You will start seeing your world through fresh eyes, but above all, see yourself in a whole new light.
This is my why - to be able to utilise my passion to empower women in their wardrobe, personal style and in life. I see styling as a vehicle to help my clients realise their beauty (inside and out) and to enable them to step into their fullest potential.
A snap taken from my last day of stylist training back in October 2016, not aware that this would be the first day to the rest of my life!