It's my 10th birthday!
This month marks 10 years since I began my colour and style business. Lots has changed in that time and it’s been a great journey! Before I established the business I had already been working with people around their image and presentation since 2008 in London and later back in Australia, but it wasn’t under my own name and it was focused on corporate employment only.
Starting my business was both exciting and terrifying! I’d always been securely employed before this, or getting a steady stream of media related gigs so this was an entirely new venture for me. Interestingly, I figured I’d tell as many people as I could what I was planning to do so that I’d be mortified if I chickened out and didn’t follow through! I can recommend that strategy - lol! Throughout the process I just completed one step after another, not really sure if any of it would work. I’m now thrilled to say that it did.
Initially I started out in business with my sister before she moved to Sydney. We registered our business name just before Christmas in 2011 and were ready for clients in 2012. Our website went through a couple of iterations and then after I was sure my sister would remain in Sydney, I completely rebranded in early 2018, using my own name.
I completely love what I do and I can’t imagine doing anything else now. As well as my rewarding one-on-one consultations and occasional media coverage, these are the events that stand out for me over the past decade:
Teaching personal style concepts at CAE with my sister, 2012-13
Presenting on the importance of personal style in the workplace to the final year Doxa cadets, 2015
Spending time with Carla Mathis, my mentor and master of image consulting, at an international industry conference in Washington DC, 2015
Facilitating workshops with Whitelion on how to present in the workplace for young people, formerly at risk, who were seeking employment, several years from 2015
Being nominated as President of the Association of Image Consulting International (AICI) Melbourne for two consecutive years 2015 - 17
Working as Associate Editor of AICI GLOBAL industry magazine for three years, 2015-18
Being a guest speaker on the aesthetics of personal style for The School of Life in Sydney and Melbourne, 2017
Facilitating workshops on colour and style in London, 2017
Establishing Fashion by Foot ethical fashion tours with Briar Jasper-Batson, 2017
Being selected by Carly Findlay OAM to be lead stylist for her Access to Fashion runway event (featuring models with disability exclusively) at Melbourne Fashion Week, 2018
Attending a Federation of Image Consultants International (FIPI) international industry conference in London, 2018
Being invited by the NGV to present at their colour education day, 2019
Running ethical fashion tours as part of Melbourne Fashion Festival, 2020
Introducing online consultations, 2020
Writing my book, COLOUR: the secret to creating a Sustainable Wardrobe, 2020-21
Launching my book with Nina Gbor as part of NGV’s Melbourne Design Week, 2021
Being invited to appear on Channel 9’s The Today Show about Melbourne’s independent fashion, 2021
Being recognised by Visit Victoria and the City of Melbourne as an authority on the city’s best slow and sustainable fashion and featuring in their official visitor’s guide, 2021
I take my role seriously, and guiding people through their personal style journey is far from trivial. Whether I’m working with a formerly homeless person, someone with disabilities or a person with a high profile job, clients place their trust in me to give them insight, honest feedback and good guidance. We can have an enormous amount of fun, but anyone can feel vulnerable when discussing their personal style goals. I respect this and feel honoured to have worked with all of my clients over this past decade.
Thank you to everyone who has trusted me with their personal style.
