UTOPIA: An imagined place or state of things in which everything is perfect.
I do most things backwards, and this magazine is no exception. Usually an editor picks a theme before planning their monthly magazine, but it wasn’t until I had compiled the 57 pages of The Fashion Advocate’s launch issue, that I found an adequate title.
We all have a different idea of own utopia; a life with no stress, more money, less work, more clothes, less weight, more time, endless Champaign and runways, but in the fashion world, there is no such thing as perfect. It’s an interesting industry, ever changing, tough, demanding, competitive and cutthroat, but its also very inspiring, life changing, motivating, passionate, creative and magical. Every day, you and I both get up and get dressed, we make a conscious decision to wear all black or no black, send certain messages and represent ourselves by what we choose to wear. We all have a relationship with fashion that is deeply ingrained in our every day lives and whether we acknowledge it or not, it exists.
It’s what you do with the relationship you have with fashion that makes a difference in this industry, and as the pages of this launch issue reveal, there are some very special people doing very special things with theirs. On page 13, we share ten questions with Thom Kerr, fashion photographer and all round creative, who reveals that the life he leads now, was but a mere unattainable dream in the beginning. On page 35, Bella McGoldrick opens up about her journey as a designer, living and learning away from home and feeling the exact same way about finally reaching a milestone that also started as a dream. On page 41, the gorgeous Karen Woo shares a personal story about her shift into fashion photography after nearly a decade in the business industry, and, my interview with Creative Director Hinny Tran of Fred Hates Fashion on page 7 is the pivotal piece of this issue. His journey from delinquency and expulsion to international acclaim is beyond inspirational and his work with fashion film is phenomenal.
One of the hardest parts of finding and following your passion, is reaching self-approval, and having the approval of those around you to pursue the one thing that motivates you, moves you, and makes you… happy. This entire issue seems to ring true that if there is a will there is a way, and I feel privileged that I’ve shared moments with the artists, photographers, designers, film makers, illustrators and creators who are making a difference, and I am so excited to now share them with you.
Each and every one of the inspirational stories in this issue is a testament to perseverance and passion, and if ever there were a recipe to a fulfilling life in the fashion industry, those would be the two key ingredients. Here’s cheers to an industry that I happily, lovingly and genuinely devote my (often 16 hour) days to.
Click here to read the magazine and finally, welcome to The Fashion Advocate.
