It was from my front row seat at A.F. Vandevorst during Paris Fashion Week in 2014 that I decided I would wake up every day in the name of fashion. As Sherry Qiu bound down the runway through a sea of smoke, everyone else was looking left – and I was looking right. I found myself completely absorbed in the menagerie of photographers before me, stacked on top, around and underneath each other, elbow to elbow and cheek to cheek in a silently understood mess. They were still, with only the movement of fingers on cameras and only the sound of fluttering lenses, synced in a frenzying harmony with every step each model took. Click, click, pose. Click, click, pose.
These were mere outfits on the runway to some, but moments in time to me. Each different angle became infinitely worthy to be captured, lusted over, longed for and needed. As crushed khaki linen layers and scarlet silks marched down the barrel of the runway, I was mesmerised, I was captivated, I was inspired. I decided then and there, that fashion – in whatever form it should take in my life – would be the one thing I would always pursue, on a constant hunt for moments that move me.
It is one thing to know trends, it is another to understand the feeling of fashion, and I feel it running through my veins. I now devote The Fashion Advocate to sharing meaningful content, focussing on Australian fashion, beauty and lifestyle brands that create with intent and exist to provoke thought. What started as a digital diary of my fashion musings has grown into a trusted directory for Australian brands and products with purpose. Now is the time to look deep down into the bottom drawer, into the darkest corners of our wardrobes, and think seriously about the impacts of our consuming habits. If I can encourage just one reader to support the Australian industry and choose ethics over trends, my job here is done.
I could reference Chanel, Anna Wintour or Alexander McQueen, who have all coined some of the most memorable quotes in fashion history, but I agree most with Alber Elbaz, who said, “Fashion is pure, intense emotions. It’s not about design. It’s about feelings.”
I work every day with this quote in mind, on my quest to inspire people to think intently and feel deeply about their fashion choices, and I support labels and brands who are determined to make a positive impact.
Every garment counts. Buy less, choose well, shop local.
The Fashion Advocate x
