I penned my mission: to establish a passionate and powerful community of brands and businesses who are dedicated to the greater good

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. Pose, snap snap, 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 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 felt it running through every vein in my body.

So, I wrapped up my overseas travels after working in the fashion industry in Berlin, New York, Paris and Milan, and I moved my whole life from Brisbane to Melbourne - Australia's epicentre of all things fashion. I launched The Fashion Advocate and penned my mission: to establish a passionate and powerful community of brands and businesses who are dedicated to the greater good.

Now, The Fashion Advocate is a social enterprise, an online store, a magazine, an annual runway event, a tribe of humans who get each other, and a series of pop up shops supporting ethical and sustainable Australian and New Zealand fashion, beauty and lifestyle labels.

Together, we exist to create change, and together, we use our businesses as a force for good. Our community of brands create positive social and environmental change every day, consciously designing and creatively thinking, always in pursuit of a better, more ethical and sustainable world.

What started as a digital diary of my fashion musings has grown into a community of likeminded humans who care about their impact, and as we grow, so too does our positive impact, but our ethical and sustainable values never waiver.

Now is the time to look deep down into the bottom drawer, into the darkest corners of our wardrobes, and think about the impacts of our consuming habits. Your wardrobe and your home reflect who you are and what you stand for, and mine reflect my ethics and values. 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."

Feelings are what make us human, yet somewhere along the way, we lost our values when fast fashion became a monster - and we lost the feeling of fashion.

I want to bring it back. I want to slow things down. I want to remind people of the true value of their clothes and educate shoppers to respect the people who make them. Clothes are a second skin, and they say more about us than we realise.

I work every day on my quest to inspire people to think consciously about their wardrobes - because every garment counts.

Claire x

Shot by The Studio Melbourne.

I penned my mission to establish a passionate and powerful community of brands and businesses who are dedicated to the greater good

I penned my mission to establish a passionate and powerful community of brands and businesses who are dedicated to the greater good

I penned my mission to establish a passionate and powerful community of brands and businesses who are dedicated to the greater good

I penned my mission to establish a passionate and powerful community of brands and businesses who are dedicated to the greater good

The Fashion Advocate ethical sustainable circular slow fashion business strategy mentor online course marketing how to

I spent my first five years in business stressed and in debt.

If you're feeling overwhelmed, stressed, or if you're not making enough sales to survive, you're not alone. I've been there.

I was exhausted and I wanted to quit.

Then I worked out a strategy that dramatically changed my business, increased my sales, and saved me time. I want to share it with you!

READ MY STORY

Want to know the top three ways to grow a successful and sustainable fashion brand?

  • ASK A LOT OF QUESTIONS

    Every week on Instagram, you can ask me anything about fashion, business, ethical manufacturing, sustainability, and growth to get the answers you need to overcome challenges. Marketing, PR, your strategy, sales, how to wholesale, Instagram engagement, customers, sourcing... Whatever it is, ask me your questions and I'll go LIVE on Instagram with the answers you need to move forward.

    FIND ME ON INSTAGRAM HERE

  • KNOWLEDGE IS POWER

    To build a successful, sustainable and profitable fashion business, you have to empower yourself with knowledge and learn from others in the industry. I ran one of the largest online stores for ethical and sustainable fashion for over a decade, and I learned the ins and outs and the rights and wrongs of building a business. Now I'm sharing my strategies on my blog so you can take what you need to grow!

    READ THE BLOG HERE

  • BUILD YOUR SKILLSET AND LEVEL UP

    The only difference between a big fashion business and a small fashion business is a different skillset. Everything your competitors know - you can learn. My online courses and masterclasses are specifically designed for ethical and sustainable fashion brands, labels and businesses, so you can build your skillset, level up, fast-track your success and increase your impact.

    BUILD YOUR SKILLSET NOW