LAURA GIDDY
I
am not a concise story-teller, because I get caught up on the details. How could I not mention the colour of the leaves that were passing by as I drove from point A to point B, when the spring-green is so innate to the poetry of the moment? I tumble through life grasping at all of the details that make it so special, I am a hopeless romantic and embrace the potential that every day provides me to reinvent the smallest of moments. And fashion plays an enormous part in that. The way that my weekly visit to the cakery down the street unfolds is completely dependent on whether I wear the plaid skirt or the puff-sleeve top, or maybe I wear both, in which case it’s a completely different adventure altogether. I come to the industry to tell my own beautifully adorned stories, but also because I want to give others the opportunity to see their stories told too. The power and freedom of seeing yourself in the decadent world of fashion is something that should be democratized. I am politically and socially minded, as I see the flaws in our systems that for too long have oppressed entire groups of people, and I want to take on some of the responsibility for revolutionizing the way things are done. I am uncompromising when it comes to my values, driven by genuine care for people, for those around me and more broadly for the global community. I hope that someday my reach can extend further than centering the stories of those who have been marginalised, but fashion and styling is where my true passion lies, so it seems like a good arena to make a start. I’ve been fortunate enough to find myself travelling the world multiple times already in my young life, returning to Europe over and over again to traipse through the flea markets and sit in wonder in the open air of cities with so much history and so much intermingled culture. In Paris, each person walks about with their own purpose, and one day I will join them with manila folders in my arms and a phone tucked between my ear and my shoulder, discussing tomorrow’s shoot, or next week’s collection launch.
I am a leader by virtue of enthusiasm, and love working in teams because of the opportunity to incite passion into those around me about a shared project. I also have a real appreciation for building ideas through collaboration, as even though I recognise my unique ability to see things from a creative and outside-of-the-box perspective, I am also grateful for times that I have been in environments where I’m able to grow with a touch of criticism and external input.
My skills are varied and multi-dimensional, but can mostly be defined as a keen sense of direction, a connection to what is going on in the world around me, and an ability to communicate my vision across many different platforms. I love the process of curation, taking a collection of disparate ideas and objects and pulling them together in a way that makes sense. This is a process that I’ve learnt to implement in many different ways in my life, throwing Alice in Wonderland and Circus themed teenage birthdays, gathering an eclectic mix of vintage furniture and odd decor items to create spaces that reflect who I am, and of course curating my personal wardrobe. Studying fashion has given me room to explore the ways that I can and will interact with the industry, as I have learnt more about the ways it works and the different ways I can apply my personal curation skills to professional projects, such as event coordination, editorial styling, brand identity, and creative direction.
CAREER PLAN
My understanding of the fashion and creative industry landscape is that it requires people to transform and adapt to the needs of specific projects, rather than fit a bullet-point list of criteria for a single position. However, an overarching theme that I want to incorporate into my career is to be in roles where I am putting to use my talents of curation and communication. I see myself doing mostly freelance work, as it will offer me flexibility and agency to ensure I am working with brands, businesses and individuals who uphold the same values as I do. My ultimate “career goal� is to build a body of work that communicates future-forward messages aligned with my beliefs, yet is also extraordinarily beautiful and celebrates the fantasies that we are afforded by the world of fashion. Despite a worrisome level of uncertainty surrounding opportunities in fashion, due to current COVID-19 restrictions and their lasting effects on the industry, I believe that in my time in Melbourne after I graduate from Collarts can be useful for me in terms of building a portfolio and experience. I plan to use this time to work on smaller-scale collaborations with local designers and publications, establishing a personal brand and cachet for myself. Additionally I hope to dedicate my time to a number of social causes, using my growing platform to educate others on issues such as sustainability, ethics, anti-racism, and rejection of many traditional oppressive systems.
By
connecting with smaller, independent brands, I hope to find ample opportunity for mutually beneficial projects, whether that be working on shooting a new collection for a brand, or being gifted or loaned product for use in editorial zine and digital content. I will also create my own visual content to pitch to larger national magazines during this time, in collaboration with some of my peers who work in garment design, makeup, art and staging. During this time, other activities I will take on to advance my career will include: V Fashion writing - potentially creating a section on my portfolio site to publish collection reviews and opinion pieces V Attend events V Host collaborative events V Personal editorial projects - specifically with a focus on featuring diverse models and stories V Build professional instagram presence (@lauragiddytwo) V Networking I would also like to launch an online collective platform that serves as a newsletter, database, and resource for both consumers and designers/brands, to connect like minded individuals and enable users to search for independent businesses and creatives based on location, style, garment type or function, and values. This would require collaboration with web designers and reaching out to independent artists to request permission to list them, however as this service would provide an additional avenue for discovery by potential customers, I have faith that designers would jump at the opportunity to be involved.
In three years time, I hope to have made the leap to living in Europe. I expect to continue my studies further internationally, and have identified a number of different institutions and courses in both Paris and Florence that would help in the progression of my trajectory. I have chosen these cities based on preexisting connections I have made that would assist me in acclimatising, and personal experience with both of the cities earlier this year in January leading me to believe they would be a good fit for myself. Some of the postgraduate qualifications I have considered are: V V V V V V V V
Graduate Degree in Creative Direction at Esmod (Paris) Masters in Fashion & Luxury Management at IFM (Paris) Masters in Transdisciplinary New Media at PCA (Paris) Short course in Creative Direction at IFA (Paris) Short course in Fashion Image & Business at Istituto Marangoni (Paris) Masters in Fashion Styling, Photography & Film at Istituto Marangoni (Florence) Short course in Fashion Image & Styling at Istituto Marangoni (Florence) Masters in Styling or Trend Forecasting at Polimoda (Florence)
To supplement the upskilling and networking that I will hopefully undergo whilst studying overseas, I aspire to start building relationships with European media publications, designers, stylists, and creatives across all fields. I hope to be involved with a variety of projects, maintaining a focus on curation, but also strengthening my profile as a communicator by earning opportunities to speak publicly on issues that concern me, as well as creating written and visual content for a range of digital and print magazines.
My role will vary depending on the team I am working with and the project we are creating, but I hope to be building a portfolio that shows off my skills in: V V V V V V V V
Editorial styling Creative Direction Set and prop design Sourcing (sets, props, and fashion items - garments/accessories) Event co-ordination Fashion Editorship Brand identity development Celebrity styling - specifically for musicians, I would ideally like to be creating tour wardrobes and styling promotional imagery for clients such as:
Nilufer Yanya Lorde
Laurel Zara Larsson
MUNA Solange
Ashwarya Phoebe Bridgers Caroline Polachek
Five
years from now, ideally I would be looking at moving from exclusively freelance work to a more fixed position at a creative studio, brand, or magazine that will still allow me to be involved with additional projects, but that will afford me a sense of security. Some roles that I have considered, and that I think I could realistically work up towards after some time figuring out the industry, both in Australia and internationally, include:
V Junior creative director V A fixed creative director role would follow intense amounts of networking, and dedication to becoming an expert in the field, as well as a length of time working as a contributor to the organisation I am focussed on V Stylist signed to a creative agency V This requires me to be able to show off an impressive body of work and demonstrate that I am exceptional at collaboration and at my craft of styling V Junior Fashion Editor V At this point in my career, I would expect that my writing and curation ability has not only been published on my personal site, but by recognised industry publications, which would allow me to confidently apply for roles of this nature V Trend Strategist V After studying the career trajectories of current trend strategists in the industry, there is no clear path to achieve this, however a common element of all those I researched was a position of expertise and standing. I believe I can achieve this through building my personal brand as a strong curator of not only aesthetics, but also having a deep understanding of the wider world outside of fashion and having a keen interest in emerging sensibilities and expectations.
NETWORK Rachel Matthews Collarts // Progam Leader of Fashion Marketing rmatthews@collarts.edu.au // 1300 818 777 Linkedin Notes: Course director of BABFM #fashionacademic #collarts #fashionindustry #international Anna Hickey Collarts // Progam Coordinator, DIG student liason ahickey@collarts.edu.au // 1300 818 777 Linkedin Notes: Lecturer of Marketing and Critical Survey subjects at time of completion #fashionacademic #collarts #fashionindustry #gender #queer #events Melanie McGregor Clarke Collarts // BABFM Lecturer mclarke@collarts.edu.au // 0481 299 221 Instagram Notes: Styling unit lecturer, musical background, useful connections #fashionacademic #collarts #fashionindustry #reference #music #styling Matilda Jordan Ashman Collarts // Student Services and Library Officer mashman@collarts.edu.au // 1300 818 777 Notes: Staff liason with Collarts SRC #reference #industryknowledge #information #collarts
education
James Lilley Student // Junior Creative jamesllley98@gmail.com // 0432 744 449 Linkedin // Instagram Notes: Housemate, collaborator on creative projects, studying Professional Communications/Advertising at RMIT #styling #closecontact #fashionindustry #collaborator #local Rufus Elliott Student // Designer rufushelliott@gmail.com // 0490 503 187 Instagram Notes: Personal contact, collaborator on creative projects, studying Fashion Design at RMIT #styling #closecontact #fashionindustry #collaborator #designer #local Charlie Kennedy Charlieboy the Label // Student Designer Linkedin // Instagram Notes: Personal contact, studying fashion design at TAFE Sydney #collaborator #designer #fashionindustry #australia Huw Ward Self-employed // Stylist Linkedin // Instagram Notes: Personal contact, professional styling experience in Melbourne and Sydney #styling #closecontact #fashionindustry #australia Jamie Heath Self-employed // Photographer Instagram Notes: Mutual connections (Patrick Clancy, Ella McDonald) Lives/Works in Sydney #australia #closecontact #fashionindustry #photographer #queer #styling #creativedirection #collaborator Alberto Stefani Student // Designer, Model, Influencer Linkedin // Instagram Notes: Met in January whilst in Florence, personal contact studying fashion #international #closecontact #designer #collaborator Jess Cochrane Self-employed // Multimedia Artist hello@jesscochrane.com Linkedin //Instagram Notes: Aspirational collaborator, previous contact, moved from Wollongong to work in London #artist #international #collaborator #feminism
peers
Julia Sansone Berry Studio // Photographer, Content Creator, Writer hello@berrystudio.com.au Linkedin //Instagram Notes: Personal contact who does mostly food photography but has just launched own creative studio, an opportunity to collaborate #closecontact #photographer #collaborator #local #socialmedia Eloise Jenkins Apricate Studio // Founder hello@apricatestudio.com Linkedin //Instagram Notes: I have been following Eloise for some time and watched as she has used her talents to work with brands and grow a business #artist #australia #collaborator #graphicdesign #socialmedia #marketing #branding #photography Shahn Stewart Alchemy Orange // Owner, Director enquiries@alchemyorange.com Instagram Notes: AO is an ‘organic architecture’ studio that creates floral arrangements (to be used in a shoot), I have been a supporter of the business from early on #collaborator #local #florist #set design #independent Sarah Brogno and Jasper van Daatselar Stella Vendetta // Designers, Owners stellavendettaforever@gmail.com Instagram Notes: Subject of Creative Entrepreneurship case study, have expressed interest in working with the brand moving forward #designer #fashionindustry #collaborator #independent #sustainability #ethics #local Isabella Trimboli Gusher Magazine // Co-Founding Editor isabellatrimboli@gmail.com Instagram Notes:Mutual connections (Dylan Rowen, Jonno Revanche), Gusher is an independent music magazine by women and non-binary people #australia #magazine #writer #printmedia #music Anna Carlsson nonperishables magazine // Founder, Editor Linkedin // Instagram // Instagram Notes: Lives locally in North Melbourne, mutual connection (Jared Gold), involved with multiple social causes and projects #local #magazine #online #socialawareness #socialmedia
national
Iris Hall Gumnut // Designer iris.hall02@gmail.com Linkedin // Instagram // Instagram Notes: Gumnut is an independent QLD based ethical label creating fun clothing and pushing styling limits #australia #ethical #designer #independent #styling #collaborator Dominique Adamidis Hopeless Lingerie // Co-founder dominique@hopelesslingerie.com.au Linkedin // Instagram // Instagram Notes: Dominique was a guest lecturer in my Critical Survey class in Sept. 2019, she spoke about diversity in representation and the design process, I really appreciate the brand values #melbourne #sustainability #ethics #diversity #collaborator #designer #independent #collaborator Emma Mulholland Holiday the Label // Owner, Designer aloha@holidaythelabel.com Linkedin // Instagram // Instagram Notes: I have seen Holiday the Label flourish in the years since its inception, and it is now the epitome of a fun, bright, accessible daywear brand #australia #designer #independent #sustainability #ethics Giulia Brugliera Fashion Journal // Editorial Director giulia@furstmedia.com.au // (03) 9428 3600 Linkedin // Instagram Notes: Fashion Journal is a magazine that I would love to contribute to in some way, and Giulia is the best contact for submissions and applications for collaboration #australia #fashionindustry #magazine online #ethics Mia Steiber RUSSH Magazine // Digital Content Director mia@russh.com // (02) 9293 0999 Linkedin // Instagram Notes: RUSSH prides itself as being a magazine focussed on innovation and distinctive style, so my work would be a good fit for the publication, but potentially better suited to a digital platform #australia #magazine #fashionindustry #online #printmedia Sarah Starkey Oyster Magazine // Contributing Fashion Editor, Stylist sarahjstarkey@gmail.com // 0478 124 220 Linkedin // Instagram Notes: Oyster Mag presents forward thinking perspectives and is intune with current social sensibilities, as well as having a mix between cooler, street styling and high fashion appreciation #australia #magazine #online #fashionindustry #styling #printmedia
national
Phoebe Lettice The Wall Group // Stylist hollie@thewallgroup (Representative) Linkedin // Instagram Notes: Stylist working primarily in the UK with international musical artists - example of expert in the field #international #styling #fashionindustry #music #industryknowledge
international
Sophie Lattes Studio Edelkoort // Creative Director sophie.l@edelkoort.com // +33 1 4408 6888 Linkedin Notes: Studio Edelkoort operates out of Paris and is a trend forecasting and brand direction agency founded by Lidewij Edelkoort #ashionindustry #trendforecasting #international #creativedirection #branding #trendforecasting Jo Lynch WGSN // Strategist: Intimates j@belasdead.com Linkedin // Instagram Notes: WGSN remarks on her “warm bonds with a network of industry contacts”, which would make her a valuable contact to have, as well as being in a role similar to where I would like to end up as a strategist or trend forecaster #international #fashionindustry #industryknowledge #online #trendforecasting Quentin Humphreys WGSN // Strategist: Youth Culture, Insight Linkedin Notes: Quentin’s career path has shaped my understanding of industry movement and flexbility - from art direction and styling, to marketing, and eventually editor/trend forecaster #WGSN #international #fashionindustry #industryknowledge #online #trendforecasting Artist Group Management Agency agency@artist-group.net // (02) 8340 3999 Website // Instagram Notes: Sydney based fashion creative management agency #agency #australia #fashionindustry #styling #creativedirection #editorial The Wall Group Management Agency infony@thewallgroup.com// 212-352-0777 Website // Instagram Notes: ‘WALL’ operates globally but specifically in fashion/culture capitals of NY, LA, London, and Paris representing artists and connecting them to clients as well as assisting in building creative teams #agency #international #fashionindustry #styling #creativedirection #editorial
international
Hermethia Haynes Paper Magazine // Intern Coordinator hermethia@paperentertainment.com Linkedin Notes: Paper Magazine operates internationally and covers a broad range of topics in a culturally relevant way, I would love to contribute #international #styling #fashionindustry #magazine #internship #printmedia Katie Shillingford AnOther Magazine // Fashion Director contact@katieshillingford.com Website // Instagram Notes: Katie not only works with AnOther magazine but also works as a freelance stylist in London, and would be a useful EU contact #international #styling #magazine #fashionindustry #printmedia Tati Cotliar Buffalo Zine // Fashion Editor tati@buffalozine.com Website // Instagram Notes: Buffalo Zine is a biannual magazine, but also operates a creative studio - the mag’s style is eclectic, fun and experimental #international #styling #magazine #fashionindustry #printmedia Armelle Leturcq Crash Magazine // Editor in Chief, Creative Director administration@crash.fr Linkedin // Instagram Notes: Paris based Crash still has a focus towards creating original editorial content and I would love to work with the magazine during my time in France #international #styling #magazine #fashionindustry #editorial #printmedia
Olivier Zahm Purple Diary // Publisher & Editor-in-Chief, Online Director Linkedin // Instagram Notes: I resonate strongly with both the aesthetics and the gritty, experimental nature of this magazine, also based in Paris #creativedirection #printmedia #international #styling #magazine #fashionindustry