Could you please describe your creative practice?

My practice is multidisciplinary, spanning wearable art, immersive installations, and visual arts. I work across costume, clothing, SFX makeup, accessories, and the art of visible mending. Sustainability and education are also a core part of what I do, I’m passionate about sharing my skills and encouraging others to experiment and repair creatively.

When did your creative journey begin?

I have always been creative from childhood, my interest in fashion began as a teenager when I asked my Mum to teach me how to sew. I attended Geelong Fine Art school as a teenager and was introduced to the world of wearable art by my VCE studio arts teacher at Christian College. I left Geelong to study at RMIT in Melbourne but after six months moved to Vienna, Austria. I worked on sets in costume and wardrobe before moving to Dublin to study SFX makeup. I lived in London for a year and Brisbane for just under a year before returning to Geelong when I injured my back at the end of 2018. My creative career temporarily came to a halt and then began again. During the last six years I learnt new skills, mediums and techniques, I began to play and experiment more and broadened my disciplines to not only wearable but visual, tactile and immersive art/design. 

What inspired you to pursue a career in the creative field?

I found a new sense of confidence through expressing myself with clothing and wanted to make a career through it. That feeling of empowerment and using what we wear as a form of self-expression made me want to share that joy with others. 

How do you connect with the Greater Geelong area through your work?

Community connection and collaboration are at the heart of everything I do. I’ve been lucky enough to work with incredible local organisations like Bluebird Foundation and Back to Back Theatre. My time at Hue and Cry Studio was also integral in building strong connections with other local artists and creatives as well as attending events, networking opportunities and art openings. 

Facilitating workshops has helped me build confidence and see the value in showing up, collaborating, and skill-sharing. The abundance that comes from exchanging skills or ideas often outweighs money alone.

Arts and culture networking events have opened doors I never imagined. Having Council officers at the City of Greater Geelong believe in my work gave me the confidence to back myself too. Connecting with Back to Back Theatre through Council’s first networking event marked my return to theatre, a space I’d left behind under rocky circumstance and reignited that part of my practice. It also led to working on a film that is currently showing at ACMI, which felt like a pinch me moment when I went to recently see it.

What challenges or barriers have you encountered in your career?

Imposter syndrome, self-doubt, and personal injuries have all tested me at times. Early in my career, I moved back to Geelong suddenly after an injury and a steep decline in my mental health. Returning home gave me the chance to rebuild myself through community and fresh opportunities.

One of my biggest lessons has been to fail fast and move on—seeing every challenge as either a lesson, a blessing, or both. I’ve learnt that competition mindsets don’t serve anyone, there’s so much more power in community.

What changes or improvements can you suggest?

Honestly, I think we’re doing so much already, opening doors and creating opportunities. The networking events created so many wonderful connections for my work and led to some really wonderful opportunities. It’s up to each individual to choose to walk through them. 

Looking ahead, what would you like to achieve?

For now, this chapter of living in Geelong has ended. After returning in 2019 I have recently sold all of my things and left for more adventures. I am grateful for the time I spent in Geelong, I really would not be where I am in my career or confidence within myself had I not come home all those years ago. My vision for the future is to keep transforming waste into beauty, to educate and empower others through repair and creativity, and to fiercely advocate for slow fashion.

I want to make sustainable choices more accessible to everyone, teach workshops all over the world, learn from different places, cultures and practises and learn how to integrate new things I learn along the way. I’ll absolutely be back in Geelong for projects in the future, the city will always have a place in my heart.