My greatest fashion influence was Mrs Oliver — my Gran.
Life inside her wardrobe was magical.
From as early as four, I tottered around in her pointy-toed brown suede stilettos from the 1960s, filling her chocolate croc leather handbag with lipsticks, strings of pearls, and powder puffs.
At sixteen, I went to fashion college, where my next great influence entered my life: my fashion design art lecturer, Mr Paul Shriek. Outrageous, talented, and utterly inspiring, Paul opened my eyes to the fashion world — art, music, dance clubs, fashion magazines, and street style. My naïve sixteen-year-old self was thoroughly educated into the fashion world. It was Paul who encouraged me to pursue a fashion and textiles degree — a turning point and new beginning.
I went on to study fashion, then lived and worked in London, before being offered a major design role in Hong Kong in 1996. With little idea of what lay ahead, I boarded a flight to my next great adventure.
The company I worked for designed and manufactured high-volume collections for major US high-street retailers. We created fast-moving fashion concepts — studying customer behaviour, best sellers, and emerging trends to create constant ‘new reasons to buy’. My role took me across the globe: fabric sourcing in China and India, international comp shopping throughout the US and Europe, and fabric and print sourcing in Paris. It was high speed fashion.
After six years, I chose a slower pace and moved to Sydney, Australia, continuing my work as a designer within the high-street fashion industry.
Over time, my relationship with fashion — and with life — began to shift.
Today, my focus is firmly on the opposite end of the spectrum: preloved fashion. Styling Mrs Oliver was born from a desire to honour craftsmanship, longevity, and individuality, rather than excess. It is about thoughtful dressing and beautiful pieces with a past — items that carry stories and deserve a second life.
Alongside fashion, I’ve always had a close relationship with nature and botanicals. As life slowed, this became central — time in nature became therapeutic, leading me into botanical photography, the creation of fine art prints, and photographing local gardens.
Just as my career has evolved, so has my lifestyle. I used to party; now I prioritise health, nutrition, and living more intentionally. Styling Mrs Oliver reflects this transition — a slower, more conscious approach to living and fashion, grounded in nature and guided by a strong commitment to sustainability, longevity, and focusing on timeless quality over quantity.
I share these ideas through Styling Mrs Oliver — curated preloved pieces, botanical art, and moments of inspiration from a life spent loving fashion, music and design.
If you love style and beautiful things with stories, you’re in the right place.
