Fancy seeing you here

New column; same voice

One of my favourite writers, Sloane Crosley, once wrote, “There are fulcrum moments in life when you can feel your world pivot in a new direction... There is no adjustment period between the old and the new. As if life just sliced open the bag and poured the goldfish straight into the bowl.”

For me, that moment came in early 2020 when the universe handed me a baby, a redundancy, and a global pandemic—all in three weeks. Navigating that cosmic jackpot felt less like a plot twist and more like the punchline.

I’d spent 11 years as a lifestyle journalist at the Herald Sun. For more than a decade, I not only had the luxury of coherent thought before 9am but also my very own fashion column. Across more than 500 columns, I covered everything from runways and race days to Elton John’s sequins and the sudden ubiquity of buttercup yellow on the high street.

Over 11 years I wrote more than 500 columns - and posed for two two terrible head shots.

While I did lose my job, thankfully, I didn’t lose my voice. However, I did put it on a very high shelf, right next to my pre-baby jeans and any memory of a full night’s sleep.

The past five years have been a whirlwind: I’ve had two babies, moved from the city to regional Victoria, built a successful copywriting business (Copywell Creative), and have written content for over 30 leading lifestyle brands. But I’d be lying if I said I didn’t miss writing in my own voice. There’s a certain thrill in letting your words tumble out, completely unshackled by SEO metrics.

A lot has happened since the last time I wrote a column …

Finally, I’m ready to write as me again. And while I’m a tad rusty and out of practice, it feels somewhat like catching up with an old friend—familiar, comforting, and more than a little overdue.

For those of you who read my previous fashion columns, you’ll know I get my kicks from finding humour—and a little heart—in nostalgia, pop culture, the royal family, and everyday observations of getting dressed.

Fancy That will be no different.

I'll write about trend forecasts and colour palettes and wax lyrical about the thick knits and quick wits of romantic comedies. 

This is my love letter to the intersection of fashion and life — and everything that takes my fancy in between. Because, as I’ve come to realise, life rarely bothers with good timing, but if I show up — and dress up — for it anyway, I can usually find a feel-good fix hiding in the mayhem. Fancy that!