Bonjour, my name is Sonia, I’m from Paris but I have been living in Melbourne for almost 6 years now. I have been working in retail for the last 5 years; I worked for ASOS, Maje & Sandro, Simone Perele and now for Portmans, an Australian fashion brand based in Melbourne. I’ve, always, been a fashion addict since my childhood, what I love the most about fashion is dressing up and sharing my styling skills with my clients to empower people around me from my team, my clients to my friends. 

Where is your favourite place to shop?

In Melbourne, I love shopping at South Wharf DFO and in Melbourne Central, because I can find a mix of trendy items with a reasonable price!

When I moved here, I found it very hard to find nice trendy brands to shop, you can definitely find luxury brands and fast fashion brands but not many little designer brand or small boutique like in Paris (like Bel-Air, Vero Moda, Bash…), so it’s great that Melbourne has Bellite now.

I’m also a big fan of online shopping, you can find beautiful items on ASOS, Pretty little things, and MissGuided …

What is your favourite outfit to feel confident?

I don’t really have a favourite outfit that make me feel more confident. I will pick my outfit depending on the appointment I will have, the person that I am going to meet, the event I’m going to or even on my mood. And from there, I will build my confident. The only item of my outfit who will give me confident is my shoes. You always need the right pair of shoes.

What is the worst fashion crime you can think of? 

Backpacks, I’m sorry but I hate Backpacks even the fashion ones. There is something about them that unbalanced people outfits all the time, even for men. Sorry but I can’t, there is too many beautiful handbags on earth to end up buying or having a backpack #sorrynotsorry 

What is your favourite brand and why? 

I don’t have a favourite one and never had. I’m a mix and match shopper, I love some many different brands which doesn’t even have a connection something in term of style, as long as, I’m feeling myself, comfortable and of course stylish in the brands that I’m wearing😊

I love Maje, Adidas mostly the collaboration like the one with Stella McCartney or Rihanna, Karen Millen, The Kooples, Zara, Levi’s, Portmans, Forever New, and also the no brand shops

Why is fashion important to you? 

Fashion is important for me because, It’s a way of telling to the world who you are, or who you want to be. It is an Art that can give you an everyday playground if you are feeling it, through your clothes, your make up, your hair, your accessories! You can empower yourself and be your own piece of art.

I can see every day, when I style my clients the confidence, the happiness and the empowerment that I can create through Fashion, and it’s magic . There is an amazing power in Fashion that people don’t always understand.

Who is your fashion icon or inspira on? 

My fashion icons Beyoncé and Blake Lively. They, both, have this “natural” glam, even in activewear. 

Do you have any advice to find a bargain? 

The best place for bargains is, definitely, South Wharf DFO and Essendon DFO.

Small tip: All the brands always offer extra discount from Friday night to Sunday.

https://www.dfo.com.au/south-wharf/

Do you think fashion varies across cultures? 

100%, From a country to another. You can promote and sell the same product in two different countries and people reaction can be the total opposite and it’s amazing.

The environment where we grow up, our education, our travelling, our spirituality, what we have been going through life, our jobs and many other things impact on our fashion thinking; and it’s what makes Fashion an amazing sharing Art.

What is your favourite accessory and why? 

Shoes, they can change everything. I have a weird believe about shoes. For me, they are like companions through our life. I used to buy a new pair of shoes every time I was going to start something new, like going to a very important appointment, to an exam, to a meeting (I stopped doing this because I met my husband #youknow 😊 and moved a bit around the world). They are like my little lucky charms that start a new journey with me. 

Do you prefer summer or winter fashion and why? 

I’m a Summer fashion girl, love wear a colourful dress with a cute pair of shoes, or even a T-shirt with a silky skirt, a trendy bag, some accessories and Done. I found winter clothing extremely boring and hard to find the sophistication in people outfits, everyone looks like little shadows. 

Thanks Sonia,