Claire Goldsworthy of The Fashion Advocate is much more than ‘a blogger’. She is a positive change maker, an avid clothes lover, an advocate for ethical fashion, a conscious consumer and a kick-ass Boss Lady.
This year The Fashion Advocate was the winner of the ‘2019 Good Design Fashion Impact Award’. In past years Claire has also been ranked in the ‘World’s Top 75 Sustainable, Ethical and Slow Fashion blogs’, ‘Australia’s Top 50 Influencers’, and she was also a finalist in last years ‘Women’s Weekly Women of The Future’. – Told you, kick ass lady…
More recently, Claire has opened the doors to The Fashion advocate ‘Pop up shop’ in Beaumaris, where you can shop with your values from the ethical range of swimwear, accessories, Australian Merino knitwear, Melbourne-made workwear, activewear, underwear, art, candles, everyday staples and sustainable statement pieces.
I had the pleasure of visiting The Fashion Advocate pop up shop recently, where I picked up a cute new ethically designed and made dress from the array of local designers that Claire stocks (post coming soon).
Today I have the privilege of interviewing my inspiring friend – superwoman Claire Goldsworthy on her growing business, as we discuss her inspirations and why promoting local design is so important in today’s industry.
Please read on below.
You can visit The Fashion Advocate Pop up Shop at 54 East Concourse, Beaumaris, or shop online 24/7 at thefashionadvocate.com
Tell us a little bit about yourself and what inspired you to start your blog ‘The Fashion Advocate?
I have always been innately interested in fashion, but I had ‘my moment’ at Paris Fashion Week in 2014. As I sat front row at A.F. Vandevorst watching models charge down the runway, everyone else was looking left – and I was looking right. I found myself completely absorbed in the menagerie of photographers before me, stacked on top, around and underneath each other, elbow to elbow and cheek to cheek in a silently understood mess. They were still, with only the movement of fingers on cameras and only the sound of fluttering lenses, synced in a frenzying harmony with every step each model took.
These were mere outfits on the runway to some, but moments in time to me. Each different angle became infinitely worthy to be captured, lusted over, longed for and needed. As crushed khaki linen layers and scarlet silks marched down the barrel of the runway, I was mesmerised, I was captivated, I was inspired. I decided then and there, that fashion would be the one thing I would always pursue, on a constant hunt for moments that move me, so I launched my blog to share my own experiences and the stories of the brands I love.
The Fashion Advocate publishes meaningful content about Australian fashion, beauty and lifestyle brands that create with intent and exist to provoke thought. What started as a digital diary of my fashion musings has grown into a trusted directory for Australian brands and products with purpose.
I share inspiring, personal and real interviews with Australian fashion, beauty, and lifestyle brands, and I promote people who are making a positive difference.
You also run an online shop through your website ‘The Fashion Advocate’. Can you tell us about some of the labels you stock and why supporting local talent is so important to you?
Fashion is a representation of who we are, as individuals, and as a culture, a country. Our Australian identity is everything from our native fauna and flora, to our architecture and the fashion we wear and produce, and I’m passionate about preserving that. Australian labels are among some of the most unique in the world; we don’t have the history of Europe, but we have the creativity of an infant nation, and because we’re geographically removed from the European fashion industry, we’re forced to be inventive – and I love it.
I love Australian fashion, what it represents, how easy it is to wear, how colourful it is, and what it means. When you support local labels, you’re supporting your own community and the future of the economy.
Can you tell us a little bit about your new Pop up Shop?
I’ve wanted to open a shop for years; everything we’ve done at The Fashion Advocate has been working towards opening the doors to our own little ethical and sustainable space.
I’m a Bayside local so I wanted to open our shop close to home, close to the beach, and somewhere that would appreciate the quality of the wares we sell. Beaumaris has been so welcoming and Bayside locals really understand the importance of sustainability.
We stock a plethora of Australian and New Zealand fashion, beauty and lifestyle labels from fashion and accessories, to homewares and art, edibles and beauty, and there’s something for every body. Some of our ranges include sizes 6 to 22, and a lot of what we stock is made from natural, organic fabrics too. It’s also a pretty cool space – I’ve thrown myself into it and there’s a bit (ok a lot) of pink involved, but it all works! We’ve sourced a lot of our fixtures and fittings second-hand, and the furniture we stock is Melbourne-made.
I’m really proud of it, and I work the floor myself Monday to Saturday (and we’re open Sunday too), so it’s really lovely to be speaking with our customers personally. Every now and again someone walks in and says they follow The Fashion Advocate on Instagram, which makes my day. We’re a tiny operation in the big scheme of things, but having a shop really allows us to connect with people and have a positive impact every day when we open our doors. I love it!
How would you describe your personal style?
I always find this question tricky to answer because it changes from time to time; sometimes I’m a little preppy, sometimes I’m boho, sometimes I’m glam, but whatever style of clothing I embrace, there’s always one constant – colour. I’m also a big believer in the right fit, and dressing for my body type. I won’t wear something just because it’s on trend; it’s got to fit right and look good, otherwise, what’s the point?
What are your top 5 wardrobe essentials?
A plain white t-shirt, a pair of fresh sneakers, custom-fit denim jeans, a bright trench coat, and a versatile dress that can be dressed up or down and easily travelled with.
What is the best style advice you have ever received?
Dress for your body type – which I am so grateful to have been taught in high school. My Home Economics teacher was all about sewing for your own body and to make sure clothing fitted correctly. I didn’t pay too much attention to it at the time, but it gradually sunk in, and now, I don’t wear anything that isn’t suited to my shape.
It’s amazing how much your day can change when you’re in the right clothing and feel good about it. When things are too tight, or you have to constantly pull things down or up, it’s not a good look, and it’s a distraction, but when a woman wears well-fitting clothes that are tailored for her body type, she’s unstoppable.
Where is the best place to shop in Melbourne?
I am biased… 54 East Concourse, Beaumaris ha! Also online at www.thefashionadvocate.com! I avoid the city, it’s too busy, and there’s too much of the same generic thing, so if I’m shopping I’m usually at markets or small independent stores. Or standing in front of our racks in Beaumaris eyeing off my next purchase. ha!
Tell us about some of the people in the industry who inspire you and why?
There are so many people who I love following for fashion inspiration, and people who I admire for their ethics. Safia Minney, the Founder of People Tree, is an incredible woman who has been driving the ethical fashion discussion for years, and she’s diplomatic about the way she communicates the issues with fast fashion with such a broad audience.
Clare Press is another passionate woman advocating for ethics in fashion, and she inspires me because she’s proof that you can live, love and breathe fashion, but do it ethically and sustainably without compromise.
Carry Somers, the Founder of Fashion Revolution Day, is a god in my eyes. She’s flipped the industry on its head and it takes guts to make a global statement.
What are 3 of your favourite resources that you turn to for inspiration?
I love your blog Luci, you inspire me! You look incredible in colour, and I’m always inspired by the way you put different things together that I wouldn’t think to – and you just look fabulous. I also love your honesty and how down to earth you are, so you’re one of my favourite resources!
I also head to bookstores, and there’s one in Hampton called Page 8, it always makes me feel inspired being around books.
I also use Fashion Revolution as a resource to stay up to date with industry insights and facts, and while the facts are generally saddening, they inspire me to continue on my journey towards an industry that only knows ethical fashion.
What’s involved in a typical day of blogging for you?
I have a very chaotic week, and there’s no typical day! I have a weekly schedule that I work around, and it’s jam-packed.
Mondays and Tuesdays, I leave open for meetings, and when they’re not filled, I work on Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn, Pinterest, Tumblr and Reddit – good content creation takes a lot of time.
Wednesdays, I manage everything to do with the online store which involves site updates, orders, accounting, inventory management and the rest.
Thursday mornings are dedicated to blog posts – I have to be in the zone with no interruption. I work for three or four hours straight on writing, so that it flows easily without distraction, and in the afternoon, I’m back on emails, speaking with brands, looking for new labels, researching, and creating my digital newsletters.
Fridays are dedicated to the magazine, and that involves a whole myriad of tasks from writing to shooting to emails and putting it all together, and every day, there’s emails, Instagram, Facebook and coffee.
What is your favourite part of blogging?
I love what I do because I can inspire people. I’ve always loved writing, and being able to pair that with helping someone else discover something new, it’s a great feeling. I love sharing people’s stories, I love being able to convey someone else’s passions through a blog post; even though I’m behind a computer and I have no idea who’s reading my blog, it’s a very personal thing.
What’s your favourite place in Melbourne?
Can I say our Beaumaris shop again? Ha.
When I’m not here, I love exploring. It’s not in Melbourne, but one of my favourite places to go is Oliver’s Hill in Frankston. I don’t know what it is, but when I’m standing at the top of that hill and looking out over the ocean and the expansive skyline and the tiny blip of the city outline, it makes me put things into perspective and remember how I fit into the world and my purpose protecting the earth. It’s a really incredible view.