Tell us about NYC. How long have you lived there for?

I moved to New York about a year and a half ago right after I graduated from University, it feels like WAY longer though in retrospect. I see myself here for quite a while! My absolute favourite part of living in New York is the energy of the city and how there's always something to do. It is truly impossible to be bored in New York. I also love how expressive the culture is here, everyone dresses however and does whatever they desire and it's really rad to be able to be super confident in yourself and seeing others do the same.

Your all time favourite cafe and restaurant in NY?

That's a tough question since there are so many awesome spots for eats in NYC! But I would say my ultimate favourite cafe to grab brunch and a coffee would be Cafe Medi in the Lower East Side because of the amazing interior. I also like Dudleys, an Aussie cafe! For a quick cup of coffee, I personally think the best cup in Manhattan is from Caffe Vita.
My favourite restaurant changes frequently, but my go to spots are probably Vandal in SoHo because I love the edgy and creative interior, or The Boom Boom Room in The Standard Hotel for drinks and bites and a great view of the city. For something a bit more grungy, I love La Esquina in SoHo, it's a speakeasy sort of spot under the Saint Laurent billboard. I could really go on and on, on this list to be honest!

Is there anything about NYC that people don’t usually expect?

I think one major thing a lot of people think of New York is that it's super busy and everything is practically like Times Square or like Gossip Girl where everything happens in the Upper East Side. It can be really busy and loud, but there are so many laidback places in the city and most of the super busy crowded spots are just where a lot of offices are for work. You can do so many things in New York that aren't in the hustle and bustle of it all! I live downtown in the Lower East Side and it's way more relaxed and has a more neighbourhood, relaxed feel to it. I definitely recommend avoiding the touristy spots of New York if you want a true taste of what NYC is about! Another thing I hear is that people often think that everyone in NYC is rude, which is definitely not the case! I think everyone in New York is quite honest, funny, and genuine. What you give is what you get. Lastly, the cost of living is insanely high in New York which you really realise once you move here.

What does a day off look like for you?

If I find myself with a day off, if I decide to not travel out of the city, I usually like to sleep in as long as humanly possible since getting sleep is rare for me. Then I'll wake up and make a pot of coffee and do things I don't get to do during the week like read, sew, skim fashion articles/blogs. If I'm feeling ambitious I'll drag myself to Equinox for a class with friends.
I like to spend days off walking around SoHo shopping, brunch with a great gang of gal pals catching up on life, or go over to Chelsea by the water for a drink on the water and watch the sunset.
In summer, I love to spend a day off at a rooftop poolside, laying in Central Park with friends or trying to make it to The Hamptons or the beach.

Tell us a bit about your job...

I work in styling coordination, so it's a lot of working on various projects at once with overlap from start to finish. A typical day consists of heaps of emails, managing sample requests, designing mood boards and concepts, as well as event coordination and managing press. Although, nothing is really a typical day as it really just depends on the day and the workload. Some days I'll work a normal 9-5 and other days I may not leave the office until 10pm and continue work when I get home to my apartment.
My ultimate favourite part of my job is that I get to do something that allows every day to be different and in an environment where I can fully express myself and have a lot of responsibility, which I love and am grateful for. I'm thankful that I have been lucky enough to have a job that allows me to do something that I am absolutely passionate about in one of the most vibrant cities. It's great that I get to create as well as am always meeting new lovely people and take on new projects that I can be really excited about and I think it makes work feel a lot less like work.

What inspires you and how do you use that in your every day life?

I think true happiness is something that inspires me the most, so that allows me to surround myself with amazing people as well as be happy with what I'm doing in my life. My biggest fear is looking back in 10 years and wishing I would've taken more chances or done something that I didn't during my 20s and regretting it. My ultimate goal in life is to be happy and spread warm vibes to those around me and I think that is really overlooked by a lot of people. Being kind and sometimes not taking life too seriously is something that I try to incorporate in my personal and work life every day.
Something that also inspires me is knowing how able I am and the simple fact that time is limited. I’m always wanting to create more with my time while i'm young and energetic with probably the least amount of things holding me back that I'll ever have from here on out. I think anyone can make it if they consider that even if the statistics are low of achieving what they want to, there's still a chance. I'm not really scared of failing anymore, so I think I'm inspired by taking risks and betting on myself if I think it will help me in the long run.

How would you best describe your style?

I would say my style is feminine-tomboy with a sexy, funky flair. I think cool never goes out of style, and I try to avoid wearing anything super mainstream. I love playing with funky statement pieces and different textures like silks, leathers, furs. My easy go-to method for getting dressed is pairing something feminine and sexy with a masculine piece, or vice versa. For example, I love wearing slip dresses with a chunky masculine sneaker or boyfriend jeans/baggy trousers with a slinky heel. I think mixing the two allows for versatile wear from day to night and never looks like you're trying too hard and lets you still be comfortable. I like pairing with different silhouettes, like wide leg trousers and a fitted corset top. I am pretty much always wearing shades 90% of the time.

3 things in your wardrobe you couldn’t live without?

Saint Laurent white platform sneakers, leather mini skirt and a pair of black, slightly cat-eyed oversized sunglasses.

What do you do when you’re in a style rut/ lacking inspiration?

If I'm ever going through a phase of feeling like I'm lacking creativity in my life, I love to watch documentaries on interior design or fashion. I'm a highly visual oriented person, so I'll skim old editions from Vogue Japan or Vogue Italia to get a view of different culture's styles as well as skim coffee table books. Another fool proof trick for me is to look at old photos from my past, it helps me remember who I am, my path and where I come from and where I'd like to go.

What's the best advice you've received?

The best advice anyone has ever given me is that "Happiness is only real when shared." I think about this saying every day!
Also, one of the best pieces of advice I've heard from a friend in my adult life is learning to let go rather than clinging on. Letting go can be liberating and shows you have faith in yourself and the universe. Sometimes when we are feeling down, we tend to hold on to things that could potentially sabotage our happiness or people who don't really value us and we get stressed because we can't control the situation or make someone the way you'd like them to be. So when you learn to let go of situations or people that are making your life more difficult than it needs to be, you can be confident in your ability to start over and can handle whatever comes your way next.

Do you have any secret beauty hacks?

OMG only a million. I use liquid highlighter as a base under my foundation to give my skin the glow that NYC life and lack of sleep has stolen from me. A few times a week I over-moisturize my face before bed as a sort of hydrating mask. Also for my skin, I drink a scoop of collagen powder in a glass of cold water to keep my skin bouncy and glowing. I always take a selfie with flash on before going out to make sure my make up is blended. Another secret that I'll give away is that Vita Liberata makes this awesome Body Blur lotion which is perfect for when I wear dresses or skirts because my legs are often covered in bruises and scrapes from being incredibly clumsy and this stuff makes my legs look flawless when they indeed are not!