The Muse: Laura Churchill, Stylist and Director of Brisbane Fashion Month
This year UNE PIECE is absolutely delighted to be showing our new Cap d’Antibes Collection as part of Brisbane Fashion Month’s Resort Finale. Guests will be able to see a beautiful array of lifestyle, leisure and occasionwear from some of Queensland’s best known and loved brands. We chat to Director of Brisbane Fashion Month (BFM) Laura Churchill about what we can expect from the event this year, her career in fashion, and her Summer beach style.
What do you do for a living? I run Brisbane Fashion Month, among other things.
Who inspires you? I’m learning so much all the time about business so I’m always inspired by great business people.
What is your dream job? I always wanted to be a magazine editor and I got to do this on a small scale during my career as a journalist for 10 years and now my outlet is the Pocket Guide to Brisbane Fashion publication we release for BFM each year. I love stories, something tangible and on paper.
What is your Life Mantra? I live by the belief that everything happens for a reason. The most unexpected turns have led to the most amazing things in my life just because I’ve gone with the flow.
What is the best piece of life advice you’ve ever received? Swim in your own lane. It’s advice I give a lot as well. You can’t succeed if you’re only comparing yourself to what the next person is doing.
What is the toughest lesson you’ve had to learn and how do you deal with overcoming adversity in life and in business? It hasn’t stopped being tough. I’m still learning a lot about business every day as my business and as Brisbane Fashion Month grows. It’s hard, but at the end of the day, it is just business. I come home and walk in the door to my husband and three-year-old daughter and have to shake it off. They’ve taught me perspective.
What is the one piece of advice that you would give others looking to start a career in the fashion industry? Work hard and be kind. You can’t go wrong with that.
Models at Brisbane Fashion Month.
What exciting things can we expect from Brisbane Fashion Month this year and what event/s are you looking forward to the most? There’s just so much happening I’m excited to offer something for anyone interested in any aspect of the fashion industry. This weekend alone we have two pop-up stores running at Wintergarden and West Village, an illustration workshop with Lara Cresser on Sunday, our annual Business Workshop on Saturday which is great for networking and learning, and our new Treasury Brisbane Moet High Tea on Sunday afternoon with a stunning Brisbane designer fashion parade. Those events jointly sum up everything BFM is about.
In a few short sentences, can you share with us how you came to be involved in Brisbane Fashion Month? I worked on Brisbane Fashion Month as stylist for two years before buying the business at the start of 2018 and I’ve run the event for two years now. It’s been a steep learning curve but I’ve loved taking BFM to the next level with more events, and some exciting new partnerships. I also launched the Pocket Guide to Brisbane Fashion last year to focus on my passion for sharing the stories of local fashion creatives and offering customers more than just a runway snapshot to learn about their favourite brands. We’re going from strength to strength.
What do you love most about the Brisbane and Queensland fashion community? It’s small, in a way, but it’s growing, and I think we have a really supportive, engaged community that wants to see our local creatives thrive.
Brisbane Fashion Month castings.
What are the three things that you can’t live without? Family, coffee, sleep.
Describe your average work day. Long, at the moment. There is no such thing as work hours or weekends, it’s just all systems go all the time, finalising event details, running around collecting and delivering stock or display items for different things, keeping up with emails and ticketing and social media and everything else that’s going on. It’s hectic, but I love it.
Do you have a set morning routine? If so can you please describe it. My daugher wakes up around 5.15 at the moment so I’m up early with her and make sure we have some time together before starting our day. Breakfast, a shower and ten minutes to get ready before racing out the door.
In five words or less describe your beach/poolside style. Practical and usually in UNE PIECE x
Name the must have items that we would find in your beach bag. Sunscreen, water, towel, snacks and toys for my daughter – nothing too exciting!
Describe your ideal holiday. I like be busy, I’m not a great read a book on the beach for hours kind of person so for me the best holidays are full of new experiences.
Describe your personal beauty look. Low key and natural.
What are the beauty/skincare products that you can’t live without? I’m not overly loyal to many products but manicured brows and a good lipstick always make me feel polished.
What is the best piece of beauty advice you’ve ever received or discovered? Get enough sleep and drinks lots of water.
What fragrance instantly evokes summer, to you? A barbecue haha.
What are your favourite beach beauty products? It’s such a mum answer but a great sunscreen, lip balm and I’ll also be trying out La Beach this summer.
What do you think of the UNE PIECE brand and its vision to empower and build confidence in women? Fashion is about community, it unites us consciously and subconsciously and if we can all feel more confident and amazing at the beach then even better! I love seeing the way women embrace the UNE PIECE brand, its innovation and its values.