Eclecticism

How did you end up in your line of work?
I’m currently a user experience (UX) designer, but I actually studied Fine Art—I studied it all throughout school, initially wanting to be a web designer. I stuck to art because I wanted to do something I was good at—I was bad in STEM (laughs). After university, I did advertising for a few years but I found it quite repetitive and dry. When I heard about UX design, it was intriguing to me because it taps into your psychology to better products and interfaces.

As a kid, what did you dream of becoming?
There were a lot of things I wanted to be: flight attendant, ballerina, singer, dancer…the list goes on. I did want to be a fashion designer for a while, but I didn’t like how the business was run. I even went on to study fashion in university. Eventually, I also didn’t like the prospect of running a business, so I decided to work for people instead of working for myself (laughs).

How would you describe your sense of fashion?
I like to be unique: when you work in the CBD, you tend to shop from blogshops or fast fashion chains and there are times when you’ll see the lady in front of you in the queue wearing the exact same outfit. So I started buying from up-and-coming indie fashion and jewellery labels, and made a conscious effort to support local and regional fashion designers. Right now, I’m inspired by Japanese and Korean street fashion, experimenting with unusual silhouettes, and clashing colours or prints. I revel in standing out like a sore thumb in my office—it brings me subtle joy to be noticed for my eclectic sense of style.

What inspires you?
I’m inspired by the moment. I can’t say that I’m like those artists or designers who are focused on their muses. I fleet from muse to muse. A bush by the side of the road with half-bloomed flowers can capture my attention as much as a glass building shrouded in the glow of a setting sun. I do photograph these, and now I’m inspired to add these moments of inspiration to my Instagram! It all comes back full circle!

This cerebral shift happened to me after my dad passed suddenly a few years ago. I realised the disappointment in the futility of well-laid plans, and decided to become more of a YOLO-type of person living in the moment, hence becoming inspired by the moment. I started caring less about how people judged me, or what society expected of me. I started exploring places—going alone if no one else was interested in sharing my journey. I’ve done some soul-fulfilling solo travels so far.