Just checking in, posting from my jet lagged state. Need real sleep.

But alas, that’s the way things are – whenever I fly to Europe, I want to fall asleep at 3pm and whenever I land in Australia, I want to stay up all night and sleep all morning. So I thought I had combat the jet lag this time after two nights and BAM. Last night I unintentionally pull some kind of all nighter and have wasted away almost all my morning, waking up already stressed out because of the truck load of tasks on my list and not really enough time to achieve them in.

So this is one of those whining posts, boo hoo life is tough. Shitty because when you have these kind of days, it’s totally possible to just shift your frame of thinking and tackle all of it with a smile but we mere mortals do love to feel sorry for ourselves sometimes don’t we? Whatever. I need more coffee.

Things I should be focusing on instead of feeling sorry for myself.

• Gustav lands here on Saturday! I’m so happy to have here in Australia with me because I truthfully feel a little displaced without him.
• Fashion Week starts next week! We have an amazing list of designers showing this year and it’s going to be a load of fun to attend shows back on my ‘home turf.’
• Fashion Bloggers is filming all week which means I get to share the whole experience in a completely new way  with some of you.
• It’s so great to hang out with Sara, Nadia, Mandy and Kate!
• I can eat Xiao Long Bao from Din Tai Fung and Spicy Salt Balmain Bugs from Mr Wongs here in Sydney, two of my favourite dishes on the whole planet. Damn there’s good food here.
• I’m shooting some really fun projects and getting in front of the lens for some cool stuff too.
• Got loads of cool pieces to wear at Fashion Week. Much seventies!
• I made some epic fish tacos for Sara and I to have for lunch, tacos are my new forte.
• I’m (relatively) fit and healthy – and very lucky to be loved.

Wow! I kinda feel alot better even for writing that list. It’s like the sun peeking out from behind a cloud. Changing your mood is a kind of personal super power right?

“Be thankful for what you have; you’ll end up having more. If you concentrate on what you don’t have, you will never, ever have enough”
― Oprah Winfrey

Hope you’ve all had a wonderful week!

jeans, Citizens of Humanity

trench, Joseph

shirt, Equipment 

bag, Furla

heels, Zomp

The post Checking In: Life Update, Pre MBFWA appeared first on Zanita.

Hello! Excited to share with you all my latest video, documenting my travel from Sweden to Australia. I had a lucky surprise midway through my journey. My next video is going to be a Fashion Week Style Diary/Lookbook! Don’t forget to subscribe x

The post Video: 24 Hours In The Air appeared first on Zanita.

Here’s another outfit I snapped before I left Stockholm last week…

Glad I got this shot because I really haven’t had time over the last week to create anything new for the site. The past week has been filled with days filming for Fashion Bloggers and planning for Fashion Week, which starts tomorrow night with the Ellery show. I’ve working on loads of shoots, I’ve already got three really exciting ones ‘in the bag’ which can’t be released until the series airs. One of the reasons I don’t usually submit my photoshoots to print magazines is because I’m so damn impatient and can’t stand waiting to share. Thankfully Fashion Bloggers is actually due to start airing pretty soon – our editors and producers work so damn hard!

Anyway, my current status, I’m shacked up in a hotel room – it’s past midnight but don’t feel sleepy because I’m super excited about Gustav arriving in the morning. It’s terrible to be apart from one another and I feel like I’ve paid my dues with physical separation over long long distances (as long as it gets!!). I’ve ordered some room service and drinking tea, which is soooo luxurious. Not many things speak day-to-day indulgence as hotel room service! I had a ham and cheese jaffle. Fab.

So excited to share more of the coming week with you all, including loads of style video diaries. Just loving posting to Youtube so much these days – don’t miss my latest video!

Bag, Furla

coat, River Island

watch, Larsson & Jennings

pants, Carolina Herrera 

shoes, Senso

scarf, from Istanbul markets

The post Let’s Get Fashion Week! appeared first on Zanita.

Hello All!

Aussie Fashion Week is happening – and I’m sorry for not having had the chance to edit some content from the shows yesterday. I actually have a new camera – and spent half the day shooting on it before I realised I was snapping low resolution jpegs, which are, as far as I’m concerned – totally unusable. Won’t be making the same mistake today!

Gustav is here with me so we are assured to have loads of content from this point on, including great video content/diaries. Super excited about that! Honestly you guys, youtube and video content in general has made me so excited about sharing with you what I get up to. I guess I just believe that it’s my duty to share with all you the crazy lifestyle I’ve got because it’s thanks to you that I get to do it at all. I wanna share as much as possible!

I know some of you don’t wanna hear my excuses for not being able to post so regularly – I just gotta say I’m sorry! This week is a challenging one for timing, events right into the evening. It’s so exciting to be a part of fashion week in Australia over the years, I’ve gone from being totally thrilled with a couple invites and sitting in the back row – to really being a part of it, with backstage access and a great view of the collections. It’s such a dream! Today I’m excited to see Michael Lo Sordo, Alice McCall and Toni Maticevski.

Anyway, here’s another outfit from Stockholm – more from this week to come. Thanks for all for your patience! x

jacket, Vintage

shirt, Acne

jeans, J Brand

bag, Chloe

boots, And Other Stories

The post On Wearing White Jeans appeared first on Zanita.

Toni Maticevski makes me feel very proud to be part of the Australian Fashion Industry.

His show this past week totally blew me away, and to be honest – given his previous seasons – I had some pretty high expectations! It was really special to witness and I feel very lucky – I may have even shed a tear! There’s so much hard work that goes behind producing something like this show and not a inch of it was lost in the end result. Bravo Toni Maticevski and his wonderful team!

Hope you like my photographs of the show, fingers crossed I can borrow a few garments to shoot next week in an editorial for you guys.

Stay tuned! More fashion week content to come.

The post Toni Maticevski appeared first on Zanita.

It was such a delight to witness Michael Lo Sordo’s triumph of a show at MBFWA this season, quite a turn from his previous collection – yet there was still that ease of wear that Michael is so well known for.

Poetry in motion!

I’m going to try and score some of these looks this week to shoot some in an editorial for you all.

Huge congrats to Michael and his team for this wonderful collection. Doing Australian design proud!

Photos and edit by me.

The post Michael Lo Sordo appeared first on Zanita.

Frankly I don’t believe that any wardrobe can have TOO much denim. I’ll take it anyway it comes!

I can’t even remember what day I wore this look to MBFWA, this past week has been a blur. Today is catch up day – I want to get a whole load of work and posts done before I leave for Dallas on Thursday for RSCon. So excited about the conference! I expect to be invigorated about work and find new ways to create even better content f0r you all!  I’m also planning on doing another video diary for my journey to Dallas, would love to know what else y’all would like me to include.

The weather is due to be atrocious these next few days in Sydney. Perfect for productivity!

Sorry to be brief, gotta rush out and run errands,

(check out more of my FAVE denim pieces in my SHOP page!)

shirt dress, Shakuhachi

bag, Karen Walker for Benah

jeans, Citizens of Humanity

shoes, Senso

watch, Larsson and Jennings

Photos By Gustav Carlson

The post The Canadian Tuxedo: Redux appeared first on Zanita.

Boats in Dubrovnik, Croatia.

This is a little lazy of me – I actually published this post a couple years ago, but I wanted to revisit it because it’s actually one of my very favourites. I have quite a fascination with boats, particularly sail boats and yachts. While we staying in Dubrovnik I saw a 5 masted clipper ship – which turned out to be the Royal Clipper – and I nearly wet myself. It was magnificent.

Today Gustav and I are painting in our new apartment, building ikea furniture and unpacking boxes. So much to do!

Hope its ok to share this with you again, boats and my whacky editing.

Photography and editing by Me.

The post If I Had A Boat… appeared first on Zanita.

I think one of the great gifts my parents gave to me growing up was a love of travel. When I was a kid, we didn’t have much – but my folks were always sure to take my sister on trips all over the countryside, where we would stay with family and friends and get to know different towns, meet new people.

My parents always told me that travel made us wealthy – and they were so right.

You really don’t need loads of dough to have an enriching travel experience. Years ago I spent 6 weeks traveling through Japan, China, Hong Kong, Thailand – on a budget of around 40/50 dollars a night for accommodation – and it was one the best trips of my life.  The key is to be prepared and open minded. Here’s my tips for making the most of your next trip!

Pack Light.

It sounds obvious – and I’m notoriously terrible at following my own advice on this one, but I never regret calculated packing.

• Co-ordinate your clothes. Don’t take any single statement piece that only works when worn a particular way. It’s a really good idea to go with a particular theme of colour series, like white/navy/red/denim or neutral tones that compliment one another. It’s really helpful to be able to mix and match everything and this way, you can bring just one or two coats/jackets that match with everything.  I read somewhere once that Chloe Sevigny packs mostly white clothing when she goes on vacation. Solid advice.
• Don’t bother with heels. I say this because you can’t truly be a great explorer when you’re foot is at such an awkward angle, it’s not healthy. If you want to make the best out of your destination then comfort is key! The sad truth of heels, as wonderful and beautiful and ‘I need to have them’ as they are – they are really bad for your feet.
• On that note – make sure you pack comfortable clothes/shoes, but have just one option that works for the odd chance you go somewhere nice, like a restaurant or a club. I’ve been caught out on holidays being too casual and have ended up wearing dirty white plimsoles to a nice restaurant. Doesn’t matter that much really – but it would have felt more special to be a little neater!
• Roll everything up – and be aware of ‘creasy’ clothing. I wouldn’t recommend packing too many things that crease easily, its such a hassle and some places won’t have the option of an iron to tidy your clothes. Rolling your clothes up helps a bit with creases, but also allows you to move your items around your case and find them easily. It’s like fashion tetris.

Talk to the locals.

Seriously, wherever you get the chance to do so. Ask for tips from your cab driver, ask questions from people on the bus, stop people on the street if you have to! People who are local to the area know all the secrets about where to go and what to visit – and they can help your avoid tourist traps!

You could even make some new friends by being open to talking to people. Whilst I was in Osaka, my friends and I were wandering around looking for a bar to have a drink in, we asked a couple on the street and they invited us to follow them to a bar they were headed to. When we arrived it was this incredible little hole in the wall with wooden benches and walls, a bit like a sauna. It was apparently the birthday of the owner and my friends and I ended up right in the middle of the party, warmly welcomed by everyone but not understanding what on earth was going on. We had an amazing night ‘lost in translation’ style – drinking sake and attempting to sing along to Japanese songs we didn’t know.

You can’t get spontaneous experiences like that one without being ready to just walk up to people and starting conversations.

Be damn well researched.

While I’m quite the advocate of free-styling and being open minded when it comes to scheduling, I do believe its a mistake to arrive in a city without some understanding of the layout i.e. knowing which areas are good to stay in and what you’re in for, culturally.  A few pieces of knowledge you should have in your back pocket before you arrive.

• Culture, is there anything in particular you should be respecting – for example, in Japan there are plenty of places you shouldn’t be wearing shoes and in places like around the middle east, it’s disrespectful (and expect to be disrespected for it) to wear anything too revealing.
• Know which areas are good to stay in – and also which ones are bad! The goal should be to have good transport walking distance from your accommodations, or even better – be walking distance from the city centre and all the best sights.
• I would have a few good restaurants and cafes up your sleeve in case you get stuck to find places to eat, it can be tough to find places that are both good and reasonably priced. Check out more sites than just Trip Advisor which can lead you to some tourist trap style places. Eating great food can be a reason to travel in itself, so don’t skip this one out!
• Check the methods of getting to and from the airport and train stations – and whether just jumping in any cab is safe. Sometimes cab drivers will rip you off, which is the worse feeling! Even here in Stockholm, there’s a few cab companies that have decent fixed pricing and some independent drivers who’ll up to three times at much!! I feel sorry for the tourists who aren’t aware of the difference, some of those cabs can charge nearly 300 dollars to get to the airport…

Get outside.

The first thing you need to do when arriving in any city is acquaint yourself with your surrounds – and ground yourself after your journey. It’s amazing how you can really gauge the feel for a place by traipsing around on foot. I recently traveled to Belgrade for work and even though I only had small chances to walk around, doing so really helped me understand better the city life and the mood of the people. It’s all about getting intimate with your surroundings!

On that note – if you can ride a bike, it’s really the best way to soak up more of the urban environment and get around. Cycling gives you a particular kind of freedom – plus you can get a daily dose of exercise which is helpful for energy levels while travelling. Win Win.

Do the geeky stuff.

Take bus tours, visit museums and galleries and check out historical landmarks. Take loads of photos!

Plenty of cities have museums for free – like London. Visiting galleries in London is my idea of the perfect day out – my favourite is the Natural History Museum, the exhibits are so impressive. It’s actually a great undertaking if you’re solo because you can wander at your own pace and take in anything that interests you. Get lost in history and your own imagination… and then have a picnic in the park. So great!

Anyway, I know there’s probably loads more to include here – this is what I’ve got so far based on the context of my experiences. Wishing you all loads of fabulous memories from your next holiday x

Photos By Gustav Carlson

The post How To: Squeeze The Best Experiences Out Of Your Holiday appeared first on Zanita.

Well I truly haven’t had a bad hair day on this day – but I often do! I used to be a mad wearer of baseball caps, but it doesn’t really work with my style these days – which errs towards being a little more feminine.

And before I go on further! Yes I should have ironed my jeans… but unfortunately I just don’t care enough. #sorrynotsorry

So I shot this outfit this morning, right before I took off to the airport to head back to Australia (where I’m currently seated). I truthfully don’t want to go because Gustav and I are in the middle of unpacking and renovating (what a mess!) our new apartment. I’m excited to have a new area to shoot all my outfit posts in, isn’t this spot dreamy? For my, a good location is all about colour and graphics. Even the most surburban and unremarkable locations can be interesting for a photo.

I ‘m loving exploring our new suburb! And very much looking forward to sharing more on our home decoration endeavours.

This next week is filled with Australian fashion week preparations, filming for Fashion Bloggers and I whole load of events. Gustav arrives in Sydney on Friday and I’m super glad we don’t need to be apart for such long amounts of time. We are working together full time as of the end of April.

So excited to take the site into the next chapter!

Anyway, I need to board this plane. Look forward to sharing more over the next couple weeks!

bag, Furla

jacket, Once Was

jeans, 18th Amendment (similar)

belt, Rodebjer

hat, Helen Kaminski

boots, Senso

Photos by Gustav Carlson

The post A Hat to Save Your Bad Hair Day appeared first on Zanita.

Just checking in, posting from my jet lagged state. Need real sleep.

But alas, that’s the way things are – whenever I fly to Europe, I want to fall asleep at 3pm and whenever I land in Australia, I want to stay up all night and sleep all morning. So I thought I had combat the jet lag this time after two nights and BAM. Last night I unintentionally pull some kind of all nighter and have wasted away almost all my morning, waking up already stressed out because of the truck load of tasks on my list and not really enough time to achieve them in.

So this is one of those whining posts, boo hoo life is tough. Shitty because when you have these kind of days, it’s totally possible to just shift your frame of thinking and tackle all of it with a smile but we mere mortals do love to feel sorry for ourselves sometimes don’t we? Whatever. I need more coffee.

Things I should be focusing on instead of feeling sorry for myself.

• Gustav lands here on Saturday! I’m so happy to have here in Australia with me because I truthfully feel a little displaced without him.
• Fashion Week starts next week! We have an amazing list of designers showing this year and it’s going to be a load of fun to attend shows back on my ‘home turf.’
• Fashion Bloggers is filming all week which means I get to share the whole experience in a completely new way  with some of you.
• It’s so great to hang out with Sara, Nadia, Mandy and Kate!
• I can eat Xiao Long Bao from Din Tai Fung and Spicy Salt Balmain Bugs from Mr Wongs here in Sydney, two of my favourite dishes on the whole planet. Damn there’s good food here.
• I’m shooting some really fun projects and getting in front of the lens for some cool stuff too.
• Got loads of cool pieces to wear at Fashion Week. Much seventies!
• I made some epic fish tacos for Sara and I to have for lunch, tacos are my new forte.
• I’m (relatively) fit and healthy – and very lucky to be loved.

Wow! I kinda feel alot better even for writing that list. It’s like the sun peeking out from behind a cloud. Changing your mood is a kind of personal super power right?

“Be thankful for what you have; you’ll end up having more. If you concentrate on what you don’t have, you will never, ever have enough”
― Oprah Winfrey

Hope you’ve all had a wonderful week!

jeans, Citizens of Humanity

trench, Joseph

shirt, Equipment 

bag, Furla

heels, Zomp

The post Checking In: Life Update, Pre MBFWA appeared first on Zanita.

Hello! Excited to share with you all my latest video, documenting my travel from Sweden to Australia. I had a lucky surprise midway through my journey. My next video is going to be a Fashion Week Style Diary/Lookbook! Don’t forget to subscribe x

The post Video: 24 Hours In The Air appeared first on Zanita.

Here’s another outfit I snapped before I left Stockholm last week…

Glad I got this shot because I really haven’t had time over the last week to create anything new for the site. The past week has been filled with days filming for Fashion Bloggers and planning for Fashion Week, which starts tomorrow night with the Ellery show. I’ve working on loads of shoots, I’ve already got three really exciting ones ‘in the bag’ which can’t be released until the series airs. One of the reasons I don’t usually submit my photoshoots to print magazines is because I’m so damn impatient and can’t stand waiting to share. Thankfully Fashion Bloggers is actually due to start airing pretty soon – our editors and producers work so damn hard!

Anyway, my current status, I’m shacked up in a hotel room – it’s past midnight but don’t feel sleepy because I’m super excited about Gustav arriving in the morning. It’s terrible to be apart from one another and I feel like I’ve paid my dues with physical separation over long long distances (as long as it gets!!). I’ve ordered some room service and drinking tea, which is soooo luxurious. Not many things speak day-to-day indulgence as hotel room service! I had a ham and cheese jaffle. Fab.

So excited to share more of the coming week with you all, including loads of style video diaries. Just loving posting to Youtube so much these days – don’t miss my latest video!

Bag, Furla

coat, River Island

watch, Larsson & Jennings

pants, Carolina Herrera 

shoes, Senso

scarf, from Istanbul markets

The post Let’s Get Fashion Week! appeared first on Zanita.

Hello All!

Aussie Fashion Week is happening – and I’m sorry for not having had the chance to edit some content from the shows yesterday. I actually have a new camera – and spent half the day shooting on it before I realised I was snapping low resolution jpegs, which are, as far as I’m concerned – totally unusable. Won’t be making the same mistake today!

Gustav is here with me so we are assured to have loads of content from this point on, including great video content/diaries. Super excited about that! Honestly you guys, youtube and video content in general has made me so excited about sharing with you what I get up to. I guess I just believe that it’s my duty to share with all you the crazy lifestyle I’ve got because it’s thanks to you that I get to do it at all. I wanna share as much as possible!

I know some of you don’t wanna hear my excuses for not being able to post so regularly – I just gotta say I’m sorry! This week is a challenging one for timing, events right into the evening. It’s so exciting to be a part of fashion week in Australia over the years, I’ve gone from being totally thrilled with a couple invites and sitting in the back row – to really being a part of it, with backstage access and a great view of the collections. It’s such a dream! Today I’m excited to see Michael Lo Sordo, Alice McCall and Toni Maticevski.

Anyway, here’s another outfit from Stockholm – more from this week to come. Thanks for all for your patience! x

jacket, Vintage

shirt, Acne

jeans, J Brand

bag, Chloe

boots, And Other Stories

The post On Wearing White Jeans appeared first on Zanita.

In a world where we’re hyperaware of everyone’s accomplishments, it’s easy to look around you and immediately think success came easily for some and that money and connections are the two contributing factors to success.

I see this all the time as I read comments about successful fashion bloggers on WhoWhatWear and Fashionista, but if you look deeper, you’ll quickly realize that there are two key things that actually propelled those individuals to where they are today. With these things in mind, you too, can cultivate yourself, build good habits, and some day get there.

1. Passion.

Everything starts with Passion for it is the primary driver of initiative and energy. It’s important because successful people must have the energy to work relentlessly. You may not be smarter or more experienced than those around you, but surely, you can outwork them if you have the passion and drive. Plus, when all else fails, your passion will be the only thing that remains – is it enough to keep you going?

2. Resilience & Tenacity.

These two go hand in hand and you need them to succeed simply because they triumph when talent and skill do not. With failure being inevitable along the way, Resilience lets you bounce back and try again. Tenacity is what forces you try every option and analyze every outcome – it’s ultimately what makes “success” happen. Both are what will keep you from throwing up the white flag.

Success comes in both big and small waves, but before you make big things happen, you need to overcome the small. Recognizing your small wins and understanding the steps and setbacks you went through to get there allows you to visualize that it is the exact thing you need to do to be successful – just on a different scale. 

It drives me insane when people call me lucky because luck sounds like I sat on my bums while opportunity came knocking on the door. However, I can’t even count the number of hours I’ve spent learning something new or perfecting a skill, which all stemmed from a passion for wanting to do better and go further in life.

So the next time you’re questioning your ability and capacity, ask yourself, “Why did I start?” Then remind yourself of all the obstacles you had to overcome to get to where you are and just keep going. After all, I truly believe,

“I’ve failed over and over and over again in my life. And that is why I succeed.”

Blog Instagram Pinterest

Images credits: Vogue Australia/Studedhearts, Vogue Paris/Studedhearts and FashionGoneRogue

The post Two Things Successful People Have in Common appeared first on Zanita.

Toni Maticevski makes me feel very proud to be part of the Australian Fashion Industry.

His show this past week totally blew me away, and to be honest – given his previous seasons – I had some pretty high expectations! It was really special to witness and I feel very lucky – I may have even shed a tear! There’s so much hard work that goes behind producing something like this show and not a inch of it was lost in the end result. Bravo Toni Maticevski and his wonderful team!

Hope you like my photographs of the show, fingers crossed I can borrow a few garments to shoot next week in an editorial for you guys.

Stay tuned! More fashion week content to come.

The post Toni Maticevski appeared first on Zanita.

It was such a delight to witness Michael Lo Sordo’s triumph of a show at MBFWA this season, quite a turn from his previous collection – yet there was still that ease of wear that Michael is so well known for.

Poetry in motion!

I’m going to try and score some of these looks this week to shoot some in an editorial for you all.

Huge congrats to Michael and his team for this wonderful collection. Doing Australian design proud!

Photos and edit by me.

The post Michael Lo Sordo appeared first on Zanita.

Lack of motivation comes in all ways,

shapes, and forms especially when the to-do list seems to get longer and the days shorter. It also tends to find us at the most inopportune times. The crappiest part is that once it hits, everything starts trending downhill. So whether you’re targeting to hit a fitness goal, start that business, submit another job application, or just move on, here are a few tips on staying motivated:

- Just do it.

I find that the more I ponder a task, the less likely I am to do it. This mindset is especially helpful when it comes to fitness. I hate running and I’ve never been a runner, but once the shoes are on and I walk outside, I’m running. This applies to other aspects of life too so get your hands on the keyboard, start writing, or whatever it is you do to get started.

- Step away.

Although contrary to the point above, sometimes, clearing your mind from the current situation is just what you need. So go for a walk, promenade in the park, and enjoy the fresh air. A bit cliche, but true – especially if it involves the creative part of your brain. Even if it means stepping away for a week, do it.

- Hang with the like-minded.

People are more influenced subconsciously than they are consciously. Therefore, your thoughts and actions are swayed by the people you’re around more than you think. This is why it’s so important to surround yourself with people who are motivated, the doers & dreamers – they’ll inspire you to keep doing your thing.

- Think about how far you’ve come.

The chances of you pouring a lot of effort into a certain goal are pretty high if you’re still working on it (and even if you just started – the thought process involved is just as relevant). No one wants to trash work filled with heart and effort so the next time you start that negative self-talk, reflect on what you’ve done. Two years ago, I made a commitment to run even though I hate running with a passion. I was a lucky cat if I even got a mile in under 12 minutes, but several months later, I clocked a few runs in at under 8 minutes. However, I suddenly stopped because the demands of my job. I eventually got to a point where I realized all my gains were being wasted out of being unmotivated because I was too tired, too busy (all kinds excuses). It was then that I also knew how much more important it is to continue since I put so much effort into getting to here.

- Try a new approach.

If you’re finding yourself constantly tired of doing something despite it being incredibly important to you, perhaps the problem lies in how you’re doing it. This is a sign that you should re-evaluate what you’re doing and maybe change it up. The mind can be lazy so make sure you’re constantly challenging yourself.

Remember that everything you do starts in your mind so foster it appropriately.

Anytime I’m feeling the slightest desire to sit back down when it’s time to get things done, one of these points never fail to put things back into perspective and get me moving again. I’d love to hear some of the things that keep you going.

Susan Hang – Blog Instagram Pinterest

Images credits: Vogue France, The Fashion Spot and Vogue

The post Staying Motivated When You’re Not appeared first on Zanita.

Frankly I don’t believe that any wardrobe can have TOO much denim. I’ll take it anyway it comes!

I can’t even remember what day I wore this look to MBFWA, this past week has been a blur. Today is catch up day – I want to get a whole load of work and posts done before I leave for Dallas on Thursday for RSCon. So excited about the conference! I expect to be invigorated about work and find new ways to create even better content f0r you all!  I’m also planning on doing another video diary for my journey to Dallas, would love to know what else y’all would like me to include.

The weather is due to be atrocious these next few days in Sydney. Perfect for productivity!

Sorry to be brief, gotta rush out and run errands,

(check out more of my FAVE denim pieces in my SHOP page!)

shirt dress, Shakuhachi

bag, Karen Walker for Benah

jeans, Citizens of Humanity

shoes, Senso

watch, Larsson and Jennings

Photos By Gustav Carlson

The post The Canadian Tuxedo: Redux appeared first on Zanita.

There’s dozens of areas in life where making a good and lasting first impression can set you on a good path with new connections. It can even help you make new friends easily! I’ve learnt alot about making good first impressions over the years because of my experience as a model, attending up to 30-40 castings a week, often only getting 2-3 minutes to get your energy across to someone. For me, it was really a learning process – and I’ve touched upon it in my blogposts in the past just discussing confidences and the importance of being true to yourself.

Rock the energy.

This is pretty much the beginning and end of making a good impression – because if you master this, then all the other aspects just sort of fall into place. Sometimes I would have to attend castings when I was having a bad day and just generally feeling flat. On these days I would always take a moment outside the door, repeat a few positive affirmations in my head and if I was feeling really shitty, maybe clench all my muscles or run on the spot. Next I would bound into the room and give my best  “Hello how are you? I’m Zanita!” grinning like a bit of a fool. 9 times out of 10, I would get a smile and some good energy back – and then we could bounce off each other from there. I used to think talking about ‘energy’ was a little bohemian but it’s definitely something to consider when making connections. You bring the good vibes and you’re likely to get them right back.

Prepare some facts about yourself and some questions.

It’s can be just so awkward when you don’t know what to say. If you’re meeting someone new, have a few thoughtful questions in the bank – and some interesting facts about yourself ready – so you don’t end up discussing the weather or the traffic. Because I was modelling, I used to have a funny story about how I was related to Princess Anastasia and my family escaped Russia and I was named after a long lost royal relative… which got incredulous looks and a “Really?!?!” to which I would reply -‘Actually… No’ and segue into my ‘salt of the earth’ farming up bringing. It’s very cheesy to have an almost scripted story prepared, but for me it worked because I always got some laughs at the end and a more lasting impression. It was lucky I was meeting new people every week to tell my story to! I would take any chance I could to chat and find a common denominator because that’s the best way to get people to remember you. Seek that thing you have in common so you can have a thoughtful discussion – there’s always one! Some good questions.

What motivates you to work hard?

If you could choose to do anything for a day, what would it be?

What’s your favourite outdoor activity?

If you could choose anyone alive or dead as your mentor, who would it be?

If you only have to listen to one album for the rest of your life, what would it be?

What do you miss most about being a kid?

What is your dream holiday destination?

What is the nicest thing someone could say about you?

You kinda need to segue before asking a totally random question so it helps have a bit of  an understanding of what your subjects are into… And then obviously if you’re applying these tips to a job interview – you really need to be prepared to ask questions about your future role! Being researched is key – knowledge gives you confidence.

 Know your body Language.

Your body language so often can speak more truthfully than your words, so be aware of how you present yourself. A confident stance can suggest you’re more enthusiastic about being introduced to someone, while slouching can suggest low energy levels and low self esteem. People like feel important so if your body language is directed towards the person your speaking to it can suggest you value their time. Folding your arms, putting your hands in your pockets, fiddling with your hands or phone are all no no’s – it suggests discomfort and disinterest.

Make eye contact.

Making eye contact suggests you’re on the level and comfortable with the person you’re speaking to. I find this one particularly challenging because I often overthink it and start to feel like i’m challenging someone to a staring contest, or start to feel intimidated… Practise makes perfect! I think being aware is really just the start and it starts to become more natural with time.

Be an active listener.

Being a great listener is an awesome way of complimenting someone without saying a word. Make sure you (at least) seem engaged in conversation by being focus on your subject entirely and making gestures of agreement – but be sincere!

Absolute sincerity!

The number one rule of making a great first impression is – always be genuine. While there’s all these tools you can use to endear people to you, if you’re executing them forcefully or unnaturally then it’s easy to detect something is off! Never under estimate the power of instinct. If you’re not being sincere then people can read it – and even if you think they can’t, it’s better be honest and comfortable with the message you’re getting across. Just be yourself! People are drawn to those who are comfortable in their own skin. Be confident that being yourself is always the right way. I used to think I had to make myself seem a little more ‘fancy’ than I truly was at castings because I thought that was what people were looking for – when I learn to relax and be my more genuine self (a little bit silly, very casual, always making jokes) then people responded to me so much better.

I hope you enjoyed this post! Learning to be confident and understanding how to make a good first impression when meeting new people has been a great help in my life and career – so I’ve loved sharing what I’ve learnt with you all. Would love to know about anything else you’d like me to write about!

Zanita x

The post How to Make A Killer First Impression appeared first on Zanita.