GET TO KNOW OUR STYLEFAST AMBASSADOR: @KATY_POTATY

TELL US A LITTLE ABOUT YOURSELF

I'm a very proud QLD gal, having grown up on the Sunshine Coast. I have lived in New Zealand and the Solomon Islands, and spent time in Brisbane and Hervey Bay too. Although the Coast has always been home to me, and I am now back living in the cute hinterland town that I was born in. I recently turned 40, and the only downside I can see so far is that I haven't been able to jet off to Hawaii and France for the epic 40th parties I have been planning since I was 15! I work full time in a small school for young people disengaged from mainstream school, and it's both rewarding and harrowing, and I love it.

WHAT GOT YOU INTO BLOGGING ABOUT FASHION?

I had a small cupcake business years ago in Brisbane, and part of my first website had a little blog page where I shared everything from new recipes to the fun stuff I was doing on the weekend. I'm a pretty opinionated person and I've always enjoyed writing, so when I closed down my business (I luckily got out just before the cupcake boom crashed, haha!), I kept the blog page going and kept sharing.

WHO IS YOUR FASHION ICON?

I don't have a celebrity fashion icon, truly. While I love a good flick through a glossy fashion magazine, I have always much preferred taking inspo from non-celebrity women and how they put things together in their unique ways... mainly my close friends! I'm glad that a bunch of my closest real-life friends are actual Instagram influencers, because I am CONSTANTLY asking them about their outfits and love styling stuff that they wear in my own way. Check out #thefashionablefour on Insta to see what I mean... I'm lucky to have such fun and stylish friends!

WHAT ARE YOUR TOP THREE WARDROBE ESSENTIALS?

Oh, this is easy! An AMAZING white linen shirt (the Eden from Stylefast is great), a denim jacket because I refuse to give up on my Summery outfits on cooler days, and a staple pair of sunnies that you are known for. I've been wearing tortoiseshell Rayban Clubmaster Sunnies for about three years now, and that was after seven years of wearing Rayban Aviators. Find something you love and stick with it, they'll pull you together on days you aren't quite 'feeling it'.

HOW DO YOU DETERMINE WHAT BRANDS YOU WORK WITH?

Another easy question! For me, as I work full-time away in an environment very removed from fashion, I love working with brands that feel like friends. I don't want my social media work to ever feel like work-work, and so far, it never has! I choose to work with mainly female-run businesses, and ideally they have the same sense of colour and fun as me. I also am passionate about customer service, so I only work with businesses like Stylefast who go the extra mile and wrap their parcels beautifully, and are engaging on social media.

HOW MUCH TIME GOES INTO BRAND COLLABORATION AND POSTING PHOTOS AND STORIES? WHAT IS THE PROCESS? 

As I've said, social media is a part-time gig for me, and I try to limit how much 'work' goes into it. I'm fortunate to have a bestie doing the same thing (check out Peta at @traineemama - I love her so very much) and we generally take each other's outfit pics once or twice a week (or as often as we get the chance to hang out). We don't batch photo shoot, it's pretty much a 'snap what we're wearing' situation, and we both love to keep it very real on social media... what you see is what you get! We shoot pics around 7.00am after she drops her kids at school and before we head off to work, then a quick edit (no filtering or photoshop, just a brighten if it was a darker morning), then post that day. Simple! I also just capture a lot of my day on stories, and the clothes that I'm wearing are a natural extension of that, so you'll see a lot of my daily outfits there too.

WHAT INSPIRES YOUR FASHION STYLE AND OUTFITS?

Always my mood and the weather first! If it's cold or rainy, I wear colour to brighten my day (and the day of those around me), or if it's a Summery warm day, I wear colour and print to reflect how much I love that kind of weather. I'm also big on comfort - I won't wear something uncomfortable just because it's in fashion.

TALK US THROUGH YOUR TOP 3 STYLING TIPS, ESPECIALLY AS WE HEAD INTO SPRING.

This is a bit tricky, I'm not a stylist and I certainly don't subscribe to any of the classic fashion rules - so my biggest tip is that if you love it, wear it! Also, as we head into Spring, wear more colour near your face, it'll make others smile at you, and you'll smile back. Don't forget to get a pedicure as the weather gets warmer as well, and choose a bold bright colour, it'll pick you up immediately!

ANY TIPS ON TAKING AN OUTFIT FROM DAY TO NIGHT?

Let me repeat... denim jacket. It's honestly the easiest layer ever, and I have a couple of different denim jackets that literally live in my car for this exact reason. My bright pink one is a fave to spice up an outfit. Oh, and don't forget a statement earring (I wear them for daytime too, but not everyone does) and a coloured lip. Instant glam for minimal effort!  

MOST EXCITING MOMENT SINCE BEING A FASHION BLOGGER?

I'm so fortunate to have worked with some of my very favourite brands on great campaigns, but a highlight would definitely be filming a TV commercial alongside my best friend for a Spring/Summer fashion campaign for a major shopping centre. That was so much fun, especially to do it with Peta!