Where are they now? Chelsea Cambridge (2017)

Graduating from Pymble in 2017 feels like a long time ago now and so much has changed since then. Like many, my first year out of high school felt uncertain. After deferring a generic business degree and working several odd jobs, I chose to do something radical and live out my lifelong dream of moving to Paris. Working as an Au Pair for a French family, taking French classes and starting a Bachelor of Arts Degree online was an incredible experience. My year and a half in Paris from 2019-2020 was foundational and planted so many new dreams. Despite the complications of the pandemic, it was a time of immense growth and self-discovery.

Upon returning to Sydney, I finished my degree with a major in English Literature and minors in French and Spanish. Although I didn’t have a career path in mind, I knew that I loved reading, culture, fashion and I wanted to move back to France once day. Textiles and Design was my favourite subject at Pymble and in 2021, sewing became a hobby again. It is now one of my biggest sources of joy! I could see myself working in fashion, so it felt like a natural decision to give fashion school a go. I completed a Diploma of Fashion Design and Technology at a local community college and completed internships at Australian labels including Bianca Spender, Bec & Bridge, Manning Cartel and Sarah Lloyd. The most important thing I learnt from my experience in the fashion industry as a student was to build relationships and strengthen your interpersonal skills. No matter how good your technical skills are, you won’t go far without that. I wasn’t expecting sewing and fashion design to become such a big part of my life but now I can’t imagine life without them. Last year, I even got to make a wedding dress for a friend I went to school with which felt like a big accomplishment.

Pymble pushed me to work hard, reach my potential, and discover what I was capable of. It’s amazing to think that life has now lead me to Paris, working in fashion and speaking French. While I am still growing in my career and personal brand, I wish I could tell my younger self to have more fun, explore your passions, surround yourself with supportive people, and remember that the best is yet to come.

If you can take anything away from my story so far it’s to follow your passions and what brings you joy. I really struggled with French in high school. But the reason I’ve managed to become fluent was because I never gave up. Making progress in learning French and sewing has felt fun, not like a chore. That’s why I encourage you to pursue your interests because it is a natural motivator to work hard when you simply love what you do. That doesn’t mean there won’t be challenges, but it means that those obstacles will not deter you.

Also, be bold and meet people. Make friends with those in your industry who you can learn from. My boldness to reach out to my ‘weak ties’ and put myself out there is what’s allowed me to live out my dream. I even wrote in my year book that in 10 years (2027) I will be in Paris! So I think I will be here for a while longer…and there’s still so much I want to do.

Sometimes your trajectory won’t make sense in the moment but in retrospect you can see the bigger picture. No one’s path is linear but it’s just important that you just move in the right direction. As the saying goes, it’s easier to steer a moving car than a parked one. So dream big
and take action. You never know what doors will open.