Interview
During lunch, a young smiley thing nervously approaches Stevie and proclaims herself a fan, claiming she wants to work for her. Stevie offers her cellphone number (“Just text me!”) and email, then gives her a big hug. This small but defining display speaks of Stevie’s spirit: open to all who come her way. A free and easy something floats around her, but beneath the zen, the girl means business. Stevie is the Creative Director at Shop Ghost, Fashion Director for Pop Magazine, and has styled the likes of Sky Ferreira, Naomi Watts & Christina Ricci. For someone who’s come this far, the only thing on Stevie’s to-do list is to feel good— and to make sure everyone around her feels the same.
“I don’t know if there’s a term for what I do, or how I consider myself exactly. I studied journalism and cinematography, and started out as a writer. I never planned to get into fashion, I kind of fell into it for lack of a better term. I guess I’ve just used it as a way to express myself. Shop Ghost has this ambiguous framework—it’s been a way for me to broaden my platform in that it’s not just about my work, it’s also about the method behind it. People can get an idea of my aesthetic and what I’m about, so it’s a good branding tool in that sense.
It would be nice to consider myself a novelist, but that hasn’t happened yet! I’d love to write something based on observations of my environment—less instructional, more experience driven. I’m not science based, I’m very much about intuition and feeling. I’m not as interested in whether something is scientifically proven.
If it feels good, that’s enough of a driving force for me.
I don’t know how well a book would go down, it would probably pose too many questions instead of answers. There’s never only one answer either—what works for one does not always work for another. I think it’s more about the dialogue.
When it comes to my environment and what I consider home, I don’t really feel at home anywhere… except for maybe the ocean. I never get homesick, which sometimes makes me feel guilty—that I lack that kind of connection with Australia. But I was raised to think of home as who you’re with, and we moved a gazillion times when I was younger. I had a very transient existence where there was no importance placed on family household.
Most Australians living here assume they will eventually go home. It’s that island mentality we have of leaving, exploring, returning. But I don’t know if I’ll go back. If I’m lucky enough to have kids I’ll be happy raising them anywhere, but I’m not worried about that stuff. I love living in New York City—I like America a lot. I feel really comfortable here figuring shit out. I love the infinite possibilities and opportunity and no fixed conclusion.
I’m really big on a sense of community and having fun, never making anyone feel like the door isn’t open. I like every door to be open for everyone. Creativity, having conversations with those who inspire you, sleeping well, the sea. Those are all important things to me. I just want to feel good, and make sure that people around me feel good. I like to operate in a way that encourages that behavior or existence with whoever I’m in touch with, whether it’s my bodega guy, my mum or dad, or who I’m madly in love with.
I don’t think about success—I don’t really know what success is. That word in and of itself means that at some point you’ll feel unsuccessful, and I think the key is just to feel good all the time, and do whatever you can to make that your reality.”
