I am excited to announce I have a new job!

Meet the new PR Manager for the Mercedes-Benz Fashion Festival Brisbane, a fantastic showcasing of emerging, local, state, national and international design talent.

I am thrilled to have a fabulous, new venture to focus on for a few months, and it means for me that I can legitimately grab more take-aways for dinner and insist that my husband has a crack at the grocery shopping again.

For the kids, they’ll think that it means their indiscretions, such as not ironing their school uniforms or spending more time on Facebook, will fly under the radar.

Regardless of how many pocket-money deductions there may or may not be, or whether  Indian or Thai curries will rule, it’s going to be an even busier few months and that doesn’t unnerve me.

Not at all, I love working and I thrive on being busy, but…

There is just one small, niggling hesitation.

I have no qualms about doing a great job and I am confident in my professional abilities.

I have been a single mum and at the same time a fulltime television current affairs reporter and producer, so rejoining the circus and juggling a lot of roles doesn’t faze me.

I am experienced at deadlines, enjoy the adrenalin rush of pressure and the social-side of networking.

Interviewing Lauren Jackson at the 2008 Beijing Olympics

So why the pause you may ponder?

It’s just that I am a little bit frightened of fashion.

Don’t get me wrong, I think I scrub up okay when I go out,  and I do love shopping.

I have favourite designers and I am excited that some of those will be on the catwalk at this year’s festival. (Of course you’ll have to wait for those exciting announcements)

But long time friends and close family will attest to some horrendous fashion choices over the years.

In my defence it was often because I wasn’t trying or alternatively because I was trying too hard.

More likely it was because I just didn’t want to look like I was trying to fit in. Or maybe I was just trying to stand-out.

(I think I’ve covered all defenses)

My mother would tell you of my insistence on wearing a beanie to school everyday, because I thought I looked cool.

In summer.

She would probably also point out that same dedication to fashion when I would pull on King-Gee ruggers under my uniform skirt.

Like a super model at the end of the runway revealing what’s under the coat, I would rip off the skirt to show off my shorts, once I hit the school gates. Very chic.

Friends from primary school and early high school days still tease me to this day, about wearing my hair in two high pigtails and reminding them of the animal that ‘bleeped’ from the ‘Josie and the Pussycats’ cartoon.

I was just being animated to make a statement.

I also refused to shave my legs, until finally the pain of ripping strapping tape off hairy ankles, became greater than my desire to non-conform.

I have ticked all the 80’s fashion faux-pas boxes, but I’m not alone.

Shoulder pads, fluoro, permed hair, bubble socks with leotards, huge earrings, layered skirts, glitter. Hey aren’t some of those back in?

The fake fur vest

My girls mock my attempts at staying modern.

In my closet and never worn are;  fur vests, crotched cardigans, high-waisted skirts, mini-skirts with big silver buckles and stilettos with hot pink flower buckles.

Highlights were the green carpet dress and the turquoise snake skin pumps.

The 2 youngest girls modeling the disliked carpet dress, and other outfits.

They have been removed and I sincerely apologise and regret the pain these outfits caused my children.

So now I have settled, I believe admirably,  into my comfortable clothing skin and opt for the safety of designer jeans, white crisp shirts, wedges or Lu Lu Lemon training gear, as seen on mannequins, and running shoes.

I still like to follow fashion trends-  from afar.

Keep up to date- buying the latest magazines

And sometimes I wear the most up-to-the-moment in fashion-  if I can borrow from someone else.

In fact these days, whenever I try to step out of my clothing zone and wear something that is ultra-now,  I feel like a fraud and that everyone knows I am.

There definitely are people, like my daughter, who can shop in retro stores and rock a vintage outfit.

I know women who can style a potato sack and instinctively know the exact angle to put on a beret so it doesn’t look plonked.

Thankfully those people have filled the other positions required to stage a staggeringly successful Fashion Festival.

I just have to do my job well and that is something that never goes out of style.