Harnessing the life-changing potential of fashion

Emelia Morris was never the type of teenager to spend her time pouring over the pages of a Vogue magazine filled with high-end fashion.
But a love of clothing and innate sense of how to bring an outfit together was something that always came naturally.
Friends and family would often ask for advice and two years ago Emelia, who works in a government role, decided it was time to explore her natural flair for fashion.
“I’ve always loved creating looks and I was often asked for advice from family and friends on how to put looks together,” Emelia, 34, says.
“I thought ‘hey, there’s something in this, I actually like helping people to feel good and look confident’ and that’s when I started my studies.”
Fast forward to 2020 and the Geelong stylist’s work has just been beamed into the homes of almost two million viewers who tuned into the finale of The Block.
Emelia dressed two couples – Luke and Jasmine and George and Sarah – for the final three episodes of the hit renovation TV show.
“They were fantastic and being able to feature my styling work to 1.79 million people was definitely a highlight for me,” she says.
“People who go on shows like The Block are just everyday people like us so it was really easy to connect with them.
“They actually had a strong idea of how they wanted to look which made my job really easy.
“It was great exposure and the guys all looked really great so I was extremely happy.”
Emelia got the opportunity after assisting on a styling job for Woman’s Day magazine earlier this year.
She has also worked with talent on The Bachelorette and Married At First Sight, assisted with Brownlow styling and recently took on the creative direction of a fashion shoot with Indigenous healer and social media influencer Allira Potter, which featured on Vogue online.
Emelia, who describes her own personal style as classic and feminine, is presently combining her day job with her styling work which means life is incredibly busy but rewarding.

“My main passion is helping everyday people like myself – that’s why I do it,” she says.
“Styling, I’d say, is so much more than a label on a piece of clothing – it can be lifechanging.
“Clothes are your identity. They are the first thing you put on in the day and the last thing you take off.
“They are your armour and a way of communicating without having to speak.
“If you are not feeling that, it can leave you feeling overwhelmed or frustrated and saying no to opportunities.”
Emelia says dressing for yourself should be fun and stress-free and she adores helping men and women uncover their best style.
The services she offers include the wardrobe edit, guided shopping experience, style makeover and event styling.
She says styling consultations take into consideration personal style, challenges, colour, budget and lifestyle.
“We discuss lots of different things to work out what it is you actually want from a styling session,” she explains.
“Sometimes your clothes aren’t fitting into your lifestyle and then you end up being in a style rut.”
This year Emelia introduced virtual styling to her repertoire which enabled her to reach a wider audience.
“A lot of my followers on Instagram and Facebook don’t necessarily live in Geelong so I would often get asked to help people with my styling services outside Geelong and I had no way of doing that,” she says.
“COVID gave me the time to strategise about how I would actually do that so I now offer personalise shopping session via online.”
Emelia says she has been fortunate to receive amazing support from the Greater Geelong community, including people within the industry locally such as Own Kind owner Nick Austin who gave her a foot in the door as a stylist, as well as fellow fashion stylist Deni Todorovic who has been an empowering mentor.
She also credits her hubby, Adam, with being an unwavering support.
“He has really been my rock and supported me through all this juggling of two jobs, keeping the house going and encouraging me to keep going and back myself.”
Although life is hectic, Emelia makes time to be with family and go on walks with her beloved dog, a miniature blue heeler named Ziek.
2021 is already looking bright for the talented creative and, while she is remaining tight-lipped for now, there are some wonderful new opportunities in store.
“Looking ahead it’s definitely about growing my business and being more accessible everywhere,” she says.
“There are some exciting things in the pipeline.”
Follow Emelia Morris on Instagram @emeliamorrisstylist and head to emeilamorrisstylist.com for information on booking a styling session.