Over the years, I’ve had many websites with many different names. However, my absolute favourite one is this one: The Lady-like Leopard blog. While my other blogs lasted a few months, a few weeks—hell, maybe even a few days—this one has been the fierce constant in my life. And it all started when I decided that I officially wanted to become a journalist.
My previous, amateur blogs were… well, to be honest, they’re not even worth remembering. And even The Lady-like Leopard had a rough start. I’ve changed up the template a million times, switched my logo, spent time writing posts about things I don’t care about. You name it, I’ve probably done it. But now that I’ve gotten all of that out of my system, I’m left with something that I truly and madly love.
The Lady-like Leopard blog began out of necessity, but in the most glamorous way.
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One of my assignments while studying journalism was to create a blog. The idea was to get us writing every single day about whatever we wanted, just as long as we were writing. Of course, I knew I wanted mine to be about fashion. But that was the easy part. The next step was creating the actual blog itself—a name, an aesthetic, a logo, an attitude.
So, while going to university, I was also soaking up as many internships as I could find. (I did five in total. I wanted to truly find what part of the industry I was passionate about.) At the time that the blog assignment came up, I was interning for a “designer for less” online shop who snagged an invite to Sydney Fashion Week. I have a whole different story about that but I think I’ll save it for a blog post of its own. Long story short, I went to fashion week with my cousin, Chérie.
In between shows, we grabbed a glass of bubbly and went outside to enjoy the night—and brainstorm blog ideas. I find that coming up with the right name is always the hardest part. (Don’t you?) After contemplating everything I love, my favourite style icons, and the vibe I wanted to capture, we settled on “The Lady-like Leopard.” First, there are two parts to the name because I’m a Gemini and have two sides—duh. And second, my two sides are very different from each other.
While one is more reserved, classy and elegant, the other is fierce, fearless and ferociously goes after what it wants.
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The “lady-like” part came from my love of super sweet icon Audrey Hepburn and the “leopard” stems from my complete obsession with leopard prints and my fiery individuality. And there we have it folks! We clinked our flutes and secured a name. From 2013 until now, I’ve stuck with this blog and loved every minute of it. Well, maybe not every minute, but it’s definitely been a wild ride.
Here is an excerpt from my first blog post ever on The Lady-like Leopard:
“What better way to start a new blog than to begin with a post about Australia’s biggest fashion event: Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week. I was lucky enough to volunteer with fittings last week for designers Gypsea and Skye & Staghorn. And last night my cousin, Chérie, and I spent time with make-up artists, photographers, and models backstage at Shakuhachi. What an amazing evening!
I’ve always loved the back of house a little bit more than the front. That’s where the magic really happens. It’s fabulous to go to shows and watch the models, but there isn’t anything quite like the frenzy that goes on behind the scenes in order to create such a flawless runway.
After all, I’ve managed and helped produce a few fashion shows myself, and let me tell you, there is nothing better than seeing something you’ve worked tremendously on for months come to an end with minimal mistakes and perhaps a standing ovation from the crowd. It’s the best high, ever. Honestly. Try it out.”
Six years ago, it all started over a glass of champagne, in fabulous outfits and bubbly brainstorming—and I hope that one day it’ll end that way too. 𝓢𝓽𝓪𝔂 𝓯𝓲𝓮𝓻𝓬𝓮!
All “The Lady-like Leopard Blog” photos by Evangeline Davis.