On Play, Personal Style and Learning From Clients

Sent by SVED on June 19 2026

The Update

The last month

The last month has been jam packed with wardrobes from Templestowe to Geelong. I’ve been writing lots and learning even more.

Back in April I styled Kate Miller‑Heidke on set for her film clip HOLIDAY. It launched last week and you can check out the clip and behind the scenes pics here. Expect to have a brand new way of getting your near and dear to the beach after hearing it.

It’s also been one of those beautifully strange periods where clients, conversations and themes all start overlapping. I often wish I could get all of my very clever clients into a room together. You would love each other!

I learn so much from every single client, and one word that keeps showing up in my sessions is play.

This one word has become one of the most unexpectedly powerful words in my work (and life), so it’s getting its moment in the sun below.

Also, a heads-up that July is nearly fully booked!

This Insight

On Play

I'm no expert on play, but one of my clients is, and doing her wardrobe changed my approach to sessions.

Trudi Boatwright is a global leader and advocate for play. She brings play into places you would never expect: boardrooms, prisons, hospitals and giant conferences. In a couple of weeks, she's running a workshop on dementia and play for carers at Arts Centre Melbourne.

I started using the word in sessions.

"Let's have a play."

"Let's play with some options."

"Have a play with it."

Clients who felt stuck, buying the same things over and over again, overthinking every choice or terrified of making a mistake suddenly loosened their grip. They started experimenting…. They even had fun!

Play lowers the stakes in a way I wasn't expecting. I understood Trudi's passion for play in theory, but once I started using it in practice, I realised that even the word itself creates permission to experiment without consequence. To be curious. To kiss a few frogs along the way.

It gives clients room to play, but it gives me room to play too, which always leads to better outcomes. We can experiment, stretch and try things on. And when we nail it, we really nail it.

Thank you to Trudi for flying the flag for play, and to each and every one of you I’ve had the pleasure of playing with.

P.S. One of my favourite places to send clients to play is the op shop. It's low-stakes experimentation at its finest.

Do you use "play"?

Trudi’s session is on 20 & 27 June at the Arts Centre →

The Offer

Professional Development

Planning your professional development for the new financial year, or hoping to squeeze a few more dollar-bucks out of this one?

If your role involves leadership, presenting, client work, media, public speaking or professional visibility, your wardrobe is already influencing how you show up every day.

A SVED session combines styling, coaching and strategy to help you build a wardrobe that supports your goals, strengthens your presence and aligns with your values.

We know that what we wear influences confidence, performance, perception and behaviour. Research shows it can also improve how effectively we work.

If you're wondering whether you can access professional development funding through your employer, or whether working with SVED may be relevant to your tax circumstances, book a free 15-minute chat or simply reply to this email.

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Photo by: Cybelle Jones Photography