REY VAKILI

It sounds cliché but growing up, I was truly taught to believe that the world is my oyster. I grew up believing (and still do) that anything is possible if you work hard enough, apply yourself and keep an open mind. The open-mind part is important because sometimes opportunities present themselves to you at the most unexpected moments in your life and you have to be prepared to seize them.

I was fortunate that my parents gave me the security of a loving home and unwavering support. They trusted my judgement and my decisions, and this gave me the confidence I needed to always push beyond my comfort zone, seeking opportunities that took me all around the world.

One of my favourite nuggets of wisdom from my mum is this: “don’t try to be the most beautiful person in the room because there will always be someone more beautiful than you.” Harsh but true. “Try to be the most interesting person.” This philosophy has guided me through my life and is something I aspire to achieve every day. I am constantly seeking opportunities and experiences that help me learn more and become the best, most interesting version of myself.  

It was a bit like fashion bootcamp 101 and the best introduction to the workplace a girl could ask for. Like any job in fashion, it was emotionally and physically taxing and it required a lot of personal sacrifice in order to excel. In Anna’s office, “no” was never an answer. As a result, I missed countless dinners with friends and family holidays, not to mention my own birthday party because of last minute work requests. It sounds intense, and it was, but it was an experience I’m eternally grateful for. In a never-say-no environment, you learn to be creative and resourceful. You develop grit and a problem-solving mindset. That mindset has served me in everything I have done since leaving Vogue.

Aside from helping me develop a stellar work ethic, Vogue gave me the chance to experience fashion through the eyes of arguably the most influential person in it. The access I had was next to none and it was essentially an introductory crash course to the industry. I got to see every side of the business, working closely with young designers, PR professionals, journalists, event planners, and business owners. During my time at Vogue, I learnt that the thing I love most about fashion is that there is always something new around the corner.  Whether it’s a new season, trend, silhouette, it-designer or technology, it is constantly evolving. You never get bored as the work is always changing and different.  It was a demanding environment but also very nurturing of young talent.

I think about this a lot actually. I think the thing that struck me most about highly successful people is the respect they afford others. This was reflected in common traits like punctuality, responsiveness to emails and calls, attention to detail, thank you notes and generally just being helpful when asked. Kim probably surprised me the most, I think a lot of people think she has been lucky, but meeting her, you learn that she is incredibly professional, hard-working and whip smart. Anna was definitely the most inspiring.

At its core, LTK allows consumers to shop all their favourite looks from their favourite influencers. It makes fashion accessible and allows creators to connect with their audiences in new and more meaningful ways by offering them the unique ability to share their outfits and style on their own personalised shopfront or LTK Shop.

At LTK we believe that content creators are the storefronts of the future. They bring a whole new level of personalisation to the retail experience. You follow a creator because you like their style, you trust them and you relate to them in some way or another. That’s what makes the creator so powerful in today’s retail landscape. They can help you make purchasing decisions and provide reviews and feedback in a way that a glossy ad simply can’t.

From a brand’s perspective, LTK allows businesses to expand their reach by removing the middle man and allowing creators to link and share products without having a direct relationship to the brand. This means that through LTK, creators can more
authentically and organically share and promote the brands they love with their followers. We empower brands in other ways too, namely through our historical data on creator conversions and sales. Today, brands are searching for ways to measure the success of their campaigns in more sophisticated ways, namely sales. Our insights allow brands to continue refining and enhancing their influencer marketing strategy and results. It also allows for discovery of new creators who organically love and share your brand and by extension new consumers.

Working at LTK and the business I have helped establish in Australia is my proudest career moment. When we first entered the market no one had really heard of LTK. The consumer app has close to 7000 DAUs and growing. Today, we have hundreds of Australian brands, thousands of creators and an ever-growing consumer base using our tools and app across New Zealand and Australia.

Do yourself a favour and find your perfect uniform. Something easy, that makes you feel great. Then repeat it. Otherwise, trying to look stylish every day is daunting and exhausting. While I love having fun with fashion, my everyday style is practical and polished. I don’t want to start my day worrying about what I’m going to wear, so normally I opt for a uniform that I know looks good on me. Jeans and a white shirt or great knit with ballet flats.

At the end of the day, when it comes to great personal style, there are no rules. It’s about finding what works for you and your lifestyle. Don’t get me wrong, I love indulging in a trend every now and then, but I am very careful not to jump on something just because everyone is doing it. That’s boring.

Find a classic style and cut that you can easily mix and match with your wardrobe. A bold colour can be a great way to add a bit of magic to your everyday uniform.

What are you currently reading I just started Demon Copperhead by Barbara Kingsolver

What podcast are you loving? I have a few on rotation. The Daily, Stuff You Should Know, Business of Fashion, More to Say and Huberman Lab

What are you binging on TV? Slow Horses

Favourite flowers? Hydrangeas in summer and double tulips in
winter!

Your fave piece from our Afterlight SS collection? The Arabella Crochet Top

Best piece of advice you’ve received? From my mum, always try to be the most interesting person in the room. And from Anna, never underestimate the power of a thank you note.

Best time management hack? Early mornings and time-blocking. I’ve been using these two skills for the past few years and they really are game changing. It is so easy to get distracted these days with the endless barrage of emails and device notifications. Waking up early and having a few hours to myself, device-free allows me to clear my head and organise my priorities for the day. Time-blocking ensures that I stick to the plan!

What do you do to keep a balanced life in such a
busy industry? Pilates is a non-negotiable for me. I go to Body by Berner 4-5 times a week.

Favourite scent? Baccarat Rouge 540

Summer or Winter? Summer

Your first fashion moment?My interview at Vogue! It was the first time I really thought about how important a choice of outfit could be.

Dream Purchase? I’ve had my eye on a pair of drop diamond studs from Brent Neale. A girl can dream.