A self confessed maverick hybrid imagineer Nixi Killick said she has come a long way from her days living in Wauchope.
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Growing up outside Wauchope, Nixi said she was excited to be back in the Hastings for the 2018 Luminosity Youth Summit July 25-27 in Port Macquarie.
“I call myself an imagineer because what I do doesn’t fall into a single box; I am a fashion designer, artist, photographer and costume creator but I like to take all of those things and do something completely different,” Nixi said.
“I think it is so important for people to chase a variety of ideas, be bold, dive in and harness the positive.
“But equally as important, young people need to know they can chase multiple dreams at once because you don’t know where they will lead.
“We have the responsibility to dream the world away and we all have to create our own paths – that might sound a bit weird but we are only constrained by our imagination and we should all be trying to push the boundaries.”
From Wauchope High, Nixi moved to Melbourne before taking on the fashion world in Italy, Germany and Asia and even collaborated with Lady Gaga and she said it is refreshing to embrace challenges.
“My parents are both artists so growing up I was constantly surrounded by art but I was also part of the circus so the creative anything-is-possible side of me was also constantly embraced,” she said.
“When I first moved to Melbourne I struggled because I felt restricted by the label of studying fashion because on one hand I loved art but I also loved costume and the theatrical aspect costume provides.
“My best advice for young people is to find their tribe – in a rapidly changing landscape, with so many new things find your place and own it.”
Nixi said the key to her success is to create the unexpected and surrounding herself with the right people.
“I surround myself with creative people who are each doing their own unique thing and try to build strong relationships in everything I do.
“I use technology a lot which is hard in fashion because traditionally fashion means fabric but I love challenging the traditional to create something unique.
“I guess it comes down to being non-linear because the future is unbelievable and it is up to us to embrace and explore it.”
She said having dreams and building them into dangerous ideas is something everyone should strive for.
“Dangerous ideas and exploring the unfamiliar is great; I spent so long trying to fit into a box but I have learnt to embrace the fact that I don’t.
“Be creative and imaginative and embrace learning but don’t let yourself be defined by a profession or a single idea – be a photographer and not use a camera or a builder but don’t use wood.
“The main thing is to have a passion and them embrace it with every fibre of your being.
“Power comes with experience and so it is necessary to visualise the unknown.
“The future is the only certainty we have and you are in control so don’t always follow the path set – be a maverick hybrid and embrace the adventure.”
