Former editor in chief of VOGUE Australia, Kirstie Clements, joins Fuzz Ali in his ‘Life With Fuzz’ podcast as they unveil the layers of her life-journey
Having lived a life full of excitement and success within the Australian media landscape, bestselling author, editor, journalist, keynote speaker and former editor in chief of Vogue Australia, Kirstie Clements, joins Fuzz Ali’s podcast ‘Life With Fuzz’ in his penultimate episode of the series.
Sharing her journey from a teen living in the Sutherland Shire and her move towards the bright lights of the city at 16, to a successful career at Vogue for over a decade, her time spent at Harper’s Bazaar and being the author of an international best-selling memoir in seven countries, Ali was thrilled to invite Clements into his home to talk in his ninth podcast episode, released today 5:00 AM AEST 28 September 2023.
Ali and Clements discuss her interest in music, culture, and a life beyond the Shire when she was introduced to punk music and bands in Sydney’s city. Having been exposed to the city, specifically around Oxford Street where she would find it to be a place that would gravitate to people who wanted more outside of “Australian” culture, Clements quickly realised at the young age of 16 that she wanted more beyond the life she had.
Clements goes on to speak about the beginning of what would be the start of her successful career, where she started off as a receptionist at Vogue, finding a passion for fashion, pop culture and the magazine whilst always having a love for writing.
“I wrote a lot of short stories for myself, I wrote things for music magazines and reviews. I loved writing, so that was my hope. I thought I would join Vogue and potentially put my hand up, get in there somehow and become a writer,” said Clements.
After quickly finding her way in Vogue’s office through promotions, from being an assistant to writing her own articles for the company, and being there for nearly 10 years, she found herself moving to Paris as a Foreign Correspondent, where she would later meet her husband and start a family of her own.
Returning to Australia, Clements worked with Harper’s Bazaar but would soon find herself back at Vogue Australia as editor in chief. Clements describes having to recreate Vogue’s presence in Australia, pushing it in a new direction which would entail restructuring the company.
“When Vogue comes calling, it’s hard to say no … I knew I put the time in there, I spent 13 years at Vogue, I knew that I started from the ground up from reception and I’ve done my time in Paris. I felt like I could take that job on and I felt confident that I could do that,” said Clements.
“Change was needed, and within that change, you’re going to bring in things that are more truly at your core belief … You’re hiring people that are going to be attuned to those belief systems,” said Clements.
Throughout the episode, Ali and Clements jump into a conversation exploring the significance of Vogue Australia, their impact in the media landscape and the relationships between the world, people, and the magazine.
“Vogue doesn’t exist on its own – it was very much reflecting what was going on in society as supposed to always leading. It’s a lot of balance,” said Clements.
Listeners can expect to hear Clements share captivating anecdotes from her time at Vogue Australia, conversations revolving around her internationally best-selling memoir ‘The Vogue Factor’ and her reflection on the evolving landscape of journalism in a digital age.
