We were lucky to catch up with Paloma Drehs recently and have shared our conversation below.

Paloma, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. Have you been able to earn a full-time living from your creative work? If so, can you walk us through your journey and how you made it happen? Was it like that from day one? If not, what were some of the major steps and milestones and do you think you could have sped up the process somehow knowing what you know now?

Wow this is a big question. I think the trickiest balance is making money and doing what you love. Even when you have a big budget you still encounter limitations. It’s nice to aim to get to a point where you earn enough money to survive/thrive! And you don’t hate your job. Everyone has a journey unique to them. And I think the signposts in the road for each person’s journey is to keep following what you love. You might love something at first and then while your working in that position, discover that it was in fact a more specific element that you love. Or that you don’t love it at all! But you never get to work that out unless you embark on that journey. The people you meet along the way and the research you do, the questions you ask will ultimately inform your direction I think. The workplace reveals itself to you only when you start working in it – not before. I found most clarity came for me in my journey when I was working in the fashion industry.

I earn a living from being an Art Director and a Designer. I have recently started a fashion label ‘by Paloma’ and I work as an Art Director four days a week from home. My journey began with a lot of determination and passion. From very early on I was driven to work as an art director. And so that drive has motivated me throughout my entire journey. I started working for free as an intern at RUSSH magazine in Sydney. I moved my life from Queensland without hesitation because I knew that it was the perfect opportunity. I hustled to get that position and then I continued to work hard to eventually earn a full time living from my passion. The beauty about being a creative, which I think sometimes people on the outside might forget, is that it is not limited to one role or outlet. You can use various mediums to express yourself and bring about an artistic vision. That’s what I love most about the responsibility of an art director. You can culminate all your experiences, talents and mediums into a multi-layered output. It’s collaborate too. So nothing you do is solely yours. Other people input their feedback and in the process you learn to let go and find the best solution as a team. Within your budget or according to your client’s expectations… And then you let go again when you release your finished project into the world.

Paloma, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?

I work ultimately as a creative director of my fashion brand ‘by Paloma’ (www.shoponemoment.com). I design women’s clothing and I employ pattern makers and seamstresses to help bring my vision to life. I then concept shoot ideas which I collaborate on with other creatives (including models and photographers). This content is for the website, eDMs and social media. A lot of marketing is involved so I have worked with some close friends in marketing who are specialists. As marketing is not my background. Although there are a lot of overlaps.

My background is in fashion magazines. I worked at RUSSH magazine for 3 years and InStyle magazine for 3 years. I then progressed to become a freelancer where I freelanced for multiple fashion and lifestyle titles. I moved across into retail and worked as a fashion art director at Cotton On. I then took a break to have my son Alexander who is now three. The pandemic hit, and I found myself finding my feet again in Northern Rivers, NSW. No longer in the city, there were less opportunities available to me. I then was hired back by an old (favourite company) I had once worked for – News Corp. So I am able to work from home for them four days a week. I now work in advertorials. So my editorial background is combined with my commercial understanding to concept creative content for clients who wish to features in News Corp titles (online and in print). These include Vogue, Vogue Living, Delicious, Taste.com – the list is long! So it keeps me sharp and adaptable!

I’m very excited for my side project ‘by Paloma’ as I truly love to just be creative on that in exactly the way I want. But that so far has also been a big learning process. I think the past 12 years of work have shown me that I am in the right field and that there is never a perfect job. Life and work is what you make it and balance is so important.

Looking back, are there any resources you wish you knew about earlier in your creative journey?

Yes, I wish I knew more about internship and work experience opportunities in Sydney. Coming from Brisbane there wasn’t enough information when I was growing up about this. Yet for instance I did a short internship at Shop ‘Til You Drop, and I was 22 while other girls were 15. To have that sort of industry exposure at such a young age when you want to work in an industry like mine, can really help you get a leg up.

Is there mission driving your creative journey?

I am often driven by romantic aesthetics. Filmmakers like Sofia Coppola and artists like Deborah Turbeville. There is nothing more exciting for me then a female creative who captures the romance but it the undercurrent is intelligent and savvy. Women like Dolly Parton for instance also inspire me. They are unashamedly themselves. They deliver their message in such a sweet way. It’s ultra feminist and feminine and I strive to reflect those thoughts and that inspiration every day in my creativity of the ‘by Paloma brand.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.shoponemoment.com and www.palomadrehs.com
• Instagram: @shoponemoment

Image Credits
NA