Kellie Hush interview: Aussie style icon talks career failures and the power of fashion rental and resale on Sylvia Jeffreys’ podcast

The world of fashion isn’t all glamorous red carpets and champagne toasts.

It’s cut-throat, competitive and full of tough lessons, according to Kellie Hush, one of the most influential names in Australian fashion with the resume to prove it.

She’s the Chief Strategy and Brand Officer at fashion rental platform The Volte, the former Editor-in-Chief of Harper’s BAZAAR and CEO of this year’s Australian Fashion Week 2025.

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In the latest episode of my podcast The Pay Off with Sylvia Jeffreys, I sat down with Kellie to talk about how the fashion resale and rental market is transforming the way we’re making money and the lessons she’s learnt from her own journey.

I’ve always loved talking to Kellie because she’s refreshingly open about the difficulties and ugly truths she’s faced throughout her non-linear career path.

If you, like so many others, find yourself anxiously dreading another week of work every Sunday evening, Kellie’s story shows it’s entirely possible to pivot away from what once seemed like ‘the dream job’.

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In her case, making mistakes became the turning point for finding her true passion.

In our chat, she put it pretty simply: “Don’t be afraid to make mistakes … If life’s perfect, you won’t take risks, you won’t pick yourself up and you’ll probably crumble under the pressure of failure.”

To listen to episode 11 of The Pay Off with Sylvia Jeffreys, press play below or tap here 

Mistakes aren’t setbacks – they’re a chance to reflect on how you can become better. Without them, you don’t have room to experiment, to try new things, or to discover what works and what doesn’t. 

“You can’t control everything. I’ve failed, and that’s OK,” Kellie explains. 

“You learn something from failing. I got a Board role because I’d had failure in business … he valued the fact I had a failure and rebuilt.”

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Perfection isn’t the goal – progress is. The people who truly make it in this world are the ones who take risks, fail, and then get back up stronger and smarter. 

So, if you’re ever feeling hesitant to take that leap, or afraid of failing, just remember: mistakes are not only inevitable, they’re necessary. 

Embrace them. Learn from them. And let them be the fuel for your next big breakthrough. 

The Pay Off with Sylvia Jeffreys is out now and a new episode publishes for free every Thursday. Search “The Pay Off” in your podcast app or tap here.

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