To round up 2015, PORTER Magazine has compiled its inaugural list of 100 Incredible Women—a tribute to the women who’ve made an impact over the past 12 months. Unsurprisingly, Australia is home to many incredible women, five of whom made the list (Rosie Batty, Rebel Wilson, Fernanda Hin Lin Ly, Nicole Trunfio and Nicole Warne).
To celebrate this incredible list of women, we sat down with the brains (and beauty) behind Gary Pepper—Nicole Warne. Keep scrolling to read about how she incorporates Instagram into her life.
Who What Wear Australia: Who is the most incredible woman in your life and why?
NW: My mum. She has always worked for herself and lived by the mantra, “If it doesn’t work out, then we’ll just try something new!” Growing up, my parents owned a candy store which I worked in from the age of 12. Working in the shop instilled a very strong work ethic in me, as well as business knowledge from a young age. My courage comes from mum and my dad, who unknowingly raised me to be fiercely independent and entrepreneurial. My mum told me she would never retire, explaining that once your mind stops learning or your body stops moving, that’s when you become old. Now, I don’t think I’ll ever retire either.
WWW: How does your Instagram account aim to empower women in their own lives?
NW: My Instagram account is an online evolution of my business, and over the years has become the most personal connection I have with my community. I use Instagram in the hope that it inspires others to take risks and follow their intuition. I still shoot 90% of my Instagram content on my phone as I try to keep it relatable—if you have a phone then you can travel to a lot the same places and capture the world in the same light. @garypeppergirl is always supposed to be a destination you can come to and feel inspired by the world.
WWW: Tell us something we don’t know about you.
NW: I graduated high school when I was 16, so I had a head start when I launched my e-commerce site, Gary Pepper Vintage, when I was 19 years old. I definitely come from the generation that wants everything instantly, who feel like we’re living our lives by a ticking clock. Luckily the digital phenomenon has given us new resources to grow a successful business in a shorter amount of time than ever before.
WWW: How much of your life do you show on Instagram?
NW: I share about 70% of my life on Instagram. My family is one part I’m completely private about, purely because the online world can be cruel and while I’ve grown a thick skin, I wouldn’t be able to cope if anyone said anything negative about my family. I'm very protective. Other parts of my everyday, like meetings, don’t make the cut either—my community want to see lavender fields rather than board rooms, so it’s hard to find the balance between reality and inspiration.
Nicole Warne features in PORTER’s first ever 100 Incredible Women list – sponsored by Elizabeth Arden - which celebrates women around the world who have had an impact on our lives and made us think differently in the past 12 months. To see the full list, buy the latest issue of PORTER, on sale globally on Friday December 4. Also available as a digital edition.
What empowers you? Let us know in the comments below and then shop all the brands Nicole Warne loves over at Net-a-Porter.
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