A secretly married, single-girl influencer

Summary

Style-ish – “A secretly married, single-girl influencer”

Host: Shameless Media
Date: July 7, 2026
Episode Focus:
This episode dives into the intersection of fashion, influencer culture, and branding, featuring deep discussions on two major online moments: Taylor Swift and Amelia Liana’s weddings, and also breaking down the viral Betts footwear rebrand and its financial fallout. With hosts Madison Sullivan Thorpe, Rhiannon Joyce, and Joanna Fleming, the banter is as lively as ever, blending sharp industry insight with plenty of honest – and sometimes frosty – opinions.

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1. Overview of the Episode’s Main Theme

• The hosts dissect two major online events: Taylor Swift’s splashy wedding coverage and the controversy around UK influencer Amelia Liana revealing a secret marriage after years of “single girl” content.
• In the second half, they analyze the recent Betts footwear rebrand, which went viral yet coincided with the company entering voluntary administration, sparking a wider conversation about brand longevity and the pressures facing Australian retail.

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2. Key Discussion Points & Insights

A. Taylor Swift’s High-Profile Wedding (00:37–08:05)

• Online Saturation:
  The hosts compare the wedding coverage to the Met Gala and royal weddings—“This is like America’s royal wedding.” (A, 00:56)
• Fashion Highlights:
  • Praise for Gigi Hadid ("She looks like a Barbie. The pink diamond. She was frosted, frosted." – B, 01:21)
  • Influencer Sydney Silverman stands out for a Rachel Gilbert gold-gilded dress.
  • Aussies spotted in local designers (Zimmermann, Leo Lin).
• Questionable Choices:
  • Ed Sheeran’s “Tiffany blue paisley printed suit,” which they liken to a dare—"Jail time. Jail." (B, 03:22)
  • Discussion of men's formalwear, especially Bradley Cooper.
• Dress Code Confusion:
  • The guests struggle to decipher the event’s dress code, emphasizing the eclectic guest outfits.
• Wedding Speculation
  • Speculate on Taylor Swift’s Dior dress based on hints and Easter eggs.
• Release Predictions:
  • B debates whether Swift will share a photo carousel or a highlight video:

    "I think we might get, like, they might do that thing where they try and give us, like, a sense of the night... I want it all." (B, 07:32)

B. Style and Shopping “Swaps” (08:11–12:24)

• Madison's Swap:
  Venroy silk relaxed pants – versatile, worth the $260+ price tag.
• Joanna's Swap:
  Shouting out “Viv the carer,” an 81-year-old UK creator with the motto, “I don’t dress to impress, I dress for me.”

  "There's a real wave of... established women—that's the new way that I'm coining what we'd previously called mature women." (B, 09:57)

• Rhiannon's Swap:
  Promoting “End Lend,” a curated designer hire service, stressing the sustainability and practicality of renting expensive event dresses:

  “Sometimes I find it feels like there’s a lot of pressure to buy something new... So I opted for an option that was… slightly more affordable.” (A, 12:11)

C. The Amelia Liana Controversy (14:01–27:42)

• Introduction:
  Amelia Liana, a UK luxury and travel influencer, stuns followers by announcing a secret wedding after years of single-adjacent content.
• Timeline:
  • Engaged in 2019; public breakup led her to state she’d keep future relationships private.
  • Despite claiming “single girl” status and posting dating advice, she’d been in a 2-year relationship.
• Community Backlash:
  • Followers feel “betrayed,” as the dating advice came from someone not living single life:

    “People feel a little bit like, wait, what? ’Cause you’ve used us and we’ve engaged.” (B, 16:18)

  • The Independent called out “the apparently false narrative of singledom that she seems to have continued to share on social media.” (A, 18:24)
• Privacy vs. Deception:
  • The hosts stress there’s a line between privacy and cultivating a false narrative. Hiding the ring, calculated omissions, and content mining all add to the sense of strategic deception:

    “[It] feels murky for me. I would classify as lying by omission.” (A, 21:46)

  • B points out the “self-protection” motive but says the audience emotional buy-in makes it “wobbly.”

    “It's the sharing part that's wobbly for me because... women in their 30s... are looking for someone to aspire to who’s maybe... single and comfortable. And she portrayed that.” (B, 20:13)

• Content Audit:
  • A reviews Liana’s long-form content; in hindsight, finds only about 10 minutes per video was about dating, and language was careful not to explicitly state single status.
• Future Implications:
  • Discussion of how her brand pivots from single-girl content and whether the “explosive moment” was an intentional PR move.

    “I think she definitely wanted that [big social wave]... It's a great way to build relevancy, acquire new audiences... but it's also a great way to leverage brand partnerships.” (A, 23:26)

  • Ultimately, they agree she will lose followers, but it may not matter long-term.

D. The Betts Rebrand and Financial Woes (28:44–40:08)

• Background:
  Betts, one of Australia's oldest footwear brands, recently underwent a viral Willow & Blake-led rebrand but has now entered voluntary administration.
• Rebrand “Glow Up”:
  • Widespread creator and LinkedIn buzz:

    “So many creators were posting about it. I also saw a ton of coverage on LinkedIn.” (A, 29:31)

  • Dropped men’s and kids’ categories, focusing on women’s shoes with bold, feminine branding.

    “It was a big and bold decision... at the intersection of commercial thinking and the customer's needs.” (B, quoting Jessica Hatzas, 34:49)

• Financial Reality Check:
  • “Every single metric and goal set by management has been blown out of the water.” But now: 20 of 35 stores to close, pivot to online-first model, massive stock liquidation. (30:52–32:05)
  • The hosts note it’s likely a last-ditch effort—"I don't think for any business that is a successful measure of turning around what was probably already a bit of a Titanic." (B, 39:50)
• Retail Landscape:
  • Betts now joins “graveyard” of Aussie retail failures (Stacks, Glue). They point to Bardot and Colette as rare rebrand-comeback stories.
• Physical Store Debate:
  • Discuss the importance of branded physical locations for customer experience and brand equity.
  • A notes she and her friends were impressed by the rebrand, but awareness didn't translate to sales:

    “None of my friends have. Yet we’ve all commented on how strong the rebrand is. I believe it’s ticked all of their metrics... But ultimately it clearly hasn’t shifted the dial on sales.” (A, 36:23)

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3. Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On the Taylor Swift wedding dress:

  "It was giving me Love Story film clip." (B, 06:40)

• On Ed Sheeran’s Suit:

  "Jail time. Jail." (B, 03:22)

• On Amelia Liana’s narrative:

  "I would classify as lying by omission." (A, 21:46)

• Philosophy on ‘mature’ women:

  "There's a real wave of... established women—that's the new way that I'm coining what we'd previously called mature women." (B, 09:57)

• On Rebrands in Crisis:

  "It sounds like it's been a last ditch effort to save the brand, this rebrand, which in most cases it is." (C, 39:50)

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4. Important Segment Timestamps

| Timestamp | Segment Description | |-------------|------------------------------------------------------| | 00:37–08:05 | Taylor Swift’s wedding fashion and coverage | | 08:11–12:24 | Hosts swap: favorite finds and shopping picks | | 14:01–27:42 | Amelia Liana’s secret wedding and influencer debate | | 28:44–40:08 | The Betts rebrand, financial collapse, and retail trends |

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5. Tone and Style

• Chatty, witty, and frank—hosts aren’t afraid to poke fun at themselves, drag Ed Sheeran, or challenge each other's opinions about privacy, branding, and the nature of influencer culture.
• Balances pop-culture enthusiasm with business-savvy insight, providing both fashion fans and retail professionals something to chew on.

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Takeaway

This Style-ish episode unpacks why the internet exploded over two influencer weddings—one ultra-public, one stealthily private—and explores what happens when a digital rebrand doesn’t save a beloved Australian brand from financial strife. The hosts combine light-hearted banter with sharp analysis, leaving listeners with a lot to think about: from what’s really behind the “single girl” influencer aesthetic, to the hard realities of fashion retail in 2026.

Transcript

[A]

Foreign.

[B]

This episode of Stylish is brought to you by Michael Hill, the fine jewelers creating timeless pieces to be worn, layered, and lived in every single day. This is Stylish, the podcast for all things fashion, lifestyle, brand, and beauty. I am Madison Sullivan Thorpe. I am joined by my fabulous co host, Rhiannon Joyce and Joanna Fleming, all with a side of frostbite, this morning here in Melbourne, Chile. Guys, it has been a week.

[A]

I've never spent so much time online than what I did on the weekend.

[C]

Waiting for images to drop.

[A]

Waiting for images to drop. But also just inundated with Taylor content. It was everywhere.

[B]

Honestly, the only thing I can liken it to is the amount of coverage we see of the Met gala.

[C]

Yeah, that's.

[A]

Or a royal wedding.

[B]

Yes.

[A]

And I know people were saying that they were drawing comparisons, saying this is like America's royal wedding.

[B]

Well, you know, pop star royalty, I guess.

[C]

Yeah.

[B]

You know, I mean, there were rumors that Prince William was going to attend.

[C]

Were there?

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

I mean, have you not seen them perform with Bon Jovi? One of my favorite videos on the Internet.

[A]

I haven't seen that. Let's talk about the outfits, because there were quite a few good ones.

[B]

Yeah. I want to start up top with Gigi Hadid, who I think gets my three votes.

[A]

She looks like a Barbie.

[B]

The pink diamond. She was frosted. Frosted.

[A]

And the way her hair was styled was like beautiful old Hollywood vibes. Her hair color at the moment is so good. I know she's dabbled with a few, like, peroxide blondes and then like that real honey blonde. But where it's sitting right now, I'm absolutely obsessed. It makes her eyes really pop.

[B]

Yeah. She looked like she could have stepped in as Margot Robbie on the Barbie press tour. I like that call from you. Right. Was there anyone else that you loved?

[C]

Someone really obscure stood out to me that I saw on socials. Her name is Sydney Silverman. She's an influencer.

[A]

Yeah.

[C]

She was wearing Rachel Gilbert. Okay.

[B]

Gold gilded number where it was like, almost like gold foiled leaves.

[A]

I love how you've described that, Mads. Gold gilded. Also, Rachel Gilbert. I feel a few guests were wearing Rachel Gilbert.

[C]

Yeah, I think they were. I think I saw someone in the silver mini.

[B]

Yes, yes.

[C]

Yeah.

[B]

Aussies unite. Because also Camila Cabello in Zimmerman. Very similar to something we saw from our very own Rhiannon Joyce mere days earlier.

[A]

I did it first, except mine was

[B]

on loan and yours wasn't sheer underneath. Because Camilla did get a little bit of commentary for the Fact that it was sheer, I couldn't really tell it

[A]

was sheer underneath Leo Lynn. Is that an Australian brand?

[C]

Yes.

[A]

I also saw Joey King wearing Leo Lynn. So the Aussies got a serious run.

[B]

They did.

[C]

But it also takes me to, like, what the fuck was the dress code?

[A]

I had no idea. My best friend Jorda Swan was messaging me and she said, what is the dress code? I cannot pick it. And that message came after she saw Zoe Kravitz being packed. She was in a silver mini as well.

[B]

She was in kind of like a bronzy silver. Like, it was like a metallic combo.

[A]

I did love it.

[B]

I. I loved it too, objectively. But then when you kind of put it all together, I'm like, imagine putting her next to Gigi Hadid. It's like, I feel like I would wear what Zoe wore to, like, I don't know, like a nighttime cocktail party.

[C]

Yeah.

[B]

Even then, I.

[A]

Or to the club. I would wear that to the club,

[B]

but I don't go to the clubs. Oh, bullshit. I was at club with you two weeks ago. You go to the club. You absolutely do.

[A]

What about the boys? Did we notice any of the boys or.

[C]

No.

[B]

Ed Sheeran. Jail time. Jail.

[A]

Jail.

[C]

What was that?

[B]

Jail.

[A]

Oh.

[B]

For those who haven't seen it, one. Congrats. You have not been subjected to this. It looked like he was like, truth or dare? And he picked dare. And someone said, you got to wear this. It was like a Tiffany blue paisley printed suit into a black Air Max with a matching, like, Tiffany blue tick. And I was like.

[C]

And a T shirt underneath.

[A]

Sponsored by Tiffany.

[B]

Do we. I don't think Tiffany want to be anywhere near that. I think Tiffany. Someone in Tiffany hq, if you're listening, first of all, thanks so much. We've made it to lvmh, but if someone at Tiffany heard that their name was being used next to this, they'd be like, get our name out of your mouth.

[A]

Yeah. I mean, the Nike Tiffany collab was famously a bit of a.

[B]

So you wanted to say flop, but you just held back and went with bump.

[A]

I went with the sound effects because I'm with you and I thought, you

[B]

know, you would love that.

[A]

Yeah, I did.

[B]

Thank you so much.

[C]

You're welcome.

[B]

I'm still petitioning for us to get sound effect buttons. I am constantly reminded we are not in commercial ratings.

[C]

Bradley Cooper looked great, though.

[B]

Smash. Did Bradley look.

[A]

I was about to say, did Bradley Cooper look great in the suit or did Bradley Cooper just look great?

[C]

Honestly, I think he could have worn Edgier and wore. And I'd still say smash.

[B]

I don't know.

[C]

No, the blue and pink, too far.

[A]

The blue and the pink would not have gone well. He would have looked like full Ken. It would have been full Ken and Barbie had that been the case. I don't know. Something about Bradley Cooper gives me the ick. I can't put my finger on it, but he freaking freaks me out a little bit.

[B]

Is it the alleged facelift?

[A]

Okay, see, I didn't actually know that was a rumor. There is something lately that I've been like, oh, it's just, like, putting me off. He also gives me Peter Pan vibes.

[B]

It's the Lolita rating. Lolita in the park with suit. I'm not over that.

[A]

I'm still not over that.

[B]

Okay, so look, I have one tidbit that I want to say because we've spoken about every guest and obviously, God, I hope by the time this episode

[C]

drops, we do have spoken about every guest. There was a thousand people there.

[A]

All the ones that we've mentioned ahead,

[B]

spoken about the ones we wanted to. Okay. But I'm like, obviously we're waiting for, you know, the photos of the bride and groom who wore Christian Dior by Jonathan Anderson. But little tidbit hot off the press this morning is that Dior showed overnight and there was a Dior bride. And everyone is speculating, like, is this kind of a taste or a spoiler of what Taylor Swift's wedding dress could have looked like? Have you seen it?

[A]

I haven't seen it. But we know that Taylor Swift loves an Easter egg because she was also papped at the Knicks game holding a Dior bag. So there have been subtle nods up until this point. I will be honest, I did not clock that she was going to wear Dior.

[B]

I'm going to turn my laptop around in real time and show you the Dior bride.

[A]

First of all, absolutely stunning dress.

[C]

Very whimsical.

[A]

Very whimsical. It's got a long train. I mean, rumored AI Photos already rolling around. Inside shots of the actual venue. We don't know if they're legit, but we have seen photos of the styling. Alleged photos of Taylor and Travis. I feel like they're A.I.

[B]

i. Yeah, I'm willing to die on the hill. They're AI but lots of people in their captions that were guest referencing, like, Secret Garden. So the only one that I'm like, maybe it isn't where it's like they've kind of got the middle of the stadium and all of the trees and foliage. I'm like, oh, maybe that one's not AI.

[A]

Yeah. It reminds me of Disneyland.

[B]

Yeah. It's giving me Love Story film clip. Yeah. And Roman 2 have also walked down the aisle to Love Story. Bridgerton instrumental version.

[C]

Yeah.

[A]

I am really excited to see what the dress looks like.

[C]

If they drop these photos overnight before this episode comes out, I'm going to punch a wall.

[A]

What do we think the rollout will look like? Is it a normie dump? Like, I'm going lead photo with Travis and Taylor, then I'm doing a mix of solos and a mix of styling. Or are we just going selfishly?

[B]

I'm hoping she just does, like, the. Here's the 3 minute 30, like, video drop of the whole.

[A]

You want a video?

[C]

I don't think it's going to be a video. I think it's going to be a still and I think it's just going to be one hit wonder. Yeah. Because, like, she didn't really post that much about her engagement.

[B]

We got a couple of slides, though.

[A]

Yeah, we did. We got a few. We got a carousel with the engagement.

[B]

I'm like, tay and travel. TNT.

[A]

TNT.

[B]

My guys, let's just do the 20. Instagram lets you up to 20. I would love to see 20.

[A]

See, I feel like she will do the 20. I feel like she'll lean into the normie thing.

[B]

I think we might get, like, they might do that thing where they try and give us, like, a sense of the night so we get, like, shots of the gays and, like, dance law.

[A]

That's what I want. I want it all.

[B]

I want to see photos of the karaoke.

[A]

Yeah, of course you do. You love karaoke.

[B]

I love karaoke.

[A]

I mean, that's a room. You'd want to be listening to karaoke. Not when I'm with you. Usually, I can't throw stones. I'm a terrible singer.

[B]

I do famously love to sing Love Story at karaoke as well. Ideally standing on the chair.

[C]

I have seen you do that before.

[B]

Yeah, unfortunately, most people.

[A]

All right, let's get into the swap. Mads, you go first.

[B]

Okay. Well, RE has told me no more TV shows and no more snacks for a little while. Fair play. So my swap this week is actually a pair of pants that I bought recently because I was like, I just want, you know, like, I'm kind of excited for when we get out of winter. And I just wanted a pant for that. And I bought the Venroy silk relaxed pant. These are so good to Dress up and down. I've got a couple of the venroy pants that I've bought over the years and they wash really well, they wear really well, super comfy and easy and they're like quite like ruched around the waist. You can kind of wear them low rise. That's not really my stick. So I put them at a mid rise but super cute with like a little tank, but also great with like a long sleeve and a little jacket over the top to dress them up with like a little cocky mule as well. So that's my little swap today, love.

[A]

Can I get a price point? 262-8260 for 100% silk?

[B]

Yep.

[A]

Okay. I can justify that.

[B]

Yeah. Like not if it wasn't. If it wasn't silk. Bum boom. If we're going back to the sound effect button that you did, it better go again. Thank you.

[C]

Yeah. Oh, wow, that's good.

[A]

Who needs a sound effect insert when you've got me? Jo, what's your swap?

[C]

Okay. Mine is actually a creator. I found this woman in her 80s. She came up on my Explore feed and I was like, immediate follow. I saw one video, I was like, yes, I'm in. Give me more. Her handle is Viv the carer. She's 81 years old, she lives in the UK and she posts her daily outfits. And her motto is that I don't dress to impress, I dress for me, which I just love. And she just wears the cutest outfits. She loves color. She always says, like, I'm gonna dress happy today. Cause my friends are coming over for coffee and I'm just like, oh, I wanna be you in my 80s. She just looks like she's having such a good time and still just loving dressing up and feeling really good about herself. And it's just a really like, it's a feel good account.

[B]

I love that. I feel like there's a real wave of like established women. Which by the way, is the new way that I'm coining what we'd previously called mature women. I'm like, they're established women.

[C]

I like that.

[B]

But there's a new like wave of them obsessed with the sound effects going on in the studio today. This is like scratching all the right parts of my brain. But I love this wave of women that are like sharing outfits or like granddaughters showing grandmothers outfits or going through their wardrobes.

[C]

I want more. Yeah, give me more. I don't just want to see people my own age and younger.

[B]

Give me, give me more. Love that, Joe. I Will definitely be following Bad Girl. What have you got for us?

[A]

Well, I am swapping in an account, but also a business service, so it's called End Lend. It's a curated designer hire account, so mostly Australian related. So I apologize to our international listeners, but she's based in Brisbane and I had a wedding when I was overseas. My best friend got married in Italy and there were three events attached to this wedding and I was like, I am not buying new outfits for every single event. I was already a bridesmaid. So I was like, okay, I really want to look nice and I really want to dress up and make sure that I'm hitting the dress codes for each of these events. So what I did was actually hired a few outfits. So I hired the Zimmerman green dress that you referenced before Mads. Then I also hired this little Alame mini sequin dress as well for the recovery. And I just think we need to be leaning into more hiring services. When go to events, sometimes I find it feels like there's a lot of pressure to buy something new or to wear something that is, you know, from the latest collection. The dresses that I wore are really expensive. Like, the price point was like completely unattainable for me, but I did really want to wear the green dress, so I opted for an option that was like, okay, it's slightly more affordable. I think I paid about 400. Oh, God, I can't remember exactly. I think it was about 400 to loan for the three weeks that I was away for the Zimmerman one. That dress retails for like $3,000. So like, completely out of my range. But yeah, they've got like a really good curated selection of dresses. So if you go to black tie events, which I would say on the podcast, we've spoken so much about how hard it is, but also how expensive it is to buy dresses for black tie weddings because you wear them once and then you're like, I'm never going to wear this again. So the cost per wear is not really there and it's still expensive. I'm not going to say that it's not. But if you are looking for something that's a bit more high end and you don't want to have to, you know, sell it or you don't want to have to let it collect dust in your wardrobe, it's also more sustainable as well. So that's my swap.

[B]

Tick, tick, tick across the board. All right, Jojo, what are we talking about today?

[C]

All right, well, we're talking about influencer Emilia, Liana's secret wedding today, which I actually know nothing about. So I'm really relying on the two of you. I know that you guys are like fully locked in, so I'm relying on.

[B]

That was us jumping at the beard.

[C]

I thought you were doing that. He came bounding.

[A]

Very niche. Very niche. Aussie reference, though.

[C]

Anyway, we're talking about her wedding and why it's marked major debate online and how bets went from a viral successful rebrand to entering voluntary administration. But that will be right after a word from today's sponsor.

[B]

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[A]

Talk about dominating the feed. It was Taylor Swift's wedding on Instagram for me, and then it was Emili Liana's secret wedding on TikTok. I have been following Amelia for a while now. The main reason I follow her is she's kind of in one of those like, luxury travel esthetic influencer categories. Similar to. She's really close with Audrey Peters, who's a very big influencer based out of New York. So I dip in and out of a lot of their pages. But I would say her content output is a mix of like luxury shopping, travel, dating advice.

[C]

I actually realized after we had this conversation I knew who she was because she came up in my feed and I've always thought that she was single because the only content I've ever seen in my algorithm of her has been like single adjacent kind of stuff.

[A]

So when she announced her wedding content, her husband actually didn't feature in it at all. And her husband has not been known to anyone that's followed her. So she.

[C]

We don't know who he is.

[A]

We do not know who he is.

[B]

Well, then also, she was engaged in 2019. And so she has come out and said this is a big part of why she has kept this relationship secret.

[C]

Because she was engaged with someone else.

[B]

Yes. Had a very public kind of fallout. And the Internet hasn't really let her forget.

[A]

No.

[B]

That she was engaged in 2019.

[A]

She's also also on a few of her videos called out that she's reflected on that time of when her relationship broke down in public, that she wouldn't do that again. So she has publicly come out and said, this isn't something I would do again in terms of being so open about dating. It's not something that I would feel really comfortable sharing, and I'll definitely keep more of that private. And she's gone into detail in a few videos about the why behind that. So when she announced she actually got married, there was a surge of commentary from people like you, Joe, who have been seeing her on social media, mostly for their dating content. They were a little bit surprised because she actually, two months earlier, posted vlogs about being single and being behind in life. So people were kind of sitting there going, wait a minute. Allegedly they've been together for roughly two years, which is quite a long time. Amelia's also 34, so that would mean that she had been in a relationship from the age of 32 to 34. You've clearly not been single for a long time, but you've been dishing out dating advice, particularly dating advice in your 30s, to women. So it didn't go down too well.

[B]

Yeah. I think, like, this is kind of where the issue arises from. From the wedding.

[C]

Right.

[B]

It's not that people aren't happy for her that she got married. I think everyone's like, a bit play on. But as you've kind of alluded to, at the top rate, it kind of feels like one of her social content pillars has been like, ytg Single Girlies. How rough and tough it is. You know, being single in your 30s or how to navigate being single in your 30s, which is fine if you're single in your 30s. I think this is kind of the point where people feel a little bit like, wait, what? Cause you've used us and we've engaged in. And I think that's kind of the crux is that people feel used in this, that they've engaged in the content, they've connected with her, they've empathized with her in the comment section, in, you know, the back of their phones. But she has this entire time been clearly dating this guy, or for a large duration of this time, been dating this guy.

[A]

So this is where I think a lot of people are getting the ick is that she's been creating content about being single in her 30s, but she's not actually single. She's just got married. It's hit mainstream news as well. So it's not just like the Internet that's really reacting to this. It's hit the sun, it's hit the Independent, so it's getting headlines. And for someone like Amelia, who is obviously an influencer and someone who is creating content, I would say all publicity is good publicity in this instance for her.

[B]

I would agree, except for the fact that, like, in. In terms of exposure, yes, but in terms of, like, cultivating your own community, I think they feel a bit betrayed. Like, I think the content isn't just advice for people single in their 30s, because I don't think anyone would neg someone who's like, I found the love of my life at 36, and I want to talk to you about navigating being single in your 30s. She has very much positioned herself as a single girly. Like, this wasn't like, oh, I'm going to give you the law of, like, you know, an advice.

[C]

Is she being deceptive or is she just being private? Because there's, like, a big difference between that. If she just didn't share that she was in a relationship and she wasn't, like, actively saying, I'm single, and, like, really alluding to it, I'd be like, fair enough, you just want to keep your relationship private. But it does sound to me like there's a bit of a deception element here.

[A]

So this is what the Independent article called out. They said it's a curious case of the single influencer who then announced she was married. So we've got a segment from the article about Emilia Liana to read for her followers. It doesn't seem like it's a relationship that's the issue. It's the apparently false narrative of singledom that she seems to have continued to share on social media. It continues. Keeping quiet about a boyfriend or fiance is one thing, especially if you've been burned before by digital pda, but doing so while actively leading your fans to believe you're going it alone is another. What was the point in all of the long vents about how behind in life you are. And I say that in inverted commas and repeating your single over and over. One confused fan ass. So that is very much. Yeah, the overarching sentiment.

[C]

One question, was she wearing a ring?

[A]

No.

[B]

No. So she did mention that there was a video at one point that she put up and someone clocked the ring and she took it down within like 20 minutes of it going up.

[C]

Okay.

[B]

But that she has actively been hiding the ring and talking about hiding the ring.

[A]

She also made a compilation video after she announced that she was married, of all the times that she was filming on YouTube and forgot to take off her ring.

[C]

Okay.

[A]

So the content mining of this whole experience has been very strategic and very well thought out.

[C]

Yeah, it's. It's a bit murky for me. I. I don't really know how to feel about it because I also really respect the fact that she's had a failed engagement before, been very much burnt from that. I totally understand the privacy angle. But then the hiding of the ring and all of that kind of stuff. I think it's okay to say you're in another relationship and keep that private. But also when you have such a big following that then encourages people to take videos and things of you out in public. And maybe she doesn't want people to know who her husband is, or maybe he's really private. Yeah, like there's, there's definitely reasons for it. I can understand it. But I'm also. I could also see it from the other side, being someone in her audience being like, what the fuck?

[B]

Yeah, I think privacy is kind of one thing, but it's the self protection. And that's where I empathize with her. But for me, I'm like, I can defend protection every time, like self preservation and protection, but it's the sharing part that's wobbly for me because I think the reality is, you know, unfortunately for a lot of women in their 30s, they are insecure about being single. And I struggle with that sentence because I'm not really one of those people, but I do really empathise with people that are. Maybe that's because I've gone and done all the things. You know what I mean? I'm like, yeah, I've been there, done that. I'm all good. But I think it is a time that women are vulnerable or they're looking for advice or they're looking for someone to aspire to who maybe is like living this single girly life and really comfortably. And she portrayed that and conveyed that. And I Think this is where, like her self protection, she's totally entitled to. But what she's cultivated in community has maybe been a bit of a juxtaposition for that. And I don't kind of have a. I'm on that side or I'm on that side, which is weird for me because I'm not really usually sitting on the fence or in Switzerland.

[A]

Yeah. I think it's murky because she's operating of the belief that these two things are mutually exclusive and they're not. You can absolutely be private and have a relationship and no one know about it. But then simultaneously you cannot be out there and advocating for women who are single in their 30s as one or two, giving the illusion that you are one of them and part of their community to then create content that makes them feel inspired, empowered. Empowered. It feels. That's where it feels murky for me. I would classify as lying by omission. Yeah. You have omitted this information.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

You have done it because you know that it doesn't carry as much weight if you are a married person or if you are in a long term relationship. It's like when you. With your friends. Right. I'm very conscious of giving advice about dating to my friends who are single in their 30s, and I have quite a few of them as a married person because that's just the self aware thing to do. Sometimes people who are single don't want to hear from the person that is happily married going, oh, have you tried this or have you done that?

[B]

Oh, I'm not one of those. I'm like, and what else could I do?

[A]

The point being is that's not to say my advice is invalid and that's not to say I'm not in a position to give it, but when my friends come to me and ask for that, then I will give it.

[C]

Yeah.

[A]

And I think in this instance where Amelia has perhaps been able to justify her contribution to this, you know, being single in your 30s narrative is that she has got questions from people in Q and A's. Her DMs are inundated, but that is because people think she is still single.

[C]

Yeah.

[A]

So for me, that's where it's getting murky. And it's clearly a content pillar for you. It's clearly a reason why people engage with you. All channels, Joe, you said so yourself. It was the main thing that you had seen pop up over time, even though you don't follow her. That was the main content that you had seen over time. So it feels very strategic.

[B]

Can I ask you a question? Do you think that she hid the wedding so that it was this, like, big social wave of takeover? Because there was a lot of content that came out about it that for her, like, it wasn't so much like, you know, content mining or like view mining, but that she wanted this, like, explosive moment on social media that took over, that she got married.

[A]

I think she definitely wanted that. And to be honest, when I first saw her get married, I was like, go off, queen. The fact that I had no idea, that's awesome. But again, then when I started to see the thread of commentary come out around people who followed her specifically for the dating content, then I was like, ooh, I get why they're annoyed. I'm not annoyed by this, because that has never been a reason why I follow her. It doesn't surprise me that she's made a huge moment out of this wedding. We've seen multiple influences, particularly in the U.S. you know, Halle Kate acquired style. All of these really big. Jackie Alexander, even locally, have made huge moments out of their weddings. And that's not uncommon. It is a great way to build relevancy, acquire new audiences, but it's also a great way to leverage brand partnerships. You know, these moments are high value brands. Know that you're going to be getting really strong engagement. I believe Amelia actually worked with Charlotte Tilbury. I can't be 100% certain that that video was an ad on TikTok, but I did see her do a paid partnership with Joe Malone, picking her signature wedding fragrance. There must have been some serious tight NDAs over that. I'm just thinking, top of my head, Mads.

[B]

Yeah, we love an NDA. Yeah, I would have just been airtight going to those brands. Her management team would have been like, this is in a closed manila envelope.

[A]

I do think it was intentional for her to make this as big of a moment as possible. I don't think she probably expected the wave of criticism that came after.

[C]

I struggle to believe that she wasn't expecting that, because if I was in her position, knew I was omitting that type of information, that I was going to drop a bomb on everybody, everybody and be like, hey, I'm actually married. I'm not single. I'd be like, oh, I'd. I'd be worried. I'd be thinking, oh, there. There is a chance there will be people that feel alienated by this information. And my question is, how do you then pivot your content pillar that you have built out over many, many years that revolves around you being single, when you've now just told everybody that you're like, how do you pivot that for that audience? Do you just abandon them now?

[A]

Yeah, it's a great question because I think, think by design this decision will lose. She will lose followers, but it might not be enough where it matters for her. Like, that's the reality of it. She's probably looking at this going, well, this is the lesser of two evils. I'm moving into this stage of my life, whereas I'm actually not going to be relevant to these people anyway. So perhaps over time I'm already going to lose them. You know, I'm not in her brain. I can only make assumptions. But I will say I did watch four YouTube videos leading into this conversation to try and understand with the gift of hindsight and with all of this content out there now, how much was she really talking about dating? So I watched four videos. I watched losing friends, single in my 30s and life update Q and A. That was the one that was referenced in most articles because it included single in my 30s. As a call out, why I don't talk about dating. That was posted two months ago, my wedding vlog seven days ago. And her most recent dating wrapped YouTube, which went live on Sunday. So that was more of like a jovial, light hearted one. Three out of four of these videos, I would say that the dating element really only made up about 10 minutes of the entirety of the video.

[B]

So which for context, how long are the videos?

[A]

Anywhere between 30 to 40 minutes. Let's say a fourth of her content is about dating. That's still a decent amount. But I will say that I think there are a lot of little Easter eggs in these videos that were leading up to the announcement of her wedding as well. So in the Q A, which is the main video that was referenced, which I call out earlier, which had the question from a lot of people about being single in your 30s. She didn't specifically say she was single. She didn't specifically say. As someone who is also single in their 30s, like, I feel there is very intentional language that played out in these videos to make sure that she wasn't actively lying.

[C]

Yeah, but again, but as you said, omitting the information.

[B]

Is it the power of hindsight though, that helped you kind of dissect 100 and that if she wasn't married, you'd be like, she's Single?

[A]

No, I 100% am operating from a place, place of hindsight, like in the moment. If I was watching that video, I

[B]

would not have clocked that well, I think. Interesting to see kind of where it plays out from here and where our content goes. Because as you said, Ray kind of sounds like that was like 25% of her content. It'll be interesting to see what that 25 now gets kind of absorbed into.

[C]

It serves as a bit of a reminder that you can curate any life online and people don't actually know what's going on behind closed doors.

[A]

Next, we're discussing how Bets went from a viral successful rebrand to entering voluntary administration. But that's right after a word from today's sponsor.

[B]

This is a little PSA for anyone whose jewellery could use some extra love right now. You can head into any Michael Hill store for a complimentary jewellery clean. And while you're there, Michael Hill Brilliant's Loyalty members will go into the draw to win a $30,000 Michael Hill voucher. It's free to join and it's an easy excuse to give your favourite pieces a refresh. Visit your nearest Michael Hill store before August 2nd to enter. And thank you so much to Michael Hill for making this episode of Stylish Possible Available in Australia for Brilliance by Michael Hill loyalty members ends August 2, 2026. One entry per member. Ts and [e-mail] permits act tp 2601222 nswtp05125 sa t26 946 so last Friday

[C]

we saw a headline that actually surprised us quite a lot and we're talking about this in our whip Iconic Australian footwear brand Bets is going into voluntary administration and they've been a mainstay in Australian fashion for a long time. I think they're one of the oldest Australian brands, which is actually really sad. They actually started in the late 1800s over in Perth and it's been a fifth generation family owned business ever since since. So seeing another Aussie brand kind of fall victim to everything that's going on in the economy right now is. Is really quite sad. But you might have seen the coverage online and socials earlier this year about the Bets rebrand, which was massive. I was seeing creator after creator posting videos about how good Bets is and it actually genuinely like it was going off.

[A]

So many creators were posting about it. I also saw a ton of coverage on LinkedIn. Like so much on LinkedIn, so much about the rebrand.

[C]

I don't spend much time on.

[A]

Way too much time on LinkedIn.

[C]

I can't relate.

[A]

I actually get quite defensive when people shit on LinkedIn.

[C]

But anyway, sorry, carry on, Jo. Anyway, news.com described it as a viral glow up and lots of creators were posting videos raving about it. We've actually got a clip from creator Brooke Upton about it.

[A]

God, do I love a good rebrand. I need to know who is cooking at Bets at the moment. You guys have probably seen the video, but the other day I was scrolling through TikTok and this gorgeous girl placed a massive, massive spotlight on the full rebrand that Bets have been doing at the moment. A new team, a new designer in. I literally ran straight to the store. No notes.

[C]

There was a lot of paid content going on at the time, but there was also a lot of organic creator content that I was seeing on TikTok popping up in my feed of people that were getting influenced from these paid ads and then buying the stuff themselves because it was actually resonating with them.

[A]

Yeah, it was absolutely one of the most prevalent rebrands I've seen. So the rebrand was actually done by Willow and Blake. So that's the agency behind Boof and rebrands for Dish. We've spoken about them a few times on the board podcast. A news.com article published in June about the rebrand said it was driving an increase in sales. Here's a quote from that article. They said, over the last six months, every single metric and goal set by management has been blown out of the water.

[C]

Which is interesting because now they have entered voluntary administration, which to explain that just very top line because I am in no way an expert in this area. But in simple terms, terms, voluntary administration means that a company's been having financial difficulties. A voluntary administrator is then appointed, usually by the company's directors.

[A]

So it basically just means someone external to the company is coming to then decide its future when it's in a very precarious spot. So that's a very reductive basic term, but we're not lawyers.

[C]

Yeah.

[B]

And we don't need to be today.

[A]

No, we do not. So their job is to look at the company's options and figure out the best course of action and what the company's future actually looks like. So that could mean many things. It could be be liquidation, it could be a restructure, selling the company's assets, or it could mean returning control back to the directors, which is usually the least likely option.

[C]

In this case, 20 of BET's 35 stores are closing. They've already said, and they'll be going all in on an online first model instead of shutting down entirely at this stage with over 120,000 pairs of shoes, accessories and bags going on sale right now at 50% off as the stores shut up over the next few months. So you might have seen these sales popping up already.

[B]

Yeah, and they kind of joined this graveyard of brands that are in either receivership or voluntary administration. I mean, only last month we saw Stacks, who were reported to be doing over $30 million in turnover in 2022, go into receivership. And Glue also closed down entirely, citing $8.4 million in losses alone in the first half of this year.

[A]

Look, it's not all doom and gloom, though. There have been some Aussie brands that have made a bit of a comeback. So Bardot, they actually went into voluntary administration and came back as an entirely online brand.

[C]

They ended up going like, international, didn't they?

[A]

Yes, they actually did. They've expanded globally and Colette by Colette Heyman. So they collapsed several times, but they've found new success as an online only brand. So, yeah, there is light at the end of the tunnel. Let's start with the rebrand, because we've spoken about the rebrand in the past, not just in the podcast in passing, but in conversations.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

Amongst friends. What did you guys make of the rebrand?

[B]

Subjectively, I still love this rebrand. I stand by the direction they were going in and what they were trying to do. I really rate and I still do. And that's kind of the uncomfy bit. I think that Willow and Blake have done a really good job at this rebrand. Like, they worked on this, like, Bodoni wordmark, they updated the logo and it felt new and fresh for Bets. And I really liked the direction that they were going in, both in, you know, their branding, but also the tone of voice. Also kind of the new direction of their paid media and partnerships. Like, I thought this was a clever direction for a heritage brand to be evolving into because they had traditionally had a shopping center customer and I thought that this new direction help extend them out to a digitally native customer.

[A]

When I think about Bets originally, I think about appeal to the mass and you've got got to think about the category inclusions as well. So they were appealing to families, men and women. So part of the rebrand was they were deciding that they were going to be entirely female focus. And I feel the brand codes and the look and feel very much were female skewed.

[B]

Yeah, they used like quite a sort of berry red.

[A]

Yeah. I mean, the combination of the berry with the blue, like, it was very feminine, but it was very. It also was quite sultry and quite sexy as well. Joe, what did you think?

[C]

I really liked the rebrand, but I also coming back to your point around dropping the men's shoes and the kids shoes, my brain immediately was like, okay, has this not been successful? Because they were getting these potentially like, you know, incremental sales from a mum going in to shop for new school shoes and then she's seen some boots she likes and then she's gone, oh, I may as well just grab these shoes. My husband as well while I'm here. And I'm sure they looked at these things. They would be stupid not to. Doing a rebrand and taking out these entire categories without doing a lot of research into what's actually selling and what's actually popular.

[B]

I'm so glad you brought this up. Jessica Hatzas, who is actually the co founder of Willow and Blake, the agency we mentioned that did the rebrand, came on as a shareholder and the chief marketing officer, which is basically the person responsible for all of the marketing decisions that come out of it. But she was quoted in Rag Trader as saying, I spent months in the data analyzing every move of the brand and the bets customer to identify Alpo. It goes on to say it was a big and bold decision to let go of certain aspects of the brand and product offering, but ultimately one made at the intersection of commercial thinking and the respect of the customer's needs, as many big branding moves are. So I would say much to your point, Jo. Yes, it feels discombobulated from where they've been, but it sounds like there was a lot of time being spent in the data to inform that decision making.

[C]

Yeah. And Lindsay Bainbridge from Picture Partners, who's been appointed as BETTS administrator, said that retail conditions and falling foot traffic in a lot of centres just are not sustainable for the business. He went on to say, we'll close some stores, focus on strengthening others and continue the company's plans to expand retail online. Obviously they knew what they were doing at the time, but it's just like these conditions out there are just not sustainable for a lot of brands.

[B]

Totally. And we're seeing that in the fact that 20 of the 35 stores are closing. I think that's perfectly illustrated there. Clearly there are some stores that are working for an administrator to have gone in and gone. Actually, we're gonna still keep stores, which includes their flagship. I'm just guessing there were maybe, you know, more secluded or regional centres that weren't performing as well.

[A]

Yeah, majority of the stores that closed were in Wa I also find it interesting closing select stores and then choosing to keep some open. Obviously they were profitable stores. But there is also the element of we've been saying for a while now, bricks and mortars back. Retail experience is so important. I do think there's also an argument from a brand point of view to make sure that you are still physically present and your consumer can access your product. Particularly for a brand like Bets, if you are going to commit to this rebrand, and I agree with both of you, I think it was very successful optically in terms of how it impacted me. But I have to be honest, it did not translate to sales for me. I did not purchase a pair of bet shoes after. None of my friends have. Yet we've all commented on how strong the rebrand is. I believe it's ticked all of their metrics in terms of what they set out to do in terms of awareness, engagement, all of those things that they would have been measuring online to deem this a success. But ultimately it clearly hasn't shifted the dial on sales. A lot of retailers do actually offset their rent in high value areas with D2C. So there is also a world where right now they're really focusing on keeping the stores that are profitable and that people are actually buying product in. But down the track, if they are able to come out of this, I wouldn't be surprised if we see them pop up in potential high value areas. And a high value area to me would be somewhere where it's less about the store is making the money and more about from a brand advocacy point of view and a brand point of view, we need to be here. So I think about High Street, Armidale, I think about the Strand in Sydney, James street in Brisbane, you know, some larger centers, the likes of a Chadstone or a Westfield Doncaster or a High Point, you know, these major centers and those high street retail areas where it's good from a brand advocacy point to be there, I think Bets for them to cut through and for them to actually really shift the dial on sales, they need to be in those areas because they're not. And do you know who's there? Tony Bianco?

[C]

Yeah.

[B]

Can I challenge you though, Ray?

[A]

Sure.

[B]

They have 120,000 units that are minimum 50% off right now. How do you go from bargain basement activity like that at that kind of volume to going to a James Straight?

[A]

I don't think it's the next move. Like it's not their immediate move. But I think long term, if you actually want to Build a brand that is going to connect with young people beyond the glossy rebrand that they did. How is that strategy rolling out where you're actually meeting a consumer where they are?

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

So for me, it's not like it has to happen right now. I think it just has to form part of their strategy down the track. Because the reality of it is people are shopping online. Absolutely. Young people are shopping online. But I'm also not seeing. I'm seeing a lot of organic content and stuff, but none of my friends and no one in my orbit are buying bets shoes.

[B]

Yeah, I would say in the marketing funnel, it's like, you know that top of the funnel is your brand awareness consideration and then it is conversion. I think they may be that like, I mean, they definitely achieve the top of that funnel. The middle, I would argue. Even then I was like so aware of it, I wasn't considering them exactly. I think there would have been a customer, that was for sure. But I also think in all of this, what we haven't acknowledged is the rebrand live date to this administration period, which I just don't know that I think it was eight or nine months from the rebrand announcement into this. I don't think for any business that is a successful measure of turning around what was probably already a bit of a Titanic.

[C]

Yeah, yeah. It sounds like it's been a last ditch effort to save the brand, this rebrand, which in most cases it is.

[B]

Yeah, absolutely. And I will be intrigued to see kind of where this goes with, you know, them minimizing their store footprint and having a more considered online curation once they've got kind of cleared all of this stock.

[C]

Yeah.

[A]

The next phase of where they go for after that stock clearance will be really interesting.

[B]

But that is all for this week's episode of Stylish. If you enjoyed this episode, we would love it if you could please leave us a review. It helps keep the show growing. And feel free to sign up to our newsletter as well. The link is, as always, in our show notes. A big thank you to our team ahead of podcast. Lucy Hunt, Senior podcast producer, Kate Emmerburg. We'll be right back with you next Wednesday.

[C]

Bye. See ya.

[A]

This podcast was recorded on Wurundjeri land.

[C]

Always was, always will be aboriginal land.