Meet Fiona Shaw

Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Fiona Shaw. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Hi Fiona , we’re so appreciative of you taking the time to share your nuggets of wisdom with our community. One of the topics we think is most important for folks looking to level up their lives is building up their self-confidence and self-esteem. Can you share how you developed your confidence?

My confidence and self-esteem didn’t come overnight—they were built through resilience, creativity, and community. I moved to America from Australia in 2018, after a few years I started my self-care journey. I’m a survivor of physical and verbal abuse, and for a long time, I put everyone else’s needs before my own. I had no choice but to rediscover who I was. I found healing and confidence through modeling, sewing, dancing, and surrounding myself with strong, supportive positivity individuals. Attending gym and dance classes with an amazing group of body-positive, self-loving women truly changed me—it reminded me that I am allowed to take up space, to feel sexy, strong, and worthy in my own skin.

Thanks for sharing that. So, before we get any further into our conversation, can you tell our readers a bit about yourself and what you’re working on?

I wear a few different crowns—and heels! I’m a seamstress who specializes in alterations and custom creations for weddings, proms, and formalwear. My goal is always to make my clients feel elegant, radiant, and comfortable in their own skin. I’ve created show choir and theater costumes, taught young girls how to sew, and even helped Girl Scout troops earn their sewing badges.

On the other side of my world, I’m also a model. I’ve graced the covers of over 40 international magazines, focusing on alternate, gothic, pin-up, and boudoir styles. My modeling is about celebrating body confidence and individuality—showing others that you’re never too old, too curvy, or too anything to feel powerful and beautiful.

I also attend dance and gum classes—everything from pole to floorwork—as a way to stay active, have fun, and connect with my body. Right now, I’m sharing my journey of resilience and self-discovery through empowering, creative and expressive outlets like movement, fashion, and storytelling.

Everything I do—from sewing to modeling to dancing—is about helping others feel seen, strong, and sensational.

Looking back, what do you think were the three qualities, skills, or areas of knowledge that were most impactful in your journey? What advice do you have for folks who are early in their journey in terms of how they can best develop or improve on these?

Resilience, Creativity, and Self-Belief have been theist powerful forces in my life.
Resilience helped me rebuild myself during trauma. Creativity has always been my outlet—from sewing dresses for my daughters to expressing myself through dance and fashion. And self-belief was something I had to grow into—especially as a mother, grandmother, and woman starting a modeling career later in life.

For anyone early in their journey, my advice is: Don’t wait for confidence to arrive—start where you are, and build it piece by piece. Surround yourself with people who lift you up, find something that makes you feel alive, and do it unapologetically. And remember: healing and becoming who you’re meant to be can be messy, but it’s so worth it.

Looking back over the past 12 months or so, what do you think has been your biggest area of improvement or growth?

The biggest growth for me has been learning to prioritize myself. For years, I defined my worth through taking care of others—always pouring into everyone around me. But in the past couple years, I’ve embraced the idea that nurturing my own dreams, desires, and healing is not selfish—it’s necessary. I’ve stepped more fully into my power as a model, explored gym and dance classes as a form of joyful movement, and continued to honor my sewing/design creativity and passion on my own terms. I’ve leaned into joy without guilt. I’ve stopped asking for permission to shine—and that, for me, has been the most empowering shift of all.

Strength isn’t always loud. Power looks different on everyone—mine is stitched with intention, draped in self-love, and danced out in heels I chose for myself.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: @saucy_aussie_girl
• Facebook: @fionashaw

Image Credits

Model legal name: Fiona Shaw
Model stage name: Saucy Aussie
Model Instagram: @saucy_aussie_girl
Model email: fiona.duggan35@gmail.com

Photographer legal name: Jessie Pfriem
Photographer studio name: Jrd designs and photography
Photographer Instagram: @JRDBoudieBabes
Photographer email: jrddesignproductions@gmail.com