Toowoomba’s own Styling Station with pay-it-forward model to open in CBD for vulnerable, at-risk women

Toowoomba’s newest charity initiative is using fashion to transform the confidence and outlook of vulnerable women. Learn how its stylist is changing lives, one outfit at a time:

Cindy Nicollet has seen the impact a perfectly-styled outfit can have on a woman’s self-esteem and confidence — and now she wants Toowoomba residents from all walks of life to join her on this journey.

The former allied health professional-turned fashion stylist is getting ready to open Toowoomba’s own Styling Station, with the hope of transforming the lives of hundreds of women living through homelessness or escaping domestic violence.

The upcoming CBD shopfront on Ruthven Street, which will be the third Styling Station in Australia after Brisbane and Melbourne, will receive donated surplus stock from fashion wholesalers, and encourage women who can afford it to pay for a one-hour styling session.

Ms Nicollet said the cost of those sessions will be then donated to women who can’t pay for one.

Cindy Nicollet and Rhiannon Humphries are getting ready to welcome people to the Styling Station in the Toowoomba CBD, Thursday, June 12, 2025. Picture: Kevin Farmer

“It’s a pay-it-forward model, essentially through that generosity of women coming and paying for styling sessions,” she said.

“They have a play around and (then) we gift them an outfit at the end of that session, because that’s our way of saying thank you for their generosity, because their session pays it forward.

“Then we can get other community women in, whatever their circumstances are, for their own session.

“(We’ll be) connecting (with) different community partners and then having them refer any of their ladies to come in and have that same session.”

Cindy Nicollet is getting ready to welcome people to the Styling Station in the Toowoomba CBD, Thursday, June 12, 2025. Picture: Kevin Farmer

Ms Nicollet, who volunteered as a stylist at the original store in Brisbane before moving to Toowoomba, said women she had helped would walk out of the sessions with not only a new look but a new outlook on life.

“A lot of them can come in very scared, unsure of what’s going on (so) we often encourage them to come with a support worker or someone that they feel comfortable with to transition them in,” she said.

“Going into a clothing store can be very confronting for a number of reasons, so (we) help them feel comfortable.

“Rather than having those negative impressions of themselves, it’s just going, ‘no, you’re beautiful and let’s celebrate that’.

“It’s just about restoring hope and dignity for women, making them feel confident in a time that they may be experiencing some hardship.

“I remember one woman coming in who was very within herself and in that space of an hour, each time she was coming out of that change room I could see that a little bit more confidence shining through.”

Cindy Nicollet and Rhiannon Humphries are getting ready to welcome people to the Styling Station in the Toowoomba CBD, Thursday, June 12, 2025. Picture: Kevin Farmer

Ms Nicollet said the Styling Station hoped to stock thousands of items once fully-operational, including from local boutiques.

“We’ve got one major fashion partner based in Sydney called Thread Together, but I’m really keen to tap into any local retailers boutiques here who would love to come and join us in our mission by being able to support us through donating any excess stock,” she said.

“Thread Together has been really great in sort of creating those partnerships, but obviously being part of this community I really want to create those partnerships closer to home as well.”

The Styling Station opens at 416 Ruthven Street, Toowoomba City (next door to People First Bank’s headquarters) in early July with a major launch party.

For more information, head to the Facebook page or email [e-mail].

Originally published as Toowoomba’s own Styling Station with pay-it-forward model to open in CBD for vulnerable, at-risk women