P.E. Nation founder Pip Edwards, 40, hires Sydney PR guru after high-profile blunders

P.E Nation founder Pip Edwards has hired a PR guru to help repair her public image and oversee a ‘top tier’ strategy for her business. 

According to a report in Sydney Morning Herald on Sunday, Pip has hired publicist Maria Farmer for her expertise in personal brand and crisis management. 

The designer and Bondi ‘it girl’, 40, has apparently been unhappy with recent press coverage following a number of high-profile blunders in the past six months.  

‘Maria Farmer has been brought across the business to oversee top tier strategy for Pip Edwards, Claire Tregoning and P.E Nation,’ P.E Nation’s former in-house PR manager Lou Gaffikin who confirmed to the publication on Sunday.

Maria works in both personal branding and crisis management.      

The publicist was apparently hired shortly after Pip’s split from former cricketer beau Michael Clarke.

Pip found herself at the centre of a PR disaster last month after fans claimed she was ‘tone deaf’ and ‘performative’ for protesting Australia Day on Instagram – only to attend a backyard barbecue a few hours later. 

In a post on Instagram Stories, Pip shared a letter on why Australia Day should not be celebrated on January 26 – when the First Fleet arrived at Sydney Cove.  

However, just hours later, she shared photos from an Australia Day party she attended, and wrote: ‘A day to celebrate the land that we live and thrive on. I love you, Australia.’

To make matters worse, the Aboriginal flag was flown upside down at the party by mistake. 

A day later, Pip shared a grovelling apology online which read: ‘I want to express my sincere apologies to those that I have offended.’

‘My intentions were always from a good place, in support of all people, wanting unity and community in this country and globally,’ she continued.

Pip insisted she had ‘no idea’ the Aboriginal flag was upside down in the photos she uploaded from the backyard party.

At the end of October, leaked e-mails revealed how her staff refused to sign off on an Archibald Prize entry portrait of her, because it made her look ‘old’.

Melbourne artist Lauren Ferrier, 25, told Daily Mail Australia she approached the prominent fashionista in late 2019 to ask if she would be her subject in the prestigious competition.

But almost a year later, her top aide Louise Gaffikin refused to have Pip sign off on the finished product – as it didn’t ‘align’ with the high-profile designer’s image and made her look ‘older beyond her years’, leaked emails revealed.

The signature was simply to prove they had met, as per the competition’s conditions, Lauren said. Pip eventually acquiesced and signed the form.

Following mass backlash, Ms Gaffikin later said in a statement: ‘Pip is a creative individual. She has a wealth of ideas, thoughts and openness.

‘There is always room for wide interpretation and personal subjectiveness when it comes to artistic expression and it is often subjective.

‘She appreciates the artist’s take on her, hence why the portrait was submitted for consideration.’