Talk about ethical fashion! Hayley and Jess set up the label KissinCussin so they could help the district of Tallala Bay in Sri Lanka.
You have to (yes, you HAVE TO) read their diary, their account of how it all started at Tallala Bay. I promise you will LOVE KissinCussin so much more after you learn what’s at the heart of it.
Well done Hayley and Jess! Keep up the great work x
Hayley Maynard and Jess Brown
- Occupation: Designers
- Label: KissinCussin
- Facebook: KissinCussin
- Place of residence: Sydney / Sri Lanka
Tell us a little about yourselves
We’re cousins that design and own the fashion label KissinCussin.
How did you get your start in fashion?
Right time and right place… Tsunami relief lead to our own project – a combo of seeing beautiful unique prints and styles of exotic surrounds mixed with the opportunity to make a product in a socially sustainable way.
Why did you choose fashion?
Colour, creative, expression.
Is the fashion industry what you expected it to be?
Yes. It’s tough and competitive but its full of expression.
What does your job consist of?
A lot! Design, marketing, branding, administration, sales, production, finance, travel is the highlight!
Describe a typical week
Weeks are never typical, which is great. An easy week would be emails, distributing orders and re-orders, working on marketing tools – website, blogger and facebook and we usually like to end our week with a day of design and brand development.
Roughly how many hours do you work per week?
An easy week would be about 50 but production periods are a lot more!
What are the key skills you need for your role?
Management, patience, passion and point of difference.
What do you enjoy most about your role?
Creating!
What do you find challenging?
Bad payers.
What do you do in your time off?
Beach and play.
What’s the highlight of your career so far?
Forming amazing bonds with the ladies who sew for us and living a double life between Australia and Sri Lanka/ India.
Do you have any advice for someone starting out in fashion?
Have a point of difference to make your label stand out from the crowd.
Finish this sencence: Fashion is…
Fun ; )
