E: vanja@vanjastace.com | P: +61 (0) 425 433 335
Digital marketing & design
I will be away from Thursday 25 April (ANZAC Day) until Monday 29 April 2013 as I am attending and performing at the Sydney International Bachata Festival. If you need me during this time please email me but allow a few days for me to get back to you.
Today I learned about the fashion magazine business from the lovely ladies at Madison magazine.
My day started extremely early as I had to get my hair and makeup just perfect – I was meeting the editor of Madison magazine after all! I was very excited to get to 54 Park Ave on time, and I eventually arrived about an hour early. Whoops! I prefer that to having them wait for me, I would die of shame if I was late.
Last month my husband Danny and I launched United by Bird jewellery. We both have a background in art and we love designing and making jewellery.
We started with earrings and are about to expand into necklaces, bracelets and rings – I’m sure you can appreciate that these things take time when you’re self funded.
Michelle Bridges helped me get from flab to fab but now I am learning about clean eating with the help of Amanda Weekes from Daily Dose Fitness here in Sydney.
First of all, I won’t be posting the actual clean eating plan that Amanda sent me because it’s her copyright and I respect her work. I’ll be writing about my progress on the plan; observations, thoughts, and progress.
Michelle Bridges 12WBT (12 week body transformation) changed my life because it taught me valuable lessons about nutrition and fitness. For the first time in my life I have a healthy view of food, exercise and my own body.
I haven’t been ignoring you on purpose – I moved to Sydney in December and have started a new job at Napoleon Perdis which has kept me busy. I have less time on my hands because I am trying to settle in (and unpack – yikes) but that doesn’t mean I don’t think about blogging every single day.
2012 will be an exciting year. I promise to deliver every bit of excitement that Sydney has to offer. For my Brisbane fans – do not despair. I will write about things in your neck of the woods too.
Thanks for sticking with me during my major life change. I value your patience and support and I look forward to a great year ahead!
Vanja xx
Know who you are then adorn yourself accordingly
Lotus Mendes is a seriously sexy jewellery label. Designed to empower and release your inner goddess, Lotus Mendes offers stunning rings, cuffs, necklaces and bracelets in chunky silver and gold finishes.
Designer Victoria Cheatham creates with five notions in mind - RESPECT, TRUST, LOYALTY, LOVE, and HONOR. These are evident in every piece in the collection; symbolic messages are printed on arm bands,and 5 point star rings.
Priced from $59 Lotus Mendes is attainable luxury. Get yours today at the Lotus Mendes online store or call 0414 664 655 for stockists.
Sydney fashion designer Brooke Daniels gives us a glimpse behind the scenes of her Summer 11/12 collection, shot at a lavish location.
The collection has a strong resort feel and illustrates Brooke’s love of sleek styling. Kaftans, playsuits, maxi dresses, tulip skirts and bodycon dresses dominate the collection. Colour blocking makes an entrance but never steals the show.
I love the fluidity of the Angelina maxi dress, the crop structured Bomber jacket, the chic Louise mini dress and the fierce shouldered Lucy Splice tall dress – all are available on the Brooke Daniels online store.
I adore the stunning Spring Summer 2011 collection by Bianca Spender. Vulnerable, minimal and totally seductive, Bianca’s vision was assisted by the talented photographer Adrian Mesko.
While the pieces themselves are delicate and dainty, they create a strong, fierce silhouette. Orange, blue and white dominate the collection; faint pattern and a touch of yellow add depth.
If I had to sum it up in one word I would call this collection – irresistible.
Bianca Spender SS2011 – photo by Adrian Mesko
Bianca Spender SS2011 – photo by Adrian Mesko
Bianca Spender SS2011 – photo by Adrian Mesko
Bianca Spender SS2011 – photo by Adrian Mesko
Bianca Spender SS2011 – photo by Adrian Mesko
Bianca Spender at RAFW – image by Stefan Gosatti Getty Images AsiaPac
When I was in New York last month I shopped like a maniac. Sephora, Betsey Johnson, Barneys – you name it. The most frustrating thing? Not being able to shop at these places now I’m back in Australia. Enter USA Shopping Affair!
USA Shopping Affair offers personal shopping buying sprees in the USA as well as mail forwarding for all your online shopping all the way to Australia.
Each month they nominate a US online retailer that they purchase bulk orders on behalf of clients, allowing them to buy single items without the excessive expense.
Charmaine Graham, founder of USA Shopping Affair says that “there are a lot of companies based in the US offering package forwarding services, but none are coordinated from Australia consolidating multiple client purchases to enable discounted shipping. Essentially USA Shopping Affair facilitates ‘collective buying power’ that an individual would not normally have access too. The result is an affordable and reliable shipping option that offers online shoppers even more incentive to snap up bargains from the US.”
VS
Register now at USA Shopping Affair and start shopping!
Coco Ribbon is a fashion and lifestyle brand of bohemian-luxe fashion and chic gifts with heart which exists to indulge and inspire those who believe life is too short for ordinary. Think luxe fabrics, bespoke opulent prints, embellishments, sequin jackets and maxi dresses.
Women who are not afraid to stand out from the crowd – who love luxe fabrics and flamboyant prints. She is feminine, confident and believes life is too short for ordinary. And she wants unique pieces that will become treasured favourites.
The colours, the prints, the fabrics, the embellishments and the feminine silhouettes. The clothes are beautiful, feel luxe on the body and usually have an element of uniqueness or surprise to them – like a flash of unexpected orange as a sash on a blue print dress
I can’t think of anyone more beautiful that I would like to see wearing my label right now than Rosie Huntington-Whiteley.
$195 – $995
Two.
UK, India, Scotland for cashmere. It depends what garment it is.
Yes we have been stocked in Harvey Nichols in the UK previously as well as Neiman Marcus and Scoop in the US among other international boutiques and plan to reintroduce the label to these retailers again next year.
As a luxe fashion and lifestyle boutique in Notting Hill in 2002. Originally we were the first store in London to bring over Aussie designers under one roof including Sass and Bide, Willow, Zimmermann among others.
In 2007 we launched our own label of fashion, soft accessories, lingerie and cosmetics. My partner and I went our separate ways in 2009 and I have relaunched the online and fashion business as the sole Creative Director based out of Sydney.
Right now it is me and my Production Manager with design and pattern cutting experience. I art direct the prints using local graphic designers in Sydney.
I have had no formal design training although I recently completed a fashion illustration course at Whitehouse Institute of Design so Icould put my ideas and designs onto paper.
It was running my own boutique in London for the last eight years that gave me the confidence to know what women want when it comes to clothes and i have always been drawn to a specific aesthetic when it comes to colour, prints and design.
If you create a brand that people know and love then often you attract great people who want to work for you. We would always employ people who approached us who were passionate about our brand and had done their research on Coco Ribbon.
We would advertise on our website and look at those who sent us their CV and a personal passionate covering email stating exactly the role they were seeking. For higher level positions such as a CFO we would use the best industry headhunters.
Inspiration can be found everywhere but i find i’m most inspired when i’m relaxed and usually travelling. New York, Paris and Marrakech are three of my favourite places for finding inspiration.
I also find inspiration in nature – from butterflies and birds to colourful coral and creatures under the sea nothing is more spectacular than what mother nature creates.
Having a vision of a dress or garment and then seeing it to fruition is most rewarding. Then seeing others enjoy what you have created with them looking amazing in your designs is a fantastic feeling.
Where to begin? There is so much I’ve learned yet I feel like there is still an infinite amount to know. For every designer/creative director it would be different but for me I would say to trust your instincts always and dare to do things differently.
Don’t just do what others have done before you – think outside of the box.
Watch this space…
Alice Moore is a Sydney based publicist who started her business in Brisbane with an array of prestigious labels as clients. Now based in Sydney she’s busier than ever. Let’s see what her days are like and what being a fashion publicist is all about.
I started Élysée Publicity in early 2009 to provide the link between Queensland-based designers and the national fashion media. I relocated to Sydney in late 2010 and now look after the publicity for a number of fashion labels, makeup and skincare brands and international fragrance houses.
Whilst working at another agency in Brisbane, I was given the opportunity to do the PR for the opening of Jean Brown. After the opening, I moved to Sydney after getting a job in PR for M.A.C. Cosmetics – it just grew from there.
Working in fashion is a girls dream and it is therefore often the choice for many publicists starting out. It’s a lot of hard work as well though so you need to treat it like any other job and just work hard to get the best results for your clients.
Yes and no. There are lots of wonderful moments and surreal experiences - tom gunn collaborating with Gary Bigeni for this year’s Australian Fashion Week was a highlight – there is also a lot of hard work.
As I work virtually alone, I have to do absolutely everything – including all the boring admin activities that interns would do in other companies. I find a lot of the more challenging activities are where the rewards are though, they’re where you actually learn and get better at your job – much more so than in the fun, party moments.
tom gunn for Gary Bigeni - shoes at Australian Fashion Week 2011
Much of my job evolves around submitting the latest product (whether it be clothing, fragrance or makeup) to the magazines so they can shoot it for upcoming issues. I also travel to Brisbane once a month to meet with clients there. I’m also planning a trip to Paris early next year so I can visit some perfumers and see the latest releases.
We’re doing Spring Summer showings at the moment so much of the next few weeks will involve hosting key fashion media at the showroom so they can preview the upcoming collections. Other daily tasks are emails, responding to call outs, pitching new stories, organising the showroom and meeting with clients.
I have no idea – Today is Sunday and I’m up to five so far…
You need to be very efficient and organised. Good writing and social skills are also essential. And of course, a well-recognized degree is a must. A lot of what you do in PR is taught on the job but a university grounding shows you are dedicated to the industry and this isn’t just a decision based on the latest fad.
Issada Cosmetics creating the looks for SWIMSHOW 2011
Definitely the amazing relationships I’ve formed along the way – with the designers and my clients, as well as with the press. I’ve made life long friends in this industry.
Fitting everything in and getting everything done! Working out how to grow the business is also very tricky – it requires very careful planning which is something I’m working on at the moment.
Take my gorgeous puppy to the Rushcutters Bay for some play time.
Collaborating with Gary Bigeni for tom gunn and bringing out Romano Ricci from Paris to launch Juliette Has a Gun are just two of the many highlights! Getting to meet amazing perfumers when I visit Paris is also a special moment!
The beautiful set up for our latest fragrance launch - the stunning floral installation is by the wonderful James Gordon
Work hard – once you get your foot in the door, keep working – the more you push yourself when you’re young, the further you’ll get.
… a job (but a wonderful one at that).
Ingrid is the Senior Designer at Minty Meets Munt, one of the coolest labels around. It’s awesome to have her talk about her work and all that it takes to perform in such a high paced role in a killer label.
Thanks Ingrid! Fantastic interview :)
Ingrid Epitro
I’m currently the Senior Designer for a wonderful Australian brand called Minty Meets Munt.
I’ve been a designer now for nearly 9 years and I’m pretty sure I’ll be doing this forever!
I was fresh out of college when I landed my first job as a design room assistant.
I was determined, so I started from the bottom and worked my way up.
Its all I ever wanted to do since I was 12. I really enjoyed the process of creating something from scratch.
I love clothes and how they can transform you depending on your mood and how you want to express yourself on any given day.
I learnt at college that it would be a competitive industry, but then in the real world you also realise that its a serious business.
You are not just competing with your classmates, you are now competing with a global market. It’s challenging, but I like the challenge.
I frequently travel to Hong Kong and China for fabric sourcing and to also liaise with our suppliers. Sourcing trips are tough and there’s a lot to cover in a short time. Once I’ve finished sourcing for upcoming season, when I arrive back home its pretty much straight back to work.
We are never working on just one project, seasons roll over into each other so there’s never really a break from range to range. We have to be really efficient and organised when it comes to planning our working week.
We are always on the move creating new stories and always researching new trends. Fashion never sleeps!!
My day to day consists of much the same, whether its reading through the hundred emails from suppliers, researching new and upcoming trends from the runways, searching for the next big trend!
We have samples coming in and out daily so we are always working very closely with our garments and making sure that the fit, quality and overall look is achieved. We have weekly production meeting to make sure that our deliveries are on target.
At the start of any new season I will take a week to sift through the trends and as a team we will breakdown the trends we are going to focus on, then I hit pen to paper and start sketching and start sorting through fabrics which will be used in the range.
The most exciting part is seeing what you have sketched come to life and then having the look-book shoot. Its great to see what the photographer and stylist create on the day with your work. There is a lot of blood, sweat and tears that go into each collection.
Minty Meets Munt lookbook shoot
Designers never rest, we are always switched on – whether it’s reading through magazines, researching the web before bed or shopping. We are always looking for new details that inspire our own work.
A general working week will be anywhere from 40hrs/9hr days when we are wrapping up a season to 75hr week/15hr days when we are on deadline. It’s never a 9-5 job.
A great eye for design detail and an understanding of how garments are constructed and how they should fit the body. I think one of the most important key skills is being able to identify and understand the market you design for.
Manhattan Vest $159.95
I think the fact that we are able to create clothes that people are drawn to and the fact that people are excited by what we do is really special.
Dealing with overseas factories is sometimes a huge strain. The cultural difference and the language barrier can mean that sometimes there are miscommunications in the process which can often have a serious affect on the business.
Ferdinand Shirt $99.95
I like to travel a lot, whether it’s a weekend away or a big overseas trip. Travel inspires me and gives me great opportunity me to reflect. I love going to watch foreign films and seeing bands with my boyfriend. But there is nothing like a big cook up with friends and family on the weekends.
That’s a tough question as I’m only 28 and I think there are many highlights ahead! I think my whole career has been a highlight. I’ve been lucky to have worked for some amazing brands, especially now with Minty Meets Munt.
My designs have had great press over the years and I was really proud when Jennifer Hawkins for Myer chose one of my designs for their TV campaign.
I’ve learned so much from some really talented people and I think that’s a highlight in itself. I’m excited for the future!
Slim Jim Cargo's $129.95
Work hard, believe in yourself and don’t allow people to tell you that you can’t make it!
Coco Chanel sums it up for me: “Fashion is not something that exists in dresses only. Fashion is in the sky, in the street, fashion has to do with ideas, the way we live, what is happening.”
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
We’re cousins that design and own the fashion label KissinCussin.
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.
Colour, creative, expression.
Yes. It’s tough and competitive but its full of expression.
A lot! Design, marketing, branding, administration, sales, production, finance, travel is the highlight!
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.
An easy week would be about 50 but production periods are a lot more!
Management, patience, passion and point of difference.
Creating!
Bad payers.
Beach and play.
Forming amazing bonds with the ladies who sew for us and living a double life between Australia and Sri Lanka/ India.
Have a point of difference to make your label stand out from the crowd.
Fun ; )
Brad Ngata is the Jesus of hair. I’m not trying to be disrespectful to religious folk but this man is an actual miracle worker. He can turn fine, limp, dull hair into a full, glossy, wild and energetic mane. If I was hair I would want to be in Brad’s hands for sure.
Rosemount Australian Fashion Week was a busy time for Brad and his team. He created looks for Gail Sorronda and Gail Elliott (I see a pattern here). The one I am bringing you today is the full, voluminous boho mane from the Gail Elliot Little Joe Woman show.
Relaxed, messy, lived-in, unpretentious. The way you wish you would look like when you just wake up, in HIS arms.
1. Use Brad’s double-moussing technique – apply mousse, blast the hair completely dry and repeat. This way you get raw texture and natural body.
2. Layer L’Oréal Professionnel Techni.art Full Volume Extra mousse through the roots to ends.
3. Part front section in the middle and blow dry forward
4. Using hot irons, wrap sections around the barrel and pull through the hair to achieve a soft wave – leave ends out for a natural look.
5. Spray a little L’Oreal Professionnel Play Ball Beach Fizz to add some extra texture and add volume at the crown.
6. Brush through lightly to add a slight frizz and finish with L’Oréal Professionnel Infinium Lumière Extreme Hold Professional Hairspray 4 to hold.
Little Joe Woman images courtesy of Jesse O’Brien for L’Oreal Professionnel
Catriona Byrne is the designer of Katzi, an Australian label. Here is a glimpse into her role as a designer and her career to date.
I started at a young age drawing my own designs as I was fed up with the choices on the high street.
After travelling through Asia I was inspired by all the amazing tribal jewellery and gem stones so once I got back to Australia I decided to study jewellery design and silver smithing.
It chose me.
Yes!!!
Designing two collections per year and managing that whole process from a sketch to the finished product.
No such thing as a typical week! Every one is different, pending the time of year. If we’re in design mode, or selling a range, or dispatching a new collection – all depends on what’s going on.
40 hrs – sometimes more, sometimes less.
An open mind, patience & sense of humour.
Creating something tangible from an idea.
Time frames.
Yoga, cliff walks, horse riding, beach swims.
Designing a range for Wayne Cooper’s catwalk show, being #1 in Grazia’s Top Ten, featuring KATZI on prime time TV, seeing Cat Deely sporting a KATZI bag.
Stay true to who you are and your own style.
Katie Perry is a designer from Sydney who specialises in lifestyle fashion. Don’t for a second confuse her with Katy Perry the singer. These two have some history together (who can forget the singer Perry muscling in on designer Perry).
Personally I think the entire ordeal just gave Katie Perry more exposure and catapulted her label into the stratosphere. One would think you’d come out of this situation more determined than ever to focus on your brand and make it as successful as possible, so it’s great to see her doing so well. And if you had to ask, I was on Team Katie from day 1.
I have been lucky to grow up around the world – Africa, Asia, Australia and Europe, so I am a bit of a gypsy. I love travelling and have withdrawals if I don’t get on a plane every few months. Thats probably why the Katie Perry collection is very much about a travel wardrobe.
I was brought up by a very determined, hardworking single mum and have a gorgeous little brother.
Fashion runs in my blood. My great grandfather was a wool merchant and my mother worked closely with the Bennetton Brothers so it was only natural I would work in fashion.
I have worked in all areas from buying, retail, styling and managing. Then made the crazy leap and started Katie Perry.
Katie Perry in her design studio
I love that fashion is an expression about how you feel about yourself.
When I started I had no idea how hard it would be and it’s probably a good thing! I remember taking a photo of myself when I bought my first roll of fabric, I was so excited. Now there is no celebration or marking of the event as I do it every week.
Everything. As a small bsuiness I am Head of Everything – from marketing, design, accounts, websites, blogs, customer service, HR…
Different parts of the day consist of different tasks and could be from travel, interviewing staff, working with suppliers to just doing my BAS.
Katie Perry New York Dress
MONDAY – Meeting with my cutter and/or my maker. This is a big day of being on the road as its takes me an hour and half to get to my makers (one way).
TUESDAY – Stay at the design studio and catch up on paperwork.
WEDNESDAY – Stay at the design studio update blog, website, newsletter. This is my computer day.
THURSDAY – First half is kept free in case I need to visit patternmaker or pick up fabrics and from 2pm I am back in the studio.
FRIDAY – See my fabric supplier.
SATURDAY – Set up and unpack at Paddington markets.
SUNDAY – No laptop day and help staff at Rocks markets. SLEEP LOTS.
Katie Perry LA Jacket
Now 4 years into the business I am learning to just go with how the hours and focus ebs and flows. Every week is different – this week I am doing 60 hours as I have new staff but I am also taking a half day on Friday to balance it out. I love the flexibility of having your own label.
So many skills I could easily be here all day…
Katie Perry Hawaii Dress
I LOVE LOVE designing and I also love my customers. There is nothing better then getting a woman to try on a piece and have her come out of the dressing room with a smile on her face, shoulders back because she feels great.
Anything to do with paperwork. I am very right brain so having to do my BAS and accounts is torture.
I am a power yoga addict. Get me on my mat and its just me to worry about, pure freedom for 60-90 mins. Also love grabbing my iPod and going for a run outdoors.
Katie Perry Sorrento Top with Shelly Pants
How could I ever overlook winning the whole Perry vs Perry case. This was one time when I stuck to my principles and the case was dropped. Although it was an extremly difficult time for me the silver lining was I had so much support (even received emails from Iceland to Vietnam) and it made me even more hungry about protecting my baby, I mean my business.
Take any chance you are given. I did work experience 3 days a week for 6 months and the contacts I made through it are to this day invaluable.
… life and whatever makes you feel great.
Last month I had the pleasure of chatting with Henry Holland. No, not that Henry Holland. The other one – from Sydney label Eleventh Commandment.
While I’m sure this Henry Holland is just as ravishing, I was drawn to the man for starting a label which sums itself up in a modern day biblical quote.
“Thou shalt always dress with tremendous amounts of style and be furiously good-looking.”
If other businesses had a commandment instead of a lame mission and vision I think we’d all feel a bit better. Anyhow, back to the story.
I wanted to interview Henry so that I can get the essence of the label without diluting it. The interview below is him unleashed. Thanks Henry!
Now go forth and be fabulous. x
Eleventh Commandment is premium denim and apparel label that was launched at Sydney Fashion Week in 2008. We focus on creating designs that are cutting edge yet irreverent and sometimes satirical. Everything we produce is 100% Made in Australia.
Eleventh Commandment should appeal to anyone that is passionate about style and pop culture. We particularly love jeans and attempt to constantly explore what is possible with denim. Our customers seems to appreciate this, so hopefully we can continue to appeal to a wider range of denim lovers.
Hopefully our customers appreciate the items we produce because they understand the work that we have put into making a premium quality garment that has our signature style which hopefully isn’t the same as everything else available on the market. Either that, or they have been brainwashed.
Anyone from the 27 Club. Tall order I know.
$69.95 – $349.95
Each year we produce a spring / summer collection and an autumn / winter collection. Each of these is split into two drops.
We are 100% Australian made. Every one of our garments is fitted with a swing tag that reads ‘This garment is 100% Made in Australia. If you’re looking for some poor quality Chinese shit you’re going to have to look elsewhere.’
We are currently stocked in 25+ leading boutiques nationwide.
We have a couple of stockists overseas but export throws up a whole bunch of challenges which makes things extremely difficult. The depressed world economy and the high Australian dollar are working against us at the moment but we have plans to continue to expand internationally when the timing is right.
We are also interested in being stocked on Mars, but haven’t had any luck as of writing.
The label was started by Henry Holland and Joshua Oldfield. It was the result of a science experiment gone wrong.
The design team consists of myself, Josh and Madeline. I am in charge of the cupcakes, Josh’s responsibilities include temperature control and protecting us from comic book super villains and Madeline spends most of the time balancing plates on her head. She is getting pretty good at it.
I got started in design on a whim and a prayer. Well not so much the second part, prayer is for fools. So basically it was just on a whole lot of whim. But it was good whim, and it has got me this far. I didn’t have any formal design training and before starting the label I studied journalism.
It’s funny you should ask that as we have just taken on another staff member, and so have just been through the process of fishing around the industry / universe to try and land the right person. The main thing we look for is someone that has all the right skills and experience but who is also going to be the right cultural fit for Eleventh Commandment.
We advertised the position through a couple of websites, our own blog and social media pages and basically just along the grapevine. We had a pretty overwhelming response due partly to the fact that Eleventh Commandment is a cool place to work and partly to the fact that the economy is in the doldrums so there are lots of applicants and very few jobs. Sad but true.
Inspiration is like love. You never know where you might find it and when you describe it you will invariably talk in massive boring clichés. All that being said, we find inspiration everywhere (see I told you, didn’t I?)
You can find inspiration in movies, music, online, behind the couch. Basically it’s going to be in the last place you look. So when you lose it, think back and retrace your steps, and you will eventually find it again.
It is very rewarding at the end of each development phase to see the whole new collection altogether. It takes a tremendous amount of work to create a collection, bordering on the absurd. But to see it all looking pretty at the end makes it all worthwhile. It’s kind of how I imagine a mother to feel when looking at their baby after so many months of difficult labor. Except that the collection doesn’t cry and shit everywhere.
If I had a time machine I would cruise back and have a conversation with a younger me that would go a little something like this:
“Hey Henry from the past, I’m you three years from now. I’ve come back in time to give you some advice.”
“Fuck off you creep. You’re not me three years from now. You look about 40.”
“Yes, running my own business has aged me terribly. But I’ve got some words of wisdom for you that can help you avoid some of the difficulties I have faced.”
“Sorry what was that? I could’t hear you, I was too busy thinking I already know everything.”
“You know you’re a little shit, I’m sorry I ever came back here. Go invest in some U.S. subprime mortgages. Have a nice life…. asshole.”
Some of the projects we’re working on:
Shoes of Prey is an online portal that allows you to design and create your own bespoke shoes.
Personally I love the concept and I love the site. If you’re like me and you fancy yourself as a bit of a shoe designer you will enjoy the creativity Shoes of Prey offer. So many styles, colours and variations to choose from – there are currently over 3 trillion combinations and the style library is constantly updated. Plus – the most expensive shoe is $300 which brings bespoke shoes within our reach.
I spoke with Shoes of Prey co-founder Jodie Fox about her career in fashion. We’re lucky to get a glimpse inside such a unique career!
Today, I am the co-founder of Shoes of Prey – a website where women can design their own shoes. Previously, I have worked in advertising and as a banking and finance lawyer. I have always enjoyed shoes, fashion and a good espresso.
Shoes of Prey
I had always liked shoes but I had never experienced total shoe-lust. There was always something I would want to change about the shoe to make it my object of desire!! I happened upon an opportunity to design my own shoes and loved the experience, which I went on to share with my girlfriends.
In 2009 the 2 other co-founders of the business were looking at starting an online e-commerce concept. All they needed was an idea. No one was providing the service of design your own shoes online, and so, Shoes of Prey was born.
Shoes of Prey slingbacks
I think that the creativity involved in fashion makes it an exciting industry to be in, and certainly in Australia in my experience, it is filled with exciting, interesting and lovely people.
No, I had expected it to be cold and brutal, but to date it has not been. I suppose in some ways Shoes of Prey may be spared this because we aren’t really competing with the other labels – our concept hands that power entirely to our clients.
My day-to-day is anything but consistent! Top level, things I cover in our business include: Communications including PR, celebrity outreach, all aspects of branding, content generation and much more. I also cover our product development side of our business, sourcing new materials, introducing new shoe shapes etc.
Honestly? there’s no such thing as a typical week… but that’s a part of the reason I love this so much 
It might be dangerous to admit this and I’ll preface it by saying that this is typical of a founder as opposed to someone necessarily in the fashion industry – but I’d say around 80 hours a week.
Courage, confidence to make a decision and make it happen, patience, an eye for fashion, willingness to seek out advice on the things you don’t know – and then the ability to figure out if/how that applies to you, good knowledge of how to build a brand, good production skills and a sense of adventure
Shoes of Prey brogues
Honestly – everything. There isn’t a single day of my life that I don’t wake up thinking that both professionally and personally, this is the best thing I could possibly be doing.
There are any number of challenges and you will never be able to imagine them until they happen! But one of the first and most memorable for me was realising that you’re never really completely prepared for anything, but you should never let this push you to inaction or delay – just make it happen now!
Jodie Fox - image courtesy of Shoes of Prey
I spend time with friends, do yoga, shop online, cook, read and pamper!
This isn’t all that glamourous, but as a founder of a business it really was so moving for me – it happened last Friday – we had our first team meeting and drinks in our new Sydney office. This is our first office completely to ourselves (we sublet before that) and just to look around and see we have incredible staff working with us on this vision in our very own place in the world was the most extraordinary feeling.
Yes – just make the decision and do it!
…smelling the roses, every day.
A few photos from our weekend in Sydney.
I must admit the city feels fantastic, there is always something happening. As hubby said, you know it’s a city when places are open on sunday night…
This could be your project :)
