Four female fashion founders we love (and have named our clothes after)
One of the questions we get asked a lot is: "do you name your clothes after real women?" And the answer is, absolutely. It's women who inspire us to create pieces that make your wardrobe work, so I'm always thinking of women I admire and respect when designing and then naming each piece.
This process starts a minimum of six months in advance. As I develop a new product - or we decided to do an existing design in a different fabric - it needs a name.
I keep a running list of women who I admire and respect and those women could be our customers, influencers who love our brand, friends, family members and fellow businesswomen who inspire me.
In our spring 2021 Pretty in Peach collection, I've named four of our pieces after founders of fashion brands that I know and love. Coincidentally, all these women are also based in Brisbane.
Caroline McCulloch, FRANKiE4 Footwear
I've partnered with and worn this footwear brand since 2013 and it's been an absolute privilege to watch it grow, with thousand of women around the world now saved from the pain of uncomfortable footwear in shoes that look amazing.
Caroline and her husband Al saw a gap in the market for shoes they could recommend for their then podiatry patients' needs but shoes that didn't look like they were for podiatry needs.
I'll never forget Caroline telling me how she asked a patient to close her eyes as she put on a pair of "prescribed" shoes for her foot condition. She never ever wanted to have to do that again. She wanted save soles in style.
Caroline's namesake piece in our collection is the Caroline linen blazer - available in white and peach and coming soon in ice blue.
Stevie Angel and Nadia Tucker, Active Truth
I first met Stevie and Nadia not long after they started their activewear business in 2016. In a sea of active brands, they stand out because they've not been afraid to stand out. From the start, they've included diversity in their marketing. They have a no-photoshop rule on all their campaign images and they make amazing tights that are supportive, whether you're being active or not!
Stevie's namesake piece is the Stevie sleeveless technical blouse - available in black, peach (limited edition) and white.
I've watched in awe as Clare has grown and shaped her business around creating and finding products to help us feel more organised, whether that's organising our jewellery collection or packing for a weekend away. What Clare does is take a storage or organisation problem and find a way to bring calm and order to the situation. She's responsible for me ditching a big wallet - and I was someone who LOVED my big wallets. Best of all, her solutions are not ugly. Far from it.
Clare's namesake piece is the Clare technical puff-sleeve dress. She's been a huge hit. Check her out on one of my favourite authors - Sally Hepworth - who just happens to be teaming her Clare dress with Bon Maxie accessories!
