In a new monthly series at Inside Retail, we dig into the photo archives of retail leaders, as they reflect on where they’ve been, how they’ve evolved and what’s to come for the future. Here, sisters and luxury fashion designers Alexandra and Genevieve Smart remember their first ever studio in the well-heeled fashion district of Paddington in Sydney back in 2004, when they had just embarked upon their first ever international order Alexandra and Genevieve Smart: “This photo w
o was an early profile picture taken in our first studio in Paddington in 2004. We shared a great space with other young creatives and had a lot of fun growing our young businesses together. It was just Alex and I in the business at this time. We had launched our accessory line in Australia and a small capsule of resort dresses, which we were about to take to London to show retailer Browns Focus. This became our first international order and transformed the business. Browns placed on the full collection, from weekender bags to hats and dresses and even candles. David Jones came on board not long after this, which gave us the confidence to open our first boutique, on William Street in Paddington, Sydney.
In the 18 years since this photograph was taken, we have had great, but also challenging, times and we have evolved to keep learning from both. At the core of it, we have learnt to embrace change – because it’s inevitable – but to stay true to the brand and its values. We will always have the drive and grit that comes with being entrepreneurs.
Although the brand has evolved over the last 20 years, just as have we as business leaders and designers, the heart of the brand remains true to this day: inspiring self-expression through creativity and transformation.
We’re proud of building a brand with sustainability and creativity at its heart, proving that sustainability and luxury and commerciality can coexist. Fashion is always about the new, and I see this is so true when I look back at the most recent Afterpay Australian Fashion Week show. It captured the essence of the brand, effortless style and optimism.
We are also proud of the connections we have made with our customers and the fact that we are always growing and evolving.
Right now, we are working on designing Autumn 2022 and preparing for the launch of our first season into Saks New York with our spring collection. Of course, we are all excited about the reopening, post lockdown, and having all our retail stores operating again, plus we are preparing to expand into David Jones in Perth and Indooroopilly in Brisbane.”
