As Above, So Below - Hopeless Lingerie April 2013

Photography: Steph Cammarano 

MUAH: Sarah Baxter

Model: Lulu Wagstaffe

Assistants: Dominique Adamidis, Stephanie Walravens, Michaela Barca

Video Shot and Edited by: Stephanie Walravens

I am very excited to share my latest collection 'As Above, So Below'. After exploring darkness and death in 2012, I wanted to look at something completely different for the future. I was inspired by the ocean and all the life found in it, from the coral reefs to the spiny legged crabs. I researched sea myths and legends about mermaids and the Greek Gods, and represented these ideas in graphic shapes and bold lines. The patterns that repeat throughout nature, and the Golden Ratio also provided my inspiration. I have built on my previous work and use of bamboo and mesh, and introduced hand cut leather, cotton lace, and New Zealand merino wool. 

You can shop the collection here on Etsy. 

'As Above, So Below' - Hopeless Lingerie April 2013 from Stephanie Walravens on Vimeo.

An update!

'Suzy' Bralette shot by Amelia Dowd 

Well another month has managed to slip through my fingers, frantically sewing and packing orders, shooting and designing new pieces. So much is happening right now that blogging just has to take a back seat - I am still instagramming away though so please follow me there!

I did want to share a couple of things here, and start to think about getting my time organised again to include blogging time. My schedule has pretty much fallen by the wayside as my retail order list is just so long I am spending all my time sewing, and trying to squeeze in a handful of wholesale orders somewhere in there too. 

I am starting to build up a wonderful little collection of customer photos here on Facebook, if you have any please send them to me so I can share them with everyone else! I send things out in all sizes and I would love to show more girls how things look on different shaped bodies.

I have 2 more days left at The People's Market - and will have a few bits and pieces from the new range, so if you are in Melbourne make sure you come and visit on the 20th or the 27th of April. 

Last weekend we took a trip down to Sorrento to shoot the new range. It was a crazy day with an amazing team, we had so many close calls from the car boot almost crushing my sister's arm to this huge ROCKSLIDE.....

...and then these waves that almost washed us all away, and did manage to steal Steph's little waterproof film camera, only to be saved by one of my wonderful new interns who leapt into the water fully clothed. The price of art! 

So that's about it for the moment, I really look forward to some time organisation and getting back into the weekly blogging, but I just have to get over this big pile of orders first. It really is the best problem to have and I am so thrilled at how busy things have been lately. Can't wait to share the new collection really soon!

Absence

So much has been happening over the past weeks - I wanted to share a really quick update about where I have been! First of all as some of you may know I have been working various part-time jobs since starting Hopeless 5 years ago - and last week I actually resigned from my very last one. Which means that as of around 2 weeks time I will be 7 days a week committed to Hopeless. This is exciting and terrifying at the same time - the past few months have been an absolute whirlwind and I it will be so wonderful to be able to commit my time fully to this business. 

I've had to take a little break from blogging in an attempt to catch up on all my outstanding orders - but that catch up will only really start to happen when I have those extra two days a week where I will no be longer be at my part time job. 

Anyway - just wanted to share this picture of me in my studio - where I have been on lockdown for the past few weeks. Despite how much time I spend in that chair I am incredibly excited at the prospect of being able to spend even more time sewing and designing and organising everything. Until I get back to regular programming Instagram is definitely the BEST way to stay up to date with everything I'm doing :)

Gaby xo

Craft and Culture

Well I seem to have TOTALLY fallen off the blogging wheel, and am making an unscheduled appearance to share something that I am really excited about. 

Hopeless is now stocked at Craft and Culture, a curated online boutique based in Seattle featuring designers such as myself who handmake everything in studio. 

I love seeing my pieces re-imagined by other eyes, and I am head over heels in love with how they have showcased my work. 

Things have been snowballing lately in the best possible way, hence this unplanned hiatus, it is the most exciting time for me and I just have to run with it. Hopefully I will get back to normal programming soon but until then please make sure you are following on Facebook, Instagram, Tumblr, and Twitter - I seem to manage more regular updates on those four than the old blogspot! 

Also if you are in Melbourne please come and say hello at The People's Market - 68 Stanley St Collingwood from 12-6 - I will be selling knickers and drinking cocktails out of a coconut. 

Gaby xoxo

Balance

Photo: Steph Cammarano

Model: Avalon Westcott

Muah: Sarah Baxter

Knickers: Hopeless Lingerie

So I've missed a couple of blogging days due to my recent crazy schedule, and looking ahead it might have to be that way a little more often! Being this busy is an awesome problem to have, but as I am only one person I can only do so much, and Spokes 'n' Daggers just has to take a back seat once in a while. So it is definitely with that busyness in mind I bring you this post. 

One of the biggest reasons that I have put off the bra making thing for so long (aside from fear!) is the guilt I often feel when working on new products. I always feel like I need to be sewing orders, and given the amount of customers waiting for orders at any given time I can't seem to find the balance between order sewing, and new product development. I know that bra making is going to be a very epic task, so now I am faced with the challenge of finding that balance and really making it a part of my schedule.

Late last year I created for myself a strict weekly timetable that included a social media strategy, and basically broke down every hour of the week. Even if I stray from it or have other commitments I always have something to come back to. Being self-employed and working from home - I would have to say that a schedule is imperative to productivity and staying organised. I basically treated it like my time-table at high school, and strategically placed tasks according time of day and time of week. For instance I know my favourite part of my job is product development and the least 'job like' part of what I do, so one evening a week and on Sundays is the time allocated for product development. This means that during range development time I am a little busier, but once the job is done that time is my free time. Considering I spend much of my free time doing creative things anyway it made sense for me to schedule things that way. My absolute least favourite thing to do is my accounts (no surprise there!) - so I do them on a Monday afternoon after lunch. I have a fresh mind because it's the start of the week, but I've also had the morning to get my sewing organised and to be honest sewing orders is the least stressful thing I do. From there I allocate time in for packing, posting, social media, exercise, chores and free time.

So this is in theory a great way to operate, but since I have had my schedule I will admit have found it challenging to stick to. But I do think this is largely due to the fact that I started it in December, attempted to follow it over Christmas and New Year, and we are now only a few weeks into January.

Despite these troubles I am going to stick with it a little longer, but I do think the key to success is to not feel guilt when I stray from the schedule, or have an appointment or something else that needs my attention. The knowledge of always having something to come back to is very reassuring. And the schedule always has that creative product development time built in so I really should not feel guilt about working on something new on a Sunday afternoon!

I would really love to hear from friends about time management, especially friends that are self-employed. Please feel free to air your tips and frustrations or anything else on the topic. 

Gaby 

PS Also wanted to mention a little note - a big thank you to everyone who reads and leaves comments on these wordy posts, I am really struggling to find the time to reply individually but I do read and appreciate them so much!

Looking for 2013 Interns!

Requirements: 

Must live in Melbourne 

Able to travel to Blackburn 

Available on either a Wednesday or a Friday from 9am to 5pm

Have some knowledge of sewing, preferably someone who is studying fashion

Be familiar with Hopeless Lingerie

Enthusiastic, energetic and positive personality

Willingness to learn 

Reliable, punctual, and hard-working

Responsibilities will include: 

Fabric cutting

Overlocking

Sewing with both domestic and industrial machines

Packaging and posting

Pattern-making

Pattern-grading

Assisting on photoshoots

Most of the responsibilities will be on the job training, so as long as you are willing and have an interest in fashion and specifically lingerie, don't be scared to apply if you don't have a lot of sewing experience. (Other than fashion school). Please note this is an unpaid position, what you will gain is hands on experience in an industry that is very hard to tap into, and an insight into a rapidly growing start-up business. The position is best suited for someone who would like to start their own business in the future, and the position will be held for one year. 

So if you would like to apply please send an email letting me know why you would like to intern with me along with a resume, and some images of things you have made/painted/drawn/sewn/photographed to gaby@hopelesslingerie.com.au

Knicker of the Week

Knickers by Yasmine Eslami. Just came across this little French brand, and so in love. 

5 Things

Five photos by James Wedge. Discovered by the incredible Miss Peelpants - you MUST look at her blog. So much vintage amazingness. 

Inspiration

Guinevere Van Seenus by Daniele & Iango for i-D Magazine

Life is too short to do what you hate

(Source)

Last week I posted a picture on Instagram of my movie choices for the day, as I usually have films playing while I sew. One of my followers commented 'I am so jealous of your lifestyle!' and I just had to stop and think about it for a while. The truth of it is, I wouldn't have it any other way - Life is too short to do what you hate.

If you are reading this, you are likely as privileged as I am. I don't have an extremely wealthy family, I am not extraordinarily intelligent or 'gifted' in any way. But what I have been willing to do is throw myself completely into this business, and work really really hard to create something worthwhile. I am not afraid of taking risks or making mistakes, because that is the only way to grow and learn.

The other weekend I was at the pub with some friends (also chasing their own dreams) and we had a discussion about risk-taking and financial matters, and how you might do things differently if you had a financial safety net. How might that affect your creative pursuits? For me, I honestly think very little would change. And this is a lesson I learned the difficult way last year, when I stopped following my creative instinct and started thinking about the question 'will it sell' - my sales suffered significantly. But I managed to get through it with renewed energy and a much more positive outlook than ever before. This was because I knew there was no way I could spend my days at a 9-5 job, without the creative freedom I currently have, and without this brand that I love so much. And that was what made me really fight to keep it. 

I don't believe in wasting your time at a menial or stressful job you do not enjoy, to live for the weekends, new shoes, and other consumables that in the grand scheme of things will not make you happy. There is little stopping you from reaching for your dreams, taking a risk, and ultimately being okay if it all fails. I am sure when challenged with this idea many of you could talk about your debt, dependents, or other matters that make you think it's impossible. But I am very much an optimist, where there is a will there is a way. You are responsible for your own happiness, no matter your circumstance. 

I would really love to hear your thoughts on this - I hope this hasn't come across as too preachy! There is just too much awesome stuff to experience in this world, and too many opportunities to take advantage of, and sometimes I just get really over excited at the prospect of it all. 

Art School

Sir Joshua Reynolds Cupid Undoing Venus' Belt 1788

Inspiration

Found these amongst the 1000s of images I have saved on my computer, sadly the only info I can give you is that the model is Crystal Renn. Kind of obsessed with them and I wish I knew what the rest looked like too. Can anyone help out?

Edit to add: Source discovered! Photos by Ellen Von Unwerth for Tush Magazine May 2011

Friday Night Movie Night

The Godfather of all 80s college movies - Animal House - which is impossible for me to talk about without having this song in my head. This film paved the way for not only films like Revenge of the Nerds, but also the next generation such as Old School and Road Trip. As well as being genuinely really funny, this film also has the whole 60's as seen through the late 70's thing, which if you are familiar with my taste is one of my favourite things ever. There is also some awesome vintage/retro lingerie - I find it really interesting how in the spying scene she is wearing the small garter belt over the big knickers, which for practicality reasons is very odd - but it means you get a good shot of the garter so that makes me happy. I've actually been thinking a lot about garter belts lately, and their relevance today. I know lots of women, especially in the lingerie world swear by them - but for me I just hate wearing them! I still include a couple in my ranges for those that do like them, but I digress. Animal House is great, you should definitely watch it, and did I mention flat Kevin Bacon?