What do you get when an ex-fashion editor and former Zimmerman designer join forces? Magic, or at least that’s what happened when sisters Genevieve and Alexandra Smart decided to quit their day jobs to go full steam ahead with their own label, Ginger & Smart. Launched in 2002, the label has carved a niche for itself offering the kind of drop-everything-and-buy-it-now pieces that cruises the tipping point of trends while never quite succumbing to them. Their trademark lies in uber luxe fabrics and clever prints on easy, feminine dresses and separates fused with an easy, carefree spirit for prices that won’t break the bank.
Along with the likes of Kym Ellery and Dion Lee, the duo are part of the reason all eyes are on Australian fashion right now and with them launching in the UK for the first time this year, they’ve got their eyes firmly fixed on international domination. From how they got started in their careers and how they mustered the courage to quit their jobs to the inspiration behind their new line and why they were determined to be a fully-fledged lifestyle brand from day one, they’re spilling all.
ON THEIR PROFESSIONAL BACKGROUNDS:
Alexandra: My background is in media and magazines. I spent the first half of my career working as a journalist, editor and publisher of fashion and lifestyle magazines before spending a couple of year as general manager of an internet content business in the early 2000s. We launched Ginger & Smart in 2002.
Genevieve: I was working in design for other Australian designers like Zimmermann before starting Ginger & Smart and was also moonlighting as a fashion journalist. My 15 years working as a designer helped me learn both the creative and business skills that I apply every day with our business now.
LEAVING THE JOBS AND TAKING THE PLUNGE:
A: It was totally a sliding doors moment. We’d started brainstorming ideas about what a brand might look like but then I fell pregnant and was made redundant in the same month. It truly was a then or never moment. And we never looked back…
G: Financially it was a substantial decision as I was leaving a great job with lots of international travel and a safety cushion. Once we committed to do it, we wrote a five-year business plan that felt achievable. We’d both worked on the business side before so that helped – it was a definitely a calculated risk but that didn’t make it any less terrifying. As women and mothers, running your own business is a double-edged sword. It can offer flexibility when we need it, but it’s also 24/7.
ON WHAT INSPIRED THE BRAND:
A: Launching Ginger & Smart was an opportunity to combine both our experience and talents. Gen had worked in various fashion houses in Australia and combined with my experience in media, brand and business; it was a great opportunity to begin a business together. From the start we had a vision to build a fashion lifestyle brand. We were very clear about what that looked like and how we would grow and what the product mix would be. We have certainly tweaked and been nimble about decisions that we have made along the way but it’s still on track!
G: We both came to a point in our careers where we knew that if we were going to work that hard, we may as well do it for ourselves. We both have very different but complimentary skills and wanted to combine them to create something interesting. I think we both always wanted to be independent businesswomen. It was always our mission to create a brand that was transformative and captivating. We started with a small accessory range and some scented candles at a time when not many brands were doing them so were able to get into some of the best fashion stores in Australia. Our mission was to create a fashion and accessories line and open our own stores that could offer fashion accessories, lifestyle and travel. We now have 2 lines, Ginger & Smart and also Akin by Ginger and Smart, which is a weekend off-duty line of relaxed pieces, as well as shoes and accessories and some travel essentials.
THE NAME:
A: It has several layers of meaning. Our surname is Smart and we both have ginger hair – but at a deeper level we were inspired by the sassy and smart women of the 50s like Rita Hayworth and Ginger Rodgers who had a sassiness that really resonates with us. It’s the idea that women can be sexy and smart at the same time – not just one or the other. Perhaps it’s that left and right brain thing.
THE DESIGN PROCESS:
G: Women are so many things in any one-day: a friend, businesswoman, mother, lover, sister, team player and daughter, and she needs to feel the best she can be in all these roles. Comfort, ease, style and individuality all play a big role. We call her a woman of contrasts.
Each collection starts with where the last one finished. Often it starts with the spark of something that has intrigued us and most importantly feels relevant to how we feel about fashion in that moment. For this latest collection Aerial, we were into photographs of the earth from the space station by the Astronaut-Scott Kelly. The images were a real mix of art and science, nature and humanity and spoke to the beauty of contrast that we always love to bring into our collections. We began to work with textures from the images to create lace designs and prints along with jacquards and knitwear. Everything has a luxe texture and lightness. After that we develop the colour palette and start to build the bones of the collection. We are always keeping in mind what shoes or bags we are dreaming about wearing and begin to sketch ideas and source new leathers and heel shapes alongside the ready-to-wear range.
We always have a sketching period where we develop the silhouettes while we wait for the first iterations of our new fabrics to arrive. Then, we experiment with toiles of shapes that feel new, flattering and right for the new season. As the collection comes together we plan the creative direction for the campaign and marketing and sales material. And after we’ve sold to all our wholesalers, we start producing the collection to deliver to stores. There are a million steps to all of this and it’s a huge process but we have an extraordinary team across the business that makes it all possible.
MIXING WORK AND FAMILY:
A: There are both advantages and challenges in any relationship. In a business relationship it can be very stressful trying to build something from scratch, but as sisters we are always able to return to the fundamentals of love and respect.
G: I work on the creative side as Creative Director and Alexandra drives the business side as Managing Director. We have distinct roles but come together on major decisions. Like any relationship communication is key to its success. When a business is constantly growing, it can be challenging finding the time but it’s so important. Being sisters mean there’s that absolute trust there too. It makes life easier because we are both mothers so have each other’s back when life calls us away. I work on the creative side as Creative Director and Alexandra drives the business side as Managing Director. We have distinct roles but come together on major decisions.
ON DEALING WITH CREATIVE BLOCKS:
G: It’s only natural that there are times when you question what you’re doing as a creative. There are always moments of doubt followed by moments of excitement. I have to remember to trust that things always come together, but in the early stage when the collection is just a bunch of ideas it can be daunting. That’s why runway shows are important because it’s when everything that has been in our head comes to life.
ON THE SPOTLIGHT ON AUSTRALIAN BRANDS RIGHT NOW:
A: We have a great deal of fashion design talent in Australia in relation to the size of our market. In this global economy it’s important that we can compete internationally. It’s not an easy strategy to pull off but it does feel like international buyers and consumers are sitting up and taking notice of our aesthetic and lifestyle and design talent. Before, the seasons were an issue but nowadays more and more brands are trans-seasonal and relevant at all times in all time zones. The fashion world is changing, especially as weather patterns change and never has the see-now-buy-now momentum being stronger.