FK chats to Byron Bay based designer, Rowie about her fashion label, Rowie Designs

Can you introduce your Byron based label to our readers?
Rowie Designs is a small independent women’s fashion label based in the Byron Bay Arts and Industry Estate.

Can you describe your recent collection and where the inspiration comes from?
My latest summer collection is soft and feminine, designed for comfort and style, for women who embody strength with femininity. I was inspired to create a collection that showed the beauty of the feminine form while allowing a woman to feel confident and comfortable. Inspiration for me doesn’t always come from somewhere specific but its more of a channel that just flows through me and when it gets going sometimes it feels like it is endless but then I have to pull myself back lest I blow the budget!!

Have you always been a creative soul and how did you get into fashion?
I started making clothing when I was 8 years old and have always been a creative spirit, if I’m not in the studio designing I’m in the kitchen cooking up creations or redecorating my house. I am inspired by everything and I see art everywhere, be it the trees and flowers or people on the street. My mind is always thinking about design and cooking up something new, so although from first conception to fruition a garment can change so much it’s the evolution of a design I find most satisfying. I live and breathe fashion, I’m thinking about it when I go to sleep and when I wake in the morning, it brings me great joy to create pieces that make people smile and feel beautiful to wear.

What is your workspace like and what inspires you about your surroundings?
My studio is based in a small hub of artists and designers who all run independent businesses within a creative community. I love being surrounded by other inspired people who understand the joy and passion of living your dream. I am in my studio 6-7 days a week working on all aspects of the business be it design and production or getting orders ready to ship out and greeting customers who come to shop in my studio outlet. I have a loyal customer base who love coming to the studio and seeing me at work.

What inspires you daily, and what keeps you motivated?
I wake up inspired every day and it’s like a burning drive inside me that just needs to be expressed. I have always loved the feeling of creating pieces and the sense of achievement that that brings and this drives me to keep designing. My mum is an international humanitarian worker and through visiting her I have met many inspiring people and visited some amazing places. These opportunities have helped me to recognise how blessed I am to live the dream I have been given. I just spent a month in Paris immersing myself in the French culture and soaking up the beauty of Paris, exploring the cobbled streets, wide boulevards and of course the art. The French have such a wonderful respect for the arts which you see in the architecture, galleries, food and of course fashion. I feel I have been awakened to a whole new world of inspiration!

What plans do you have for the label in the future?
My vision for Rowie Designs is to gradually build the label into a sustainable business reflecting my lifestyle choices that need to balance being a mother, a partner and a creative individual. I am happy for it to be a gradual process as every step on the way is such an amazing learning process and I want to enjoy the journey and not just the destination!

www.rowiedesigns.com