An Interview: 5 minutes with designer Jennifer Kate

An Interview: 5 minutes with Jennifer Kate

I was privileged enough to have Australian designer, Jennifer Kate spend a few moments answering my questions for this interview. Jennifer designs timeless, high quality and beautiful furs, leather vests and jackets and stunning silk pieces - all with the modern elegant woman in mind. Thanking Jennifer and Tailormaid PR for the opportunity! 

1) Please tell us a little bit about yourself and your label? 

Jennifer Kate was born out of a simple desire to make clothes that I wanted to wear.  I was constantly buying clothes and making little changes to them – whether it be making a dress into a top, getting rid of sleeves to create a Summery dress out of a Winter staple, or adding embellishment or leather patches to revitalize an old piece.  I even found myself buying things online knowing that I was going to completely alter them when I received them!  It was becoming an expensive habit – but I always had such great feedback, so I made the decision to turn it into a business.

2) Why did you start your label and did you envision it being what it is today?

When I started I was still working full time in Corporate PR, and was only selling my designs to friends, and friends of friends.   To be completely honest, the great feedback I received and the popularity of my designs was a complete surprise to me!  I slowly found myself spending more and more time on them, and here I am today – doing it full time!

3) You live in Sydney, has its culture and style influenced your designs?

Absolutely – I grew up in country NSW, and came to board at school in Sydney as a 10 year old girl.  I remember being in awe of not only the glamorous clothing everywhere, but also the range of personal styles walking the streets!  Sydney is a melting pot for fashion – and I think sometimes we forget how lucky we are to live here!

4) What are some of the perks of being a designer?

It might sound silly – but honestly the best thing about being a designer is knowing you have created something which you can actually see hanging in a store (don’t laugh!).  In terms of perks, I would of course have to say the clothes!  I have also loved getting to know all of the amazing boutiques across Australia – we truly have the most amazing selection of stores here, and some of these I would never have found if I hadn’t been doing what I am doing!

5) Please describe your typical working day?

Always up early and head straight to the gym – there is truly no better start to the day than exercise.  I will always review my list for the day before I leave – I am a big list-maker (I know it’s nerdy, but love nothing more than ticking things off!).  Every day is different in terms of meetings, designing; calls to agents and boutiques, and then the less glam side with excel sheets and charts galore used for running the business.

Something that every day includes is music, and (now the weather is warming up) if I can fit it in a swim at Bondi.  Running your own business can be a very stressful thing at times, depending on what you might be doing on a particular day – so I always try and listen to music to keep myself creative, and have a swim to refresh my energy.

6) Are there any upcoming and exciting events we can look forward to?

Our third AW collection will be hitting stores and online in February – which is so exciting.  We have really extended the range this year to include lots of leather and silk pieces, as well as the fur – so cannot wait to share it with you!

We are also currently working on the Jennifer Kate debut Spring/Summer collection, which will launch in Spring 2013.  It has been such an amazing process to get the range just right, as we are traditionally a Winter brand, and I am so incredibly excited about the amazing pieces we have in the range.  Now it’s just about fine-tuning, and trying not to wear it all myself this Summer!

7) Are you a MAC or PC person?

MAC!  When I was working in PR we only worked on PC’s and I used to hate “MAC people”, but I have now solidly crossed over!

8) Favourite lipstick/lipgloss at the moment?

I don’t tend to wear a lot of lipstick, but am never without Lucas Pawpaw ointment – keep it simple!

9) Favourite nail colour at the moment?

Magella Wine by OPI.

10) Favourite scent/perfume at the moment?

I will always be a Dior Pure Poison girl.

ksubi at MBFWA Sydney 2012 (The Runway photos I took)

ksubi runway show at Mercedes Benz Fashion week Sydney 2012

(Photos taken by me on behalf of ClubQT)
To see the full runway shoot, please visit my Facebook album here

Going as media instead of a blogger to Fashion week has been a real eye-opener to me. It really felt like I was 'working' rather than 'attending', in which I've done in the past. I had to fight for a good spot in the photographers pit and made sure I got good angles. I think I've even been more agressive in my personality than usual.
So, this is my last coverage post on the 2012 MBFWA runway shows. You can view the rest of my runway photos on my Facebook page. But this show is one of my highlights, so I just had to share it.

I admire ksubi because its embodies more street additude than other designer out there. I love the clothes, but I find it's more about the culture, the cult, the presence. I don't have the words to describe it, but you can see just from the photos what I mean- The ksubi models walk with spirit and fierceness, like they are part of an exclusive cult. There was casual structure and specially bleached denim, as inspired by the streets. Even the Hawaiian flowers look spray-painted, just like graffiti from a street wall.

I also managed to get the show filmed, but... the lighting was really bright so you can't see any detail of the clothing until they come closer. But the music is still pretty cool.

xx Natalie


For more photos of this runway show, please view it on my Facebook page here.

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Zimmerman at MBFWA 2012 (The Photos I took of the Runway)

Zimmerman 2012 runway show (as part of MBFWA) located at Koskela
(All photos taken by me on behalf of ClubQT)
View the entire Runway photo on my Facebook page here


On behalf of ClubQT, I was able to go as media for all the fashion shows and snap their runway photos. The Zimmerman show was offsite so when I arrived the photography platforms were overcrowded and I had to squeeze my way onto it. Fortunately the hostess saw me and offered me a front row postition.
I'm very proud of these photos, they may not be front-on, but I was able to catch alot of detail.
The Zimmerman show was my favourite one. When I watched the models float in their pastel colours I couldn't help but think of the lyrics to The Beatles' 'Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds'. A snippet here:

Picture yourself in a boat on a river,
With tangerine trees and marmalade skies.
Somebody calls you, you answer quite slowly,
A girl with kaleidoscope eyes.

Cellophane flowers of yellow and green,
Towering over your head.
Look for the girl with the sun in her eyes,
And she's gone.


The runway songs were mostly from the Marie Antoinette movie (with Kirsten Dunst; and may I add, fantastic choice) and it suited well, but this song makes me think of marshmallows and dreams. The prints and colours Zimmerman used, if you can imagine it, were like melting down fluffy white marshmallows, then adding drops of paint and swirly the mixture slowly. I could see the softness, and I loved every bit of it.


To see the full photoshoot I did, you can view it here on Facebook here.


xx Natalie

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A Special Event: Alex Perry for Specsavers Launch Party 2012

Official Photos:

Margaret from La Petite Mademoiselle and Aprilia from Aprilia Love

Alex Perry Launch Party for Specsavers 2012 @ Marble Bar, Sydney

(First seven photos taken with my Nikon D60, 50mm f1.4)

(Official photos taken from Specsavers Australia Facebook Page)

Wow! I attended an amazing event last night, hopefully the first of many glamorous nights for me. I was privileged to be invited to Alex Perry for Specsavers Launch Party 2012. Alex Perry is an amazing Australian designer who is known for his breathtaking ball-gowns and red carpet glamour. 

He designed an eye-wear collection exclusively to Specsavers and his range has been influenced by two main styles: the Victorian era and inspiration from Asia. The collection includes dramatic dark colours, strong vivid colours, gold detailing and clean lines. The range consists of 10 frames, as well as the limited edition striking red frame (as seen in the first photo).

The event last night meant that me, Aprilia from Aprilia Love and Margaret from La Petite Mademoiselle enjoyed tiny cakes, bubblies, a runway show and a photobooth. We spotted amazing models Megan Gale and Sarah Murdoch rubbing shoulders with Alex Perry and Kerri-Anne. I was intrigued by the models' gowns as designed by Alex Perry and those amazing frames. Such a lovely night, thank you Alex Perry and Specsavers!

The new Alex Perry 2012 Collection will be available exclusively in Specsavers Stores from the 1st March 2012. The RRP is two pairs from only $199 AUS! What a great price for some beautiful glasses. 

xx Natalie

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