OUR MELBOURNE FASHION FESTIVAL SPEAKER SERIES In this episode Elizabeth speaks with Charlotte Hicks, the Founder of Esse Studios. Charlotte has over 10 years experience designing for Australia's leading fashion brands. After graduating with honours from a Bachelor of Design at UTS in 2008, Charlotte 'cut her teeth' as design assistant at Zimmermann. She went on to gain experience at other Australian labels and more recently finished a 6-year tenure as RTW designer at Sass and Bide. Charlotte knew she wanted to create a brand that was unique, that didn't follow the traditional model - a brand that was 'built for longevity'. Gaining as much experience and knowledge under incredible mentors was her focus in those earlier years. Along with finding the opportunities in the global landscape and being aware of the problems a fashion business can face. After a decade of experience, there were poignant observations that became the foundations ESSE was built on. More specifically the abundance of excess, the wastefulness, the speed and the overall loss of value a customer places on each of their purchases. ESSE became a fusion of old and new. A modern and innovative approach to business, underpinned with timeless values of integrity and quality. Encouraging and nurturing a slower more mindful approach to consumption was the focus. You can find Charlotte at: Website www.essestudios.com Instagram essee.studios & charhicks Want to hear more from Charlotte and a dynamic lineup of guest speakers? Join us during Melbourne Fashion Festival! We invite you to take your virtual front-row seat and gain insider access to an industry roundtable of 'real' stories from thought leaders, changemakers, designers, brands, entrepreneurs & mentors where we'll discuss all things fashion, business and mindset, diving into key topics relating to the future of Australian fashion. This is a Virtual Roundtable via Zoom - so you can join us from ANY location. Grab your tickets here NOW - $25 and all proceeds donated to Ijm an organisation that works tirelessly to combat slavery, violence against women and children, and police abuse of power against people in poverty. They are one of the vital partner organisations working alongside Outland Denim. JOIN OUR PROGRAMME - ENROLMENTS OPEN JUNE 1st If you want to make the Fashion Business your Business in 2021 - then please head over to our website and jump on our Waitlist - we'll be opening enrolments to our SYFB Programme and Community on the 1st June and if you're on the waitlist we'll ensure you receive all the info you need in the lead-up. In the meantime, if you want to kickstart your 2021 you can head to Your Mentor Collective - book a 1 hour of power session with one of our amazing Mentors - that's where the magic happens! Let's make the Fashion Business, YOUR Business!