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I think it’s been quite well documented regarding my name and the dispute with Factory X after 18 years of partnership.

Of course it was a difficult and emotional time for me and I thought I would never get over it. But I have a girl spark strength which I call on again and again.

I refuse to give up and despite the agony of walking away from the brand I created with Factory X, I somehow have soldiered on.

Deep inside my heart I knew that not being able to use the history that I had created with my name was going to be hard.

In effect, I had to start all over again, so I relied on consultants and a PR company to assist me with the launch of Louise Love.

It has taken a lot of courage and hard work to try and change people’s perception that I no longer have anything to do with Alannah Hill.

Customers still write to me telling me they went in to an Alannah Hill store but they couldn’t find Louise Love anywhere.

I have had to reconfigure Louise Love solely as an online trader without being able to state my real identity.

I would love to open a store as I know that online and retail work best together.

I’ve looked into opening a store but I’m just navigating my way through online and without an investor, raising this capital is probably the next thing I will do.

Ideally, I would like a store in each state as I have grand ideas for a florist within the store, a cafe, and insane customer service with a great loyalty program.

What ultimately separates a successful fashion business from the rest is often how the brand’s story resonates with consumers.

Consumers want access to the  brand, to the designer – they want a sneak peek into their world!

Everything should have a cohesive look which is what gives a brand longevity and personality.

Of course, this can all be just mirrors and strings but social media is a powerful force and the consumers don’t want to be fooled.

They want integrity and a knowledge that what they are buying into means something to them.

Customers want to escape with you into a world of fantasy and I feel we must reinvent our physical stores to better suit the behaviours and expectations of today’s hyper-connected consumers.

I honestly believe that Australia is still working out how to achieve this.

Once we do, we will be a phenomenal force as there is so much potential. Online must be treated like a store.

It needs constant care, like a visual diary to show customers behind the scenes and to give your customers a view into your world.

All this information needs to be monitored and treated with the utmost respect. I believe you need to offer the same service as you would a retail store.

VIP service, great photography, gifts with purchase, interesting graphics and product that is photographed well and easy to purchase.

For me, online is a little surreal and sometimes I feel it’s taken away the theatrical experience of a boutique. Customers who came into my stores were treated like my guests!

The Alannah Hill stores were like my little stage. I miss the banter, the excitement of VIP nights, the staff and the interaction with customers on a daily basis.

Online offers the opportunity to test new product on a budget and I do understand why people opt for online as they believe it will be cheaper and easier.

Online, if done well, is very expensive to manage and one needs a savvy mind with several sassy, intelligent people assisting you in the process.

I went a little mad trying to create a theatrical experience online with my strategy being: “I will do my very best to make Louise Love into the most beautiful online store with gorgeous clothing and exceptional customer service! I might even spend every cent I have doing it!”

One of the things I know about myself are my strengths and weaknesses.

One of my biggest strengths is knowing my weaknesses.

I know that running a  business for the very first time, trying to be creative and working out  how to do all this without using my real name was going to be the biggest challenge of a lifetime. I didn’t want to commit to full time staff so I engaged a couple of consultants.

I would not do this again as often these consultants are a little perplexing and find girls like me terribly frustrating.

They do not understand why I do not have any proper systems in place.

They didn’t understand that often the best laid plans with all the systems in the world cannot make product move.

One needs a brand and marvellous product, with a savvy keen eye in knowing what your customer wants. I am easy to boss around as so I allowed the consultants to help me get off the ground.

I ended up with a very tight team including my friend Andrew from Paper Stone Scissors, consultants, a PR Company, (which I no longer have), and one full time staff member.

What I really needed was a good business partner and a mentor who could help me navigate the business side of things.

Attracting more customers is something I think about every day but when one is so terribly busy and you’re trying to keep costs down I have had to prioritise my budget.

I know that in starting a new business the saying , “You’re not in business if you’re not making mistakes,” is quite true and I really believe that the mistakes I have made have assisted me in knowing what to do next season and the season after that.

I have customers from everywhere. Sweden, NYC, Tokyo, Singapore, Italy. I have  a very loyal following and I spend a lot of time sending images to the customers in far off parts of the world.

The Louise Love garments are delivered to my customers in luxury pink gift boxes tied up with two metres of satin ribbon!

I pack and ship the garments myself and I often throw in all manner of little surprises including personal notes and surprise online gift vouchers.

I love making people feel special and I think this is one of the key factors to a successful business. I answer customers emails and as I’m starting all over again, I’ve had to keep costs down so I’m throwing myself at every little thing that comes my way.

David Jones have been very supportive of Louise Love.

I was worried they  might have been concerned with the cross over of Alannah Hill but the lovely board of directors decided to pop me onto the designer level and I’m proud  as punch up there. I have always had such a soft spot for David Jones. I  love the vibe and I really like the team of buyers I liase with.

In today’s new business environment we are multi tasking continually. Old school roles have become more fluid and mercurial.

It’s an expansive open work shop system with people from my past fashion world and some of my old contacts who are assisting me.

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