Every month Ragtrader pairs RMIT fashion and design students with an established designer for a professional one-on-one. In this edition, RMIT graduate Jelena Petrovich asks veteran designer and founder of fashion brand Feathers, Margaret Porritt, for her advice.
Margaret Porritt
Jelena Petrovich
You are the founder of an iconic local brand which is now celebrating 40 years in operation – having achieved all this already, where does your motivation to stay come from?
My motivation to stay is as strong today as it was 40 years ago when I opened my first store. My passion for the Feathers brand comes from creating beautiful pieces for my amazing, loyal customers. I adore working with my team – they inspire me on a daily basis.
Has your vision for this brand changed significantly from its early beginnings?
My vision right from day one is my customer, who is between 30 to 50-years-old, however that also includes 18 to 80-year-olds because the brand is classic with a twist. I love seeing how my brand can make a women look and feel good about herself.
You worked with Norman Hartnell, formal dressmaker to the Queen – how did this influence you as a designer, and did this experience contribute to the aesthetic of the Feathers label and your vision of a modern lady?
There was no vision of a modern lady in the 1950s. It was a matron – you got married at 20 or 21 and you became a matron. Modern ladies did not exist in the 50s. But the experience of working with Norman Hartnell taught me to understand that service is key, and that is bending over backwards for your customer.
What do you believe is of most importance for managing a business today in the fashion industry?
It took me 20 years to understand which is more important, the customer or the team. The outcome was the team, because if you don’t have a good team you don’t have a core customer.
As a fashion business owner, how do you satisfy your customers’ needs and meet sales targets without losing your label’s identity?
I believe staying true to the Feathers brand, which is clean design, classics with a twist and quality fabrics at a reasonable price. This formula has ensured the success of my business over the past 40 years.
Do you see big changes coming our way in the retail sector, and are we ready to take on the challenges ahead?
My philosophy is when the going gets tough, the tough get going. And this is a wonderful time for opportunity.
As a designer, I feel it is a challenge to maintain high garment quality while being sustainable and keeping production costs low – do you agree? And what is your advice on how to handle this?
As a designer I feel that the constant discounting in the market place is detrimental in sustaining your brand and it is disrespectful to your customer. We don’t work on keeping low costs, we work on staying true to the brand and giving customers good quality at a reasonable price. There is an old saying - “Live by price, die by price”.
What advice would you give to young designers wanting to break into the industry and start their own label?
My advice is find a master and work with that master, even if it means for very little money, and learn the business side and the design side. I worked part-time in a little dress store for 18 months and I could see the potential and I ended up buying it. If you want to start a business, go where your passion lies and learn from a master whilst being true to yourself.
Jelena Petrovich is a Melbourne-based designer who completed a degree (Bachelor of Fashion Design and Technology) at the Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology (RMIT) in 2011. Petrovich’s latest collection, “Her shadow wept for him”, is defined as a fusion of eclectic European styles and Australian fashion. Petrovich is currently working in retail for designer label Joe Black, owned by Cambridge clothing, and actively looking for design internships to build on her experience going forward.
Above: Womenswear collection A/W 2011/12 - "Her shadow wep for him".
Above: Womenswear collection S/S 2009/2012 - "Kawasaki couture".