Unzipped: Skye Higgs

NAME
Skye Higgs

AGE
30

POSITION
Designer and product manager, Russell Athletic

EXPERIENCE
I graduated with a BA in Fashion from RMIT ...then moved from assistant to product development manager 10 years later... meanwhile moving from apparel to surfwear to bras and undies, then back to sports bras and performance sportswear to lingerie and finally to sportswear again

LOCATION
Full circle...from Melbourne to Torquay (Vic) to London, then Sydney and now back in Melbourne. It's great to be home

MY CHILDHOOD DREAM JOB 
I was always told I was born in the wrong era. All I wanted was to sit in a ball gown and do needle point all day...I quickly changed my focus to the present when my mother explained the state of hygiene in the 18th century

MY FIRST JOB
Minding reception at my father's dry-cleaning shop

MY BIG BREAK
Never broken a bone in my life, touch wood...

MY BIGGEST RISK
Resigning from my job at Ripcurl and jumping on a plane to London with no job and no contacts. It was scary but I survived. I ate the value of my car in three months before I found regular fashion design employment

MY PROUDEST MOMENT
Flicking through magazines in New York's Central Station and seeing a sports bra I designed for Victoria's Secret on a famous model in a full page spread... in almost every woman's title on the shelf

MY BIGGEST REGRET
Eating too much sodium bloating plane food and room service on a recent trip to the US

MY BIGGEST FASHION FAUX PAS
I bought this hat in New Zealand for $80 when I was 15. It was a massive Henry VIII style hat and had a repeat of jacquard ducks flying across the top of it. It was so individual I just had to have it... but no-one else really saw its special attributes

MY MENTOR
I don't think I have one in particular. I have a tight support crew of friends and family who are never short of advice

IF I COULD DO IT OVER
I would have bought a collapsible Tokyo style bike rather than my big American beach cruiser

IF I WASN'T IN FASHION I'D BE
I don't think there is another option. I've asked myself this again and again, but the answer's always the same... very worrying

IN MY SPARE TIME I
Go to the coast on the weekends, vent at the gym and love eating out with friends

PEOPLE WOULD BE SURPRISED TO KNOW I
Was in a UK three-part television mini drama as a lifeguard

I WANT MY EPITAPH TO SAY
Lots of love from Skye xox