We may not be known as one of Australia’s fashion capitals, but there’s no denying the Gold Coast is a stylish city – especially when you know where to look. Throughout winter, we went on a mission to document Gold Coast street style. Here’s what we found…
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With so many incredible local businesses on the Gold Coast, one begins to wonder: how did they all come to be? In our series, ‘The story behind…’, we chat with local founders and owners about how their business came to be, their biggest learnings and their tips for other self-starters.
This time, we caught up with Jason McDonnell and Ash Tardrew, the duo behind the coast’s coolest clothing brand, Sabbi.
When did the idea for your business first come about? And how?We’ve both worked in the clothing industry for years. We couldn’t find things we liked that we could afford, so we thought we would design it instead. We also wanted to bring some fun and good vibes back to fashion and wanted people to feel good wearing it. So, we decided to throw our last dollars into it and give a shot. Enter: Sabbi.
We literally started in our lounge room. We would find time between the kids, the dogs and our other jobs to work on Sabbi. We came up with a lot of shit samples in the beginning before we finally came up with the blue linen set, “This Senorita needs a margarita”. When we picked them up from the post office and opened the samples, we looked at each other and thought, “This is it! This is gold.”
So, so, so many challenges. Firstly, money. We sold everything – literally everything. I was selling my old clothes and shoes, Jase sold his boat… literally anything we could to put into getting it started. We were so broke, we were Afterpaying our groceries. It was a super stressful time, but it paid off.
Sampling and nailing the designs was another challenge. Our first round of samples was sooo bad. I remember getting them out of the box and looking at them thinking, “This is bad.” You have this idea in your head, and you put so much into a design and when it doesn’t translate, it’s such a kick in the stomach.
Once you get a collection you are proud of, the next challenge getting your name out there and getting wholesalers to even look at you. Competition is brutal. I sent out hundreds and hundreds of emails with our lookbook to shops all around Australia, and from those we got about 5 or 6 replies.
We would say just be true to you and your vision. Not everyone is going to like it and not everyone will see your vision, but not everyone has to. Also, it doesn’t have to look pretty. I think Instagram makes people think that everyone knows what they are doing, and it all looks beautiful getting there… We run the biggest shit show, it’s chaotic and messy and we have fuck ups. We have no clue what we are doing from one minute to the next. But we figure it out and learn from our mistakes along the way.
I think our biggest ‘we made it’ moment was when I woke up early one morning and saw we had a heap of DMs from the Sabbi Instagram community, who had sent us a post that Fisher had just done. He was wearing our new pants. And everyone who had sent it was just so, so excited for us. It was just so cool to not only see Fisher wearing the pants, but just to see how excited the Sabbi customers were about it for us. Its’ like having this huge cheer squad behind us rooting for us along the way.
A hot mess express, lol. No day is ever the same. It usually starts with getting the twins ready for school and out the door, running the dogs then heading into the office. There, Jase will paint, we’ll send a zillion emails, have people dropping in, do some content creating… This week we were off to the skate rink to get skates, then coming back to the office to get footage of us trying to skate (key word: ‘trying’) for the latest collection. We usually try fit in a gym workout, plus multiple walks down to the bakery in front of the office for cronuts. All that, and everything and anything in between.
It feels like everyone is rooting for each other. I love that it’s a tightknit community and everyone wants to support each other.
We have so many plans. We are off to China next week to start creating Sabbi Summer. Lots of new fabrics, lots of new shapes.
Our biggest tip is to do you. Not everyone is going to like you, and everyone has their own opinions on what you should or shouldn’t do… but stay true to you. My dad always told me, “Opinions are like assholes: everyone has one but most of them stink.”
There are a lot of misconceptions around skincare – especially during winter. We asked licensed Gold Coast aesthetician Danielle to bust some of the most common winter skincare myths. Here’s what she had to say…
See also: “I don’t need to wear SPF because I don’t burn, I tan” and, “My makeup has SPF in it.”
JUST NO!!! This is all incorrect. You still get damage from UVA and UVB in winter – on cold days, cloudy days, in the snow and even inside when sitting next to a tinted window. Yes, that’s right, all year round, which means you should always apply a minimum SPF30+ to 50+ every single day. This is the best (and most affordable) way to reduce premature ageing for the rest of your life. If you’re outside often you will need to reapply every two hours, but how your skin is protected for will vary depending on the type of sunscreen you use.
Then you’re not using the right ones! There are so many options out there now, so keep at it to find what suits you.
Too much exfoliation can harm your skin and cause an imbalanced pH level, resulting in an over or under production of oils (and all sorts of other complications, like hypersensitivity and an impaired skin barrier). Avoid damaging your protective layer – the lipid barrier/stratum corneum – by only exfoliating once or twice a week and be sure to use a gentle exfoliant. You can (and should) do this all year round. You can boost these results when you see your therapist for a resurfacing treatment, be it a chemical peel or a dermabrasion.
When it comes to skincare, you’re paying for the quality of the ingredients – specifically, where and how they have been sourced and manufactured, their molecular weight (i.e., how they penetrate and work within your dermal layers and alongside other ingredients). High quality skincare brands go through rigorous and regular testing and trials to ensure best possible outcomes. It’s science, really! But if you have something that’s cheaper that you love, and notice it working, keep using it. There is a fine line between effective branding and effective skincare. Do your research… or, at the very least, have a facial with a professional and don’t be afraid to ask us questions. You’re paying us for our knowledge and expertise, after all.
Did you know that when we become dehydrated, our hydrolipids can’t bind to water molecules properly and therefore aren’t firing or working at the rate they are intended to? To do what their built to do!? 90 percent of us don’t drink enough water, so make sure you sip on it all winter long. In fact, if you’re reading this, go have a sip right now – then come back and finish this article while your body thanks you for rehydrating. To further hydrate your skin, try keeping a glass of water next to your bed or using a humidifier to improve the amount of moisture in the air.
Check out Danielle’s tips for preparing your skin for the winter months, right here.
It’s not just the ladies who are putting the Gold Coast on the fashion map—the men are making their mark, too. Here are just a few of the places the Gold Coast’s most stylish guys are shopping…
Come for the coffee, stay for the clothes. If you feel like you could throw a stone on the Gold Coast and hit an Alfred’s Apartment cap or hoodie, you’re probably right – this brand is everywhere. From their branded hoodies and tees to their Temptation Vacation line, this shop is a go-to for guys (and girls, honestly) looking for a curated collection of apparel, headwear and accessories.
If you’ve ever wondered where Gold Coast guys are finding their vintage graphic tees, you’re not yet acquainted with Inside Out Vintage. New on Burleigh’s shopping scene, Inside Out offers a curated collection of quality vintage clothing at pretty reasonable prices. Tees are their specialty, but you’ll find outerwear, jerseys and bottoms here too. Happy hunting!
From The Village Markets – where they always occupied the most colourful corner – to a fully-fledged online business, The Lobster Shanty has certainly carved their own niche. Born in Burleigh in 2015, this brand is quintessentially Gold Coast: nostalgic, colourful and a little bit cheeky. If you’re looking for unique street and surf wear from an independent, local business, this is the brand for you.
This place has everything – and we mean everything. Records (as we mentioned a few weeks ago), camping gear, books, incense, accessories, surf gear and, of course, clothes. They stock brands like The North Face and Roark, as well as their own range of specially designed t-shirts. If you’re the type to buy everything in one go so you don’t need to think about shopping for the rest of the year, this one-stop shop is the place for you.
Have we missed something? If you know of a hidden gem, let us know by sending us an email to publisher@scoutmagazine.com.au. And if you’re looking for more style insights, click here.
The only thing making this cool change more bearable? The promise of a new winter wardrobe. If you’re looking to upgrade your cold weather pieces, look no further than these local finds.
