Today we are visiting Western Australia to meet with the very creative designer Gemma Bricknall. Gemma hails from South Africa but has bought her considerable talents all the way to Australia
Gemma congratulations on your new mini range – what has inspired this?
Thank you! I have been working with private clients for a few years and have always wanted to create ranges that are completely my own in design and style, so I felt motivated to start by doing a manageable mini collection of a few pieces. The inspiration behind it is the ever timeless black and white theme. I thought it was a good place to start.
Which is your favourite piece?
I really love the scalloped Jacket, because it’s a timeless piece with a bit of an edge which keeps it fresh
Tell me about where you grew up and your younger life
I come from a big family of 5 sisters and the best parents anyone could ask for! We have always been very close and had lots of fun growing up together. I have fond memories of our Christmases (is that a word?) together each year when my dad would decorate the dinner table beautifully, mum would spend most of the day cooking up an enormous roast and my sisters and I would plan each others gifts months in advance! Just talking about it makes me homesick!
I met Gavin and quickly fell head over heels! We moved to Australia for him to study and work, and have since become permanent residents to stay for good. Can’t get rid of me now! Five years later and a baby boy that we can’t get enough of…
How did you come to be a fashion designer?
I always loved sewing and designing. I would love going to fabric stores when I was younger and make things for myself, but not many worked out as I had planned in my head! It came time to leave school and start studying and I was determined to make a career for myself doing what I love. I studied a national Diploma in Fashion and Textiles in South Africa and loved it.
What are you passionate about?
Wow, so much. Number one on my list is family. I have all the time in the world for them. I love fitness and being outdoors in the sunshine. I love seeing people enjoy my clothing and absolutely thrive in making people look and feel great in them.
What has been your greatest success so far…
1) I feel like my greatest success so far in my life is my family and being where I am right now. I feel proud to be a wife, a mother, a daughter and on top of that, be able to do something I love as a career from home.
2) I feel like my greatest success so far in my fashion career is starting to see people wear my clothes and love them. It’s a small and simple thing but it brings a smile to my face and makes the hard work worth it.
What inspires you?
Beautiful fabrics inspire me to create. I often spend hours in fabric stores just playing with fabric as idea’s run through my mind. I also get inspired from architecture, antiques, all things vintage, and of course, street and runway fashion.
What goals do you have for GemmaBricknall Design?
I aim to have 4 mini collections out each year for each season, and move onto bigger collections as time goes on. I would love to be able to showcase my work at fashion week one day so I am working with that in mind
Are you creative in other ways?
I have always been interested in ‘hands on’ things. I find myself visualising ways to create and change things up in lots of different situations so I feel like I am a creative person in general.
I believe you have another lovely little creation in your life…
I do…My best creation yet! We are besotted with him and are really enjoying the adventures that come with being new parents.
What do you love about living where you do?
I love the simplicity of living in a small Western Australian town. You bump into at least one person you know most times you go out and there’s no traffic!
Gemma, we love to get to get to know the women we interview by playing a word choice game…so, please choose from the following…
Lace or taffeta?
Lace
Black or white?
White
Birdsong or running water?
Birdsong
Daydreaming or study?
Daydreaming
Pink or orange?
Orange today!
Knee or full length?
Knee
Beach or bush?
Beach!!
Chocolate or fruit?
Fruit, but chocolate definitely has its place
Movies or books?
Movies
Gemma, we would like to thank you for your time and sharing your work.
Check out more of Gemma’s work
Contact Gemma: gem.courtney@hotmail.com
