Meet Laurinda Sutcliffe from Loobie's Story

From a gorgeous urban oasis, filled with an array of treasures gathered over a lifetime of exotic travel, fashion designer Laurinda Sutcliffe shares her home with editor Trudi Brewer

 
Laurinda Sutcliffe standing on a white balcony in a floral dress and boots
 

Laurinda Sutcliffe's love of exotic travel is evident in her art collection, the artefacts in her cosy living room and the open, airy living space that centres around an idyllic, turquoise lap pool. This inner-city home is where she and her family connect and she can escape from the daily pressures of working in fashion. With 200 stockists of her brands, Loobie's Story and Madly Sweetly, Sutcliffe shares her career highs, well-being advice for women who 'try to do it all,’ and the joy that comes from being in charge of your own career destiny. Here's a slice of her beautiful life.

Career

What’s a typical working day for you?
It depends on what stage in the fashion season we are at. In the design stage, April to June and then October to December, I would be working closely with Nicole Hamilton, my design assistant on print development, design, garment specs, and working remotely with our factories in China. To now, February and March, August and September we are in our selling and marketing phase. This is where we are meeting with buyers, presenting the ranges, launching the new season collections, hosting media events and rolling out marketing initiatives. The rest of the year is peppered with lots of travel and lots of planning. Twice a year I travel to China and visit our factories, and twice a year I travel for inspiration. I visit America, Europe or Asia, and then four times a year I meet our distributors and stockists in Australia. I also travel within New Zealand to host events with our local retailers, it's busy. When there is a little breathing space when I am working on the business, creating new concepts, and strategic planning with our wider team of 12.

What do you love most about having your own company?
Being in control of your career destiny, and being able to impact what your future can look like. Also, it's the thrill of the risk that you take in business and what happens when that risk pays off in success. Ultimately it's the satisfaction that independence brings when you are in charge of your own destiny.

What do you like least about being a business owner?
You can never really completely switch off. Sometimes that bothers me more than other times. Right now we have a really good team that will pick up and keep things going while we are not there, so we're no longer troubled by the business, day-to-day. However, you never really switch off, even on holiday I feel duty-bound to check my emails daily, and be on top of what's going on. But that is part of being a business owner, people do need your direction, your sign off and your help. The challenge is to stay cool under that pressure.

Laurinda Sutcliffe sitting in her lounge next to the fireplace

What has been a career-high to date?  
When we delivered our first spring/summer collection back in August 2010, and the phone started running hot - it was then that I knew it was working. While the buyers from different retailers supported us with great opening orders, it's really what the woman buying your clothes thinks that matters, that was such a thrill. And when we got our first premises in 2012 and started employing people. For the first two years, we worked from our home, but it was when we created a beautiful showroom I could sell the big picture of how I wanted the brand to look and feel - that was really exciting. It was then that it felt like a real business. 

You work with your partner is that challenging and who in the partnership makes the decisions?
It was hugely challenging at first. Working from home, in the beginning, it was just the two of us with a little contract help. We hardly came up for air for the first year. Our business style is very different. I am optimistic, bull out of the gate, big picture business personality. Whereas Brent, who is also an ideas person, is very much steady-as-she-goes, cautious, with a 'let's be careful' approach. And so, I was very frustrated and wanted to make things happen immediately. Whereas he wanted to make sure we were ready for that growth. As I started to embrace those differences, I realised it made us almost the perfect couple to be in business together. I believe today it's our greatest asset working as a couple. However, in saying in that, we are only successful because of our wider team. We have a wealth of experience in our business today that we both draw on, and that's what contributes to our success.

Fashion 

Tell us about the evolution of Loobie's Story and your new autumn/winter range?
Like any successful brand, it needs tweaking. I felt it was starting to become a little set in its ways. It was Nicole, my design assistant who said to me last year, "I think you're a bit bored with what we are doing, aren't you"? And I was. I realised that there was not much in the collection that I wanted to wear anymore. And it was around that time we were launching our second brand Madly Sweetly, and I was really excited about what we were doing with that label. After some soul searching and talking with retailers, we made some changes. This autumn/winter collection that is on sale now is having very favourable comments from those buyers, we're excited about our future - and I am more excited as a designer. 

And the label Madly Sweetly who is it designed for?
Even though I don't design this range, as the creative director I was so inspired by our new brand. Women have the world at their fingertips with online shopping today and our customers can buy anything, from anywhere in the world, 24/7. That has made designers and retailers sit up and take notice. So we needed to stay relevant and keep inspiring our customers and attract younger customers, hence our new brand Madly Sweetly. It's a little bit sweet and a little bit mad. The range has a split personality, crazy, mad, feminine and cute. It's a lifestyle brand, more casual, and the price reflects that. In contrast to Loobie's Story, which is more luxurious, timeless, classic and with more of a boho style.

Who are your fashion icons?  
Sienna Miller, Olivia Palermo, Rachel Zoe.

 
Laurinda Sutcliffe outside on her deck wearing a top and jeans
 

Who are your favourite local and international fashion designers? 
Locally, Trelise Cooper, has a phenomenal stable of labels. I admire the way she unashamedly embraces colour and has fun with it. Internationally, Chloè and See by Chloè. And, as a store, I am constantly inspired by the American fashion and homeware brand Anthropologie.

How would your friends describe your style?
Boho luxe, feminine, colourful and youthful.
 
What bag will you carry this summer?
My chambray blue Cholè saddle bag - I love it.

What is your fashion weakness?
Handbags and shoes - in that order. And, I am a sucker for wrist candy. I always wear a collection of colourful bracelets. 

What’s your best piece of style advice?
Be comfortable. Physically and emotionally. If you are comfortable with your style, then you will look and feel amazing.

Home

How would you describe your family home?  
An oasis in the city. It has a Balinese vibe, I love the privacy of being open to nature, but really cocooned in all weather, which is how we like to live. We have houses on three sides, yet it's private. I also love the combination of white and glass. The house is flooded with incredible natural light, so even on a dark day it never feels gloomy. 

What do you love about your home?  
That it's eclectic and interesting, yet homely. I am a collector, and I love that is has an art gallery feel to it. I have a home full of art and treasures we have found on our travels. The open style of this house with the high ceiling stud and white walls allows me to display those treasures that are full of lovely family memories.

What is your favourite room?
The living space. Regardless of the weather, you can open the doors and still feel cocooned. I love the way the house wraps around on itself. And because of all the glass, it has a light airy feel, it's private, but you don't feel shut off. At night it's completely transformed with the outdoor lighting. When the big sliding doors are open at night with the pool lit up, it's magical. It's a great home for entertaining.

What do you always have on your bedside table? 
Books I am reading, and I always have more than one on the go. A lamp, notepad and pen and my Jurlique Rosewater Balancing Mist.

What are your most treasured family possessions?
My Alessi collection. It's exquisite quality and never dates. I have been collecting it for about 30 years, which all started on my 21st birthday as gifts from family members. Today, I now have a massive collection that I will treasure my entire life. And our art collection. Most of it is from art galleries in Ubud, Bali. While it's not priceless, it represents so many beautiful trips we have had as a family over 12 years that are full of precious memories.

Share your best interior advice?  
Identify your personal style with things that tell a story about you. Buy the very best quality you can afford in timeless investment pieces like your couch, table, and chairs. Then mix them up with soft furnishings and dècor items from affordable stores like KMart or Freedom, which allows you to make affordable changes to suit your mood, or when the season reflects it.

Beauty

What is your skincare routine?  
I wasn't fortunate to be blessed with a fabulous complexion so I have always worked hard on doing what I can to keep my skin looking good. I am vigilant with my skincare routine each day. I use good quality serums and moisturisers, and always take my makeup off each night. I don't have beauty treatments in salons, but I change up my skincare every year or 18 months, and I do notice a big change when I do that. I adore Pure Fiji body products and have used them for years.

What will you carry in your beauty bag in winter?  
Julique Rosewater Balancing Mist, it's a saviour when I travel. I always have three bottles on the go, one for each bag when I travel, and one by my bed. Clarins Beauty Flash Balm, I swear by it, and Batiste Dry Shampoo, allows me to have that extra 15 minutes in bed when I travel, instead of washing and blow drying my hair - it's brilliant.

What is your best beauty tip? 
Don't get stuck in a beauty rut with your skincare, change things up. I always wear sunscreen, SPF50 and, a hat. I love a tan but these days it comes from a bottle, I swear by St Tropez Self Tan Luxe Facial Oil And the old adage drink lots of water, get plenty of sleep and don't drink too much alcohol really does work. Unless you look after your skin from the inside out, nothing you put on it will make a difference.

Some of Sutcliffe's beauty favourites include Revlon, Benefit, Nars, Hourglass and her constant is Clarins Beauty Flash Balm. Her favourite fragrances include Gucci Bloom, Chloe and Miu Miu.

Favourite fragrance?
That does change from season to season, but three that are always on rotation are Gucci Bloom, Chloe and Mui Mui.

What is your wellness philosophy? 
Yoga. I took it up seriously 18 months ago, for wellbeing both body and mind I swear by it. I start every day with lemon, water, and barley grass powder, and drink two litres of water a day. And more recently I have been exploring clean eating, removing processed foods and sugar from my diet, and I am feeling significantly better for it. It's not about weight loss, more about good immunity, staying healthy and ageing well. 
 

 
Laurinda Sutcliffe wearing a salmon jacket with a white top and jeans with a floral background
 

Photography Keryn Sweeney
Makeup MAC Cosmetics
Hair Whitney Steven.