Out the back of Marnie Skillings’ store in Woollahra in Sydney’s eastern suburbs, you’ll find Marnie in her studio sipping tea amongst whisps of fabric, vintage chairs and tables and whitewashed walls and floors.
The aesthetic of her workspace mimics her designs – both have a distinct feminine style, yet are injected with a sense of fun.
“We made our own mini photography studio in the office when we started our online store. It’s fun styling and shooting those online images ourselves.”
Wearing a sweet dress with sturdy leather brogues (bought for her by her husband in New York), Marnie has to pour tea into her cup before we can photograph her. “I can’t pretend!” she says. It’s true, she can’t. Indeed, she can’t pretend with fly-by-night fashion either. “My collections are based around great pieces that can be worked in lots of different ways, for several seasons. They’re for a woman who wants to think about what she’s wearing, rather than be commandeered by trends.”
“The hand crotchet chains and print are part of my A/W 2010 collection. I am working on making some of our hand crotchet neckpieces.”
See marnieskillings.com.au for more information and to buy (yes, even sale items) online.
Photography by Kent Mathews.
