A Townsville businesswoman has pioneered a solution to a common issue faced by hairdressers, creating a line of uniforms resistant to bleach and colour staining.
After 21 years of bleach-ruined clothing, owner of Podium Hair and Beauty Kelly Isaac decided she’d had enough and set out to fill the gap in the industry in 2021.
“With my knowledge and growth that I have had over my time in the industry, I felt it was a good time to start a new venture within the industry that I’m passionate about,” says Kelly.
With a dream in mind and no former knowledge of design, Kelly started an online fashion course to gather the skills needed to establish Savvy Industry Clothing.
“It was a very impulsive decision which is pretty much my personality,” she says.
“I jumped on the computer that night, enrolled and we were off.
“I quickly discovered I was definitely out of my comfort zone with learning a completely new industry, but I always knew it was possible, it was just a matter of turning ideas into reality and backing myself.”
Kelly says her experience as a hairdresser has given her a major advantage, as she had a clear vision of what she wanted to create.
“I spent about six months just testing different fabrics to find the right blend to what I was happy with that was going to suit our requirement,” she says.
“This was definitely a challenge, as it’s the most important component of our business.”
Kelly’s team were eager to help and trial the initial prototypes, and Savvy Industry Clothing now have 15 designs, with a men’s range to be released in June.
“The designs continuously developed and evolved,” she says.
“I have a team of nine ladies that work in my salon, so I get great feedback on designs – what they do and don’t like, and what they want to see.”
Savvy Industry Clothing now ship Australia wide, and have plans to expand to New Zealand, the UK and the US within the next 12 months.
Kelly has since realised that there is a market beyond hairdressing that the products could be of use.
Her designs are catching the eyes of people outside the beauty industry, who just want fashionable and comfy workwear.
“We are only one year in and already have so much growth and support around Australia,” says Kelly.
“We actually have multiple of different industries purchasing and wearing our designs over Australia, including wine companies and recruitment agencies.
“We’re growing month by month and interest is expanding every day – we’re even starting to see repeat customers.
“I love a challenge, and it has been really exciting learning something new and being able to give back to the industry I am passionate about.”
Image credits: All images supplied.
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