Lisa Gorman's self-titled label is sold in stores around Australia and the world, and she has three exquisitely-designed shops in Melbourne.

First sketches

It was, however, only five years ago - when the label was a couple of years old - that she saw it as a long term thing. "I always enjoyed it but never thought it would be my permanent career. I was a nurse before going into fashion, so was quite used to changing careers." But the signs were always there: "My three little sisters and I made bags and bags full of Barbie clothes. And dress ups! We would go to the op-shop where my Nana was a volunteer and buy old clothes made of great fabrics, take them home, chop them up and re-create something crazy".

The pattern takes shape

Lisa's love for beautiful clothes eventually led her to a job working in sales for formal wear and wedding designer, Mariana Hardwick. "I was very passionate about the industry and learnt on the job", explains Lisa, who although had had no formal training, was given the role of designer after four years. She cautions, however, that "it's not easy to find something where you can learn on the job and climb the ladder into design like I did". But she does advise doing work experience in a fashion house before you apply for a course, as a way to decide exactly which part of the industry you like, rather than jumping straight in.

Stitching it all together

Although there's a lot more to running a label than dreaming up fab outfits, Lisa maintains that the main skill is definitely creativity. But it's also "very handy if you can sew, so you can see how your ideas might work out". However, now that her business has grown, she is much less hands on, employing a professional pattern cutters, so she can spend her time "actually designing: drawing garments and sourcing fabrics", as well as running the business. This includes lots of staff meetings, dealing with the press, speaking to buyers (such as Myer), garment fittings and more. It also means sometimes not making something that you love because "it just will not sell in the market place". Despite her obvious affection of the whimsical and unusual she urges that "all designers need to consider the commercial aspect of design, particularly if you plan to make a business of it".

Knowing your motifs

Lisa travels to India, Vietnam and Hong Kong for sampling and production twice a year. Although this is a necessarily part of production, it also can provide a creative boost. "I'm so inspired by people who make things by hand still in this era of mass-produced goods - the way Indians work, patiently and perfectly beading and embroidering and printing and weaving is true design".

Strutting your stuff

Lisa loves the "total control over what I put my name too" and was thrilled to open her first store in Chapel Street, Prahran in Melbourne. She also adds that "doing a runway show is quite amazing, you have your ten minutes of glory and get to see how the whole collection comes together on the catwalk", and it's even better when the press give it a good rap.