Bella Derham - Brother Billy

"Brother Billy has been around for nearly 8 months, the inspiration was mainly from wanting some simple everyday jewellery that didn't break the bank. I design and sell sterling silver jewellery, the pieces are very dainty and simple which I love. I wear at least 4 rings every day of my own. I would have to say the Katie Necklace and the Kate Ring's are my favorite purely for the simplicity of them and how I can layer them with so many other brands for every day wear or for a special occasion."

Before starting Brother Billy and since finishing school, Bella has been working in hospitality at cafe's and bars. She now studies full time, "At the moment I'm still studying so I find it hard to find time to throw anything else into the works so I focus purely on Brother Billy and my studies."

"When I first came up with the idea of starting my own small business I was so excited!! I couldn't wait to be my own boss! I didn't really think about all the boring behind the scenes stuff that comes along with it but I wouldn't change it for the world!

I am so proud of myself and what I have achieved so far. Brother Billy is still a work in progress but thinking back to a year ago I'm so glad I had the balls to do something like this, it is such an eye opener and an exciting time for me."
When speaking of what Bella loves most about Brother Billy she shares, "I absolutely love the idea generation, starting off with a tiny idea at the back of my head and then bringing it to life. I am extremely passionate about what I do and the beautiful pieces I have designed. I have always had a passion for the little things in life. My designs are influenced by simplicity and the small things in life that put a smile on my face."

Bella runs Brother Billy independently and says that, "Sometimes it can be a little tricky being a one man show and trying to juggle my everyday life." She shares with aspiring business owners, "Do what you love and don't let anyone bring you down! The biggest highlight is being able to create something and share it with others. I would have to say that my greatest achievement yet is when Brooke Hogan wore some of my pieces for a photo shoot in Fashion Journal Magazine! My head nearly exploded with joy!"

Bella speaks passionately about supporting hand-made and independently owned businesses, as she knows personally how the support from a wider community is so greatly valued, "It is so important to support handmade and local businesses because your not giving back to a large corporation, you are helping individuals put food on their table or pay their bills! I love how someone can one day wake up with an idea and have the courage to start their own little brand or company it makes me so happy! There is a lot of time, effort and love that goes in to each handmade piece and we just want you to love them as much as we do!"

You can find all of Bella's designs at her online store and Instagram page:
https://instagram.com/mybrotherbilly
http://brotherbilly.bigcartel.com/

Wendy Ma - PHT

"Super cute outfits and accessories for any occasion! Think Barbie lost in harajuku in the 90s but Romy and Michelle are hanging out there and end up being room mates." Wendy begins by describing her fun creations and her inspirations, "Fuzzy and furry materials are my favorite things to work with. I also have been working on a new project that’s coming soon! 
I’ve always been influenced by the 90s but mainly characters from movies I’ve seen or books I read. Like Greg Araki characters to anime girls, I’ve always got a character I conjure up; what does she like, what would she wear. I guess the obsession with fur and fuzzy things have stuck with me from childhood too!" 
Now Wendy sews these adorable accessories by hand selling to a number of fans, but initially she was sewing for herself, inspired by other designers and discovering ways to make her designs original, "I got my first sewing machine when I was about 13. Since then I’ve been sewing things for myself – lot less for myself these days! The PHT furry business started the moment I posted a photo of a clear heart furry bag on Instagram and someone had asked me if I could make her one if she paid me.

In the beginning, I was motivated to make things that I had seen in high fashion magazines, things I couldn’t afford as a student.  Back then, the internet wasn’t a highly accessible shopping mall. I never tried to reproduce something directly though, I always liked to put my own spin on things."

74 weeks ago, according to Instagram, Wendy posted a picture of the very first bag she made. Upon starting PHT Wendy expresses "I was just excited and optimistic because I had nothing to loose. I used blogger to setup my first store which was completely free. I also made orders as they came so that was a very organic and slow process I felt I could keep up with. I just enjoyed making things for people who really understood what I was about, who wanted something handmade by me – to have a little part of me."  
Today PHT has become much more than just selling through Instagram, Wendy has been successful in sharing her designs through other online stores. She reflects on her highlights from running PHT, "Being able to connect with girls I admire and collaborate with people I never thought I’d meet. Being approached by Dolls Kill and Shop Jeen to be apart of their online store as well as physically in Distal Phalanx in Melbourne. Spreading the furry love!"

When reflecting upon how far PHT has come since posting her first Instagram picture Wendy shares excitedly "I’ve been overwhelmed by all the support I have received! That goes for the girls who buy my pieces and my girls who have got my back when it comes to seeing knockoffs floating around. They’ve defended me till the very end. It’s so heartbreaking to see your things stolen, copied, and being sold under another brand. I used to get so stressed out and upset dealing with people/companies who have done this to me, almost to the point of stopping it all because it’s disheartening. Because of the crazy support these girls have given me (a lot of them I’ve never met but follow me on instagram), it’s all worth it in the end."

As an independent business owner Wendy has had to face some of the difficulties that are common in the industry. Speaking from the perspective of a small business owners, she states that she mainly faces "Copyright issue. I invest so much time, love and energy into creating my designs, it just feels violating when someone tries to take credit for something that is a blatant reproduction (and even use your images to sell ‘their’ knockoff while they deny they’ve done anything wrong). It is a popular belief that there is nothing original any longer, especially in fashion but I think there are always ways to make things different and own it. I’ve been in touch with other independent designers and artists and I think this is a huge issue where everything is super accessible, on the web; your images get lost in a black hole and becomes untraceable to a source (eg. Tumblr). It’s like, people think they can get away with taking ownership of things floating around in cyberspace.

Anyway, despite credibility and financial loss, at the end of the day, I took is as the highest form of flattery, LV has knockoffs only because it’s coveted right? I realized that you can’t stop people, it’s bound to happen but you can help them understand how it has hurt you and that they are talented and don’t need to copy your ideas to be successful. If they can be proud, truly own an idea, believe it’s their own and defend it with everything they’ve got then I won’t stand in their way. There’s absolutely no shame in giving someone credit for inspiring them, it’s real and people will respect you. 

From that, I’ve learnt to simply stop looking at what others are doing and focus only on making my things for my particular market of incredible women, who truly understand what it’s all about, I’ve never been happier!"

For aspiring business owners she shares "Maybe…don’t launch into this as your day job at the beginning. Have something stable so that you’re not forced into it. I like to focus on my handmade business as a hobby. That way I enjoy it and will always love it, it doesn’t become a chore or something I stress about.

It’s a therapeutic process for me, that I come home to after a long day’s work. The end result – happy customers and sharing apart of myself with people drives me to keep PHT running."

The importance of handmade for Wendy begins with "Integrity and relationship. It’s not everyday you know who made your clothes with loads of TLC, packed it up and sent it out, all from scratch. It’s a point of difference to have a one off hand made item too! It’s also to support creative people who are not solely driven by profit. From an ethical point of view, it’s important to question where the products you buy come from and how it’s made. Ultimately,  it’s an alternative to fueling the fast fashion industry and slavery."


You can find all of Wendy's designs at her online store and social media pages:
http://pht.storenvy.com/
http://instagram.com/wenopia
http://panache-halloweentown.blogspot.com.au/