Small business creative, Print Designer & Mumma - this week I chatted with the lovely Sydney from Studio Lowey
Where are you from & where are you now?
I was born and raised in Peckham- South East London UK. When I was 18 years old I moved to a small seaside town called Falmouth in Cornwall to studied BA HONS Graphic Design at Falmouth University of Arts. I then moved to the Gold Coast, AUS in early 2013 when I was 25 years old and now I have been living in South Golden Beach just north of Byron Bay for the last 5 years :)
Tell us about ‘Studio Lowey' & how it came about?
Since I graduated in Graphic Design all of the jobs I gravitated towards seemed to be in the fashion industry. I worked for a Men’s wear brand back in London, then when I moved to the Gold Coast I was designing Ski and Snowboard wear. I then moved onto Product Development in the girls design team for Billabong specialising in Bikinis. I love the process of being apart of a range from start to bulk production and watching it grow and develop. When I got pregnant with my first baby- Coco, I decided to combine all the skills I had developed from pattern design, CAD drawing and Tech Packs creations for factories (plus much more) and decided to go freelance and so then ’Studio Lowey’ was born! :)
What are some of your favourite projects you have worked on?
Creating the ‘Troppo Print’ for Emily at Hall Store as obviously been one I am so excited to see launch, being the brands first ‘Print’ it hopefully is a small step to producing lots more for this brand!!! Textile prints is definitely my favourite part about my job…as many people in the fashion industry know, the lead time for a range from design stage to bulk production can take up to a year sometimes longer! Especially if you are working for brands that have environmental responsibilities and take a 'slow fashion' approach rather than ‘fast fashion’ or have 'speed to market trends’. Therefore, the projects that I think are my best so far, are still a big secret but hopefully will launch soon!!! As for what is out there now…. it would have to be the rebranding of the logo for a Byron Bay Resort brand - Cooke & Kin. I love how elegant, timeless and unique this logo is, plus working with the owner on it was an absolute pleasure!
You are a Mumma, what is your baby's age & name?
Coco Vivienne Lowe - She will be 2 at the end of November!
Describe Motherhood in three words?
“Mesmerising” “Educational” and “Challenging”
How do you find balance running your own business & Motherhood?
I find the balance between motherhood and running my own business perfect….. to be honest what I struggle with is keeping up with the household chores, the cooking and keeping fit!!! These are normally the first things to completely go out the window!!! hahahaha Coco goes to a family day care two times a week which gives me a good amount of time to get everyday life sorted. On the other days I love being able to hang out with my little girl all morning and afternoon…. She normally goes down for a nap around 12pm and then I'm super excited to get stuck into my design work. I get a good three hours in (most days!) before she wakes which is normally a good time for me to have a break from the screen anyway. I then come back to work with fresh eyes around 7.30pm once Coco has gone down for the night…. At the moment it seems to be working so well!!! Fingers crossed it stays that way for a bit hahahah
Who & what inspires your creativity?
Beach walks, getting out and about in nature… camping trips. I also love visiting the local library!! I almost always research into some kind of art movement or learn about a new artists to gather inspiration at the start of any project!
What is your creative process?
My creativity always starts with pen to paper (or pencil or paint) once I have all my sketches laid out, I will pick a handful and then normally trace and perfect them on my iPad using my apple pencil… I then send these illustrations either into Adobe illustrator or Photoshop depending on the project and place all the elements together. I am constantly printing versions out and reflecting on them as different things seem to stand out to me once off the screen.
What are you excited for in 2022?
Baby Lowe #2!!!!! Due end of March 2022. I’m also looking forward to international travel opening up as I haven’t seen my parents since Coco was 6 weeks old!!!
How do you unwind after a stressful day?
A bath and a good book - turning of all devices definitely helps me to unwind when stressed!
Favourite piece from the new häll störe ‘HOLIDÄY’ collection?
100% getting my hands on the Resort Shirt and the Everyday shorts in the green troppo print - literally can not wait to wear this set day in and day out!
I’m also thinking the Vana Sarong will be so handy coming into the summer months, and then can double up as a muslim wrap for when baby #2 arrives. Alsoooooo my favourite colour is blue so I’ve got my eye on the Mini dress in that yummy baby blue colour!!!
Where do you plan on going for your next Holiday?
I would love to head on over to Europe, visit the family in England and then spend some time in France for the surf, beach, bakery and coffees!!!