We love a good startup story and this week we're thrilled to be presenting you with the latest TVM Startup Stall recipients, Sera Bagnall and Tal Graham of STAPLE & HUE.
So ladies, how did STAPLE & HUE come to life?
We first both met working in retail, and since then starting a label was a topic we often spoke about. We always loved experimenting by altering clothes to how we believed they could look better.
Both of us have always been so drawn to simple pieces that we can make our own, so the concept for Staple & Hue flowed really organically. The creative/business process for Staple & Hue began in June 2016. From the moment we first spoke about creating our own label, we knew that we wanted to design staple pieces that we could mix and match to create either dressy or casual looks. Along our journey, we were blessed to have become friends with an amazing lady named Ann Wilson, who naturally became our mentor.
Neither of us have studied fashion or business at university but we worked hard every single day for over a year to get our label off the ground.
With our strong amount of passion, drive and guidance from Ann, our dream became our reality and Staple & Hue launched July 2017.
What pieces are included within your range?
- The Staple Bodysuit
- The Staple Halter
- The Staple Mini Dress
- The Staple Jumper Dress
- The Staple Parka
- The Staple Silk Scarf
- The Staple Wide Leg Pants
What is your creative background?
Sera: I have been obsessed with fashion since I was a little girl and designing clothing has been a dream of mine since as young as I can remember. I have always had an eye for fashion, styling and putting all kinds of things together creatively. I believed that at some stage in my life, the universe would allow my passion to find its way to me, and it all started from a very low point in my life. For that, I am thankful & allow that to be my driving force. I am also so lucky to have found a best friend in Tal. We are both passionate perfectionists and we make the best team. Everything flows naturally.
Tal: My creative background comes predominantly from dance and fashion, which both go hand in hand with each other. I grew up dancing, doing competitions and shows my whole life as well as maintaining a professional career in dance for 6 years. I was constantly surrounded by costumes and wardrobe and from a young age this fueled my love for fashion. When I wasn’t dancing I was creating outfits and experimenting with different styles. Sera and I met when we were just 22 years old and instantly bonded over our love for all things fashion, style and creativity. We always knew that one day when the time was right we would follow our dreams together. Knowing now that we have, is the most satisfying and fulfilling feeling in the world.
Where is the label designed and made?
Staple & Hue is designed by us locally on the Gold Coast and manufactured overseas in China.
What inspires you?
Sera: Music, traveling, fashion photography, being creative with my own personal style, discovering upcoming trends/fashion influencers and also my best friends – we inspire and motivate each other so much and we are all creatives in some form.
Tal: I love seeing other people follow their passion and truly succeed in doing so. This to me is so inspirational and gives me a huge amount of motivation and drive. Family and friends inspire me endlessly as well as fashion, music, culture, art, travel and style. I find that he more creative I allow myself to be, the more inspired I become.
What's on your mood board?
Our mood board consists of fashion photography, trends we dig, photo filters, brands that inspire us, celebrity style pictures, fabrics and colors we love and also photoshoot location inspo.
What’s your creative space like?
Sera: I feel most creatively inspired when I’m listening to music in my living room. I have a beautiful view of the ocean & sky. I find my creative juices flow when my mind is calm and I am in an open space.
Tal: My creative space is constantly changing like my life and I've learned to adjust with it. When I am feeling inspired I can work anywhere as long as I have music playing and some yummy food!
What music do you listen to while designing/creating?
Music is our motivation. We are obsessed with hip hop and RnB music, both old school and new school. Our favorite artists we are currently listening to are Gold link, Ty Dolla $ign, Partynextdoor, Jhene Aiko, Masego, SZA, Kaytranada, French Montana, Drake, The Weekend, J Cole etc…
A day in the life of you consists of?
At the moment both our lives are pretty hectic! We both work full time jobs, we live in separate states and both in-between and outside of our day jobs we are working on Staple & Hue. FaceTime meetings are a daily occurrence to go over all things work (and life) related. We both believe in the importance of being organized by setting time-frames when working towards our goals.
Favourite TVM stall?
(Former TVM stall and now international success) Grace Bijoux! We met the owner Lisa when she first started at TVM. Since launching Staple & Hue, Lisa showed support by lending her incredible pieces to style with our first collection for our photoshoot.
Favourite reads/blogs?
We don’t really have a favorite blog as such, however we are constantly inspired by what and who we discover on Instagram. Some of our favorite fashion influencers at the moment are: Rachel Tee Tyler, Rahnee Bransby, Xanetia Unnarae, Maddison Bear, Shannen Jai, Yan Yan Chan, Nadia Fairfax, Bella Hadid, RiRi & we can’t forget the Kardashians!
What are we likely to find you wearing on market day? Any favourite labels?
Either a full Staple & Hue outfit or at least one piece of our collection paired with denim & cute sneakers.
What can we expect from the next collection/what are your plans for 2018 and beyond?
Our next collection will have a more feminine vibe and features lots of bows, along with more vibrant, summer, tones for our next color hue release. Expect to see another bodysuit, mini dress, crop top, maxi dress and some cute refreshers. We can’t wait!
Connect with Staple and Hue at TVM this Sunday 10 December and online via their website, here.
