I know, it’s Friday you’re saying! Well with all the events happening at the moment, we’ve decided to feature another Creative this week. Kirsha Whitcher is the designer behind men’s and women’s high fashion label Salasai. She will be sharing her current collection ‘Heartlands’ with the guests at this year’s STYLEAID event happening next Friday 9 August. Kirsha launched her label, which retails between $150-$450, in new Zealand in 2007 before moving to Perth in late 2011. While Salasai will always remain a New Zealand label she says, Kirsha and her family have permanently relocated to Perth now, unable to leave our sunny shores and wonderful lifestyle – they love it here too much! Salasai has certainly made its mark in Perth as well, and its loyal, fashion forward followers are happy that it’s now even easier to get their hands on the coveted items. Let’s find out a little more about Kirsha…
Official job title: Designer and Owner of Salasai
Describe the Salasai style in one sentence:
Understated and androgynous, conceptually designed, unisex brand.
How did you get into fashion design and tell us about the journey to where you are now?
It started as a child I guess, my mother made all my clothes. She had an industrial sewing machine and overlocker in the house and would always be on it; she would sell clothing at the markets for children and adults. Then my Aunty Iri lived in Sydney and she was a pattern drafter, and she also had a design room full of fabric and magazine cut outs all over the wall. She would take me into work when I visited to show me around, so I guess I have been around the industry for a long time.
It wasn’t until I turned 18 that I told my parents that I didn’t want to go to teachers’ training college but fashion school to do a BA in Fashion, which I completed in 1998. I then went on to work as a design assistant for Black Label in Auckland, New Zealand, and was then selected as the womenswear designer for Mooks Clothing Co in Melbourne where I worked for 3 years before returning to New Zealand to start our family. It wasn’t until 2006 that I made the plan to open Salasai, which we launched in 2007 and have been evolving ever since.
What led to your move from New Zealand to Perth?
My husband took a job in the mining industry and he left us in New Zealand for 6 months before telling me he thought Perth was a great place to live and raise our family in. The weather, lifestyle and beach living was key to us as we have two boys who both love the outdoors, so we moved over in December 2011 and never really looked back. It’s a new experience to be living in a fairly relaxed, sunny city.
Life, work and business here is good for us. We enjoy it and decided to relocate permanently.
Was it difficult leaving a city and country where you were really making your mark and having to start again to enter the fashion community here? Or had your label already permeated the WA market?
Yes and No. Yes because Salasai is a New Zealand brand and no because Salasai can evolve, learn and grow. We still have great relationships with our New Zealand stockists and I don’t think it matters how long I live in Perth, home is home and that’s how I feel when I return each year for sales and visits.
We already had stockists here in WA, but now I’m able to be here in person so have made good relationships to grow the label here even more.
Describe your workspace:
We are building it at present at Jindalee beachside! But right now we are working in a converted double garage/studio. Now that we are sampling and making in Hong Kong and China, my workspace is more my office where I spend 99% of my time.
The workroom, design studio and office we are building will be a productive, creative, development space as opposed to our normal workroom.
Take us through a typical day of your work:
Check emails, reply to all, check measurement specifications, check more emails, measure up samples, make spreadsheets, do online research about new shows, send all online sales at the Post Office, pay bills, Skype meetings twice a week, answer phones and more Skype with China and Hong Kong to see how the development of new garments is coming along, book in shoots, search for models, chase money from stockists, search for new stockists, accounts… the list goes on.
I do this for two brands, Salasai and Wolfgang and Sons… and soon to be Salasai Homewares.
What music do you listen to whilst you work?
Classical, The XX, Damien Rice, Major Lazer, Folk, Hip Hop. We have everything on here dependent on the mood.
What have you got in store for STYLEAID?
We are showcasing Autumn/Winter 2013 ‘Heartlands’, which is good as it is in store and on sale, and we really want to give the guests the flavour of Salasai and a winter collection is always the best way to do this!
What has been your proudest achievement?
My boys Teankim and Teomner Whitcher, both amazing boys. They are by far my proudest achievement.
Regarding Salasai my proudest achievement is gaining the respect of my retailers and followers to still be in business.
Which local artists/musicians/creatives do you admire?
Shy Panther!
Any advice for those trying to make their name as a designer?
Go in with your eyes wide open. It’s hard out there and you need a strong ethos and confident persona as well as supportive people around you.
What do you love about Perth?
The weather, lifestyle, beaches (not with sharks, preferably) and the opportunities.
What does Perth need?
More independent restaurants, delis and eateries out north! There are too many chain takeaways everywhere. Also natural beach rock pools and a Wet ‘n’ Wild water park.
Most frequented coffee spot?
I like Cantina for coffee.
Best live music venue?
The Bird or The Bakery.
Favourite beach?
Quinns and Claytons.
Rottnest or Margaret River?
Margaret River.
Where can we find your designs?
Billie & Rose, Zara Bryson, Ricarda and The Annex. Kirsha.
Guests at STYLEAID will not only be able to see Kirsha’s winter range, but they will also enjoy fashion shows from other Western Australian designers including Aurelio Costarella, Zhivago, Ae’lkemi, Flannel and Zsadar. STYLEAID is an annual fundraising event for the WA AIDS Council, and now in its 16th year the event continues to raise money that goes directly towards the provision of a wide range of services, support programs and education initiatives that assist in the prevention of HIV, and the treatment and care of people living with HIV/AIDS in Western Australia. Tickets are $275 or $400 and you know the funds are going to a good cause. Tickets can be purchased by contacting Mark Reid on 9482 0014 or mreid@waaids.com.au .