Get Dressed Hire founder Michelle Taylor shared more of her story recently at an Illawarra Assistants Network event at M2 Kitchen.
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In and interview with Nicki Bowman, of charity Dress for Success, Mrs Taylor spoke about her earlier career as an executive assistant for a hotel general manager after moving to London at 21. She had initially trained and worked in hospitality management.
She then experienced some adventure travel around Europe roughing it in comparison for three months with her then boyfriend, now husband, before working for a family who hired her to help look after their teenage children. The wife loved her dress sense and told her that was why she got the job.
But Mrs Taylor longed to come home and moved to Perth where she worked as a PA for a billionaire family. A role that required many organisational and time management skills.
Which served her well when she eventually decided to start her own business. That happened after she moved back to the East Coast where she wanted to raise her children and initially working in finance for Finance Control at Warrawong. But the lure of fashion remained strong.
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“I had a massive wardrobe,” she said.
When her husband suggested she probably had enough clothes she decided to start a dress hire business from home. Which was when her organisational and time management skills became really important. “I worked every day from 9am to 5.30pm and then every night and weekend I saw clients and built the business while also managing to cook dinner and look after the kids. I worked tirelessly for about two years.”
Mrs Taylor then left her job in finance and focused all her attention on her children and her dress hire business. Coming up to four years she has more than 250 pieces “I have hundreds of pieces and I know at any one time where they are whether they are in Western Australia or Tasmania.”
Mrs Taylor said many people who hired dresses wanted to wear the latest fashion so she always ensure she had the new season styles and colours. She was already buying for Spring in March with the racing season and Melbourne Cup in mind. And she knows this year floral and bright colours are going to be popular.
Many of those garments will be on show at Fashion Gala at Wollongong City Gallery on August 25. The fashion parade will also feature the hottest new looks for 2019. Culinarius is catering for the event that always incluses Moet.
Illawarra Assistants Network is hosting its next networking meeting on May 29 at City Beach Function Centre with Peoplecare head of people, culture and capability Maree Morgan-Monk.
- Read more: Instant glamour hire business taking off
Rare coffee tasting
Thirroul based specialty coffee roastery Black Market Roasters has ordered in some of the rarest coffees in the world for a tasting event it is holing for the industry this Thursday. The event will be attended by baristas and cafe owners.
Greg Ellis
Almost four decades in electronic, print and digital media. A writer, presenter, emcee, photographer and videographer with degrees in business management, marketing and human resources and tertiary qualifications in photography.
Almost four decades in electronic, print and digital media. A writer, presenter, emcee, photographer and videographer with degrees in business management, marketing and human resources and tertiary qualifications in photography.
