MUSE: 2010

Beach beauty's fab looks

YOU won't find Briony Marsh fading into the background in basic black.

Inspired by all things bright and beautiful, this fresh-faced Torquay fashion designer embodies everything in her creations from her quaint beach surrounds to a passion for vintage and a love affair with India.

And none of the above involves black, basic or otherwise.

Having launched her own label two years ago, Briony is fast making a name for herself in the Australian fashion industry.

Her trademark embellishments and intricate beading on her whimsical designs all sewn in India are a breath of fresh air in today's obsession with tacky glam grunge.

Briony says its by no means a conscious attempt to stand out in a crowd littered with leather and metallic, but rather a commitment to staying true to what she knows and loves.

"I try and design things I like; Im not trying to be edgy or break boundaries, I just want to make clothes women will love and will feel good in and enjoy no matter what their size," Briony says.

"Vintage is the biggest influence in what I do, but Im also inspired by things like travel and colour and different fabrics.

"I buy all of my fabrics and have all of my designs made in India. I've really come to love it over there, its crazy and beautiful.

"I call it the land of contrast because you'll be driving past a slum and you'll see an amazing woman emerge in the most beautiful-coloured sari, or you'll be driving past a building site and a peacock with all its feathers will be standing on a hill of rubble. I get a lot of inspiration from over there.

"I have everything made over there because their fabrics are among the best in the world and its also where the best hand embellishment is done.

"I would have loved to have been Australian-made but we just don't have that skill set any more and its the fabrics and embellishments and embroidery that really are my point-of-difference; it's a big part of what I do."

When we meet at Growlers on Torquay's front beach, Briony's attention to detail immediately catches your eye.

Like her label, which is made up of beachy, feminine gowns, she appears the essence of the seaside town in her jeans-heels ensemble - she's blonde and gorgeous with a breezy sense of style.

But the statement bib necklace on her sheer kaftan top - from her own collection of course, and designed with mother of pearl shells, corrugated nickel beads and tinted Swarovski pearls - makes her girl-next-door look as much Greenwich Village, New York, as it is Gilbert St, Torquay.

"That's one of the perks of having your own label," Briony laughs modestly of the stunning baubled accessory.

Modesty is one of Briony's traits that's obvious from the get-go. She credits her parents for their support in her business and choice of career; her partner Coel, who has an accounting and marketing background and who she describes as the left side of the business brain to her right side; and Geelong-based fashion heavyweight the Austin Group, which gave Briony a foot in the door while she completed her fashion diploma at Gordon TAFE.

But even Briony has a tough time downplaying her own role in the success of Briony Marsh, the label.

The 28-year-old admits she's largely a one man band, juggling everything from design to delivery and twice-yearly trips to India.

"I don't employ anyone," she says. "I have sales agents, so I don't do any of the selling, and I have an agent in India who is a go-between the factory in India and myself. Other than that its just me.

"At the moment Im being a warehouse manager and sorting all the stock.

"A month ago I was in India being a quality assurance person and checking all the production and also being a designer placing the next range.

"It's a bit of a juggle, but its good to be a part of all sides of the business.

"It's going to be invaluable going forward to have had to do that."

It's that down-to-earth approach that makes it clear Briony is in this business for the long haul.

Her designs have already caught the eye of many a celebrity - including The 7pm Projects Carrie Bickmore, who often wears Briony's creations on the weeknight show, while Geelong footballer Paul Chapman's other half Lauren Smyth wore a Briony Marsh gown to the Brownlow.

Briony says she's content building her label bit by bit. And for now that means foregoing some of the glitz and glamour of the fashion world to make sure she gets things right.

She feels no pressure to uproot herself from Torquay to move to Melbourne, Sydney or beyond. Nor is she in any great hurry to see her name in bright lights.

"I'd love to do a fashion show, like an Australian Fashion Week, but they're really expensive to do," she says.

"Maybe in the future it's something I'll look into doing, but it's probably a few years away.

"From little things, big things grow and that's what I've got to focus on at the moment.

"I think I'm so lucky to get to work from a beautiful, cruisy, calm place like Torquay.

"It's stressful enough as it is trying to run your own business, so in my down time I can go for a relaxing walk down the beach and not be worried about being stuck in traffic.

"And working from home means I can just stumble into bed when I finish."

Briony has come a long way from her days growing up in Portland, an hour west of Warrnambool, where she lived before moving to Torquay as an 18-year-old. She says it was because of the port town that she discovered her love of fashion.

"I've always loved sewing and creating things and coming from a small country town, you're forced to make your own things that you can't get locally because you don't want to be wearing the same thing as everybody else," Briony says.

"My mum taught me to sew and I did textiles right through school. So by Year 9 or 10 I started looking at fashion design as a viable career option."

She admits she doesn't have much time left these days to make her own clothes - although, like her necklace, often throws on one of her designs when she's stuck for something to wear.

But the fulfilment Briony once had from wearing her own outfits she now enjoys from seeing her work on others.

"I get a real buzz out of seeing someone in what I've created, or just telling me how much they've loved something I've created," Briony says.

"It's very humbling and its part of the reason I love what I do."

Briony Marsh is stocked at Muse (1) on Pakington St, Geelong West. brionymarsh.com.au

pic and article taken from http://www.geelongadvertiser.com.au/article/2010/11/27/229141_gt_cover_story.html