Designer DETAIL - Runaway Lovers

An impulsive choice. An open road. A summertime dash for the coast…

“Runaway Lovers is about jumping in the car with your hot man, or a few girlfriends and taking off down the coast. These are the kinds of clothes that make you want to give in to the impulse and escape to the open road…”

The Edge

For Emma Simpson & Merinda Jackson, creating Runaway Lovers was never a conscious decision. At least, not in the beginning.

“It kind of grew naturally,” says Merinda. “We started by making the kinds of dresses that suited our lifestyle and what our friends wanted. Before we knew it, we had a range. Everyday we were coming across girls like ourselves who just wanted a relaxed, fun, sexy edge to their clothes.”

Born and bred in Melbourne, the pair first met while working together in a high profile boutique and forged a friendship based on their similar lifestyle and attitude to fashion. Combining their skills and backgrounds, Emma in Bachelor of fashion design at RMIT, and Merinda in Bachelor of Business

and Marketing, the pair discovered they had the perfect combination to make the business work.

Indian Inspiration

Drawing inspiration from the details of their life – old photographs, long-forgotten holidays, travelling through foreign lands – Emma and Merinda created their first designs over drinks at pub in St Kilda. With their initial ideas down on paper, next stop was India, where the girls spent a month sourcing some unique fabrics. The trip was a success in more ways than one - As well as selling the 200 dresses they made from Indian cotton to family and friends back home, they proved to each other that they could overcome the ultimate challenge… travelling together. From then on their business partnership was cemented.

Day to Night Dressing in Aussie style

As of S/S 06/07, the Runaway Lovers range of easy to wear summer dresses were available in boutiques nationwide, and proceeded to fall into the hot little hands of many a fashionista. But how do the girls describe their style?

“Our attitude to fashion in pretty laid back,” says Emma. “I think it’s important to keep that typical Australian sense of fun,” she says. “We want our dresses to move easily between the beach and the barbeque, maybe the odd trip to the dancefloor – we don’t take ourselves too seriously. I think that what sets us apart from other fashion labels”

For Winter 2007, Runaway Lovers continues to represent the laidback Aussie lifestyle. With key pieces like ‘The Alice Tunic’ and the ‘Jackaroo Shirt’ featuring colourful flannels, & soft wools, velvets and cottons, find garments that are made for easy wear and easy care. The girls have created a range of essential Winter wardrobe items – with a touch of old school and outback culture.

You can find Runaway Lovers at a host of stockists around the country and www.mycatwalk.com.au. – Find out all the details at the Runaway Lovers site www.runawaylovers.com.au.