The love of sewing, and all things creative, was passed down from my Nonna (grandmother), Anastasia Amelia Gandini (1903-1981, an Italian immigrant to the North Queensland cane fields. My mother Guiseppina Stroppiana (Josephine) spent many hours as a young girl with her mother Amelia, poring over dress designs and fabric remnants, constructing quality garments together by machine, and by hand. Those were hard times, where coat seams were unpicked, and the coat resewn with what was the wrong side of the fabric, in order to not discard quality wool. For what was a life of hard labour assisting her husband Giovanni on the sugar cane farm, my Nonna was captivated by the small pleasures of creating fabric flowers, crocheting, embroidering, knitting, cutting dress patterns from old newspaper, and constructing garments with her daughter Guiseppina. I like to think of my Nonna like this, stealing a few quiet moments after all the work of the day was done, to ponder her next creation, cutting designs from newspapers, and considering her fabrics, just as my mother has done. Just as I do now ..:)
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| My Nonna - Amelia |
My mother Josephine was lucky enough to make her passion into her livelihood. Josephine established a dress making studio in North Queensland for some years, before moving to Brisbane with her husband, and my father Kevin Simpson. Together they opened Simpson's Fashion Fabrics, and I grew up playing among rolls of fabrics, buttons, and the smell of fine textiles.
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| Josephine |
Like Josephine and Amelia I inherited the appetite for fine fabrics, well- tailored garments, and generally all things creative, .....Even the simplest kind. My conversations with my mother still centre each of our current creative projects, fabric finds we've unearthed, and deconstructing designs to be drafted into workable patterns. I love pulling out my fabrics, stroking them, smelling them, and propping them around the room to look at each time I walk by for inspiration. I constantly sketch designs from the inspiration I see around me every day worn by the women of Melbourne. I opened my business Stroppiana Couture in 2008, and love the challenge of bringing to life my client's design into a garment that flatters their form, and highlights all their attributes. For myself I tend towards vintage styles from the 1930's-1960's, as I love the femineity, and vintage glamour of the fashions of the era.
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| My mother & I |
I live in Melbourne with my husband Con, and cat Lucilla;
and I love the inspiration and style Melbourne provides on a daily basis. I
look forward to sharing with you "all things creative", the
inspirations that 'take me' day to day, whether it be fashions, decor, handmade
items, children's clothes, or house renovations. For creativity is an
expression of the very essence of our selves...
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