November 11, 2009
tika designer hayley allen
Hayley Allen proves that once a creative, always a creative. A few years ago she had the phenomenally successful brand Skipping Girl. As part of that creative venture she had a shop on Oxford Street, Paddington, near where I was living at the time and I used to love checking out the window displays and what was inside. It truly was a destination in itself. Now Hayley has Tika, which is a venture with a woman in Peru. Money made on the project is invested back into poor local communities. Not surprisingly, the products have Hayley's signature colourful and quirky style (and are a favourite prop for stylists). She's also an incredibly cool, vivacious and energetic woman. It's not hard to see why Hayley has achieved so much.
Which five words best describe you? Creative, adventurous, energetic, impatient.
What was your first job and what path have you taken since then? McDonald's as this was the only place that would take young kids and I was keen to start work as soon as I could. This gave me a good work ethic. While at fashion college and after I always worked in fashion from retail to production to running my own businesses.
What’s your proudest achievement? Selling Skipping Girl to Barneys and Selfridges and being featured in UK Vogue.
What’s been your best decision? Having children.
Who inspires you? Quincy Jones, Whoopi Goldberg, Johnny Depp, Lisa Gorman.
What are you passionate about? Art, music, movies, friends.
What’s the best lesson you’ve learnt? Be honest and the harder you work the luckier you get.
Which person, living or dead, would you most like to meet? Johnny Cash, Issey Miyake, Gauguin, Sharon Osbourne, Michael Parkinson, Frank Lloyd Wright.
What dream do you still want to fulfil? To learn how to fly a plane.
What are you reading? The law of attraction by Esther and Jerry Hicks.
images tika
What was your first job and what path have you taken since then? McDonald's as this was the only place that would take young kids and I was keen to start work as soon as I could. This gave me a good work ethic. While at fashion college and after I always worked in fashion from retail to production to running my own businesses.
What’s your proudest achievement? Selling Skipping Girl to Barneys and Selfridges and being featured in UK Vogue.
What’s been your best decision? Having children.
Who inspires you? Quincy Jones, Whoopi Goldberg, Johnny Depp, Lisa Gorman.
What are you passionate about? Art, music, movies, friends.
What’s the best lesson you’ve learnt? Be honest and the harder you work the luckier you get.
Which person, living or dead, would you most like to meet? Johnny Cash, Issey Miyake, Gauguin, Sharon Osbourne, Michael Parkinson, Frank Lloyd Wright.
What dream do you still want to fulfil? To learn how to fly a plane.
What are you reading? The law of attraction by Esther and Jerry Hicks.
images tika