July 04, 2008
ruby slipper
I was disappointed to recently learn that Heidi Albertiri was leaving the gorgeous little flower and homewares shop in Sydney's Paddington, Ruby Slipper. But it's for love... so she's absolutely forgiven. And then I learnt that Sam Findley was taking over the business and after speaking with her, it sounds like the shop is going into great hands. Can't wait to see Ruby Slipper blossom - pardon the pun!
Why did you decide to take over the running of Ruby Slipper? It sounds so corny but it truly was love at first sight. I have only known about Ruby Slipper for two months, which is crazy as I feel like I have been waiting for this opportunity for ages. My wonderful best friend Linda and I had finally been able to coordinate schedules to meet and go shopping in Paddington. And to her surprise and mine, now in hindsight, I had never been down William Street. Quite literally I walked straight up to the shop, waltzed in like it was already mine and immediately felt at home. I picked out some gorgeous vintage saucers and started to fantasise about buying so many of the beautiful things on show to help decorate my wedding (which is taking place in the country in October - awful timing! haha) and just started chatting to Heidi about how much I loved her shop - then I happened to mention my wedding and how "she couldn't go anywhere as I have just discovered Ruby Slipper!" She mentioned to me that she was thinking of selling and in a matter of five minutes we had started to talk about me possibly taking over the reigns. It was the start of what has been the most serendipitous couple of months!
Have you done anything like this before? Well... not really! So it is with a mixture of excitement and a little apprehension that I enter this! But I am so deeply passionate and can't wait! I have studied visual arts for four years and have been working in an art gallery for a while now. Prior to that I was working as a visual merchandiser in the giftware industry. But I have always loved flowers. My grandmother (we were very close) was a florist and had the most beautiful garden. Full of gardenias, roses and forget-me-nots. So I grew up with flowers. I also adore grouping things together to create visual stories - I can't wait to get in there and start playing!
Where do you look to for inspiration? I think of my grandmother every day and she is still a wonderful inspiration to me. But so many people inspire me; I am so lucky to have such wonderful people in my life to look to for inspiration (so corny! but true) but I love, love, love Tricia Guild, her work blows me away.
What are you passionate about right now? Ruby Slipper! I will always be passionate about art and creating and also I feel there is nothing more soothing to the soul than flowers - anything so natural that can fill people with such simple happiness is true magic. I am passionate about keeping Ruby Slipper the beautiful little haven that it already is and having it be the focus of this exciting new chapter in my life.
If you could meet one person, living or dead, who would it be? Hard one! Can I have two? I would love to meet Tricia Guild actually and pick her brain for a little while! I would also love to meet the late Linda McCartney - not just due to her love of animals, but to chat to her about the wonderful era that she lived in. There are so many people though!
What are you looking forward to? Working with the wonderful Ruby Slipper girls, meeting the wonderful customers and meeting new ones. Getting married (!)
What are you reading? A beautiful book On Flowers. It is a gorgeous book of poems, pictures, quotes and recipes all involving flowers. I am also ready (again) my favourite book: In the skin of a lion by Michael Ondaatje, author of The English Patient. And about to start On Beauty by Zadie Smith- looking forward to that one.
Have you done anything like this before? Well... not really! So it is with a mixture of excitement and a little apprehension that I enter this! But I am so deeply passionate and can't wait! I have studied visual arts for four years and have been working in an art gallery for a while now. Prior to that I was working as a visual merchandiser in the giftware industry. But I have always loved flowers. My grandmother (we were very close) was a florist and had the most beautiful garden. Full of gardenias, roses and forget-me-nots. So I grew up with flowers. I also adore grouping things together to create visual stories - I can't wait to get in there and start playing!
Where do you look to for inspiration? I think of my grandmother every day and she is still a wonderful inspiration to me. But so many people inspire me; I am so lucky to have such wonderful people in my life to look to for inspiration (so corny! but true) but I love, love, love Tricia Guild, her work blows me away.
What are you passionate about right now? Ruby Slipper! I will always be passionate about art and creating and also I feel there is nothing more soothing to the soul than flowers - anything so natural that can fill people with such simple happiness is true magic. I am passionate about keeping Ruby Slipper the beautiful little haven that it already is and having it be the focus of this exciting new chapter in my life.
If you could meet one person, living or dead, who would it be? Hard one! Can I have two? I would love to meet Tricia Guild actually and pick her brain for a little while! I would also love to meet the late Linda McCartney - not just due to her love of animals, but to chat to her about the wonderful era that she lived in. There are so many people though!
What are you looking forward to? Working with the wonderful Ruby Slipper girls, meeting the wonderful customers and meeting new ones. Getting married (!)
What are you reading? A beautiful book On Flowers. It is a gorgeous book of poems, pictures, quotes and recipes all involving flowers. I am also ready (again) my favourite book: In the skin of a lion by Michael Ondaatje, author of The English Patient. And about to start On Beauty by Zadie Smith- looking forward to that one.