SWITCH FROM FELONS TO FASHION PROVES A PERFECT FIT
A HOBART businesswoman has gone from working with felons to working in fashion.
Emily Anderson’s “all-inclusive” bridal and formal wear boutique, Confetti, moved from Moonah to larger premises in the CBD about a year ago, after business skyrocketed.
Seven years ago the businesswoman was working in a Tasmanian prison’s reintegration program, but quit her job to open Confetti, after realising there were limited options for plus-size women when it came to modern and fashionable formal wear.
But Ms Anderson said opening up the business was a big risk.
“I literally borrowed $3000 from my nan to buy a few dresses,” she said.
“I wanted to fill a niche in the local market here for women of all shapes and sizes, especially curvier women, who didn’t have many places to shop for special occasions. (And) I wanted to offer a genuinely empowering and fun shopping experience with a huge variety of styles, colours and cuts to choose from.”
Ms Anderson said that at her Moonah boutique, she only had space for three change rooms.
“On a Saturday, I would have 10 groups of people waiting for change rooms for hours,” she said.
Now, at her Collins St boutique, Ms Anderson has eight change rooms, which she said are constantly full.
“I have people coming from all over Tassie,” she said. “They come down just to come to us because of our range.”
Ms Anderson said she has more than 1000 gowns in-store as well as a team of seamstresses who provide alterations. She said customers could also request a gown in a certain size and colour to be shipped from the mainland.
While currently focused on her Hobart clientele, Ms Anderson said she would consider opening another store interstate.