Olivia’s busy calendar
Designer’s days filled creatively
WHAT started as a hobby has now turned into a thriving business for bartender and model Olivia Walker.
The Kewarra Beach woman’s Red Lipstick Designs brand of bikinis, which she started three years ago, will be shown off in a 2019 calendar she hopes will help market her designs to the world.
Ms Walker will distribute the calendars locally after a launch in Cairns and then sell them online.
“The business is going pretty well, everything is made to order. I’m very into cosplay and costumes and Cairns has bikini model competition so there is always demand for outfits for that,” she said.
“I used to make costumes for myself and people always said, ‘you should make them for other people’ and it kind of started from there.
“A lot of my sales are local through word of mouth.
“Because we’re in Cairns, bikinis sell well. With the calendar project, part of the package is the models will get to keep the bikini afterwards and if they blog about it or post photos on Instagram, I’ll give them discount on future purchases.
“At the moment it’s mainly models who are buying the bikinis because the range is a bit more risque.”
Her designs were even worn to Gilligan’s recent Sinners Ball.
But Ms Walker has plans to start designing and manufacturing swimwear for women with a more average shape.
“I’m going to start branching out into a basic range as well. It appeals to a lot of people and is quirky,” she said.
In the meantime, Ms Walker works evenings as a bartender at The Courtyard on the Esplanade to free up the days for sewing and dreaming up new designs.
Red Lipstick Designs is on Facebook.
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