Kayla Jurlina

I used to see Trelise Cooper clothes in magazines as a teenager and think to myself, one day I’m going to buy these and wear them to business meetings. I would check her website before the start of each season and keep refreshing until the latest look book had been uploaded. I loved that she was not afraid of colour, print and texture.

The day I met Trelise, I was interning in the Trelise Cooper warehouse. She’d come to check with the quality control manager when the next shipment of the collection was due and I so badly wanted to speak to her, I answered a question without her even asking me. People said Trelise was intimidating, but I just found her fascinating.

One morning before university, I stopped by to get my work placement paper signed. I pulled up in my Toyota Starlet next to Trelise’s Mercedes, she wound down her window and told me to pop into her office for a chat. The rest is history.

Were it not for the age difference, I think we would have been the best of friends growing up. We are constantly having a laugh – from the desk, to the alleys of Tokyo and the avenues of Paris – and we have a great rhythm going when we are designing; it’s a flowing conversation of ideas and imagination. Trelise and I also have the same morals, expectations and quality standards.

I always call Trelise a ‘boss woman’ when I see her make a decision and hold her ground, but I admire her warmth when she’s interacting with customers. She cares about what people have to say and even in a quick conversation she will make you feel important. I aspire to touch people’s hearts like she does.