WORK/LIFE BALANCE
THIS QUEENSTOWN-BASED DESIGNER HAS CHARTERED A COURSE TO SUCCESS BY CREATING A LIFESTYLE BRAND STRAIGHT FROM HER HEART
Fashion designer Francesca King balances the demands of work and family by staying true to the heart
Why and when did you launch Smith & Western?
I was always interested in working creatively for myself and generating my income. I grew up with super-creative parents. My mum is artist Virginia King and my dad, Mike, is an architect, builder and creative. Growing up in Ponsonby in the 1970s, creating art and objects from original thought was encouraged in a dynamic and multicultural community full of charismatic and passionate characters. My parents and their friends worked hard, but they also wanted to change society, in line with their beliefs about freedom of thought and action. After finishing an arts degree, I went into the film industry, working as “key costume” (an industry term), running some of the central wardrobe units on productions such as Hercules, Xena: Warrior Princess and Lord of the Rings. It was a formative time of my life, working alongside some amazing industry people, many of whom are still my closest friends. By 2001, I was living in Queenstown with my partner Sebastian Smith and our new baby Lucia. I was still doing some film work on smaller features and commercials. My restless nature kicked in, and I designed and made a range of clothes, held an inviteonly event and everything sold. The Smith & Western label was born.
What is it about the work that makes you excited?
I like creative problem-solving, refining the beauty in a garment or a space, without making it feel manicured. I enjoy the hard work that goes on behind the scenes, such as reworking a pattern to get it right or sourcing treasures from obscure places. I love creating an aesthetic that goes with the clothing, a feeling of the life we all want to be living.
WHO: Francesca King, founder and director of Smith & Western, a clothing and lifestyle brand FIND IT: Smith & Western stores in Arrowtown and Ponsonby, and online at smithandwestern.co.nz
What qualities do you need to start a business?
Tenacity, a love of what you do, and belief that if you work hard, you will succeed. At the same time, you have to have trust in others, engage them in your vision, and not be wholly consumed by your work. Raising a family (our son Marley was born in 2006) and running a business challenges the work-life balance. You also need to keep yourself healthy in mind and body while on the journey.
What financial challenges did you face in the early days?
In the beginning, I continued my freelance work in commercials and film. The first big job paid me enough to buy fabric and make a small range. I remember how excited and anxious I felt going into production at a factory. Everything had to be paid for upfront, and the scale of the bills was nextlevel. I had to have faith that the range would sell. Luckily for me, it did. But if there were ever any mistakes or production issues, the losses did hit home. The precariousness elevates as the business grows and you go further out on a limb but, over time, you get used to “tree climbing”.
Do you need to be a risk-taker?
I’ve never felt that it was a risk. You need to evaluate risk continually and hope you make the right decisions. Running a small business is tough. They don’t usually have a lot of fat in them, and they have to be run carefully.
What was your big break?
There wasn’t a defining moment. I have always been quite low-key, operating under the radar as a designer, but there was a point when I realized I had a significant following. The reward is that Smith & Western is a loved, self-sufficient brand that is still made in New Zealand after 20 years.
Did you have any moments of self- doubt?
Yes, absolutely. Perhaps self-doubt is the curse of the creative, but it can also provide the inspiration to overcome challenges. But you need to be more than a creative to survive in a business landscape, especially in a fashion and retail environment.
What was the biggest hurdle you overcame?
Keeping the dream alive and continuing to work while raising two young children. The hurdles continue as your team grows - there is just more to take care of. You are never really off-duty. I learned to be like water, moving with and around the obstacles that came my way. That’s still my rule.
Have you experienced burnout?
Life can be stressful and hard at times. Running two stores in different parts of the country has been tricky to maintain while raising a family, but it’s also given us some fantastic lessons in freedom and independence. For me, it requires a lot of commuting between Queenstown and Auckland.
Have you ever considered giving up?
No. But I have considered curbing the way I work. The thought of simplifying the business and reducing the overheads and complexities that are part of Smith & Western’s growth and expansion has some appeal. To me, that would not be giving up but a move to redefine what I want from the brand. In saying that, I have never been good at slowing down.