The fabric maker

FIONA KOWALSKI

As the former fashion editor of Vogue Australia , Fiona dreamt her toddler daughter would be dressed head-to-toe in white. “But after Gidget was born, I realised that was impractical and I looked for pretty prints that could disguise a multitude of sins.” She couldn’t find any, so set about designing her own – and the small, online fashion business Printebebe was born.

“I wanted pretty florals that make children look like children, but they can also play, get dirty and sleep in them,” she says. “When I started, three years ago, the floral prints on the market were all bright and gaudy.”

Fiona designs the prints at her home in Sydney, then develops them with her factory in Indonesia. “In the beginning, I spent a lot of time there, exploring factories. Now I have a business I can work around Gidget’s lifestyle – that was always my plan.”