Tell us a bit about yourself?

I’m a country girl at heart. I grew up on a beautiful sheep farm in central west NSW. I always knew I wanted to do something creative. I studied a BA Media (Hons) at Macquarie University, Sydney, majoring in Film and Television production—I originally wanted to be a film director!

I’m based in Melbourne and am a full-time business owner plus full-time mum to two boys. I love to travel (looking forward to being able to do this again one day) and I believe in living an adventurous life—always learning, exploring and living joyfully. I’m always on the look-out for my next adventure!

I have collected jewellery from all over the world and this is part of the reason I created wallets with space specifically to store jewellery! I’m passionate about sustainable fashion and believe that designers have a responsibility to understand the materials they work with—how they were made, who made them, their performance, longevity, environmental and social impact and end of life. This takes time, energy and in most instances is more expensive than mainstream alternatives but it’s really rewarding to see that my designs offer a significant step change towards a more sustainable fashion industry.

What is your current business?

I’m the designer and founder behind sustainable accessories brand, The Elsewhere Co. - a luxury label inspiring freedom seekers around the world to escape the every day through a design philosophy that rejects all that’s ordinary, lacklustre and thoughtlessly produced.

How would you describe your career so far and how did you get into this industry?

My career has been a journey! I’ve done lots of different things and have learnt a lot along the way! At university, I studied Media majoring in film and television production but landed a career in product management and marketing where I worked for several consumer goods brands within Australia and the UK. I also studied interior design whilst living and working in London. My corporate roles gave me experience in developing and launching large scale product ranges, however, I always knew I wanted to be working more creatively in an environment where I didn’t have to compromise on my design vision and values.

I left my job in London to take a year off travelling through Europe and South East Asia back to Australia. I collected jewellery throughout my travels but was having trouble storing it safely in my backpack. Whilst in Cambodia, I fell in love with the beauty of artisan hand-loomed silk and upon returning to Melbourne, I enrolled in a short textile design course at RMIT and developed my very first collection of luxury silk jewellery rolls. From there I’ve developed the brand and collections you see today.

What does a typical workday look like for you?

I’m constantly juggling my roles as a mum and business owner, so every day is different! I work between 7-9 am in the morning whilst my husband gets my eldest son ready for school—this is when I get my priority things done. Throughout the day I look after my 4-year-old and do bits and pieces when he’s happy playing— things like packing orders, preparing stock for retailers, designing and visiting retailers. We do a daily scooter ride to deliver orders to the post office! Then it’s school pick-up, chores and dinner prep. I sit down again at 6 pm to do my social media for the day, then after everyone’s in bed I’ll do another hour of work before relaxing at the end of the evening. I complete any big projects on a Saturday when my husband looks after our boys!

What has been your favourite product created to date?

Definitely my up-cycled leather wallet – it’s a world-first design which took almost 2 years to develop. It’s an entrant in this year’s Victorian Premier’s Design Awards!

“This is NO ordinary wallet. We set out to design the wallet of your dreams; a single wallet to keep you organised from work to play, trips away and everything in between –without destroying the planet. The Elsewhere Co. upcycled leather wallet is thoughtfully designed for living an adventurous life. It can be used at home or away and features an innovative concealed jewellery storage compartment, making it one of the most versatile accessories around. Crafted from upcycled leather, it imaginatively transforms waste into luxury fashion, with initial production saving approximately 100kg of leather offcuts from reaching landfill.”

It is my hope that our wallets will keep you organised for many years to come, saving you time, making your every day easier and helping you steal more moments of freedom to pursue an adventurous life – a life less ordinary.

What are some of the things which inspires you?

I’m inspired by travel, art and nature. I love bold colour and you’ll notice that colour palettes play an integral role in my designs. I’m also inspired by fabrics and materials – each material has its own beauty, texture, unique properties and story of how it was made. I love working with interesting materials and finding new ways to reimagine them into luxury items.

How do you stay organised in life and business?

Work-life balance has been quite difficult as you can see from my daily routine above! It’s been particularly hard to manage this year as I was homeschooling my 6-year-old, whilst also looking after my 4-year-old. This meant that during these times I had to put my work largely on pause. Over the years of running my own business, I’ve learnt to stress less about what I can’t do and be happy with achieving my best in the time that I have available. I work hard but make sure we plan lots of holidays and fun things to do as a family!

What has 2020 taught you about yourself?

I’ve learnt the value of community this year – I’ve actually worked more collaboratively with others than in a normal year which I’ve really enjoyed.

This year people have been really collaborative and more open to connecting and supporting others. Whilst it’s been a tough sales year there have also been more opportunities and initiatives to support small businesses as well as opportunities to up-skill and be involved in the community which has been invaluable.

Just like the amazing community at Creative Women’s Circle, I’ve also had the opportunity to work with a mentor this year! I’ve found this really useful in clarifying my ideas and helping me move forward with initiatives at a much faster pace. So this is something I’ll probably continue to do going forward.

What have been some of the biggest challenges in your career?

Being a creative at heart; throughout my corporate career, I always found it difficult to be constantly compromising my creative vision and personal values. This meant that while I enjoyed this part of my career and learnt a lot about business, I felt frustrated much of the time. Once I got the courage to start my own business built on my personal values, I felt such a great sense of freedom. I’ve never looked back!

What do you get up to when not working?

I have family in South Coast NSW so we spend a lot of time there at the beach, swimming, bushwalking and enjoying time as a family.

How do you plan for a new year? And do you have any tips for new year goal-setting?

I like to reflect on the past year’s achievements and take time to really congratulate myself before moving onto new goals. Then I assess what worked and what didn’t!

I find the last quarter of the year is so busy and it’s often quite reactive so I like to begin the year by revisiting my core brand values and vision to see if everything is still relevant or if some areas have evolved etc. I like to bring everything back to the brand vision and values, then I start working on plans for the new year with this vision clearly in place.

I also do a sustainability roadmap for the year ahead to ensure that each year we’re moving forward with our sustainability goals as a business. Sustainability is a constant journey!

Shop local this Christmas

The Elsewhere Co collection is available at Design A Space Retail Gallery.

Shop in-store at either of the Design A Space stores below and receive 20% off the upcycled leather collection.

Offer is available until 24/12/2020.

Meet Lizzie Archer, Creative Director at The Elsewhere Co.