You may have seen Essie’s special little store, nestled into the roadside at the entrance to Sydney’s Palm Beach. It’s quite the Parisian-atelier-meets-Ibiza-chic vibe and, for four years, it has been home to her beautifully designed and handmade garments, along with a small selection of items from other local makers and exotic suppliers.

Image credits: Instagram/essie.palmbeach

We chatted to Essie about her love affair with sewing and the lifestyle of hand-making.

“My journey as a dressmaker started when l was young. Coming from a family of six sisters, I was fortunate enough to have fantastic influences growing up. Mum was very hands on and liked to keep us all busy. When she introduced a sewing machine to the family l immediately jumped on board.”

“Sewing and dress-making was a hobby at first that has now become a crafted skill. Some textile classes fine tuned my passion for cutting and making. Being a Melbourne girl originally, European fashion has always played a big part in what l do. I’ve always loved the beautiful fabrics and textures of Europe. I’m still inspired by them and source a lot of fabrics from both Melbourne and Europe.

Having a bricks and mortar store has pushed on my drive for perfection in getting all the finishing touches just right. Trying to design and make unique styles can keep your mind churning over day and night, to just stay that little bit unique from other stores, so that’s a huge drive for me.

I love sewing with vintage cotton fabrics and European linens. Because l love sustainability and anything that’s good for our earth, l try to always use natural fibres in my designs and cut down on waste.

My motto for buying clothing is: "Buy less but buy well. So, pieces that work in your wardrobe and classic cuts with neutral or block colours that don’t date much. You’ll hang onto those pieces longer."

Thanks Essie!

You can find Essie at Shop 3/1065 Barrenjoey Road, Palm Beach. Or her etsy store here.

If you are an artisan or know one who might like to be featured on this site, please send an email to nina@hearth-co.com