Natalie Matthews has just launched the Height of Fashion, Australia’s first online shopping destination dedicated to taller women, following Australia’s female population growing in height.
We chat to her about starting a business from the ground up.
Tell us about Height of Fashion.
Height Of Fashion is a bespoke fashion label for Tall Women 5’10” and over. It’s made to be sassier, sexier and edgier than any other tall collection out there!
What inspired you to start Height of Fashion?
Being 6’3” I was over the frustration of not having fashionable clothing options that were on trend, looked good or fitted me. Every time I had an event or something to attend, I would scour the internet and high-street for a cute dress or garment that would wow or suit the occasion. But every time I would walk away empty handed or disappointed with what was on offer. High street items would skim my bum or not fit in the torso or body and if I was lucky to find a tall concession, it would offer dated collections, that didn’t look good, nor gave me the fitted look I wanted. I mean come on! Yes I am exceptionally tall but that doesn’t mean I want to wear just black, frumpy fashion.
When I started Instagram it highlighted the issue for me further, other tall ladies would ask where they could find or buy my outfits or how they could create similar looks which is when I decided to put Height-Of-Fashion into motion. I saw the gap and decided to do something about it. It’s a real personal passion to me; to change the world for tall women.
Tell us about your career and background.
I have a creative background; I studied graphic design at uni, which has been invaluable for the business as I am able to translate this into all areas of marketing, social media and the website. I also have a tech and ecommerce background too and have worked with multiple retailers here in Melbourne. That’s most definitely given me the confidence and knowledge to go it alone as I’ve been able to learn and keep up to speed with what is happening in the retail industry.
Describe a typical work day for you.
It’s go, go, go from dusk ‘til dawn! Mornings usually being with a strong coffee to kick off the productive day, then I start with orders, emails and a to-do list. I usually spend about an hour just finalising everything for HOF and immediate things to do before I head to my day job. Yep, the hustle is real! I do it to fund running HOF. So I spend most of my evenings and weekend running and dedicated to HOF. To differentiate the two jobs, I try to fit in at least 30-50mins of exercise between both, but then evenings are spent doing everything and anything for the business…it’s pretty fun and I absolutely love the diversity of it all. I could package orders ready for shipment the next day, work on a campaigns, designing a new range or item, collect imagery and ideas for the next collection, contact influencers and market places, track, measure or change marketing outputs, edit imagery, add content to the website, develop new social ideas for exposure or generally anything that is part of my marketing plan for that week. It’s full on and there’s always more you could do.
Despite the craziness and juggling it all, the passion drives me, it’s like my caffeine, my drug! I honestly love it and when I hear/see comments from tall girls telling me how I’ve helped them it fuels my drive even more.
What advice do you have for those wanting to start a business?
Gosh, there’s a lot of advice to give! First and foremost would be; make sure you start something in an area you are very passionate about or you have a keen interest in because you’ll have to constantly learn, develop and evolve in it. There are real highs and lows to running your own business, but it’s your passion, beliefs and love of it that will keep you going and coming back for more!
Secondly, I’d say immerse yourself in likeminded people who understand and support your journey. I found networking with other entrepreneurs a breath of fresh air, it’s helped me be able to relate to others going through the same experience and the team support has been phenomenal.
What’s next for you, and Height of Fashion?
I am creating a new range that includes jeans and more pants at the moment but my focus is definitely expanding as far and wide as I can with Height-Of-Fashion.
I’d love to expand into shoes and accessories but hopefully that’ll come further down the line!
The skies the limit really!
Find out more about Height Of Fashion at www.height-of-fashion.com.
