Interview with Vivienne Cable

Image by Design aims to save you time and money by showing you what styles and colours suit you best and how you can create a workable wardrobe to simplify dressing. 

We show men and women different ways of making clothes work – dressing clothing up and down for different occasions, mixing and matching to make clothing work harder for you.

We also offer a personal shopping service (for men and women) to meet the needs of time poor people who would like help building their wardrobe.

For some people this means we take them shopping, for others we shop for them – but for the majority of our customers we provide a personal service in the shop and during workshops.

Below, Image by Design’s Vivienne Cable tells us her story.

Q:  How did you start your business?

A:  It all began when I worked in my father’s pharmacy.  He would say “ Go look after Mrs A and do your stuff.”  I’d do her make up, advise on colour, give her a little tender loving care and she would go away smiling.

After that I developed skills in hair dressing, running my own business and running a household.  I married young and we had three children by the time I was 26 years old. 

During those early years, I set up a small business selling the basics – things like socks, underwear, and sweaters for men, women and children.  At the same time I established a home-based hair dressing salon and sewing service.

As well as this, my mother and I set up a Knitwit franchise and taught people how to sew using stretch fabrics.  That business became the top selling Knitwit franchise internationally.

How did you get into the colour business?

It started 22 years ago when my mother and I were running the Knitwit franchise.   We sold make-up and fabrics.  We also taught people how to put it all together – what styles and colours flattered them, how to sew the garments they wanted.  We gave women a huge sense of pride.

When did you become an image consultant?

After eight years as a colour consultant and teacher with Knitwit, I moved to Tokyo consulting in image at the Tokyo America Club.  When I returned, I began working from home as an image consultant trading under the name of Your Creative Image.

I had a sample range of clothing on consignment and after finding the right size and colour, for clients, I’d order eight to 12 pieces of coordinated clothing that would provide about 15 to 28 different looks (from casual to glamorous).

When did you get into retail?

Over time it became obvious that people didn’t want to wait.  They wanted to take their clothes home right away.  And when two rooms in my home became filled with clothes I knew it was time to open a shop.
When did you open the shop in Lemon Grove Plaza?

We’ve been in Lemon Grove almost 12 years now.  During that time we’ve seen many changes – in fashion, the way people buy, the relaxing and ultimate breakdown of the established dress code.

Have changes to the dress code affected your customers?

A different way of thinking and shopping is now necessary to take the confusion out of dressing.  Not everyone can do that. 

People are looking for what I call ‘dressing know how’ – what’s appropriate to wear for Friday casual at work, how to look smart in casual clothing, what to wear after 5, how to pack for an overseas holiday.

Many people find they have wardrobes full of good clothing that they don’t wear anymore.  I can’t tell you how many times I’ve heard someone say “I’ve got a wardrobe full of clothes and nothing to wear”. That’s why offer our wardrobe workout and de-cluttering service.

What is a wardrobe workout?

Typically clients are too emotionally attached to what is in their wardrobe to be able to clean it out.  Their wardrobes are full of clothes that are no longer appropriate or no longer fit. Many people are attracted to and purchase clothing in styles and colours that do not really suit them.

A wardrobe review starts with a full wardrobe and finishes with a clean, organised wardrobe with clothing group appropriately.

First, we remove everything from the wardrobe and review it piece by piece.  Clothes that are the wrong colour, wrong style, wrong fabric or wrong size are put in a pile.  Clothes that fit properly and are flattering are returned to the wardrobe, with casual clothes at one end and more formal clothes at the other. 

As we go through the clothes and shoes we look for ways in which the clothing could be mixed and matched to make new outfits. 

At the end of the session we have a pile of clothing to go to charity and we’ve compiled a shopping list of the key items still needed.

Clearing out someone’s wardrobe can make a huge impact.  Many clients tell me they feel lighter, like a load has been taken off them. 

When did you start offering workshops?

From the start at Lemon Grove we offered fashion workshops on Saturdays. 

Not everyone could afford our consulting services, yet everyone was interested in learning how to mix and match their wardrobe, identifying what colours suit them best, seeing the latest fashions and knowing how to use accessories to update their wardrobe. 

Today we create workshops to meet client needs.  We’ve added workshops on make-up, selecting the right eyewear and packing for an overseas holiday.

We even take our workshops on the road with group workshops for schools, women’s groups and fund raising events.

Wherever we go our audiences really enjoy our fashion parades and tips on what makes them look best.