Lisa Gorman founded the Gorman brand in 1999, as a one-woman operation from her share house with her sewing machine.
Holding down 2 additional jobs across the 5 years to follow wasn’t just about funding the start-up, it was also a time to explore different career options and test her craft as a business concept.
In recent years, Lisa undertook 2 of her most comprehensive collaborative projects with artists from marginalised backgrounds. One is the Mangkaja project with Indigenous Artists from Fitzroy Crossing, and the other is with Arts Project Australia in a collaboration with neuro-diverse artists.
These projects opened up ideas and activities around working together as a community, from individuals to businesses, to celebrate diversity and learn in some very interesting and unique ways that have a ripple effect well beyond the collection itself.
After 23 years at the helm of the Gorman Brand, Lisa has moved on to pursue her other passions, including sculpture, a research project and yoga teaching.
Talking Points
Gorman: A Founder's Story
In this presentation, Lisa will share the highs and lows of starting an iconic Australian brand. From her launch as a one-woman operation at the time in 1999 in a small green-carpeted office that she remembers looked more like a detective office in a television sitcom than a fashion studio, to been stocked in 55 retailers in Australia and 15 in Japan by 2003, and opened her first boutique on Chapel Street in Prahran. Gorman: A Founder's Story
Nearly 20 years after launching her eponymous label, Gorman now has 40 stores across Australia and Lisa and her team are forever proud to dress those who dare to be themselves.
Key Takeaways:
- Practical steps and strategies to growing and managing your business
- The benefits of strategic partnerships to fill in skills gaps
- How to manage a team of creatives and empower your team at all levels
- How to find your people (customers) by finding and committing to your style
Collaboration: Driving Authenticity & Purpose in your Business
In this presentation, Lisa will share how collaboration became the main ingredient in the success of the Gorman brand.Collaboration: Driving Authenticity & Purpose in your Business
She will define true collaboration and why it is different to a license agreement and share diverse examples of how they vary. She also outlines the importance of authenticity in collaboration particularly in regard to the relationship between collaborators because at the end of the day you can't fool your audience.
Lisa strongly believes that great things come to your business when you diversify, trust and learn through collaboration and that organisations should never underestimate the power and reach of a good collab.
Who this is for:
- Businesses wanting to diversify their product offering and market position via collaboration
- Organisations who want to reach a broader audience through collaboration
- Those who want to engage in real, authentic projects with equitable outcomes for their business, their team and those they collaborate with
- Businesses who are keen to understand projects that are more complex than license agreements, and the value attached to that.
Key Takeaways:
- Specific ideas on collaborative models
- What a collaborative agreement might look like and how to get there
- What to expect from an authentic collaboration, its reach and possible outcomes for the business and the collaborator
- Ideas and pathways to help enable businesses to meet the needs of corporate commitments to diversity
Video
Lisa Gorman | Keynote Speaker | Saxton Speakers
A one-woman operation when she launched her iconic brand, Gorman, Lisa Gorman leased a small green carpeted office that she remembers looked more like a detective office in a television sitcom than a fashion studio. She had one desk, one phone and fax machine (yes, fax machines were still being used) and a bulky computer with no internet connection. By 2003, Gorman was stocked in 55 retailers in Australia and 15 in Japan, and a year later in 2004 the first Gorman boutique opened on Chapel Street in Prahran. Nearly 20 years after launching her eponymous label, Gorman now has 40 stores across Australia and Lisa and her team are forever proud to dress those who dare to be themselves.We felt incredibly grateful to have Lisa Gorman speak at The Huddle. Lisa was hilarious, relatable and inspiring. A born story teller, our guests were captivated as she confidently commanded ... keep reading The Huddle
Lisa spoke at the MEAG event last night. Her story is fascinating, her advice is gold dust but more importantly, I looked around the room during her Q&A and we were all nodding our heads as she spoke because we could all relate to everything she was saying. Lisa stayed back to chat with us all and answered all our questions (there were a lot!) She was so warm, personable and funny sharing her incredible story. Fantastic!
