Journal — fitzroy
VH Woman: Vivien Hollingsworth
VH Woman: Cassie Byrnes
Cassie is the owner, designer and all round powerhouse behind Variety Hour. This year we've been lucky enough to add a new member to our team with the arrival of Cassie's first child, Lottie. We spent the morning hanging out with the two of them in their Fitzroy North home.
On being a new mum and managing Variety Hour?
I was scared of how this little cherub would fit into the chaos and that I would miss my independence, but somehow you make this new reality work. Suddenly 6 hours sleep is the new goal!
I am surprised how much I love my new role as a mother! I am a bit of a workaholic (hello small business owner) and I was going a million miles an hour right up to when I popped.
The biggest change?
Not sweating the small stuff as much! Rather than spending a whole heap of my time stressing about trivial little things, the new perspective that arrived with Lottie has been really refreshing.
The hardest challenge?
Mum guilt is a real thing!! I’m kind of used to criticism and commentary because of the nature of my work, but some of the things that have been casually said to me could really hurt a poor mum who is having a tough time. Be gentle!
The best bit?
How much joy their smile brings you! Makes you feel like the most entertaining clown in all the world (although I guess she does only know like three people).
Best advice?
Healthy mum, healthy bub. Don’t forget to take care of yourself. If you are a worrier like me, the thought of anything happening to your baba can be overwhelming. Early on my husband told me that we have to be ready for whatever life throws at us. Don’t waste your time worrying about things that have not happened.
Best purchases?
Haakaa, LTD Swaddles, BiBs Dummies, Bassinet with wheels, black & white toys.
Regret buying?
Baby rocker.
VH Woman: Emily Green
VH Woman: Tantri Mustika
"I'm a total scatterbrain who is always wearing a big old smile and saying yes to all of the things even though I wind up stressing out and going crazy because I am a painful perfectionist. I'm driven by the satisfaction of pulling something crazy off!"
I make ceramics! Ceramics is currently my full time job.
Everything is left to complete chance, in a way nothing is really finished until the very end of the long process and sometimes things go wrong, but when they go right, it's the BEST feeling ever! It keeps me on my toes and keeps things exciting and constantly surprising!
Clay is a volatile medium to work with… sometimes it does exactly what you want and other times things happen that you just can’t figure out. My work is super time consuming and labor intensive so sometimes I find it hard to make enough work in the time I have to do it. This is especially stressful when things go wrong.
What is your favourite stage of the creation process - coming up with the idea, the process of making it, or the end result?
My favourite part is creating the coloured patterns on the slabs of clay (as they always come out differently each time I do a slab) and then trying to think about which forms will suit that particular colour palette and patterning best!
Where do you get your inspiration and ideas from?
I look at a lot of pretty ordinary things I think… I look at A LOT of photos of different styles of terrazzo floors (hehe) and I spend a lot of time looking at different types of rock formations and marble and quartzite slabs and I try to find small details that I can attempt to recreate in my clay patterns. I also look at lots of fashion imagery and paintings to pick up colour palette combinations that spark something! I spend heaps of time creating mood boards on Pinterest and quite often get into wormholes of looking at different interior spaces rather than ceramics as such! I think interior spaces give me ideas for forms and colour palettes to suit different home styles or moods! I LOVE mid century interior styling too! I also just try and think about things that I would really like to have for myself in my own home and that’s usually when the best ideas come to life!
What advice would you give someone taking the leap into working full time for their creative business?
Ask for help!! Talk to people about what you want to do and ask friends who have experience in different areas for help and advice. It’s amazing how helpful even something as simple as some advice and guidance can be! If you work in the type of job that you can cut down while you start incubating your business I strongly suggest this! Having the backing of even a modest income is really helpful. Think about asking your boss if you can cut down one day and work each day for an extra hour so you can still meet their needs but get some extra time for your own project! And most importantly (in my opinion) don’t over capitalise! Don’t spend money you don’t have and start small and grow your business as time goes on, rather than trying to have it completely perfect from the get go!! (financial stress = difficult to be creative so watch over spending!)
If you had to choose a different career, what do you think you would do?
I would be a carpenter! (so I could build my own house to fill with ceramics of course!)
Listening?
Mmmm Can’t go past a really good soulful female voice but actually pretty much anything! Depending on my mood you will catch me in my studio listening to anything from soul and r’n’b to 70’s rock and roll and country and then of course on a late Friday night in the studio some gooood disco tunes!
Watching?
Probably some stupid cooking tutorial on youtube HA! But actually I just recently watched a cool show on Netflix called ‘Blown away’. Its a reality TV show about glass blowing and it was AMAZING! I don’t really get that much time to watch TV, so something short and sharp like this that I can potentially binge watch in a long sitting is ideal!
Guilty pleasure?
I know McDonalds is the devil, but... maccas in bed if I’m extremely hungover is the only cure and it probably always will be haha I can’t lie!
Life mantra?
Treat others how you would like to be treated - always! Karma is real!
Thanks Tantri!
VH Woman: Amy
Amy is a project manager and plus size fashion influencer with a
passion for bold fashion and cute puppies.
Where are you from?
I’m originally from Hobart and I’ve been living in Melbourne for almost 5 years now. I lived in sunny Perth for a couple of years before Melbourne.
Why did you move? And what do you love about Melbourne?
Melbourne is such an incredible city filled with great opportunities, food, the arts
scene! Plus all my great friends live in Melbourne, most along the 86 tram line!
When I lived in Perth people used to stare at me because I had pink hair, but I love that Melbourne is a city of such diversity and there will always be someone more conservative but also someone more out there! That’s so freeing!
What do you miss about Tasmania?
Being close makes it easy to pop back to visit family and I definitely miss the food (chicken salad sandwiches from Breadd) and wine (Moorilla Praxis Sauvignon Blanc). The natural environment in Tassie is so incredible, and going back to visit after you’ve lived away for a long time makes you appreciate it even more!
What do you do for work?
My regular job is as a project manager for one of the specialist medical colleges. My typical day includes lots of meetings, to do lists and schedules. That keeps me busy Monday – Friday 9-5 and in my spare time I’m a plus size fashion influencer @willowcurves with a big focus on bright colours and having fun with fashion.
What is the best part about it?
I love the mix between strategic (why, where do we want to go, what do we need to achieve) and the operational (how are we going to get there, who do we need to bring along on the journey). My work is always evolving and changing, is constantly challenges me. My favourite thing about being a plus size fashion influencer is engaging with women to view their bodies differently, to view fashion and colour as something fun to engage with and take joy from. The best bit is getting messages from women saying they felt inspired or brave enough to wear something they never thought they could, and how incredible and confident they feel. That’s the magical moments!
You have an amazing sense of style and you’re known for your colourful, bold outfits - what is it about clothing that you love?
I love using fashion to express myself. I love the concept of dopamine dressing - by wearing bright and colourful clothing you can change your mood and the mood of the people around you. By dressing happy you can actually make yourself happy! Life is too short to wear all black all the time!
What advice would you give your teenage self?
Hold onto those clothing items that you love but aren’t in fashion anymore! Trends change and we spend so much time as teenagers trying to fit in, but I wish I kept hold of some of my favourites because they always come back into style. And as I’ve gotten older fitting in with trends is less important.
What are you looking forward to?
This year I made a resolution to see more live music. I’m aiming to go to at least 20 gigs, so far I’ve been to 11 and I have 5 coming up in the next 6 weeks! I’m looking forward to: Olympia, OK Moon, Safia, Golden Vessel and Leisure.
Life mantra?
You do you, and don’t be a dick!
Watching?
I love watching documentaries, especially natural science, history, archaeology,
astronomy. I’ve also been re-watching all the old X-Files episodes, I never watched them as a kid so it’s fun seeing them for the first time as an adult!
Listening?
I constantly have music playing! It’s so hard to narrow it down, but my 3 current
favourites are: Problem Number 6 – Bruno Pernadas, Nobody – Leisure & Hollow Tree – OK Moon
Guilty Pleasure?
Going to bed at 8pm – does that count? haha
Tell us about your cute dogs
Archie and Emmie are Italian Greyhounds and they’re my little babies! Archie is
almost 4 and is very mellow and independent, he’s a super snuggler and gives the best hugs. Emmie is almost 2 and is high energy but super uncoordinated! Her favourite thing is kisses behind her ear!
Thanks Amy!
Variety Hour Local Mixtape
Inspired by our Summer collection ‘LOCAL,’ we have made a playlist of all the songs we are loving to listen to in our Gertrude St store. Bright, colourful and fun, this playlist is the perfect partner for a sunny day’s walk around Fitzroy or sitting with a cocktail on your favourite Melbourne rooftop.
VH Woman: Candice
What excites you about it?
It is really exciting to be contributing to the wider built environment in a design-orientated practice. I am enjoying the collaborative design process with both my colleagues, as well as through consultation with the end users.
If you couldn't be an architect, what do you think you would do?
Either something within the built environment or in the creative fields - urban design, graphic design etc.
Watching?
Chernobyl, Big Little Lies, Handmaid's Tale, Fleabag
A Byron Bay getaway in early October... it is ages away but the thought of beach & warmth is getting me through this cold winter!
Bad Netflix documentaries and any form of chips.
What would you tell your 20 year old self?
Do not perm your hair. You will regret it.
Thanks Candice!