in the spotlight : the wolf and i

Pip Thompson and Sam Avery have been mag square retailers for several years now under their own labels Pip & Maude and OhmeOhmi. The girls have more recently combined their love of fashion and their Melbourne style to create a fabulous collection under the quirky guise of THE WOLF AND I.

We love the name … where did it come from? Who is the Wolf, Sam or Pip? 

After quite a bit of brain storming we came up with ‘the Wolf and I’. We like the fact our name represents a duo. ‘Amy Blackwell’, a very talented illustrator from the UK design our gorgeous logo. Who is the WOLF?...we will leave that for you to decide! 

Tell us about your backgrounds ...

Sam – I have worked in the fashion industry for a number of years, mainly behind the scenes in wholesale. Since having a family I have become more involved in fashion design which I love. It is really exciting seeing an idea or sketch come to fruition. And even more exciting seeing women wearing our clothes! 

Pip - I have come from a design background which has naturally lead into a mixture of creative ventures including the evolution of Pip & Maude handmade cards and stationery. I have always had an interest in fashion and the development of my own individual style while trying my best not to follow trends. While it is still a juggling act we can work our own hours from our home offices and are still able to sneak in a few coffees at our favourite haunts in St Kilda and Balaclava - The Galleon, Il-fornaio & Monk.

Describe the women who wears the wolf and I. What famous person would you most like to see in your clothes. 

We design clothing that we want to wear aiming at women who are 30+. The Wolf customer loves linen & cottons, wool and silk, layering and wrapping to suit their body. She has a relaxed, effortless approached towards fashion and likes to ‘wear clothing’ rather than clothing ‘wear her’!. One thing we are learning is that you can’t please everyone and that it is important to stay true to your vision! Famous person we would like to dress - Asher Keddie – AKA - Nina from Offspring. We love her personal style.

With so much competition in women’s wear, how do you make sure your offering is unique? 

The Wolf and i are keeping all our manufacturing in Australia. We believe women can see the value of an Australian made garment and it also gives us the opportunity to work closely with other Australian owned businesses.

What are your plans for the label over the next couple of years? 

The Wolf and I will be exhibiting at LIFE IN STYLE tradeshow 2012. We have had such a positive response so far selling at design markets, now it is time to take the next step and go wholesale! Stayed tuned for stockists next year!

Where can we buy the range (other than Mag Square!)? 

Doing events like Magnolia Square are invaluable. We hope to be doing these sort events for a long time. Listening to customer feedback is very beneficial in the development our collection. We are very excited to have just launched our online store www.thewolfandi.bigcartel.com We have been surprised with how many women shop online! 

wear me three way cardigan

What hot right now item are you coveting? 

Sam - while I love all my Wolf clothing a girl needs to wear shoes! I am loving my charcoal D’Co boots. That’s one thing I love about Melbourne, you can pretty much wear boots all year round! 

Pip - Ageless skin ... failing that looking appropriately youthful in the Wolf.

What do you see as the fashion basics for any women’s wardrobe? 

1. Every women needs one of our ‘wear me three way’ cardigans! It is so versatile. It can be worn as a wrap – tied around the waist, or wear loose. OR turn the cardigan upside down to create a completely different look – it becomes a bolero that looks great wrapped around a dress. Don’t worry! The cardigan comes with instructions!! 2. Our ‘roam in a day’ wrap dress is definitely a staple for your summer wardrobe, the little frill detail adds a touch of quirky femininity! 3 . We do love a clog!! Any colour will do!!

Your 3 fave Melbourne stores. 

1. Gorman 2. Lee Matthews 3. the Wolf and i online store!!

Check it out at www.thewolfandi.bigcartel.com  The wolf and i will be at St Kilda this Fri Nov 11th - Sun Nov 13th. Click here for details