Walking to work, city living, pinched toes and waistlines that are too tight.
For Bec Boyle, it was these experiences that inspired her to create a line of clothing that was comfortable and can be dressed up or down, to suit any occasion.
Originally from Newcastle, Ms Boyle moved to Sydney to study at The Whitehouse Institute of Design.
From there, she graduated with both a Bachelor and Masters in Fashion Design.
She lived in Sydney for six years, interning with fashion powerhouses like Vogue, Rebecca Vallance and Camilla, before branching out on her own.
“In February 2019, I signed myself up to do a business course because I wanted to start my own label,” Ms Boyle said.
“Straight after that I went into creating things for the brand and then launched in March the following year.”
The women’s athleisure wear label self-named ‘Bec Boyle’ blurs the lines between clothes you’d wear to the gym, work and lunch.
“It taps into the trend of the casualisation of workplace wear,” Ms Boyle said.
“Add a blazer, or sneakers, and if you’re travelling you don’t need to iron, they’re wrinkle free, light weight, and quick drying.”
Without a doubt, what makes these digitally enhanced textile prints stand out is their vibrant colours and designs.
Every line has a theme, with her designs often mixing influences of travel, culture, history, fabrics, prints, and silhouettes.
“I design all the prints so they’ve always been bright and out there,” she said.
“They’re always themed, so the line launched in March is glam rock, while my previous work through university has been Chinese, underwater, and African.”
While Bec Boyle is available online, the glam rock collection is also stocked at Fever Dream in Mayfield, and The Grateful in Carrington.
“With COVID, some people were scared to purchase a new brand online, so being in a shop adds colour and personality, people can pick it up and try it on and, once people are aware of who we are, they are interested,” Ms Boyle said.
As for plans for her own store, she says not any time soon.
“But l’ll say I have big plans for a lifestyle brand so maybe in 10 years’ time I’d like to have a lifestyle branded store that we can fill,” she said.
Ms Boyle has also joined forces with the Sunflowers for Jess charity, which raises money to support the recovery and rehabilitation of Newcastle surf lifesaver Jessica Collins, after a freak surfing accident in 2018 left her a quadriplegic.
She’s designed face masks in collaboration with the charity, which will be worn by lifesavers across Newcastle beaches over summer.
“I’ve designed two custom and exclusive prints for Jess, inspired by sunflowers, and have had the face masks manufactured in Sydney,” Ms Boyle said.
If you’re interested in looking at the athleisure wear, visit Bec Boyle’s website.
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