Fashion entrepreneur and founder of aussie essence, Grant Goldfinch, has revealed that he was inspired to launch his menswear brand when he was told, at a job interview, that he was unemployable.
After being involved in a car crash, Goldfinch’s wrist was badly injured and now has very little movement. That is the only scar he still bears. But the menswear guru has proven there’s certainly nothing wrong with his business nous!
“In a job interview last year the interviewer said, ‘You’ll never get a job with that,’ pointing to my hand,” he recalls. “I was shocked. I was speechless. But that evening I came up with a plan to do even better than getting a job. I decided I’d start my own business, and I would never treat anybody with that sort of disrespect.”
Having worked on a successful men’s underwear start-up, Goldfinch had come to know the fashion industry from the inside. He is more than aware of the challenges the industry puts in front of newcomers, but experience and drive have kept him in the game.
“It’s a difficult industry. Many staff in fashion houses work 13-hour days and give up their weekends. People scramble for unpaid internships,” he says. “But I also see fashion expressing a real sense of place. New York, London and Paris, for instance, have always been evoked through fashion. Even kids’ clothing is often themed around these places. I intend to put Australia onto that map.”
“We’re taking the start-up route and it has been incredibly satisfying. Some of my mates helped me set up the e-commerce space to show off the products I’ve created, then I had to convince my dad to park his car in the driveway as my stock overtook his garage.”
aussie essence (www.aussieessence.com) now sells t-shirts, singlets, shorts and sweaters worldwide via its website, and retailers are also beginning to show interest in the young, unashamedly Australian brand.
“My inspiration comes from everything uniquely Australian – weekend barbecues, kicking a footy around the park, or hitting the beach,” Goldfinch says. “Through aussie essence, I hope to show to the world the lifestyle we enjoy Down Under.”