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Georgia-Lili Howe

Owner of Machia et. – Sustainable & Vintage Fashion

Georgia-Lili Howe (image supplied)

With the world increasingly leaning towards a much more sustainable future, the young are certainly leading the charge. One very entrepreneurial Gold Coast lady at the forefront of sustainable and vintage fashion is 18 year old Georgia-Lili Howe. Launching her own clothing business Machia et. in 2020 at The Oasis Shopping Centre during the height of COVID-19, Georgia-Lili has been supported by several industries including public relations guru Karen Phillips of Gold Coast Women in Business and HIT 90.9 Gold Coast to name a couple. We caught up with Georgia-Lili to hear about her business journey to date and what big things we can expect from her in the near future.

How long have you been a Gold Coast local?
I have lived here my whole life so 18 years.

What do you love most about living here?
The beautiful weather, beaches and cafes.

Tell us about your entrepreneurial journey thus far.
I have always loved coming up with crazy ideas that give me a challenge so I started the journey pretty young. I found that it was an outlet for creativity whilst also being a good way to earn my own money. Since my first idea when I was about 12, they have become more and more challenging the older I get. I have also always loved being different to everyone else, so this has been another way to stand out from the crowd. The support I have received as well has been a massive inspiration.

Tell us about your business Machia et. – Sustainable & Vintage Fashion.
I wanted to create something that hasn’t been seen before. Something I had always wanted but couldn’t find as well. So it started as a hobby, finding vintage clothes for myself, then I turned it into a business.

Machia et., Oasis Shopping Centre (image supplied)

Tell us about your retail shop at The Oasis Shopping Centre.
I have had the most amazing opportunity to have a pop up shop. It has shown me the true ins and outs of having a shop and how challenging it can be. It has shown me a different perspective into the business world.

What’s your proudest business moment?
Probably selling my first item. Having a customer buy something from me was amazing and made me feel that anything is possible if you put your mind to it.

Where do you draw your inspiration from?
A lot of my inspiration comes from fashion magazines and trends. Sources like Vogue and Pinterest inspire me and give me a good starting point for an idea, and how I can evolve it into something else.

What else is in the works for you in 2021?
Growing my online presence is definitely a goal of mine. I think social media is growing significantly everyday and I would love to gain more attractive via that.

Any advice for someone wanting to start a business on the Gold Coast?
Even if you think I your idea is crazy or unattainable it definitely is not. People will be inspired by your courage to do something that hasn’t been done before.

Tell us your favourites on the Coast…
Café for breakfast: elk espresso
Restaurant for dinner: gemelli Italian
How does your weekend usually look? Cuddles with my cat and rummaging through op shop racks and car boot sales.

Machia et., Oasis Shopping Centre (image supplied)

The Oasis Shopping Centre

Stock up on stunning, locally-made homewares

There comes a time in life when the things that matter most are beautiful homewares, good wine and a comfortable bed in a room filled with said homewares to ensure we get (the very necessary these days) eight hours of sleep every night.

For us, that time is now Gold Coasters and we suspect you might feel the same which is why it gives us great pleasure to bring you news of a new homewares and lifestyle store that is probably (definitely) our new favourite place to be.

The newbie is the work of the one and only Jasmine Potter along with design extraordinaire Charlotte Barnes and it’s the third ball in a trio of lifestyle arms (tiles, lighting, lifestyle) that make up Jas’ boutique interior design company, Three Balls Red.

Now, perhaps you’re thinking that all homewares slash lifestyle stores are created equal. Stop that. It couldn’t be further from the truth.

The magic of this particular space, and the reason for this tale, is that the majority of pieces on offer are by Gold Coast makers and the rest, from other incredible Aussie folks.

Which is amazing for many reasons, the first of which is that we now have another way to support local talent, the second of which is that we can get to know some mind-blowing local artists and the third of which (bear with us), is that we can put these goodies in our very own homes.

The goodies we speak of are many and varied and all, of course, absolutely stunning.

There’s luxe linen bedding from Moss Living, beautiful beach umbrellas from Salty Shadows, bespoke furniture by Lobo (an incredible business down Tumbulgum way), the most beautiful stoneware from Jas and Charlotte’s wholesale brand Ukuba, one off art pieces by Wabi Projects (LOVE) plus of course, tiles, bathrooms fittings, lighting, rugs, anything you could possibly want for your home, the girls have you covered. And then some.

Every single piece is unlike anything you’ll find anywhere else and we’re in love with all of it. If you’re thinking about what to buy us for Christmas, look no further.

One of the most exciting pieces within the store is a chair (that deserves a far more impressive name than that) by local artist CJ Anderson, called Soigné, that was selected to be exhibited by the Milan Design Fair and it’s not hard to see why.

It’s a work of architectural genius, made with heavy-duty leather and brass detailing and it’s the new love of our lives. Look up CJ’s work and prepare to give away all your dollars (for good reason).

As mentioned, Christmas is about 14 seconds away and we’re all about treating oneself (not just at Christmas) and this stunning little spot is just the place to do it.

Good luck choosing what to buy.

Sleep well in your newly fabulous home friends, we know we will.

LOCATION: 2/85 Bundall Rd, Ashmore
HOURS: 8.30am until 5pm Monday to Friday and 9am until 1pm Saturday

Words and photos by Kirra Smith

Local artisans showcased at new Burleigh space

The Damn Good Store (Image: © 2020 Inside Gold Coast)

We’ve said it before and we’ll say it again, the Gold Coast is fast becoming an absolute mecca for world-class creatives and we could not be more thrilled. If you feel the same (and we’re pretty sure you do), we’ve got something very exciting to tell you and if there was tiny thing our city was lacking, this is it.

It’s called The Damn Good Store. The store can be found tucked away down a little side alley-type situation where Greenfolk once lived and it is your new favourite spot to spend those hard earned dollars.

Why? Because this sweet space stocks wares by artists and makers from Brisbane to Byron Bay and it’s a carefully curated collection of the most stunning homewares, art, food, apparel and gifts and honestly, we want to buy at least five of everything.

The Damn Good Store (Image: © 2020 Inside Gold Coast)

The Damn Good Store is the work of Burleigh folks Sarah and Jarrad Miller who are quite the talented creatives themselves. They met at design school and went on to build impressive careers and a slew of creative contacts and eventually decided they wanted to support and showcase the local community by building a store where everything could come together so we, the lucky locals, could take it all home with us.

No doubt you’ll be familiar with some of the brands within the space but Sarah and Jarrad have also spent quite a lot of time researching to find the perfect mix of goodies. Everything within the store is made by small, local artists and there really are some incredibly talented people around here.

The Damn Good Store (Image: © 2020 Inside Gold Coast)

From artwork by local lads Kiel Tillman, Erin Larmor, Matt English, Rhys John Kaye, Michael Stiegler and Ben Whitemore and ladies Constanza Goeppinger, Hayley O’Connor and Susy Boyer to ceramics by Caroline C and candles that double as whisky glasses by LX Collection, there’s no way you’re not going home with armloads of goodies.

If you’re in the market for some local edible treats, there’s a range of epic sauces by JR’s Smokehouse Barbecue, lifechanging chocolate covered pecans by Barefoot Farm and plenty of locally made teas.

For the surfers, there’s Slick Daddy Zinc out of Byron Bay, natural surf wax made from beeswax by Good Wax and of course, some stunning wooden boards by Maywood Surfboards (who are also set to launch a sweet beach cricket set pretty soon too).

The Damn Good Store (Image: © 2020 Inside Gold Coast)

Skincare-wise you can stock up on organic goodies from Cannabella, some beautiful treats from Being Skincare and botanical soaps by l’essence. You’ll find handmade dolls houses, leather goods, notebooks, you name it, it’s there.

Plus, if all of that sounds like you’ll absolutely never be able to decide what you want (for yourself or someone else), no worries. Jarrad and Sarah have created the very best thing ever in the form of customised gift packs.

Name your receiver, the amount you’d like to spend and they’ll put something beautiful together for you, send you a photo to make sure you’re happy (you will be) and all you have to do is go pick it up. Within those boxes there can be bottle of Brookies Gin, beers from Lost Palms and local wines too.

The Damn Good Store (Image: © 2020 Inside Gold Coast)

It’s perfection and we have already been in several times to admire it all. Christmas is around the corner, so pop in for all your gifts while supporting local and look, it’s 2020, you deserve something special too.

Damn good indeed.

LOCATION: Sunbeau Court, 2A Gold Coast Highway, Burleigh Heads
HOURS: Daily from 9am until 4pm

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