If you are one of the lucky people who’ve had the pleasure of owning a pair of UGG’s in your time, you’ve got these two to thank.

Hannah and Todd Watts are the owners of UGG Since 1974. The much-loved Australian business has been in their family since well, 1974 and in that time they’ve amassed a slew of loyal followers from international celebrities to Gold Coast locals.

We sat down for a chat with the pair about making UGGs for Gigi Hadid and how you can get your fur baby printed on your very own pair. 

How long have you been Gold Coast locals?
Todd was born on the Gold Coast and I moved up from Sydney with my family when I was 10 – so we’ve both been in the area for quite a while and have seen a lot of changes in our little city.

What do you love most about living here?
Having our work, our home and the beach all within five minutes’ drive of one another is hard to beat. Plus, the opportunity for small business here is pretty unique and another reason why we love being on the Gold Coast.

How did your business UGG Since 1974 come about?
Our business was started by Todd’s grandfather in Sydney in 1974 (hence the name, UGG Since 1974), and has now been in the family for three generations. Over the years, the focus of the business has grown from being wholesale only, to a full scale manufacturing and retail model where we now have 4 stores within Australia and a growing online presence. While it is common knowledge that UGG boots are an Australian innovation, most people don’t realise that the word UGG in Australia is not owned by any one company, rather it’s a generic name for sheepskin boot (just like sneakers), so just because the product you buy says “UGG boot”, it doesn’t mean it was made in Australia. In fact, 96% of the world’s UGG boots are now made in Asia. We’re one of the only manufacturers in Australia who actually produce 100% Australian made UGGs.

Why are UGGs the perfect winter accessory?
Once you’ve had a proper pair of UGG boots, there’s no way you can go back. Nothing beats the feeling of sliding your feet into your favourite UGGs on a cold winter’s morning. Aside from being crafted from the fluffiest Australian merino sheepskin and being handmade from start to finish on the Gold Coast, buying a good pair of UGG boots from UGG Since 1974 means you can guarantee they’ll be lasting you for many years to come.

Tell us about your customisation options, what’s on offer?
This year monogramming has been the clear stand out, with many locals opting to add their initials on the back of their UGGs or their name in metallic foiling across their sheepskin slides. We’ve also recently launched our custom-made Pet Printed UGG boots, where you can supply your favourite image of your 4-legged bestie and have the artwork printed all over your UGGs. We made a pair of these each for Gigi Hadid and Zayn Malik earlier this year featuring their hairless cat – they were certainly one of a kind. You can also change anything from the sheepskin panels to the logo and the top binding, so if rainbow is what you’re after, that’s what you’ll get. We receive lots of orders for sporting teams or corporate groups, since we can craft products out of vintage jerseys or come up with a custom corporate design for local businesses too. The options are literally endless.

Why do you think people are beginning to support Australian made products more and more these days?
Great question! Probably the most satisfying part of our business is seeing the support from our Australian customers grow year on year, and this is because people are taking such an interest in caring where their products are made. It’s all about knowing who has made your products and from what, and supporting businesses which operate here in Australia as opposed to buying products which are mass produced in Asia, where the average wage for factory wages is between $1 and $4 per hour. Any given pair of UGG boots will pass through at least 20 pairs of hands here in our workshop, but if you take it back to the beginning, our products provide jobs for hundreds of jobs in our Australian supply chain: from the sheep farmers to the truck drivers, right up to the photographers to customer service team that assist us on the front line. So few things are genuinely Australian these days and people want to make sure things continue to be produced here for their kids and grandkids to enjoy one day too.

Another important consideration is sustainability, and “buying less but buying better”. By this, people are choosing to invest in things, which have a story behind them, and will last years to come, rather than constantly buying and throwing away cheaper items, which just create waste (both financially and environmentally). We only use ethically sourced Australian sheepskin and put a strong focus on using environmentally friendly processes and recyclables in our packaging solutions.

Everything you sell is manufactured on the Gold Coast, talk to us about your tours…
We open our workshop doors during the week to allow people to see the age-old manufacturing process of sheepskin UGG boots, and since factories in Australia are becoming more and more scarce, our tours have become a hit with locals and tourists alike. Once you see the work involved in making an entire UGG boot from scratch, and the happy faces of our talented craftspeople who do the work, it gives you a new appreciation for products, which are handmade, one by one. Plus, those who grew up on the Gold Coast in the 70s and 80s get a kick out of seeing the old Gold Coast Roller Skating Rink again through a fresh set of eyes (our workshop is located at 23 Christine Avenue, Miami which used to house the old roller skating rink many moons ago).

What’s in the works for the rest of 2019 for you?
We’re in the final stages of designing a brand new retail store in The Rocks which is due to open in October this year, located in the old Coroner’s Court in Sydney (the building itself is more than 110 years old). We’re also launching our sister brand to UGG Since 1974 later this year: enter Wild Wool™, which will feature product lines handmade on the Gold Coast like luxurious leather hats, chunky woollen knits, leather handbags and accessories and of course, sheepskin apparel. Plus, keep an eye out for us during November as we swelter in the heat for about two weeks to install our annual Christmas light display on our site at Christine Avenue, we love Christmas so much that it wouldn’t be right to thank the community for all of their support throughout the year by putting on something for the locals to enjoy come Christmas time.

Tell us your favourites on the Coast…
Cafe for breakfast: We have to be diplomatic here as we have lots of family in food on the Coast, so that makes it an equal tie here between Bam Bam, Paddock Bakery and Cubby Bakehouse.
Coffee spot: Good Day Coffee in Tugun is normally our weekend stop off for coffee.
Restaurant for dinner: Itoshin (and Little Itoshin) are the winners here and have been for us for a long time
Where do you usually spend time on the weekend? If it’s a Saturday, chances are Todd will be in the surf or on the golf course. I’m usually wandering around the shops somewhere and then we’ll meet up for a cocktail somewhere for sundown! Sundays are our day for trips down south in search of sunshine and salt water.

NB: UGG Since 1974 offer a locals only discount out of their Miami store, so make sure you mention you live close by for a special deal on your UGGs this year. 

When it comes to supporting the local creative community and dreaming up a business never-before-seen on the Gold Coast, these two take the cake.

Brooke Davies and Josh Kiely are the owners of local film lab Shibui Film, a venture that has seen the Coast’s film photography scene absolutely blow up of late.

We sat down for a chat about the simple beauty of film photography and how we can learn the art for ourselves.

How long have you been Gold Coast locals?
We both moved here in 2015 and were trying to figure out how to make something of ourselves here. After seeing so many local creative businesses and brands, we were inspired to take our passion for film photography and make something of it.

What do you love most about living here?
Beautiful beaches, a simple lifestyle and the easygoing people!

Tell us how your business Shibui Film came about…
I (Josh) was working FIFO (fly in fly out) in remote parts of Australia and away from home for up to two months at a time throughout the year. I wanted to have a more stable lifestyle with my partner and friends. My girlfriend (Brooke) and I both loved photography especially film photography, we taught ourselves to develop our own film and fell in love with the whole process. We decided to start up a small side gig developing for our friends and locals film from home. Before long, we were getting flooded with people turning up to our house wanting their film processed, so it escalated quicker than we expected! We registered Shibui Film and expanded to where we are now and have recently been able to open up a full time film lab in Currumbin.

What does Shibui mean?
Shibui (pronounced: SHE-BOO-EE) is a Japanese term to describe a certain aesthetic; simple, subtle, unobtrusive beauty.

How long have you been photographers and how did you get started?
Brooke studied photography straight out of high school and fell into running her own full time wedding photography business for over seven years. While running Shibui Film, she is also currently pursuing a career in editorial/fashion photography shooting exclusively on film. Josh has been photographing as a hobbyist for about five years shooting underwater, surfing and raw landscapes. He loves the technical side of developing/scanning, as well as being the general handyman and technician at the lab.

Where do you find inspiration for your work?
We saw a gap in the market when it came to film development and processing. Our inspiration came from seeing established labs interstate and internationally that created a local film community and we wanted to bring that to the Gold Coast.

What do you love shooting for fun?
Generally just whatever is happening in our lives at the time – memories to look back on and remember.

Any advice for aspiring photographers?
Don’t sell yourself short or be discouraged easily, learn as much as you can and experiment with different techniques.

What’s in the works for the rest of 2019 for you?
We want to support local artists and photographers as much as we can to help create a thriving film community, we are going to be offering Film Photography workshops in the coming weeks which we are super excited about. We have also just expanded our lab/warehouse into a natural light studio called ‘The Lucent Room’ which we hope will open doors for us to connect with more photographers and creatives.

Tell us your favourites on the Coast:
Cafe for breakfast: Highline
Coffee spot: Good Day
Restaurant for dinner: Francies Pizzeria
What do you usually get up to on the weekend: Camping and road trips as much as possible!

We love an exceptional brew – of the coffee variety that is – and the Gold Coast has really picked up its game over the last few years when it comes to building an enviable coffee culture.

Due, in no small part, to these three gentlemen; Pat, Ben and Josh, Locale Coffee Roasters Coffee Development Team and the epitome of coffee connoisseurs.

The trio were on the Gold Coast recently for the opening of Pearl & Ash, a newbie brewing with Locale Espresso so we nabbed them for a chat on being the best in the biz and what it is they love most about the little brown beans.

What do you love most about coffee?
Pat: I love the complexity of coffee, the fact it’s ever-changing and always teaching you something new. Ben: The diversity, both of the flavours and the people working in the industry, from the farmers to the baristas.
Josh: I love that coffee can bring people together, from all walks of life. It’s a continuous cycle of education…how far you go down the rabbit hole is up to you.

How have you seen the coffee culture change over the years?
Pat: Increased competition has been the biggest change I’ve noticed over the past 10-15 years. This has brought with it a push towards transparency, from farmers to importers to roasters to baristas; everyone now has much more clear and precise knowledge of every part of the supply chain. Customers are more educated also. Everyone is far more comfortable sharing their knowledge and experience than ever before. Technology and social media have had a big impact on the industry, both good and bad. The quality of coffee and food is at a higher standard than ever before.
Ben: Consumers are becoming more educated about quality, and more open minded to try new origins of coffee and different brew methods.
Josh: I don’t think people have ever been as engaged as they are now, which has been great for our industry. They’re interested in where their coffee is sourced, how it’s produced, its environmental impact and so on…it’s not limited to the coffee industry either. The ease of obtaining information and connectivity to others worldwide has been a key driver of this.

Tell us your personal favourite brews…
Pat: Currently I’m excited about what’s coming out of Yemen. Very exciting coffee at the moment.
Ben: If I had to choose one coffee to drink every day it would be a filter brew of a light roasted, washed Kenyan.
Josh: Always love a good pourover but I’m digging our current Colombian microlot from Finca El Mirador as an espresso.

Josh, tell us how your career in coffee came about?
I started out in hospitality as a chef and always had a love for the industry. I left the crazy hours behind and got a ‘normal’ job, which happened to be at a coffee company. I loved still being in touch with the hospo industry (just on the other side now), but it was there that I was first really exposed to coffee. The intrigue of it has driven me to want to keep learning as much I can.

What is it about Locale Coffee Roasters that stood out for you…
As one of the originals of the Locale team it was about being able to shape the brand to be exactly what we wanted it to be. Obviously great coffee is critical but making it more approachable and emphasizing the importance of good relationships was what I felt was missing and these things have always been a huge focus for us.

Ben, you are the epitome of a coffee connoisseur, tell us your journey to becoming Australian Roasting Champion…
Winning the 2018 Australian Roasting Championships was the result of years of roasting and cupping, combined with accumulating more experience of the competition format, its rules, and ways to maximise potential points on the scoresheets.

Why did you decide to build a life and career around coffee?
My beginnings in coffee were very humble, and along the way I developed more and more passion and dedication for the craft, but I owe a lot of my progression to the support and opportunities provided to me by the Genovese family, and their companies Genovese Coffee and Locale Coffee Roasters.

Pat, you came second in this years’ Australian Coffee Roasting Championships, what has it taken to get to that point?
Pat: Success in any coffee competition comes down to teamwork. Our team heavily analyses every aspect of coffee roasting, so I guess it’s a culmination of years of analysis, experimentation and trial and error. Being dedicated and loving what you do is also helpful. I work as part of a great team who have been involved with this competition for a few years now, so experience helps too.

What does a competition like that entail?
It’s a 3-day competition that is based around roasting and blending 4 different coffees. Each competitor must present a blend and a single origin. Each competitors’ coffees are blindly tasted and scored based on the quality of their roasting and their flavour descriptions. Other smaller technical aspects come into play also, but it’s essentially whoever can adapt their roasting the best to un