 We recently caught up with Jackie and Adrian of Pendragon Shoes. Here's how our convo went down: Where did you live before calling the Coast home? I'm originally from the Gold Coast and Brisbane; Adrian is from Warwick and Brisbane. What did you do before Pendragon Shoes? It was our first job apart from some restaurant work (which I kept up for many years to support my shoe habit!). We were both at Griffith Uni in Brisbane. I was doing an arts degree and Adrian was doing Australian Environmental studies...  Tell us a little about the early days of setting up your own creative business. Did you know what you were doing or did you have to feel your way as you went along?
We very much fell into it by accident. We were being very creative making all sorts of crafty things and made ourselves some shoes to wear to a medieval fair. We put in $30 each to buy leather. We ended up getting hooked and the rest is history. There were no shoemaking courses in Brisbane so we just made it up as we went along... and accepted every challenge people threw at us! It's been a long process but it accounts for our original approach to shoe design. What's it like to work as a duo? Great. We work on nearly every pair of shoes together. We have our own roles in the business but they cross over. We bounce ideas off each other everyday. What does a typical day look like for you? It starts with getting three kids off to school in the morning with my husband Russell. Then I usually sit at the computer answering emails and generally getting myself motivated. Then I walk down the driveway to the workshop. My big old border collie follows me and sits at my feet all day. Lots of cobbling gets done before I pick the kids up at 3. Then I usually keep going with whatever we're making and the kids just run around in the yard and hang out with us. In the evening after the kids are fed I usually do a bit more work on our Facebook page or other admin stuff. Pendragon fits in around the family and they fit in around Pendragon. I'm lucky to work from home; it makes it possible to juggle my busy life. What inspires and motivates you? We've always been inspired by fairy stories and nature. Initially we wanted to reproduce the footwear you'd see in fairy tale books. Now, Alice in Wonderland is a big inspiration. A leaf in the driveway can inspire a new design. We are usually pretty motivated. We really love what we do. What has been the most memorable moment in Pendragon Shoes' history? There's been a few. Making a lot of the shoes for the 2003 movie Peter Pan (including Captain Hook's pirate boots) and being asked to make a collection of boots for Italian Vogue in 2009 are definitely highlights. Where would you like to see Pendragon Shoes in 5 years? I'd be happy being in a similar place to where I am now. As long as we continue to create shoes for people who treasure them and I can balance everything in my life, I'll be happy. Maybe earning more money... the usual story for an artisan! Visit Pendragon Shoes' website here and their Facebook page here.
6 Comments
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