I am a middle child and was born in Geelong in 1975. I didn’t meet my paternal grandfather who was a banker but remember my maternal grandfather who was a perfectionist. He was a mechanic and did a lot of community services and gardening. I grew up with a doting and caring family.
When I was three, my family moved to Ocean Grove. My parents built their dream home, right next to the nature reserve and a bike ride to the beach. It suited them wonderfully as my grandparents lived just around the corner. It was an idyllic childhood with acres of lush green gardens, community and healthy living.
I grew up watching my grandmother knitting, china painting and arranging flower bouquets. I remember my mum sewing late in the evenings and on the weekends. She made timeless pieces, things that would last, and that was a real inspiration. By the time I was 12 I was doing things for myself, making my own clothes and changing patterns to suit my style.
I attended a girl’s secondary school in Geelong hoping to learn more about design, textiles and art. I discovered that arts or fashion design weren’t encouraged, but undeterred I kept following my passion. Out of school, my side hustle was making hair accessories. I used Liberty of London fabrics and put a small collection together of hair combs and scrunchies. My first sale was to a family friend who owned a franchise called Candy’s. I’d sell to any store my mum would drive me to.
After completing my VCE, I attended fashion school in Melbourne. I worked part-time for Sarti Tailors, and tailoring soon became one of my great loves. I balanced a number of jobs trying to save every penny to start my own label. One of my great mentors was my father. He started a business in Coburg selling pots and furniture which we manufactured overseas and bought from local artisans. Over a ten year period, I learnt a great deal about importing/exporting, sales, wholesale, retail, manufacturing and setting up factories overseas.
My first home was in Camberwell then Kew, before moving to Brunswick, which was my home for eight years. I was renting a house with a little design studio. It was a good set up and I was surrounded by makers and accessories manufacturers.
In 2000, I established my self-titled brand with an eight-piece collection. I decided to take the plunge and work solely on my brand. I haven’t looked back. My designs were being stocked in national and international retail stores, and featuring in high profile media. I produced a catalogue and visited nearly every lingerie store in Australia. Daimaru was the first department store to stock my brand, followed by David Jones and then international retailers. Things took off after I appeared in Vogue, I had a good run with exposure and orders came flooding in.”
Natalie photoshoot – Humans of SKY – 13 Feb
With my future husband, I moved into a larger warehouse apartment in Brunswick in 2005, staying there for four years. We enjoyed it but were keen to purchase a home. We wanted to find somewhere between our parents and with easy access to the surf coast. So the inner west was for us. We have really enjoyed the community, parks, close access to the CBD and Williamstown beaches.
Alongside my online businesses, I’m now working one-to-one with clients who seek a premium fashion experience. Customers have the opportunity to choose from made-to-measure garments from my archives or have a piece painted exclusively for them. Garments range from bespoke formal dresses to luxury resort wear and are expertly crafted to suit the client’s personal tastes and style. The aim is always to create something that she will love forever. I also source accessories for many of my clients to accompany their custom outfits.
It’s so good to be working directly with the customer after years of wholesale trade. I get to spoil the client and really embark on a creative journey. I’m very fortunate to be doing what I so much enjoy – making beautiful things in a responsible and ethical manner.
In my free time, I like to cook for family and friends and enjoy the outdoors. We have a weekender on the Bellarine Penninsula, where we snorkel, visit wineries and relax.
Now that my kids are of school age, I’m enjoying collaborations, MeetUps and new ventures.
In my neighbourhood, I enjoy visiting Seddon Wine Store and having a glass of local wine with a cheese platter or Luxsmith for seared scallops and kingfish sashimi.
If you’re looking for some of my creations please drop in on Kitty K in Hawksburn for lingerie or Sedonia in Seddon for outerwear. To see my complete collection, visit www.nataliebegg.com
