Fellow New Zealander & the designer of MARLE, Juliet Souter is the fourth lovely lady I'm excited to feature for 'An Organised Life with..'

I met Juliet back in 2010 when we both worked for the same company in New Zealand. I was so inspired by her style day after day and definitely looked up to her. She taught me to dress to my body shape and the importance of accessories and a good lippy! 

6 years down the track Juliet is now the designer for her own womenswear label MARLE. A dream for minimalist lovers, MARLE is based around the philosophy of using texture to create collections using natural yarn and luxe fabrics such as cashmere, silk, merino, linen and organic cotton. 

We visited Juliet's workspace in beautiful Mt Maunganui and chatted to her about how she began MARLE, the biggest lessons she's learnt along the way, and her workspace essentials. 

Name...Juliet Souter

Occupation…designer and founder of MARLE

How it all began…

It began with me moving a desk into our bedroom after our baby girl, Vita was born 3 years ago and designing my first collection which was purely knitwear. I studied fashion design and majored in knitwear knowing that one day I wanted to start my own label.  As the brand has developed I have expanded into new categories using woven fabrics that maintain the brands philosophy of using natural fibres. 

Biggest pinch me moment...

The first time I saw a woman I didn’t know walking down the street wearing one of my pieces, I felt like going and giving her a big hug.

Biggest lesson I’ve learnt along the way…

Starting a new business as a new mother isn’t easy, I have had to learn how to be super organised and to not be too proud to take people up on their offers of help. Also, manners and a genuine smile go a long way.

I’m inspired by…

My amazing friends and family are constantly keeping me inspired.  I absolutely love going to art galleries, looking at architecture by walking the streets wherever I am, and reading all sorts of books.

Biggest piece of advice…

Stop every now and then and look at all you’ve achieved

Organised to me means…

Keeping everything tidy and in its place which suits my OCD nature perfectly

The top 3 ways I organise my life are…

• Keep all events and appointments on a wall calendar
• Keep a to do list and work through that list in order no matter how much you don’t want to do something, as soon as its done you can move on and clear your head
• Due to being rather OCD, I ensure that I keep on top of the housework and washing, if my house is a mess I feel out of control and can’t concentrate, particularly on the days I work from home

I can’t leave my house without…

My phone, wallet and sunglasses

At the moment you’ll find the below on my desk…

My laptop, tape measure, magazines, a snack (being 8 months pregnant means I can’t be too far away from food) pens and pencils and my Aesop hand cream

My workspace style is…

At the office its simple and organised.  I work from home a lot of the time and do most of my designing spread out on our dining table so the table can get a bit chaotic at times.

First thing I do when I get to the office is…

I have a little catch up with our lovely sales manager followed by checking emails and writing my to do list.

FOLLOW MARLE:

Instagram Here / Website Here 

PHOTOGRAPHY BY:

Jane Keam

SHOP THE POST

I couldn't be prouder of my amazing friend Sara Donaldson who is the blogger behind Harper & Harley and new online store TheUNDONE.

Known for her signature minimalistic style, Sara always stays true to her relaxed chic black, white, grey philosophy both in fashion and her workspace! She is also one of the most hard working & dedicated people I know through and through. 

I visited Sara's amazing workspace & chatted to her about her biggest pinch me moments, what inspires her and the top three ways she organises her fast paced life. 

Name: Sara Donaldson

Occupation: Director and Buyer at TheUNDONE.com and Blogger at Harper and Harley

How it all began…

I’ve run Harper and Harley for 7 and a half years, starting while I was completing my Marketing degree and realised fashion was the direction I wanted to take my career in. Moving to Sydney at 21 I worked in firstly a large corporate environment that taught me incredible structures and procedures, before then moving to a smaller boutique business where I was able to learn all areas of a small company. After 5 years of blogging and the industry booming into what it is today, I decided to leave my Marketing and Sales career to take Harper and Harley full time. 

Biggest pinch me moment…

I’m always working on the next 3 projects at once, but the biggest and my proudest is The UNDONE, an online store based off Harper and Harley’s success. 

Biggest lesson I’ve learnt along the way…

Learn how to say no.

I’m inspired by…

My friends and colleagues who some of the hardest working and creative people in the industry. To carry the blogger title and earn people’s respect can be really difficult, but i’m fortunate to surround myself with those that deliver the very best content, pushing me to continually step up my own. 

Biggest piece of advice…

Follow your gut. always. 

Organised to me means….

Knowing what are the priorities are of the day, and if i’m lucky the priorities of the next few in front of me. I also feel organised when I can leave my work in the office and not take it home with me. This is a rarity but something i’m working on. 

The top 3 ways I organise my life are…

• Daily lists in a notebook 
• Electronic calendar is separated into the different areas of my life - personal, H&H, The UNDONE 
• Google docs are my new favourite for document sharing and updating. 

I can’t leave the house without…

Phone, wallet, keys, glasses

At the moment you’ll find the below on my desk… 

Computer, maybe even two! The UNDONE notebook created by An Organised Life, calculator, perfume, nail polish, foliage - likely a succulent or leafage, a concrete pencil holder, a coffee cup and one very messy in tray!

My workspace style is…

Mentally I work better with a clean work space. My inbox and life is quite busy and chaotic, so a tidy place to work is essential, although it can get out of hand very quickly. 

First thing I do when I get to the office is…

I check through my emails and make a list, working out the priorities to make sure I know which are more time sensitive so I can action them first. I have to split my page up between The UNDONE and Harper and Harley as i’m balancing both businesses, but its important to keep them separate to know whats going on in each area. 

FOLLOW theundone:

Instagram Here / Website Here 

FOLLOW HARPER & HARLEY:

Instagram Here / Website Here

PHOTOGRAPHY BY:

Hannah Roche

SHOP THE POST

ABOUT AN ORGANISED LIFE WITH...

Featuring a curated edit of inspiring people with amazing careers, we chat to them about how they organise their lives, what they are inspired by and what their essentials are at their work-spaces. And... of course, we go behind the scenes around their homes & offices to snap their creative & inspirational spaces. 

I'm excited to announce the launch of a new blog feature called 'An Organised Life With...'

Featuring a curated edit of inspiring people with amazing careers, we chat to them about how they organise their lives, what they are inspired by and what their essentials are at their work-spaces.

And... of course, we go behind the scenes around their homes & offices to snap their creative & inspirational spaces. 

Our debut superstar is none other than the talented Brooke Testoni, who is known for her work as a stylist, producer, creative director & influencer all tied into one. We visited Brookes beautiful home / workspace in Mosman & chatted to her about her diverse career, what she has learnt along the way & how she maintains an organised life. 

NAME: Brooke Testoni

OCCUPATION: Style influencer 

How it all began…

I started my website years ago, back before Pinterest was around. It was actually just a feed of images that inspired me. In time, I started to post images of my own style, my followers responded well to it and here I am today !

Biggest pinch me moment….

Probably being the style ambassador for Westfield. Five years ago, I would never in a million years think that this is where I would be today. I am very grateful.

Biggest lesson I’ve leart along the way….

To always stay true to yourself! It is very easy to trawl through online sites and be influenced by other people. Try not do this and let your true style and personality come to life.

I’m inspired by….

Travel! Every time I come back from a holiday, I want to start a new project or shake things up a little. My husband is forever telling me to slow down and do one thing at a time!

Biggest piece of advice... 

Life is short, live life to the fullest and treat others the way you want to be treated.

Organised to me means….

Having everything in its place. You could say I have OCD. I am sure my husband thinks I am crazy!

The top 3 ways to organize my life are….

• Keep a diary (electronic and handwritten)
• Back up your files. I once lost all of my files and personal photos - I was gutted!
• Have a different draw, cupboard or compartment for different things, that way you also know where to find something.

I can’t leave the house without…. 

My phone, bobbi pins (if you have a fringe I am sure you get it) and my credit card (not that I should be putting anymore on it!).

At the moment you’ll find the below on my desk….

Laptop, An Organised Life diary, perfume, Grown Alchemist hand cream, a handcrafted pot with my USBs in it and calming oil.

My workspace style is…..

Different. I used to have an office at home however I decided to turn it into a meeting room. I mix up my days and my work space, that way I never get bored. I am either on location shooting, working at my husbands office or working from home either in my sitting room on my computer or standing up in my styling room. I have been reading up on the ‘standing while you work’ debate and do believe we can all benefit from it.

First thing I do when I get to the office….

Make a tea or coffee of course!

FOLLOW BROOKE:

Instagram Here / Website Here / YouTube Here

PHOTOGRAPHY BY:

Hannah Roche

SHOP THE POST