Georgia Currie has had another stellar year.
Following on from an incredible 2015, in which she was honoured at the ELLE Australia Style Awards as the Emerging Designer of the Year, achieved column inch after column inch in fashion glossies and received social media coverage galore (including from the one and only Solange Knowles), Georgia’s business has shot through the roof in 2016. Her label, Georgia Alice, was picked up by the likes of Net-a-Porter, Lane Crawford and Shopbop, and she is now spending a good deal of time on the other side of the Tasman, building up her brand in Australia.
It comes as no surprise that when Moët & Chandon came to shortlist young New Zealanders who are at the top of their game right now, 26-year-old Georgia was one of the first to spring to mind. Georgia is one of five exemplary Kiwis being honoured at tonight’s The Now event, which celebrates the fashion leaders and entrepreneurs who are seizing the moment and making bold decisions.
We spoke to Georgia about what it means to be a girlboss and what we can expect from GA in 2017:
Congrats on being named by Moët & Chandon as a young New Zealander achieving huge success in your chosen field. What is the synergy between your brand and Moët and what does this accolade mean to you?
It is a wonderful thing to be recognised, especially by a company with a beautiful reputation and rich history.
What keeps you excited and motivates you to get up every day to work on your business?
I love working for myself and I love my girls at GA. We have a great team – I have handpicked all of them – so it’s like hanging out with my besties every day.
Have you always had a hit list of goals or things you wanted to achieve by a certain age?
Yeah totally, I have goals constantly on rotation… I don’t think age has ever come into it. It’s more about being happy and chasing what you love everyday!
What’s your attitude to achieving goals? Do you like to tick little things off each day or do you get frustrated and want to get there quickly?
Goals shift, so it’s just about making the most of every little achievement and learning from mistakes.
What inspires you?
Time away, travel, ocean swims, gallery exploring.
How do you relax and switch off at the end of the day?
I don’t check emails after 7pm. This is really important for me.
You always thought you would have a career as a dancer but that was sadly cut short. How did that decision change the course of your life and what did you learn from it?
I guess if I had pursued dance, I would have not started the journey into fashion. I think ballet taught me self discipline. I left home at a young age so I have learnt to be an independent thinker and a risk-taker. I feel lucky to have had such open-minded parents who let me chase my dreams and always support and trust my decisions.
How do you live your life with spontaneity and boldness?
I guess I get bored if there is no spontaneity, so it’s almost what keeps me driving forward. I think to have a business you have to be bold and you have to have unconditional trust in yourself.
Reaching the top of your game, how do you deal with the haters or when things don’t go your way?
I guess for me, there will always people who are not very kind, but that’s part of life. I am on my own separate journey and as long as I am chasing my dreams and trying my best to be kind and open along the way, then what other people think becomes less relevant. I think there is a lot of compromise in a creative business when you are starting out – so I just keep going, knowing one day I will have everything in place if I work hard now.
2016 has been such a huge year for you, with huge milestones like winning the Elle Australia Emerging Designer award and being stocked at some huge international retailers. What is 2017 loo0ingk like for you?
Next year I am looking at just producing better ranges and looking at some really amazing factories overseas. Keeping the GA family growing and happy. I have SO many plans and goals… watch this space!
