A week in work outfits with Brie Leon founder, Janine Zafra

“Dressing is definitely a creative endeavour for me, but dressing for pregnancy while retaining my personal style can be a real balancing act.”

Working in a creative role, it can be difficult to know how to dress for the day. Instead of having a set uniform of crisp white shirts and tailored black pants (as much as I love both), an ever-changing schedule means every morning requires a set of questions. Am I running around, or just sitting at my desk? Do I need to dress specifically for a project? And most importantly, will I be in the background of someone’s TikTok?

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This week, Janine Zafra, the Creative Director and founder of Sydney-based label Brie Leon, takes us through her week in work outfits. Specialising in handbags, footwear and accessories, the Brie Leon aesthetic reflects Janine’s personal style – considered and classic, with playful colours and textural elements mixed in. Janine’s work week is a balancing act of business admin, marketing strategy, meetings and working in Brie Leon’s recently opened Newtown store.

Janine’s nine-to-five wardrobe is all about clever layers and comfort, particularly as she’s currently expecting her second child. Relying on staples like bias-cut dresses, soft knitwear and low-waisted pants, Janine’s closet is a combination of local labels, vintage pieces and Brie Leon accessories – naturally. Here, she takes us through a week in her work wardrobe.

Monday

I believe in easing into the week, and today was no exception. We’re packing orders and catching up on admin, so comfort is key. A classic slow Monday calls for one of my favourite knit pieces. This sweater is from Bebe Moire, an ethical knitwear label based in Federal, in the Byron Bay hinterland.

They mostly create baby clothing, but they also release very limited adult designs and I scored this sweater a few seasons ago. It’s easily one of my most worn items, I pull it out in both summer and winter and will never get over how well it’s crafted. Today I paired it with a dress and chunky sandals, plus a sneak preview of one of our SS24/25 handbags.

Tuesday

The mercury has well and truly been dropping in Sydney this week, so it’s layering season! Dressing is definitely a creative endeavour for me, but dressing for pregnancy while retaining my personal style can be a real balancing act. I tend to opt for oversized looks, bias-cut dresses and knitwear – today, I’ve gone with the latter.

I love getting experimental and mixing different kinds of knits and fibres, so I’ve paired a midi dress with low-waist ribbed pants, my pregnancy saviours. My go-tos for ethical knitwear are Baserange and Rus, both of which nail the quality and sustainability of their pieces.

Wednesday

Wednesday is one of my favourite days, as it’s the first day our store opens for the week. We’ve recently opened a retail space in Newtown, which joins our office to what is easily one of Sydney’s most exciting and creative suburbs. I love being able to interact and connect with our customers in person, so I always dress for the occasion.

This particular day was filled with meetings in the morning and then an afternoon in the store doing some visual merchandising for the month ahead. Dressing for both sides of the business is always a mission, but oversized denim and a leather coat are my fail-safes. I’ve paired the two essentials with a Paris Georgia top, as well as our brand mascot/my miniature schnauzer, Gary.

This bag is also crafted from corn leather, our new favourite textile. It’s made from a blend of corn husks and recycled PU, so it has a suede-like finish and really finishes off the layered textures of today’s outfit.

Thursday

Nearing the end of the week, I’m always more comfort-inclined. This outfit was perfect for what turned out to be a more creative day in the office, spent with our designer as we started mapping out our AW25 offering. The silver accents provided fun inspiration, especially against the backdrop of this vintage ’70s suede coat which we used in both of our AW24 shoots.

We’ve seen some grey weather in Sydney recently, so we’ve all been loving pops of colour to brighten up the office. This red skivvy is by Mimi Holvast, a conscious brand based in the Northern Rivers. When building my own wardrobe, I appreciate quality and transparency over everything and Mimi Holvast ticks all the boxes and then some.

Friday

Despite being the end of the week, Friday is usually my most unpredictable day where I could be running errands, packing orders or conceptualising marketing. Today, we’re doing all of the above and this outfit is perfect for a day on the go.

As much as I love local Australian labels, I also adore boutique brands out of New Zealand, so this coat has been a staple for the past few winters. I went for a two-toned look today, using sneakers to dress down the outfit while also upping the functionality.