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Witchery has released a very sleek loungewear collection and it’s the perfect WFH fit

PHOTOGRAPHER – AMELIA DOWD
WORDS BY JASMINE WALLIS

Juggling a growing family with a growing business is a lot, but Steffanie Ball is thriving.

For some people, when asked what a non-negotiable is in their morning routine, they say yoga, taking a walk, reading a chapter of a book. But for Steffanie Ball, it’s caffeine, always.

I have two young children, two and a half and eight months old. My husband, Matt, and I run the business and we literally can’t function without coffee,” Steffanie laughs down the phone from her studio in Melbourne. I can hear her son, Wiley, babbling on her hip.

“Wiley was in for the last shot [of the photoshoot] so this is a full representation of how I multitask!”

Founder of one of Australia’s most sought after homeware brands, En Gold, Steffanie thrives in the busyness of life. Starting the business during maternity leave and having her second child this April, just months before En Gold’s latest collection, Steffanie is juggling all the balls, yet loving it.

Based in Melbourne and shipping worldwide, En Gold is providing customers with stunning, one-of-a-kind marble and stone furniture while supporting sustainability by only producing limited quantities.

You may assume that having a business and two small children, Steffanie would have plans and lists governing her life but the designer says that her creative process is incredibly organic.

“I don’t have a lot of forecasting, I don’t even have a business plan so when I’m designing a new collection it usually starts with one idea. Maybe it’ll start with a coffee table design and then I’ll evolve that into a dining table or plinths so it kind of tells a story throughout.”

Running a small business means it’s literally all hands on deck for Steffanie and her husband. Their day-to-day involves meeting with clients, moving pieces around the studio, styling shoots for Instagram and more. When I ask what she looks for when getting dressed in the morning, Steffanie laughs as she tells me the heels in her wardrobe haven’t seen the light of day in years.

“They’ve all been replaced by sneakers! The job isn’t glamorous. I’m working with beautiful things but everything I’ve designed is super heavy. It’s tricky stuff to move and then I come home and chase after an energetic toddler. So comfort, being able to move around easily and freely is really important.”

After working from her studio during Melbourne’s lockdown, Steffanie is now meeting with clients and having showroom appointments as the city comes back to life. I ask the designer if there’s anything she does to elevate her style between the two sides of her business and at the moment, it’s wearing the Witchery W1970 collection.

“It’s very sleek and the way that the pieces are made, they’re so comfortable but they’re really well presented so you can go from moving heavy plinths around the showroom to meeting with a client.”

For Steffanie, balancing the physical labour of her work yet the glamorous aesthetic of the brand means dressing in sleek but versatile pieces that can be elevated up or pared down, and she tells me that the W1970 loungewear has become a true staple in her wardrobe.

“I absolutely love the matching sets, my favourite at the moment is the grey shorts or the sage green shorts with the crew jumper. I’ve found all of the fabrics super soft and they’re lightweight enough to transition as you’re moving around and getting hot,” Steffanie says.

“I’ve got some sentimental jewellery that I consistently wear and having hair and makeup done while being comfortable means I feel ready for whatever the day has.”

Growing a business and family at the same time means that Steffanie is taking every day as it comes and enjoying some of the “pinch me” moments that come with being a revolutionary brand in the Australian homeware space.

To end our call, I ask Steffanie what advice she’d give to other women wanting to start a new business.

“I feel like if me from the past was looking at starting a business and I looked at what I’m dealing with on a day-to-day basis, I’d be really scared off. I think the key is a degree of naivety so not overthinking it and just starting with the first step,” Steffanie says.

“The bigger picture will form as you move throughout the business so listen to yourself because usually the decisions you make, if you’re on the right path, will always be the right one to choose.”

witchery.com.au/clothing-w1970


Styling credits

LOOK ONE
WITCHERY LOGO EMBROIDERED TEE $59.95, WITCHERY TRACK SHORT $89.95 , WITCHERY FASHION HOODIE $99.95, WITCHERY EVA CHAIN NECKLACE $59.95, TALENT’S OWN COIN NECKLACE,  SNAKE CHAIN AND EARRINGS
LOOK TWO
WITCHERY TRACK PANT $99.95, WITCHERY  FASHION EMBROIDERED HOODIE $99.95, WITCHERY OCTAVIA BANGLE $49.95, TALENT’S OWN SNEAKERS
LOOK THREE
WITCHERY STAPLE SWEAT $99.95, WITCHERY TRACK SHORT $89.95, WITCHERY NATURAL CANVAS CAP $39.95, WITCHERY EVA CHAIN NECKLACE $59.95, WITCHERY OCTAVIA BANGLE $49.95, TALENT’S OWN COIN NECKLACE AND SNAKE CHAIN
LOOK FOUR
WITCHERY  TRACK SHORT $89.95, WITCHERY  FASHION HOODIE $99.95, TALENT’S OWN RINGS AND SNEAKERS
LOOK FIVE
WITCHERY BOMBER JACKET $179.95, WITCHERY LOGO EMBROIDERED TEE $59.95, WITCHERY TRACK SHORT $89.95, WITCHERY EVA CHAIN NECKLACE $59.95, WITCHERY OCTAVIA BANGLE $49.95, TALENT’S OWN COIN NECKLACE AND SNAKE CHAIN
LOOK SIX
WITCHERY DENIM SHACKET $129.95, WITCHERY LOGO MUSCLE TANK $59.95, WITCHERY SPLIT LEGGING $79.95, WITCHERY EVA CHAIN NECKLACE $59.95, TALENT’S OWN ID NECKLACE AND SHOES
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