When Miss G & Me was launched in 2020, I knew that word-of-mouth promotion would be key to organic label growth. I also knew there would be countless iterations of stories to tell. But could I find a storyteller wanting or willing to share one?
I searched high and low, exploring the myriad storytelling angles an astute writer could take: Rebirth is one popular angle, me the phoenix pivoting out of COVID ramifications, overcoming the monster that is fashion inclusivity, to Miss G & Me being the ONLY Australian-made tall women's clothing label, another. (For a full back story on how I came to be here designing beautiful clothes for tall women, start here - Diary of a Tall Woman Wanting (beautiful) pants that fit.)
A quest to tell my story on the mainstream stage...
Fashion journalists, local news, radio hosts, and award committee judges - for the last three years I have barked up many trees. I was often surprised that I couldn't convince others of the value of sharing one of the many Miss G & Me stories. Large internationals are celebrated for setting low-hanging targets, such as returning 10% of production to Australia, but a 100% Australian-made, self-funded, female led, tall women's label isn't?
And then, a fourth storytelling approach emerged...Voyage and return
Here enters 6' Candice from South Australia, a mother who wanted to share the many positive aspects of being tall with her young daughter; we all know the power of positive representation - especially in our formative, highly impressionable years.
However, her search revealed the near nonexistence of communities for tall women in Australia.
No surprises here, we are underrepresented in nearly every aspect of life, especially in the consultation and planning of public transport, furniture design and ergonomics, shoes and clothing, cabinetry height, medical research, the use of overhead displays in early childhood settings...
Plot twist, Candice is also a journalist wanting to expand the perspectives of her audience, so she took matters into her own hands - the voyage.
Candice found Miss G & Me via this blog, and then joined our social group, Tall Australian Women on Facebook, both a safe space to share tall life, the joys of shopping finds, grievances (pant length, false reports of height on dating apps, and the ubiquitous questions...), and the sometimes sensitive topics of raising tall Australian children with their wellbeing in hand: It's not me, it's them.
Powerful storytelling can have a big impact.
What Candice did next sent me into a frenzy of nervous, gratuitous excitement. When she approached me for an interview for her story, introducing herself as a fellow six-foot-tall woman, I knew we were at the beginning of something special. Something never before shared on Australian media.
The story pitch from Candice was enticing. It was to be a narrative of empowerment. I am so pleased to be among several tall women featured in her story, all confident, successful ... and love being tall.
Seeing other tall women embodying confidence can have a powerful impact on young girls. If you can see it, you can be it.
As Candice has shown through her storytelling, standing out isn't something to lament - it's something to embrace.
"it's so important to role model confidence and acceptance...counter some of the negativity that we're bombarded with ... a positive perspective does change everything. And that's exactly why I wanted to do this story" Candice
The return leg of Candice's voyage has been told and you'll find the ABC online story here, you can watch the tv story here, and listen to the national radio current affairs story that was featured on The World Today here.
For me, the quest to change the landscape of clothing options for tall Australian women proudly continues..
Miss G and Me is the only Australian-made tall women’s clothing label, which reflects a passion for beautiful and sustainable fashion that fits tall women and lasts beyond a few washes. This article was written by the founder + designer, 6'1 Penni Lamprey who has a passionate focus on 'well' and 'being' and how clothes that fit positively contribute to an individual's self-esteem - the heart of the label's values.
