inspiring women series - emma petterwood of After Eight
Meet Emma Petterwood, Co-Founder of the exceptional store After Eight with Fleur Wood. We adore Emma and Fleur not just for their talent and creativity, but for their vision, insight and unwavering commitment to supporting the ideals of slow fashion, and educating their community about responsible fashion consumption. Emma was kind enough to share a little of her world with us.
Emma wears the Gather Sleeve Shirt
Star Sign?
Taurus. My sister, Sarah and I share the same star sign and when we were in our early twenties, we got matching dual Taurus tattoos. So cringe (but so cute!).
Your happy place? To relax, recharge, something that evokes joy...
My husband, Josh, and I lead busy lives running two businesses (not to mention raising two beautiful boys), so our home, nestled amongst the nature in Sandy Bay, Hobart, has become a sanctuary for us. A place where we can escape the hustle and just be with our boys.
We were fortunate to work with David Flack, of Flack Studio, back in 2018. David is an interiors genius, working with him on our home renovation was an absolute joy and the result is… our happy place.
What brings you the most joy in your life?
Spending time with my family. They are everything to me. (Closely followed by creating magic at After Eight).
Women who inspire you?
I am so fortunate to have some incredible female mentors in my life, each one of them inspires me in different ways – they’re a mix of mothers and entrepreneurs.
Favourite art?
A beautiful Prudence Flint called Button (2012) that we purchased in 2019.
A place you are dreaming of visiting?
Anywhere warm. Seriously take me there! I have barely left Hobart in 2 years, and we are about to have snowfall to sea level, in late September!
What does supporting Australian designers + fashion mean to you?
As the founder of a small, independent fashion retailer, After Eight, this question really resonated with me. I believe in standing together in support of local designers (and manufacturing), so we can all help to keep the Australian fashion/creative industry thriving.
I proudly wear (and stock) Australian labels, I love to share the narrative with our customers about the designers, their stories and where their clothes are made. I have found they really connect with that. And, to be frank, supporting local has never been more important than it is now; as the world comes under threat by climate change.
Emma and Fleur
Your closet - favourite local / independent labels we would find?
As mentioned above, I adore local labels and they has become a huge focus for us at After Eight. In my closet you will find a monochrome palette with pieces from Autark, ESSE, Albus Lumen, Anna Quan, Wardrobe NYC, and Michael Lo Sordo.