Stacey Hendrickson, Founder and Head Designer of fashion label, casper&pearl is certainly one of the brightest young stars to watch at this year’s Adelaide Fashion Festival presented by Mercedes-Benz Adelaide.
Having overcome a difficult childhood now, at only 23, her innovative label is taking Australia by storm, being worn by celebrities all over.
Stacey, originally from small country town Windsor (and we mean small, with no more than 30 people living there at the time) she had to grow up fast with a childhood full of hard battles and struggles…
From being an eight year old and seeing her parents divorce, to her mother then being diagnosed with cancer, to the arson attack that saw her childhood home burnt to the ground, they say things happen in threes and in Stacey’s case it most certainly did.
After moving from house to house and living with friends and family, she eventually settled down in Elizabeth Downs which was a huge change for the country girl who had to mature sooner than most children.
Not letting the worst get her down, she triumphantly overcame those hard times and has put her heart, passion and soul into creating casper&pearl.
And with her childhood cut short, it is no wonder Stacey loves to incorporate cheerful themes and colours into her designs.
“I am so obsessed with fun, feminine silhouettes and fabrics like lace and florals, and creating a world that exudes innocence and youth.”
The 90s and early 00s, being Stacey’s favourite years, inspire her designs and are reoccurring themes throughout her collections. With some what of a childlike whimsicality, the look is carefree, bright and fresh all with a sleek modern twist.
Evocative of the clothes she designs, the fashion label name is also inspired from her childhood: her best friend Pearl and her own nickname, Casper.
“The reason why these years are so important to me is because my childhood kind of got taken from under me quite suddenly”.
Stacey’s high school experience at Trinity College helped her develop a love for creating and designing. Although she struggled to fit in with her wealthier friends, as she knew she couldn’t afford clothes like theirs, Stacey’s angst fuelled her creative streak. She bought fabrics and clothes at op shops and re-designed them into styles she liked.
She maintained this habit throughout high school, even creating her own formal dress. Her friends, clearly impressed with her creative skill, soon insisted Stacey make clothes for them too.
After high school in 2011, and just 18 years old, Stacey began casper&pearl at first started selling her designs at the Gilles St Markets. Even through only selling pieces she made at school, the demand for her designs was high, making her eager to move into production.
Just as things had started to look up, two years later, Stacey was struck with another tragedy when her father was diagnosed with a rare cancer and passed away six months later. Described as her biggest fan, Stacey was able to use the money inherited from his superannuation and life insurance to make her first collection and move into production later that year.
That year also marked the beginning of AZALEA Models, a business started by Stacey and her mother, Anne Hendrickson (who is now healthy and in remission).
casper&pearl has been moving forward in leaps and bounds. Having been featured in New Gen at Mercedes Benz Fashion Week and now represented and financed by Max Peggie of Maximum Agencies after he found the label in Azalia Boutique. Plus it is has been worn by a list of celebrities including Ashley Madekwe, Margaret Zhang, Becca Tobin and Aisha Jade.
The label is moving from two collections per year to six which means 12 new prints a year. Fun fact: Stacey paints all the prints for the label and is no stranger to the art scene after winning a scholarship in high school with the National Art Gallery of Australia.
With China also on the horizon, it seems big things are happening for the local label.
With a dream of being nominated for a Cosmo Fun Fearless Female award, we can only imagine that all of the success will be coming Stacey’s way as she continues to prove herself as one of the standouts in the fashion industry.
casper&pearl can be found in stores at Azalia Boutique, Birdcage, Love Affair, Niki Belle and TU YU. For more information on the label visit www.casperandpearl.com.
Featuring in the Ready To Wear Runway Show on Thursday 22 October, casper&pearl will be one to watch at this Festival and we can’t wait to see what Stacey has to show us! Make sure that you follow @GlamAdelaide and @ADLFashionFest for all the latest on the shows plus the hashtag #2015AFF.
Tickets are still available and can be purchased here.
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