SUSIE DAWES
NEW YORK, NEW YORK
#BOSWOMEN
Meet Susie Dawes, a vibrant & inspiring individual who is a true advocate for empowerment & #BOSwomen energy. We recently had the pleasure of speaking with this martini-drinking powerhouse to learn more about her journey. Susie emphasizes the skills of networking, seizing the moment, & the importance of paying it forward. She embraces the dynamic energy of NYC, finding inspiration in its cultural vibrancy. Discover this personal snapshot of her life in New York, New York.
Tell us what you do: I work in the fashion industry for Johanna Ortiz, a luxury women's RTW brand from Colombia. President - International Office, New York.
What did you dream of becoming when you were younger? First I wanted to be a vet, then an actress, then I wanted to work in fashion!
How did you get into the industry: From a young kid, I always loved clothes. I always made my Mum make me printed leggings & then sew a patch of the same print onto a plain t-shirt so my outfit matched perfectly. My first job was in a retail store (Rosemin - was so cool back then haha!) & I LOVED working for a brand. From there, I went to Uni & studied Fashion, Merchandising, Textiles & Design & have worked in the industry ever since!
Tell us about your creative process: While I don't really consider myself a creative, I am very visual. If looking at a bare room/apartment I want to furnish, I can see it all laid out immediately. I like to print a floor plan & sketch out where everything goes. If reviewing a clothing collection, I can immediately see opportunities to move prints around or change fabrics or silhouettes to enhance the collection.
What do you love most about being a woman in your area of the business: 5 of the 6 top executives at Johanna Ortiz are women & that feels pretty bad-ass! Founded by women, making clothes for women, that empower women is the thing I love most. We all have a REAL seat at the table. Who runs the world?!
Can you describe a time when you faced a significant setback or challenge in your career, & how did you overcome it? What did you learn from that experience: When I moved to New York, I left my job behind to start fresh. After a looong wait for a work visa, I was finally able to apply for jobs & I really struggled to even get interviews - especially for the luxury brands that I was so desperate to work for. Recruiters & hiring managers at brands didn't understand my CV as job titles are so different in the US vs Australia & they didn't know of the brands I had worked for in Aus. So even though I held senior positions at amazing brands in Aus, it just didn't translate for them. I was starting to feel very down & defeated (my dream life in New York wasn't quite panning out the way I hoped!) One day after recently submitting an application for a very low paying INTERNSHIP at Stella McCartney (never even got an interview FYI), I was sitting in the dogpark & I met a stranger (angel) who's dog was playing with mine. We got to chatting & although she didn't work in the same industry (she is a Yoga teacher), she told me her best friend worked in a senior position at an amazing Swiss luxury brand. She offered to put me in touch if I sent her my resume. Before I had even made it home from the dog park, I had an email from her friend with the subject "dog park networking." She had a role that had just become available & asked me to meet her for an interview the next day. 3 weeks later, I had a corner office on Madison Avenue on the Upper East Side as Director of Sales for the Americas. What I learned from that experience is to always PAY IT FORWARD. I now make sure I am never too busy to sit down with someone looking for a break into the industry, just arrived in New York & wants advice, make introductions to people where I can help etc. That angel stranger who made the introduction & her angel friend who took a chance on a CV that didn't quite make sense (both now dear friends), changed my life forever that day. & I’ll never forget it.
How would you describe your style: For daytime - I'm a sucker for luxe elevated basics like high-waisted, wide leg pants & t-shirt in a monochrome palette. For night - Almost always in all black! Sophisticated, yet airs on the sexier side (cue sheers, subtle cut-outs & leather).
What is on your bedside table: A loewe candle, all my gold jewelry I took off that day & Bose white-noise earbuds (my boston terrier snores)!
Favourite place to have coffee in NYC: Ground Support on West Broadway in Soho. They use Niccolo coffee beans from Abbotsford, Melbourne so every morning I get a little slice of home.
What do you love most about your city: The palpable energy. I swear there's no other city in the world that I can feel it as soon as you are driving over one of the bridges towards it. You step into the city & it's a melting pot of culture on your doorstep. It's electric.
It's a Friday night, where do you go for cocktails? Almost always - you can find me at SoSo's (South Soho Bar). One of my best mates bars in Lower Manhattan that serve the best cocktails & has photos of all our mates on the walls!
Best hidden gem in New York: SO MANY but one very special one - & really not so hidden anymore - is the Swan Bar at the Nine Orchard hotel in the Lower East Side. It's one of the most stunningly beautiful bars in the city.
What's the coolest thing that has happened to you in NYC: My stranger in the dog park moment!
Fondest memory: Fondest memory in NYC Last year’s Thanksgiving. Looking around the room just before dinner was served. It was absolute chaos in the kitchen with everyone putting the finishing touches on their dishes, drinks flowing, dogs underfoot, babies playing. I felt so incredibly happy with so much love in the room from this beautiful, crazy New York family we have created (including some of my actual family that lives here). Everyone crowding on the fire escape for drinks after dinner just laughing & having so much fun hanging over my beloved cobble stone & cast iron building street with our NYC backdrop.
Where do you draw your inspiration from: Mainly from the creative people I work for & am friends with in other creative industries. While I definitely have my own sense of style in fashion, interiors etc I am exposed to some of the best in the business on a daily basis so I'm sure I draw inspiration from them
5 things you can't live without: My dog Bear, My family, My friends, Martinis & travel.
What's on your Spotify repeat: You'll never get that one out of me.
Go to forever wardrobe piece: Oversized black manstyle blazer
What is your favourite Boskemper piece? HANDS DOWN the Selene Bralette in gold metallic. Obsessed & really need you to make it in black too!!
