Poppy Lissiman
On her remedy to feeling under the weather:
“Eye drops, a lick of foundation, bronzer, sunglasses, and two consecutive glasses of champagne.”
“I wear a light NARS tinted foundation with SPF every day, which I apply with my hands to the majority of my face. Then, over the top, I brush on, from the centre of my face outwards, a little bit of the RCMA cream foundation for more coverage.”
On the moment she decided to launch her brand:
“[It was during] my first full year of university; I’d jumped around between a few different degrees and was so unhappy there. At the time I was also working in retail part-time, in the fashion industry, and absolutely loved it. I knew I was good at it and decided to drop out of university to pursue a career in retail, and to eventually have my own store. I started my label as a stepping-stone to have on the side until I had the money to open a shop, as a way of having my brand name out there in the meantime.”
“I’ve been dying and bleaching my hair since I was 13 so I’ve gotten pretty good at maintaining it so its not completely cooked. Kevin Murphy Blonde Angel shampoo and treatment keeps it looking nice and toned and takes out all the brassy tones.”
On her signature scent:
“Mark Buxton – Devil in Disguise. He’s the perfumer behind many non-commercial scents, like Comme Des Garçons. This particular unisex scent is quite woody and musky, with some floral tones.”
On the one beauty product she can’t live without:
“NARS Laguna bronzer, hands down. I’ve been using it since I was about fourteen. I’m allergic to fake tan, so this is my only hope for adding a healthy (un)natural glow to my skin.”
Shop selection of Poppy Lissiman eyewear here.
On her most treasured item of clothing:
“It changes annually, but at the moment it’s a reversible vintage, embroidered souvenir bomber jacket from Tokyo.”
“I do weekly treatment masks, alternating between Aesop and Olaplex leave-in treatments. Sometimes I’ll even sleep in them. I also stopped straightening my hair (almost completely). I find it actually looks better when I let it dry naturally with a few squirts of Evo Salty Dog salt spray for a bit of body and natural wave.”
On her personal style:
“My style is usually centralised on being comfortable and colourful. I don’t wear bodycon or restrictive styles. I love items which are a little bit left-of-centre, and in the last year or two I’ve become pretty obsessed with collecting vintage pieces.”
On her ideal Sunday morning:
“If I’m not a bit dusty from the night before, I’ll usually go out for breakfast, read the paper, and go for a big walk or to the beach.”
On what’s most important in life:
“To be happy and healthy.”
On realising the gap in the market:
“Originally, my label (when I started it in 2008) was dressy evening and cocktail wear. By the time I realised my dream of having my own store (in 2011), my style had changed a bit. My store had my own label as well as others, and at one point in the season we had a lack of clutches and accessories in the store, so I started designing some. I thought there was a bit of a gap in the market for the clutches I was making at the time, and sure enough, they sold like crazy. I switched exclusively to accessories at that moment, and I haven’t turned back!”
“My morning and evening routines are pretty similar. I have quite sensitive skin, so I stick to very basic (dermatologist recommended) brands, like Cetaphil and pHisohex, when washing my face morning and evening. I moisturise my face only when it’s dry, as I also use a prescription retinoid cream in localised areas where I’m breakout-prone”.
Shop selection of Poppy Lissiman clutches here.
Her advice to women trying to make it in the fashion biz:
“Learn as much as you can about the non-fashion side if you want to be successful, learn the business side and all the numbers that go with it.”
On the one product she can’t live without:
“NARS Laguna bronzer hands down. Been using it since I was about 14. I’m allergic to fake tan so this is my only hope for adding a healthy (un)natural glow to my skin.”
On beauty treatments:
“I don’t get any, to be honest. I’ve never even had a facial. My skin had been a bit average with regular breakouts since high school, so last year I invested in a few trips to a very good dermatologist to get that sorted out, which worked perfectly. That’s the best and only beauty treatment I’ve ever really done.”
On her earliest beauty memory:
“Wagging school with a bunch of girlfriends in about year 10 or 11 to go get Braziallian waxes..haha.”
“I use Sorbolene on my body after most showers, and exfoliate my body and face twice a week”.
On her words to live by:
“If you’re the smartest person in the room, you’re in the wrong room.”
“My makeup routine during the day is pretty basic, and I tend to spend no more than five minutes doing my makeup before I start my day.”
On the women she looks up to:
“Women who are driven, strong, interesting, adaptable, and intelligent. I’ve met a few exceptional women in the industry who have been dealt some crappy cards over the years, but who have triumphed in such an awesome way. All of them have a positive outlook on their work and personal life, and I think in the end that kind of attitude translates to your benefit.”
On exercise:
“When I was still living in Perth, I used to go to a personal trainer twice a week, and did a bit of light exercise on the side. Now that I’ve moved to Sydney, I’d say I’m more active. I do F45 training three to four times a week, and because the traffic is such a nightmare, I tend to walk almost everywhere, too.”
Poppy Lissiman is a bright, welcome respite from the often-monochrome-saturated fashion industry. The Australian dream designer specialises in ethical, cruelty-free accessories that are guaranteed to seriously tsjuz up any and all wardrobes. Poppy is putting the fun back into getting dressed, with her velvet bags adorned with flames and roses, rainbow pom poms, and iconic clutches. As an office that really flogs the whole tee and jeans combo, and likewise the head-to-toe black aesthetic, this is something we’re very happy to get onboard with.
The WA-born legend first cogitated starting her own label during her first full year of university — she was jumping around from a few different degrees, and was “so unhappy there.” After working in and loving retail, she decided to drop out of university and pursue a career in the industry with the aim of one day opening her own store. She started her label in 2008 — then dressy evening and cocktail wear — and finally hit her goal of owning her own store in 2011, which stocked a combination of her own stuff and other labels.
Poppy is perhaps known best for her clutches. She began making her own convo-starting, whacky-in-the-best-way clutches out of a perceived gap in the market: “I thought there was a bit of a gap in the market for clutches I was making at the time and sure enough they sold like crazy.” The rest, as they say, is history with international websites like Man Repeller singing their glittery praises. Once her clutches took off, she “switched exclusively to accessories… and haven’t turned back!” We’re forever indebted, girl!
Even if you’re a slave to the colour black, there’s no denying there’s something magnetic about the way Poppy dresses and designs. A whirl through her ‘gram feed will have you questioning your entire approach to style. We hung out with the laid-back beauty in her house — which is as colourful and wonderful as you’d expect it to be — to chat about everything from her style (“usually centralized around being comfortable and colourful”), her sage advice for anyone starting out in the business (“learn as much as you can about the non-fashion side if you want to be successful”), and her words to live by (“If you’re the smartest person in the room you’re in the wrong room.)
We also had the true honour of poking around in her wardrobe (dream) and finding out her beauty routine (as simple as her designs are fun). Do yourself a favour and get acquainted with the full-blown legend!
Words, Madeleine Woon. Photos, Sarah Adamson.
