Penpal Series 01. Olivia Gow from Arthur Apparel.

Could you start by giving us an introduction to yourself, including your current role and responsibilities?

I’m Liv, founder, CEO and Creative Director at Arthur. Since late last year, I’ve taken on more responsibility in the company and so now I am focused on design, marketing, sales and of course management of my team. The responsibilities are endless but the main one is to inspire people to express themselves authentically. 

Can you walk us through a typical day in your life, from the moment you wake up to when you finish work?

When I’m in routine, I wake up around 6am. I’ll meditate for around 20-30 minutes and then ride my scooter to the local coffee shop. I like to order a different coffee every day depending on my mood. Then I’ll head to the gym. From there, I’ll go into our HQ and start on my never-ending list of things to do. Generally I’m there until 5:30pm. In the evening, I like to go for dinners and socialise a tad and then wind down reading a book. The current is “To Paradise” by Hanya Yanagihara. Actually, the latest addition to my evening routine is a 10 minute hypnotherapy.

Reflecting on your journey so far, what pivotal moments or experiences have shaped your approach to design and creativity?

There is one moment that is very distinct for me - back in 2019 when I decided to rebrand. When I started the brand, it was no more than a small passion project. I had no plan, no expectations and therefore nothing steering me in a certain direction. Luckily it was successful however I soon realised that the success lacked substance. This is when I discovered what I really wanted to pursue was an expression of personality, mine to be precise. And through that, hopefully I would inspire others to express theirs in the most authentic and non-pretentious way possible. And so from then on, I looked to myself or to my team, to find inspiration in our daily experience of life, what it means to be human; the struggles, the joys and the weirdness. 

Envision Arthur being packed for a road trip by our adventurous friends. What three essential items do you recommend they bring to ensure an unforgettable journey?

A speaker to party wherever you feel fit. Fairy lights to make the night times pretty and cozy. Baby wipes because you’ll definitely be pooping in the bush.

How does sustainability factor into your designs, and what other ethical considerations guide your creative process?

When we’re in the development phase, from the beginning, we will typically opt for natural or recycled fabrications where possible. We’ve also learnt to become very conservative with consumptions of raw fabric and other accessories and when we have excess fabric, we will repurpose, sell or send for recycling depending on the fibre - nothing ends up in landfill. All of the packaging sent with online orders; totes bags and drawstring bags are made with fabric excess from production.When it comes to ethical consideration, we have a company code of conduct and if any factories do not comply, we simply won’t work with them. This generally leads to higher cost but if that’s what it takes to eliminate exploitation, then it’s the price we have to pay.

Congratulations on the launch of your latest collection - An Earthly Existence. If this collection had a soundtrack, what song would best capture its essence?

There are so many moods we can associate with An Earthly Existence, but at its  epicentre is the idea of existentialism, so it’d definitely be a HZ frequency track by Miracle Tones.