Bio

AMANDA'S BIO

Amanda designs and manufactures her creative, popular and practical Pants for Kids for busy Mums and Dads who want an affordable, easy wash-and-wear garment which will still be smart and attractive for their kids.

HOW PANTS FOR KIDS GOT STARTED

Amanda, aged 36, lives on the sunny Gold Coast in Queensland, Australia with her partner, Jonathan. They have three beautiful children, two sons, aged 7 and 6 years and a daughter aged 5 years.

Soon after her two sons were born Amanda discovered, when shopping for pants for her young boys, that she could not buy attractive, basic, easy to wash-and-wear pants. The styles available were all similar to adult pants, requiring extra drying and ironing time as well as being too expensive.

As soon as Amanda had designed and made her own Pants for Kids for her precious boys, her friends were asking, “Where did you get their pants?” When Amanda became a Mum for the third time with the arrival of a delightful daughter, girls’ pants with pretty fabric and colours were quickly added to her range.

AMANDA’S EARLY INTEREST IN FASHION

Amanda grew up in country towns in northern New South Wales. Her mother was a teacher of fashion and textiles at a TAFE College and her father began his career as a Wool Classer and later became the Principal of the TAFE College in Armidale.

From a very young age Amanda would constantly create things by crocheting, knitting and hand sewing because her mother would not allow her to use a sewing machine until she was 12 years old. During Amanda’s High School holidays in Sydney she was mentored by her Aunt who was enjoying success in the “Rag-Trade”. Amanda attributes being the person she is today to these years of valuable experience under her Aunt’s guidance and also to her county upbringing with encouraging and supportive parents.

AMANDA’S FASHION AWARDS

When Amanda was 15 in High School her excellent results in textiles allowed her to enter her first competition in design resulting in her winning the N.S.W. State Award. After winning several regional and state competitions, Amanda won a scholarship to attend the Leanne Whitehouse Summer School. This experience opened up many creative, fashion doors for her.

In 1989 the International Wearable Wool Awards were held in Armidale, N.S.W., and at 17 years of age Amanda won the Supreme Award as well as the three categories of Resort Wear; Evening Wear and Fantasy Costume. The following year Amanda repeated this again being judged by Jenny Kee and Stephen Galloway. As judges, they were quoted in the media saying, “Amanda’s garments would compete anywhere around the world. She has extraordinary talent”.

At age 19 Amanda won the Nescafe Big Break Award recognising her achievement in fashion and design. This $20,000 Grant enabled her to launch over 100 of her garments in the Australian Fashion Framework. In the summer of 1991 this enterprise enabled Amanda to embark on a six week worldwide tour with other designers, models, makeup artists, photographers and choreographers to promote Australian fashion.

AMANDA - FASHION ENTREPRENEUR

Soon after returning from overseas Amanda opened her own retail shop in Hastings Street, Noosa Heads in Queensland and then, later, in Maling Road, Canterbury in Melbourne. For eight years she designed, manufactured and sold boxer shorts and a range of made to order sleepwear. She then chose to leave the retail sector to work from home and care for her children.

During those eight years, Amanda featured in the Cosmopolitan Magazine among the “30 Most Successful Women Under 30 in Business” and also in the Business Class Magazine among the “Top 30 Entrepreneurs Under 30”, both for two consecutive years. Amanda’s garments have also appeared on T.V. on the Midday Show with Ray Martin, and The Morning Show in Madrid. She has been invited twice to judge The Nescafe Big Break Awards.

IN 2004 PANTS FOR KIDS TAKES OFF

In 2004, when her family moved to the Gold Coast in Queensland, Amanda teamed up with her mother and they began selling Pants for Kids and Amanda’s Sleepwear at the famous Eumundi Market in the Noosa Hinterland.

After small beginnings at the Eumundi Market, Amanda’s Business has grown enormously. Satisfied customers return time and again which has prompted Amanda to sell online. Amanda now has over a 1,000 pairs of Pants for Kids and a variety of Sleepwear in stock in her new factory.

Amanda’s dream for Pants for Kids has now been realized as she is able to offer you the best selection of her entire range, at a reasonable price, delivered to your door anywhere in the world.

2009 - A NEW DIRECTION

After many years of selling pants at markets and her two retail stores, it was time for Amanda to see if Pants For Kids could compete on the big stage. Could a little store that only sold Pants for children actually make money in the large shopping centers?

At this stage Jonathan (Amanda's husband) was still working to take up the slack between bills and pants but 2009 would see the gap closed and Jonathan move full time into the business taking up the roll of H.R. Pants ‘n' Stuff. This role consists of pretty much the things that need doing and Amanda is too busy to do! From picking up kids, to selling franchises, working in a shop or driving stock around, to designing websites and writing ad copy.

So in July 1, 2009 Amanda and Jonathan opened their first store in Westfield Helensvale Shopping Center on the Gold Coast. Amanda said, "This was definitely the scariest thing we have tried and it certainly gives us a new respect for those people who have taken a small store and blazed a trail in the retail sector."

They started with a six-month lease and by the end of that time had proven that the concept does truly work in Mainstream Retail and had sold the store (twice J).

In a twist that was a pleasant surprise, the new buyers not only wanted the Helensvale store but the Master Franchise to all of Australia. They are also a married couple and bring both excellent experience (15 years running major retail companies) combined with a natural exuberance that is so necessary with the Pants For Kids product.

2010 - A NEW DECADE

So now Pants for Kids has two stores and soon three. The new Master Franchisees are rolling out franchises right across Australia and this wonderful situation brings with it many obstacles, not the least being, how do you manufacture 20,000 pairs of pants a week? Australia has so much talent and skill in the sewing department but is totally lacking in the supply of material. Amanda tried to get around this by manufacturing her own printed material but of course it ended up being too expensive to be viable in a retail situation.

Where do you move your manufacturing to if quality is your number one desire? As it turns out there are two places, one being Fiji and the other Bali. Amanda was adamant, "If we are going to manufacture overseas then we have to live near the factory. I've built this business on pants that are the highest possible quality and that can't change, no matter where we make them!"

Jonathan did some searching and found that there are 12 Australian Designers living and working in Bali so Amanda and Jonathan flew over to Bali and met with a few of these Australian Designers. They were toured around a few factories that produce an amazing range of textiles and were both extremely impressed by not only the talent of the sewing but also the RANGE of materials. Unbelievable! At one point they were shown a foldout cardboard sample board of tee-shirt fabrics available, there was probably 50 different choices. Amanda was looking at it and asked, "So which ones can I use?" The lady looked at Amanda, a little confused as she processed the English and then smiled and said, "Why, all of them of course!" Amanda actually clapped her hands like a little girl in a toy store.

Their family leaves for Bali soon and a new range is due in March 2010. Get ready!!

Continue to watch this space for her new stock designed for all seasons.

Enjoy your Pants for Kids.