Steffanie Ball of En Gold
Welcome to our Inspiring Women in Australian Fashion and Art Series, and our conversation with the beautifully talented Founder of En Gold, Steffanie Ball.
En Gold is the fruit of a very organic and unplanned process. Whilst on maternity leave from her career in Interior Architecture and Design, Steffanie Ball created En Gold. It was over a couple glasses of wine, a leap of faith and some gentle encouragement from her husband, Matt, that the business had a name, identity and a full time commitment.
The roots of the brand began from reselling vintage furniture whist redecorating her own home. Through Steff’s innate desire to design, the En Gold brand was established and today focuses on creating pared back, nostalgic and effortless designs using high quality craftsmanship and materials.
Tell us about your creativity, drive and inspirations?
I definitely look at designs from the past and vintage pieces for inspiration. I have two vintage piles of Architectural Digest at home, to which my husband and I flick through with a glass of wine in hand. Vintage interiors and furnishings just have so much more character, something we don’t see much of in the current day.
I’m naturally an ambitious person and come from an entrepreneurial family and up bringing. Funnily enough, I didn’t want to own my own business because I would always see my family and peers struggle with the lows of an owned business and that worried me. However as the business grew, I discovered that i am a business owner at heart and that it is engrained in me.
Tell us about the women who have most influenced you in your life?
My mum and my Aunty Jean. I’m very lucky to have a lot of inspirational people in my family. My Mum is and always was a businesswoman. She taught me how to never give up, how to manage workload, a team and also how to have balance.
My Aunty Jean was a very famous photographer (Jean Ferro) - she started the women in photography foundation in the USA. She was a model in the 70’s and was photographed by Helmut Newton and many other famous photographers. She then started taking “selfies” and became this recognised photographer, and gained a reputation as a celebrity portrait photographer. She has photographed David Bowie, Ringo Star, Iggy Pop and more!
She was such a cool cat and knew every celeb in Los Angeles. I fondly remember going to Blues Fest with my Aunt Jean, and seeing Iggy Pop… my aunty waltzed over and it was as if they had known each other for years! Turns out they had, and they would often go to lunch together!
How do you empower other women in your life?
As mentioned, my mum and my Aunty are my biggest inspirations.
Next I would list (in no order of preference!) all the female artists that I support and stock on the En Gold website. I want to support and endorse creative women in a professional way that helps them to boost their own carers and platforms.
I want to raise my daughter, Daisy, to see that you can be a mum and own a business and juggle both and make it work. I want her to take inspiration from what Matt (my husband) and I are doing and want her to go after her goals and dreams.
You work with a collective of very talented women, what does this mean to you?
I am always inspired by the women around me. Every day, I count my lucky stars and I am so thankful for each and every one of them. We have an all female team in the En Gold studio, with each of them bringing a unique set of skills that another may not have. This is why I believe we all work so well together - we are always teaching each other new skills and bettering one another.
I have also always wanted my team to feel a sense of ownership of the business, that they are most definitely a big reason as to why the business has grown and that they are a key part of the business growth.
What are some Australian artists and designers that you adore personally?
Aside from the artists that are supported on En Gold site, Heidi Middleton and Sarah-Jane Clark who originally founded Sass & Bide have always been a big inspiration to me and I absolutely adore them personally and professionally.
I worked at the brand when I was studying, and I have always felt very connected to the brand and continue to follow what they are always doing in their lives and creatively.
I choose to wear and purchase Australian designers and artists as much as I can. I want to support local talent and continue to push Australia on the global stage.
2020 has been a year that no one could predict. What have you learned personally from your time in isolation?
It’s taught me to be HOME and PRESENT with my children.
I had a baby during this pandemic - and it was just SO different compared to my first birth. It was very isolating, however, we took it as a positive as a family and being TOGETHER and just RECONNECTING.
Having our own business and pre COVID-19, we were just busy rushing around and getting things done. Where as with isolation, we were able to be a bit slower in our day-to-day and a really special time for the four of us (my husband, two children and myself) to unplug and get to know each other as a family of four.
How do you see the industry evolving now?
I think people are focusing on their own four walls more and creating a comfortable and calming space within their home.
With all the craziness happening in the world, it’s really important to create a sanctuary in the home. I’ve definitely seen the trends where people are looking to recreate their spaces.
Thank you Steffanie for sharing your conversation with THE INSPIRED CO.