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+ 61 3 9521 5570

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Savi Communications - News

20 YEARS OF SAVI

Interview with
MICHELLE SAVONA (Founder of Savi)

October 2021

Savi’s progress from a pioneering foray into property marketing 20 years ago to a fully-fledged branding and communications agency continues to surprise founder Michelle Savona, who has managed to ensure that the lessons that she has learned along the way are part of the culture at Savi, a culture that has kept staff and customers happy for 2 decades. Savona stumbled into what would become Savi after working in advertising sales at Channel 10 in the late nineties before leaving for what she thought would be her dream job with Michael Coppel in the music industry. She quickly realised that it wasn’t for her and, not having a job to go to, spent months hunting around including an ill-fated restaurant venture with her then partner. That’s when she got an out-of-the-blue call from an old Channel 10 client to do some media buying, a call that was followed by others and soon Savona was buying enough print, radio and TV media from her lounge room to pay the rent.

Savona learned a valuable lesson from those first few clients that is central to the Savi way of doing business – do what it takes to deliver. “Being a bit of a commitment-phobe, I’ve always been careful about what I take on but once I’ve said yes, I make sure I deliver. As the business has grown, I’ve gotten braver about what I say yes to, but the same rules apply, once we say yes, we’re going to deliver.” This sort of commitment, and the dexterity it takes to deliver, has been both fulfilling for staff and built customer loyalty. Savona explains, “It’s incredible to watch a new staff member tell another team member that something can’t be done, expecting that’s the end of it, but then hearing ‘nope, you’ve got to find a way to sort it’. Once our staff understand that we’re serious about delivering, that they’re empowered to get out of their comfort zone to take risks and that we’ve got their back, the sense of achievement they experience is like a drug.”

Savi has taken this idea of commitment further than most, seeking to keep to deadlines even when suppliers run late. “It’s so tempting to say that we can’t meet a deadline because a client’s supplier has run late, but we’ve really tried to live the idea that we need to deliver no matter what. It’s often a lot of pressure. Sometimes overwhelming. But in the end, I want it to be what we’re famous for because it’s fulfilling for us and it’s our selling point.”

Savona’s first exposure to property was in 2002 when she was introduced to a prestige Toorak real estate agency by friend Sally Irvine who was the agency’s Marketing Manager. Buying media for real estate agents is fast paced and time sensitive and gave Savona an even greater appreciation for the importance of meeting her clients’ deadlines. Buying media also exposed Savona to the agencies that produced the creative work for her clients, and whilst her connections meant she could get great short notice deals on media campaigns, getting the creative materials needed was a slow process that often missed deadlines. “Every time I rang the creative agency they would say “We need at least a week to turn around the work”, but Savona needed the ads in two or three days to make the most of the opportunities for her clients. Savona solved the problem by putting her own creative person on, which gave her the opportunity to fit the creative process to the client’s imperatives. Savona had just taken a step that she couldn’t see the full consequences of, but it was one that set a foundation for the success the business would enjoy – the ability to deliver great creative assets and meet business deadlines and it highlighted Savona’s ability to sit back objectively, see the impediments and then find solutions.

Soon after Savi was asked by Sally to do a re-brand for the agency at a critical time in real estate where The Age was moving from line drawings to photography to showcase houses for sale. Savona jumped on the re-branding opportunity and, given the high-profile client and properties, the results were clear and a great showcase for Savi. “The phone was ringing hot and within three months I had seven new clients, including off-the-plan developers looking for branding and marketing campaigns.”

In three months Savi went from having three staff to eight, all trying to keep up with the ever-increasing workload. As that workload increased Savona found that she was struggling to deliver the kind of service and results she wanted. The solution was to bring on an Account Director who could share management of the existing clients and who could help bring new ones on. “I’d worked with Sally on the rebrand and ongoing marketing, as well as with other clients and it was clear that Sally stood out for her knowledge and professionalism, but I was a bit nervous because of the existing client relationship and it was my first big hire. I took a deep breath and asked if she wanted to join us. I can’t really explain how amazing it is to me that 15 years later Sally and I are still together, she is bedrock, both for me and for Savi.”

This highlighted two qualities that Savona was learning, two qualities which have become an important part of Savi’s success. The ability to make quick judgements about opportunities and move quickly and the importance of getting the right people and giving them the free reign to get the job done.

In 2011 Savona realised that the business needed help to grow further, “By this time I knew we could win business, keep clients happy and attract great staff but the business needed more capable management than I knew how to give it if it was to grow, and the first person I thought of was Aine McGrath.” McGrath and Savona had met working at Channel 10. McGrath had spent the previous 10 years working across various industries in business strategy and management and holding C-Suite roles but was looking for a change. The pair were soon deep in discussions for McGrath to join the business as Strategy and Finance Director marking another turning point for the business.

In 2013, with a growing client base, Savona began to realise that a creative edge had to become Savi’s edge – both to stay ahead in the property space but also to expand to other industries such as food, fashion, health and education. “I could see that our customers were happy, but I could also see that many new competitors were coming to the space and whilst I was glad we were well known for property, I didn’t want us to be pigeonholed so I started thinking about how we become more creative” says Savona. As has become Savona’s MO and Savi’s culture the opportunity was quickly acted on.

Jonathan Wybrow and Marc Lyons joined the team as Creative Directors. Both had worked at sought-after creative agencies in Melbourne and London and both were outstanding creatives, but together they brought incredibly complementary skills to Savi and quickly the decision began working wonders allowing the team to pitch in ways that won more work and opened the way to new industries.

“Marc had done some freelancing for us, and he was so clearly a cut above, but he didn’t want to work for anyone fulltime, so we kept pestering him till he finally agreed but on the condition that we employed Jonathan as well. Our first instinct was that we didn’t need two Creative Directors, but we also appreciated his clarity and conviction, so we agreed. I often watch the two of them coming up with amazing work and get carried away thinking about how lucky we are to have them.”

These appointments were critical for Savona to feel like she now had fellow directors in place that shared her vision and passion for the business and together they went full steam ahead on building the business of today. Being a result-focussed business and leading with a creative edge has been the core challenge at Savi, one that Savona has understood and relished from the outset. “I’ve always thought of myself as results driven and have always wanted Savi to get better and better at that. We spend time understanding our clients’ objectives, whether that is leads or sales or getting a message out, and then tailor our creative assets and media strategy to those objectives and then look at the results to see how well it has worked.” Savona says that time she spent jobless after leaving Michael Coppel taught her about her own strengths and how traditional resumes and interviews weren’t getting those strengths across. “I went to so many interviews and kept thinking ‘I’ve got the right attitude, I’m honest, I don’t give up and I find a way to get results, but these interviews aren’t making that clear’. So when it came to building a team at Savi, I realised that if people had the right attitude they could learn the skills, so I started interviewing in a way that looked for that attitude. Sure I’ve had some misses, but overall we’ve had amazing success.”

This sort of team building has been central to delivering on the commitment to clients that we have been so fanatical about. Savona says. “I can rabbit on as much as I like about looking after our customers but without the right team who care and who have the right attitude and who are always open to pushing the boundaries and continuously learning, we can’t get that result.”

“We work with such amazing people, a team of passionate individuals who care about each other, about our work and about our customers.” “We wouldn’t be a business; let alone the kind of business we are without this team.” By the end of this interview, it’s becoming clear that Savona doesn’t need to be the smartest person in the room, she’s very comfortable finding great people and letting them shine.

She explains, “Without these people, I’d be sitting here on my own with some great ideas about looking after clients and how stuff should be done, but these people are the reason I’m here having a conversation with you right now.” The way that Savi has approached the Covid pandemic has been a testament to the team building they have been so dedicated to. We were clear that the team needed to dig in and help their clients do what was needed to navigate this extraordinary time. “Covid has been a difficult time, but it was clear that we needed to step up, so we called our clients and said, ‘what do you need?’. Some wanted to use the down time to re-brand and some needed help moving stock, so we all got together and worked out what we could do and just got on with it.”

“Covid has really made it clear to us that the focus on the team and the relationship with our clients is our greatest asset, an asset that’s allowed us to hold it together, in some ways, set the scene for us to build a stronger business that can do better for our clients and that can give our team more opportunities.”

When asked what Savona was thinking in July when Savi’s 20th birthday rolled around? She flashed that big smile and said straight out “I can’t wait to do it all for another 20 years.”

You Matter turning emergency housing into hopeful Havens

Interview with
MAXINE GROSS
(Co-Founder of You Matter)

November 2021

Since 2019, Maxine Gross and Rochelle Anderson have been working to provide warm and welcoming living spaces for families escaping family violence in Victoria through their co-founded charity, You Matter.

You Matter takes donated house furnishings, from decorative items to white goods, and fully fit-out homes for women and their families who have experience family violence.

Rather than being faced with the daunting prospect of having to completely furnish an empty home, You Matter ensures survivors enter a beautifully and thoughtfully fitted out ‘Haven’, giving them the best possible space to carry on with their lives.

What started as supporting one woman’s relocation, reaching out through their own networks of friends and family, You Matter has grown to provide support around Melbourne to several families per month.

“Our pilot client came in March 2019 and after that we realised the need was great and we had to do something,” said Maxine Gross, Co-Founder of You Matter.

“So that’s when we put our heads together and planned how we could help at least one family a month.”

“It took us less than six months to get set up, working with Savi, thinking about what we’d call this organisation and what it was all about, and that’s providing a fully functioning home for women and families so they can begin to rebuild their lives without those material needs and impediments stopping them.”

The charity relies on donations from the community to ensure the survivors long-term housing is fully furnished for those who have been forced into fleeing their own homes.

The women and families You Matter assist are in the midst of one of the most traumatic experiences of their lives, Maxine says they exist to ease a little pressure and hopefully provide comfort during that time.

“Both Rochelle and I have known of people experiencing domestic and family violence, Rochelle has grown up with her family helping out at women’s refuges and with women in need.”

“So I think the idea has always been there, that this was something that needed help, what we’re doing now was not provided in Victoria.”

“We don’t deal in the property for survivors directly, and we’re very aware it’s hard enough to secure property and once you do that, to actually fill the property with furnishings was something that was really needed.”

While You Matter volunteers only share a fleeting moment with the survivors entering one of their Havens, or don’t meet them at all, the impact is incredibly powerful for both parties.

On top of the emotional stress, financial strain and maintaining work and schooling, thinking about purchasing furniture, linen, cutlery and appliances is often at the bottom of the list of priorities.

You Matter steps in to supply all of the necessities required for a functioning family home, taking away the added pressures of organising removalists or needing to take items from their former living spaces, and then builds on the space with decorative items to turn the homes into Havens.

Giving survivors a space which feels warm and welcoming to begin again.

“The only contact we have with the survivor is when they hand the keys to us, they go off for a few hours and we fully fit out their home, and then the Haven Coordinator, the main volunteer on the day, they give the key back at the end and present to them their beautiful haven for recovery,” added Maxine.

“We really take into account each individual circumstance when setting it up. We work with family violence agencies, they fill out a referral form on behalf of their clients, the survivors, and we get a lot of details, everything from their favourite colours to the ages and gender of their children, just to try and get a feel so we can pick from all these lovely decorator items that people donate and we’ll match colours as well as cultural needs.

“And it’s like one of those reveals you see on TV and I’m always in tears, the women just can’t believe it, every room they walk in to they can’t believe the level of detailing and care this group of volunteers have gone to make them feel worthy and dignified and empowered to go on and do what they need to do.

“It gives them strength to move forward, especially if they have kids, it makes an enormous difference.”

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Going one step further for survivors of family violence, all items You Matter give for each haven is for the families to keep forever.

“Everything we fit out is one hundred percent theirs to keep, we want the survivors to know that all of this is for them, they deserve it and they’ve earned it. It’s part of restoring a little of their dignity and pride in themselves.”

“If they move on and are in a position to donate it back to us, that’s all well and good but we are extremely happy if they choose to take all of the furnishings with them.”

Now in their second year, You Matter have furnished over 76 havens and appointed their inaugural Chief Executive Officer, Marlene Fox in October, signifying the charity’s exciting next stage of growth.

“We were one hundred percent volunteer led and driven until a few months ago when we hired in an Operations Manager, Patricia Saca, part-time, then at the start of October, Marlene as CEO, they’re both incredibly experienced and passionate,” Maxine said of their recent appointments.

“It’s very hard to sustain that entirely volunteer driven organisation at that level and we’ll remain reliant on our volunteers but it’s great to have the leadership and skills of these two women in place.”

Marlene brings a wealth of experience working with volunteers, who are the lifeblood of You Matter and integral in the charity’s success along with donations and corporate support.

Her appointment comes at a crucial time for You Matter who now have the infrastructure in place to take their initiative to the next level.

“Currently we help around two women per week, and our plans are this year to fit out 60 havens, the next financial year is to fit out 120 havens and the year after, 250.

“So that’s why it’s been important to get our organisational structures in place.

“We didn’t want to run before we could walk and spread the word too quickly because we never want to say no to a survivor in need, but now we work throughout the whole of Melbourne and work consistently with around twelve or more family violence agencies.”

You Matter’s gathering momentum coincides with the Australian Federal Government’s commitment to addressing family violence with a massive $1.1 billion package, however Maxine says while their organisation isn’t directly eligible, they will certainly be working closely with other groups to ensure any funds accessible to the survivors are well spent.

“A lot of people aren’t aware that material needs organisations supporting the needs of family violence survivors aren’t seen by the government as a family violence agency as such,” added Maxine.

“But those family violence organisations we work with are eligible for those payments, and they can work with us using that extra funding. By the time a survivor gets to us, the funding they do receive can often dry up through court fees, transitional housing, school fees and a lot of other things.

“So we work with the organisations like Berry Street to try and allocate some of those funds so it’s spread a little further.”

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With You Matter not being eligible for the government’s initiative, they are still reliant on the donation of good, time and funds, in May 2020 they secured Deductable Gift Recipient (DGR – item 1) status to receive direct donations.

As the charity grows, You Matter still has capacity for volunteers to join in a number of roles.

“There’s lots of ways for people and businesses to get involved, you can donate directly through our website, sign up as a volunteer, we have so many roles available there from administration, to fundraising, to helping with the havens.”

“Also by just donating things from decorator items to furniture and white goods, businesses can also get involved through workplace volunteer days, and goods partnerships.”

“We have a number of fantastic goods partnerships with hotels, where every time they re-furnish they’ll offer up their furniture, others donate returned goods like our relationship with Koala and other organisations like that, so that’s always well received.”

“It is wonderful that all of this furniture isn’t going to landfill and it also allows us to be picky in what we choose. Because it’s important for these people to have things that are well made, and look beautiful, just as it is for everyone’s home.”

If you would like to volunteer with You Matter, please email volunteer@youmatter.org.au for further details.

Reach out via donategoods@youmatter.org.au if you have items to donate, with details of the furniture or goods, measurements, photos, condition. You Matter will liaise directly as to when they can collect and how.

You Matter also encourage workplaces to get involved in fundraising during May, Domestic and Family Violence Prevention Month, by hosting an event registered through youmatter.org.au.

Corporate Goods Donors - If you sell furniture, decorator items, kitchen, bathroom or laundry goods and have items to donate – excess stock or returns – please consider contacting You Matter to help those in need.

If you cannot donate goods then please consider donating funds to help create another haven filled with hope.  youmatter.raisely.com.

You Matter (Aus) Ltd is a registered charity with Deductible Gift Recipient (DGR1 – item 1) status.

BUILDING LASTING COMMUNITIES

Interview with
SARAH BLOOM
(General Manager Development Victoria at FRASERS PROPERTY).

September 2021

Burwood Brickworks represents the future of what residential developments can offer: communities with sustainability and livability at their heart. It’s so unique that Frasers Property has put its heart and soul into not just this project’s homes and the immediate neighbourhood, but what it will leave for future generations.

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To thrive, a community requires more than residences and common spaces. It must foster something lasting and be a place where people can visualise putting down roots. As Sarah Bloom, general manager of development at Frasers Property Australia, puts it: “Creating a place is about more than the bricks and mortar – it’s about creating something that’s truly special and unique; a legacy for the business.”

Bloom has been at Frasers, a leading Australian diversified property group, for 20 years. After starting in acquisitions and moving into development she took a role as state manager in Victoria for the housing side of the business. She’s also worked in apartments and after taking time off to have a family, five years ago became general manager of residential. She oversees the Victorian residential business, which includes retail. In that time she has seen Frasers build developments that prioritise a sense of community, but nothing as sustainable, from an environmental and community-building perspective, as Burwood Brickworks, a six-star Green-Star community.

“This project mirrors the evolution of our business,” says Bloom.“We’ve become a lot more focused over time on building communities and looking at what makes a good community – how does it service the needs of our customers. And part of that is providing sustainable communities, not only in the sense of environmental initiatives but in terms of people having a sense of belonging and ensuring you’re building a place where the community can live well.” That’s where the six-star Green Star rating comes in. It’s Australia’s largest voluntary and holistic sustainability rating system for buildings, fitouts and communities. It takes into account the cultural richness of a community, healthy and active lifestyles, resilience to climate change, skills development, capacity for community-building, a reduced ecological footprint, practices that promote sustainability, investment in education, and much more.

“I’m really proud that I work with a group of people that are delivering something that is unique and that will be a legacy and branding opportunity for our business,” says Bloom. “I see this as a platform for our business that will show what we are capable of. A calling card for what we will do more of in the future.”

Burwood Brickworks is rare. It’s on a 20-hectare infill parcel of land close to the already-established suburb of Burwood, with all its transport, retail and vibrancy. “Often what’s available are smaller sites that lead to smaller developments that don’t have the scale to facilitate a mixed-use development that can create a community,” says Bloom. But Brickworks isn’t just making the most of what surrounds it, it’s adding value to the existing community. “We’re putting heart and soul into Burwood and the Brickworks residents are going to have access to the shopping centre on their doorsteps, to two-and-a-half hectares of parkland, to community facilities, and community room in the shopping centre. Places where people can come together and form bonds and community. It’s really a place where people get a sense of belonging and all their everyday needs are serviced.”

There is two-and-a-half hectares of green space split into different areas and uses. The central parkland area is one hectare with interlinking spaces for walking and bike access that lead to the urban plaza, which is adjacent to a world-leading shopping centre. “That plaza will provide an area for different uses as the residential and the retail blend in,” says Bloom. “As time goes on that space will be more activated for recreation and people coming together.”

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Bloom refers to the “shopping centre”, but it is more than that. Frasers aims to meet the Living Building Challenge that will make this shopping centre – which is 13,000 square metres – the first of its kind in the world. “The Living Building Challenge is in another league completely,” says Bloom. “And it’s a big investment for the company.” The shopping centre was completed in 2019, but when it meets the Living Building Challenge requirements it will be the most sustainable shopping centre in the world.

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The rooftop farm and restaurant that’s part of it exemplifies Frasers’s approach. Acre Farm & Eatery represents the best of the paddock-to-plate dining movement. This urban agricultural project is surrounded by gardens and a glasshouse, and the restaurant’s and cafe’s dining space is right alongside the source of the food it will serve. It also offers space for events, workshops and education. “That’s a real drawcard not only for people to come to the farm and then go to the restaurant, but education for school kids, because this project showcases sustainability in a retail context,” says Bloom. “My kids came home from school one day and said they were talking about Burwood Brickworks in a sustainability subject – about how this project is providing a high level sustainability target.”

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Brickworks will have 700 residences across houses, apartments, townhouses and detached homes; architecturally designed homes that offer convenient family living. “We’ve even had a number of families buy, and then buy apartments for their kids because it’s a real opportunity to buy in proximity to their family. That isn’t always easy to orchestrate in an established residential area. Those elements speak to the establishment of community and place,” says Bloom.

Bloom says that even in a Covid environment sales have been strong. “We have sold all bar our last stage of 20 homes. The last release we had was in November 2020. On the first day there were 34 homes and we sold 27 of those on the first day to our loyalty program buyers, and then the balance shortly after. And we’ve sold 250 apartments.”

The final two stages were released in November in a post lockdown world and 79 of those 90 apartments were sold. “That’s unprecedented for apartments in what is otherwise a pretty flat Melbourne market, especially when you add the layer of covid,” says Bloom. “That is testimony to the fact that when you have a unique proposition with a fully integrated community and an amenity-rich environment that’s unique in the context of what’s available on the market it sells in even precarious market conditions. The success speaks to the value proposition.” So, Brickworks is shaping up to be Frasers’s legacy; a watershed for what property developments can offer, and a place for generations of families to stay. “Forming community is a really big part of the success of a development. And the success of a place to live. Being happy in your home is about more than the bricks and mortar that your house is.”

WORDS by Miriam Kauppi

The Real Deal

Interview with
CHRISTIAN ENNOR & CHRIS PAUL,
(REAL DEAL BOXING CLUB).

August 2021

“Everyone here wants to be part of something unique, inclusive, friendly and fun. That’s the cornerstone of the concept for the Real Deal boxing club”

In famous boxing gyms around the world there are tributes to the prize fighters they have produced: murals, framed photos, members telling and retelling their stories, reminiscing about their greatest moments in the ring. Those fighters are forever connected to the gyms that brought them up. From New York to LA, from Manchester to Leeds, Sheffield and Dublin, boxing gyms take pride in the athletes they have produced, and the athletes take pride in their roots. Those legacies motivate and inspire the gym’s other members and the generations that come after them. The founders of Real Deal Boxing in Moorabbin, Christian Ennor and Chris Paul, understand this. It’s why their gym is inclusive, welcoming and focuses on wellbeing. It’s a sporting and fitness home where boxers of all abilities comfortably mix with professional fighters. In fact, Ennor and Paul don’t call it a boxing gym at all – it’s a club. At Real Deal comradery is built when the amateurs and the pros mix – kids and adults learning the craft of boxing can watch the professionals in the ring, appreciate the fitness and technique involved in the sport, and get motivated be the best they can be. “We wanted to start a passionate and inclusive gym in Melbourne, because we hadn’t seen great examples of that,” says Paul. There were gyms that catered to fighters, but when they opened up to corporates and kids they ended up being intimidating environments that were really male-fighter heavy.” But Paul and Ennor’s shared vision for Real Deal, and their mutual passion for boxing, belies the unlikeliness of their friendship and partnership; they came to boxing via very different routes. “I was a knockabout kid, always in a bit of trouble,” says Ennor. He started with kung fu and karate at around age 10, and was running classes for kids by the time he was 16. He was also into the harder, tougher sport of kickboxing, and at 19 won an Australian martial arts title while working at a gym as a personal trainer. He’s been doing that for 27 years. “I’ve trained champions in MMA boxing and kickboxing, all while training the general public,” says Ennor.

Paul did some martial arts as a kid but didn’t get serious about boxing until nine years ago, when he started training. His professional life started with stockbroking, then he moved into his family’s property development business. A chance meeting at the Brighton Sea Baths led to Paul getting to know well-known Australian boxing personality Sam Solomon, who introduced him to Ennor. Solomon and Ennor have been friends since childhood and had traversed the boxing scene together. “Christian was widely known as one of the best trainers in Australia,” says Paul.Ennor started training Paul, and when he encountered some difficulties getting his dream of opening his own gym off the ground, he turned to Paul. “Chris said write up a business plan and we’ll see how we go.” That was 2017. And Real Deal opened its doors for the first time in March 2020.

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But traditionally, boxing clubs can be intimidating spaces. “People think everyone there will be hard or tough,” says Ennor. “But our coaches are respectful, professional, welcoming, approachable, friendly.” And so are the professionals that use the gym for training. The gym runs classes that are women-only, and for kids as young as six. It also does personal training. There is no sparring (except for the pros, or by request), and the club’s focus is on fitness, wellbeing and technique. “In my classes I really try to focus on having fun, learning something, getting a great workout and leaving in a better mood,” says Ennor. “Christian can communicate with male and female boxers, corporate clients and people who are just getting started, right down to kids whose parents have dragged them in or who have discipline problems,” says Paul. “I saw Christian’s passion to have his own business that catered to all those groups, to roll out his vision and how he saw boxing.” The pair says they get a lot of calls from parents worried about their kids: too much Xbox, bullying, confidence issues, behavioural problems. “And then I’ll see this 12-year-old kid, coming in with their eyes down, won’t look at you. Within an hour I’ve got them giving me a bit of cheek and having fun. That’s the best part for me,” says Ennor. And it’s not all about punching stuff. “They’re often doing fun teamrelated activities. I teach kids a lot of hand-eye coordination drills and stepping skills.” Setting up a strong foundation based on proper technique is something Ennor and Paul have agreed about from the start. “We want to be known as one of the most skillful boxing gyms in Melbourne,” says Paul. “The whole club feel – that’s what I love,” says Ennor. Bringing people together. Helping the kids, helping the real fighters achieve their goals.” Perhaps the best way to sum up why both men have dedicated so much of their lives to boxing is the story of a 14-year-old Ennor began training eight years ago. “He was getting bullied. Then he won an amateur fight, and I kept holding him back because I promised his parents I wouldn’t let him fight. And eventually they said it was okay and he won the Golden Gloves Championships. He’s now 22, doing a law commerce degree, and he’s an undefeated professional boxer. And he’s from Brighton.”

Written by Miriam Kauppi

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The past present and future

In conversation with TOM DIXON
(self taught British Designer and Creative Director)

July 2021

Tom Dixon is the reason you buy copper-toned homewares, because he made them popular when he used the unlikely metal for light fittings, martini glasses and coffee plungers. His singular and design-defining works have spawned copies in living rooms around the world: think of his S chair (originally designed when he worked for Italian designer Cappellini), considered so iconic that it’s housed in the permanent collection of MoMa in New York. Yet Dixon himself is so modest that he flinches when one podcaster calls his office a “global brand headquarters,” saying “If there’s one thing I don’t like, it’s overstating something.” He seems to not even be sure if the title ‘designer’ is the accurate description for what he does, even though he’s one of the few people in his position with a name that’s well known. “I started making things, and at one point people called me a designer,” he once said, simply.

That they did, and for good reason: these days, his design brand is sold in 90 countries and has hubs in cities that pride themselves on the aesthetic, including Milan, New York and Tokyo. Although many businesses closed shop in 2020, new Tom Dixon hubs opened in Beijing and Shanghai, while his marketing campaigns continued – 24 Hours in Paris coincided with the brand’s two new accessories collections (Swirl and Press) launched in the City of Lights in January, while 24 Hours in Copenhagen launched four (Puck, Mill, Fog and Swirl candles) in September. Not even a global pandemic could slow this man down: instead of lapsing into a Covid-induced inertia, he found joy in pondering greenhouses.

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LEFT Swirl Dumbbell candle holder and vase RIGHT Puck Collection.

“The first three months when we were in proper lockdown in the UK, I spent the majority of time in an orchid greenhouse on the South Coast. That was interesting, because it was my first time in an agricultural environment rather than in a design one,” he says. “That in itself was fascinating to me; it wasn’t about design, but about watching things grow and nurturing things in a completely different way. As someone who’s always been a city dweller, the luxury of space in the countryside was actually a revelation in itself – to spend three months solid with that amount of light and space and air. It brought up lots of potential avenues and the perspective of looking at things through a different lens….it was a large amount of unscheduled time to look at things afresh.”

That, in turn, gave Dixon a full circle moment. “Obviously [the pandemic] has been an absolute abject disaster for so many people and specifically for business – we’ve got two restaurants and that’s been miserable, that stopped dead. But the amount of time you [normally] spend rushing around the world, then liberates a load of time which allows you to do things that you weren’t expecting to. A lot of people have found more within themselves, and others have been confronted with stuff they don’t like. People have been very lonely. For me, I liked the solitude because when I started, many years ago, I was making things very much on my own, for my own pleasure. That’s what I found again - the ability to do that and not be surrounded by half a dozen assistants and finance people and all the rest of it…I mean, it’s just doing things with your hands again. It’s what a lot of people have lost – through computers and supply chains and cheap food and all the rest of it. But this year, you’ve seen this explosion of people making things themselves again, whether it’s bread or something else. And that’s been very healthy for a lot of them. For me, that was probably the reason that I started designing, which I had forgotten – just the pure pleasure of making something with no plan and no brief – and no customer as well!”

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Tom Dixon at Coal Office

It’s also been a reminder of his humbler beginnings. Born in Tunisia, Dixon spent his early years in Morocco and Egypt before his parents moved to England when he was four and a half. “We were moving around quite a lot; I struggle to remember much, apart from a locust storm, a camel and the desert. Anybody that’s moved around a lot as a kid often has a different kind of mentality from people who’ve stayed in one place, and just going from the tropics to grim and cold UK would have been a bit of a culture and climate shock. I can’t say I remember anything, apart from the temperature.”

After high school, Dixon began studying art, but a motorcycle crash cut that path short; he dropped out and never returned. “I really didn’t enjoy going to art school,” he says. “I just wanted to get out of there.” He originally landed on a vastly different road: performing as bass guitarist in disco band Funkapolitan, which looked set to hit the big time when a deal was signed and The Clash asked them to open for them in New York. But the deal fell through and The Clash gig only resulted in bottles being thrown by the punk audience at the band. With that, and a second motorcycle accident, his strumming arm was laid to rest. This turn of events might have felled someone else, but Dixon remains philosophical. “You know, sometimes you’re forced into a situation that you weren’t anticipating, and then you have to adapt. I think what seems to be disastrous at the time ends up being formative. That’s a good lesson in life, particularly right now with everything changing around us.”

But back then, he was left with only his work in the nightclub business – and certain skills, such as knowing how to weld. Soon he started creating objects for people – not only because they paid him, but because it was what he liked to do. It was a far cry from the structured approach of art school “where you’re criticised by your peers, you’re being told what to do and what not to be by your professors and you’ve got specific periods you have to be creative within,” he says. “What I did [instead] was pure pleasure, leading to a business. I was making things for fun, really.” But his maverick approach to welded salvage furniture led to working for Cappellini and by the late 90s, he had landed a job at Habitat as Creative Director.

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Beat Led Fat Pendant Black

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Beat Fat, Flat and Tall Pendants with Fat Dining Chair and Flash Table Circle.

It was a position viewed with some snobbery from the upper echelons of the design community; for Dixon, it was a fast-track course in every element of design. “The way I really learned about commerce and communication was with Habitat, which was middle market retail. It taught me about different angles; it was almost my university, because you really learn on the job, like an apprentice…People can be quite snubby about High Street, but for me the job was about encountering dozens of different countries with craftsmen and factories that I otherwise wouldn’t have had the chance to get involved in and typologies that I would never have been asked to do, like clothes and textiles. The breadth of the experience was so fascinating – understanding how things are made and where they come from, but also who buys them.”

Not long before he launched his eponymous brand in 2002 – which has its headquarters in London, the Coal Office - he was awarded an OBE by the Queen for his services to British design and has become one of the industry’s most feted British designers. With residential apartment development Rondure House, he brought his talents to Australia, acting as creative director of the Kew building. “I like things to be site specific, so I didn’t want to do something like a British spaceship landing in Melbourne,” Dixon says of the brutalist apartments. “It’s always great to work with Australians because they’ve got a heightened enthusiasm for design. They’re hungry for the outside and it’s a place that’s still so fresh thinking; sometimes the British are burdened by history.”

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Residence at Rondure House. Designed by Tom Dixon Design Research Studio and Cera Stribley architecture and interior design.

With an enviable career so far – and a desire to keep trying new things, Dixon remains self-effacing about his success. “It’s a cliché, but you need luck, don’t you? I’ve been super lucky.” He won’t even attribute his longevity to hard work, although he clearly works hard. “I’m super idle, but the beauty of design is you can be idle and think of ideas. The best ideas don’t come from really concentrating and stressing out – they come from unexpected thoughts or encounters. The beauty of the design world is that it’s so vague and fluffy but the reality is that it’s just about thinking of better ways of doing something. I try not to sweat the design thing so much. It’s not like I’m sitting down and desperately sketching every day. The business is really about spotting things and working on things. I guess I do work a lot, but not in conventional ways.” For example? “The Beat light came about because I had been teaching at the Royal College, and I was lazy. The British Council (correct) had asked me to go to India to work with street craftsmen, and I thought, I can’t do this! Instead, I sent my students to India, and they came back with some really, really bad things but they’d done proper research into metro worker techniques (the underlying proportions and techniques of traditional brass work used to create water vessels and cooking pots), and the people who make water pots.” Soon, the brass water pot was re-envisioned as a lamp.

But despite an illustrious past, Dixon doesn’t like to hover there. It’s difficult to think about what you would revisit if you had hindsight, and although it would be great to re-live some of them with more knowledge, honestly I’m more interested in what I can do next. I’d be happy to go back sometimes, but it’s more interesting to go forward.” Any regrets? “Oh my god, I’ve got a lot of regret, but I don’t want to dwell on them!”

Written by Rachelle Unreich

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Press Collection.

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Opal bar and lounge at Rondure House. Designed by Tom Dixon Design Research Studio and Cera Stribley architecture and interior design.