A local fashion expert has built a Newcastle-based company that is helping to drive the fashion industry forward while addressing waste and the lack of sustainability and responsibility associated with it.
Visionise was created to put Newcastle on the map as a fashion forward city while encouraging sustainable and responsible business practices in India, Indonesia and China.
The business guides designers to build their brands through mentoring, training and assistance with production and design.
Founder, Linda Bergskas said the business grew out of her passion for ensuring nothing went to waste.
“I don’t like anything going to waste, whether it is a physical object or experiences, skills or talents; whatever it is,” Linda said.
“I went to The Business Centre and worked out a strategy for how I could bring my passions and skills together, and that became Visionise.”
“I know the fashion industry is highly responsible for a lot of waste and pollution, so I want to use my position to influence the brands as well as the end consumer. I want to influence the brands by choice of material (encouraging ethical, recycled material and organic material), biodegradable packaging and ethical and sustainable manufacturing processes.
“I also want to influence the end consumer by choice of what they purchase; to buy less but buy quality. Who is so rich they can afford to buy cheap really?
“I want to help business owners in the fashion industry to obtain the skills and strategies to improve and implement ethical and efficient business solutions to improve growth and sustainability.”
“The Business Centre helped me a lot with strategising my business to start with because it is a highly complex business model offering lots of services. Also (they) have sent me clients, which I am very grateful for.”
Linda said there is a lot of talent and vitality in the Newcastle and Hunter fashion industries.
“I have been positively surprised with the number of local clients I’ve had because, I guess, in the past anyone who wanted to break into the fashion industry expected that they had to go to Sydney or Melbourne or some major city,” Linda said.
“That now is really changing. I really want to put Newcastle on the map for fashion and it’s been really exciting to work with these local brands face-to-face and see them make a dramatic change in a very short amount of time. To see how they can realise their dream of their own successful fashion business, be their own boss and do it locally.”
“There is a lot happening in the local fashion industry so that is very exciting!”
IMAGE | Founder of Visionise, Linda Bergskas and Business Advisor at The Business Centre, Christina Gerakiteys
