Born and raised in Aotearoa New Zealand, Hardy studied fashion design at Otago University and has a background spanning fashion, accessories, lingerie and jewellery. She has designed accessories for a large Australian fashion brand and currently works in fine jewellery in Melbourne. Absorbing invaluable skills across a range of disciplines, her design process mixes old-school with hi-tech.
“I begin with pencil sketches and also pull together physical references for colours and textures,” she explains. “So I might get an idea from, say, an old leather purse or a silk scarf that I have. Then I cut out the sketches, map them out on my table and start editing back, keeping in enough variety and interest while ensuring it works cohesively as a collection.”
