We had the good fortune of connecting with Alana Becker and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Alana, what’s one piece of conventional advice that you disagree with?
“Don’t do business with your emotions” I create my work with heart & soul, every creative does – if you take the emotion out of creative business you take out the passion & the story. Excitement is contagious, I really don’t think I could run by brand without it! The deeper the emotions, the more organically they come through to my customers. I understand not making decisions based on “discontinuing this unpopular piece will make me sad” however, “bringing in this new colour because it makes me happy” leads to easier marketing, I don’t have to fake any of the feelings that lead customers to fall in love with that product

What should our readers know about your business?
Desvalido is my handmade lingerie/lounge/sleepwear brand, with a heavy focus on retro inspired cuts that you simply don’t see in stores. We have a pretty good size range (US sizes 2-20/Aus 6-24) along with our custom size options that mean we can cater to anyone of any gender. I’m really proud of how inclusive our pieces can be, & our classic French knickers were the first thing I ever wore that made me feel amazing about my body! I feel like we’re onto something important & exciting. It’s not just underwear I started the brand in November 2013, a week out of fashion school. I was the perfect amount of naive 20 year old to assume I’d be successful, without overthinking things. You need relentless optimism & when things are rough, you need to assume it’ll improve without freezing up! You can’t do anything if you’re frozen with fear. Some parts were easy but growth was hard. We always hear these stories about people starting their businesses in their garage, & look at them now; they’re multi million dollar companies! I couldn’t find anything out about what goes on in the middle. In 2020 I moved Desvalido out of the house to my first studio & asked the real estate agent so many seemingly obvious questions. You can either pretend to knew everything or admit you don’t & learn along the way. Be honest about where you’re at & generally people will help rather than take advantage of you

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
We’re based in Newcastle New South Wales, in sunny Australia – beautiful beaches & picture perfect wineries just an hour inland! I have 3 favourite spots to eat: Mayfield West Charcoal Chicken for a snack pack (that’s chips, chicken, cheese, onion, with sauce on top – I pick BBQ, garlic, & sour cream but the options are endless), Antojitos for Mexican – they make their tortillas in-house & it shows! Third would be Rascal Burger, for some topped tots & fried chicken. We’re on holiday, no need to be healthy! We’d HAVE to check out Babylon, 2 levels of beautiful vintage decor & cocktails to die for. Then it’s off to the Hunter Valley… The Hunter Distillery for vodka tasting, & Moorebank Vineyard to pet the goats & sip their wine of course Then it’s back to the beach to spot some dolphins or giant coal ships! I haven’t seen a whale yet but I’m sure I will Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
I’d love to shoutout Abbie Carragher, my business bestie from Roamer Creative Media! A year ago we were dreaming about the future, hoping one day my business would hire her business, run off into the sunset together. In January 2021 we made it official!

Website: www.Desvalido.com.au

Instagram: @DesvalidoAU

Facebook: www.facebook.com/desvalidoau

Other: TikTok @DesvalidoAU

Image Credits
Images thanks to Wolfe St

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