Sarah-Jane Clarke

Sarah-Jane Clarke
AM
Sarah-Jane Clarke and husband Daniel Baffski in 2011
NationalityAustralian
OccupationFashion designer
Years active1999–present
SpouseDaniel Baffski
Children3
Websitesarahjaneclarke.com

Sarah-Jane Clarke AM is an Australian designer and one of the founders of Sass & Bide. She went to St Aidan's Anglican Girls School, Brisbane in 1992 and then continued her study at Queensland University of Technology to be an accountant.[1] In 2010, Clarke was awarded Australian winners of the Veuve Clicquot Business Woman Award.

Clarke and Heidi Middleton started their fashion business with a stall of their own designs at 1999 London's Portobello Road Market. Later that year, both of them returned to Sydney and launched their label Sass & Bide which on 2008 was sold across in 30 countries.[2] At the initial phase of their business, Clark and Middleton borrowed $70,000 to start their label in Double Bay. Clarke was mainly in charge of finances and marketing, while Middleton was working on the design. Prior to ready-to-wear product, they mainly produced jeans and denim as their first collection for Sass & Bide.[3]

In 2014, Clarke left Sass & Bide after the company was being sold to one of the biggest Australian retailers, Myer.[4] After four years of hiatus from fashion world, Clarke came back to establish her new label, Sarah-Jane Clarke, in 2018. This new label was dedicated for luxurious travel collection and produced in Australia, with some contribution from artisans around the world.[5][6]

Clarke was made a Member of the Order of Australia (AM) in the 2019 Queen's Birthday Honours in recognition of her significant service to the fashion industry, and to charitable organisations.[7]

She married an architect, Daniel Baffsky, and has three children.[8]

  1. ^ Cooper, Michelle (21 October 2010). "Sass & Bide". British Vogue. Retrieved 9 March 2019.
  2. ^ H, Camille (27 February 2008). "The fashion duo from sass & bide: Sarah-Jane Clarke and Heidi Middleton". Dynamic Business. Retrieved 9 March 2019.
  3. ^ "Perfect fit". The Courier-Mail. 20 April 2007. Retrieved 9 March 2019.
  4. ^ Clarke, Jenna (4 July 2014). "Heidi Middleton and Sarah-Jane Clarke quit the sass & bide empire". Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 9 March 2019.
  5. ^ Kirsty, Sier. "Sass & Bide Co-Founder Returns With a Luxury Travel Label". Broadsheet. Retrieved 9 March 2019.
  6. ^ Birrell, Alice (20 October 2018). "Sarah-Jane Clarke returns: see an exclusive first look at her eponymous label". Vogue Australia. Retrieved 9 March 2019.
  7. ^ "Sarah-Jane Clarke". honours.pmc.gov.au. Retrieved 10 June 2019.
  8. ^ Prue, Lewington (23 July 2011). "Sass & bide duo's winning flair". www.dailytelegraph.com.au. Daily Telegraph. Retrieved 9 March 2019.