Sarah-Jane Clarke & Heidi Middleton

Co-founders and co-directors, sass & bide Veuve Clicquot Business Woman Award Winners 2010

sass & bide is one of Australia’s most loved fashion brands, recognised globally for modern, distinct designs. sass & bide is the namesake label of Sarah-Jane Clarke (sass) and Heidi Middleton (bide). This duo broke the rules, followed their hearts and today enjoy global success. A former accountant and advertising art director, they are an anomaly in an industry where fashion college or working as a design assistant is a rite of passage. The brand was born in 1999 at a stall at London’s Portobello markets selling customised pieces and grew through invitations to show at Australian, London and New York Fashion Weeks over the brand’s history. Sarah-Jane and Heidi have also shown support for causes such as Barnardos and Fashion Targets Breast Cancer – they are ambassadors for both these causes.

The sense of free-spirited confidence and contradiction that defines their personal sense of style provided the inspiration for the initial denim collection & the incredibly successful ‘east village’ jean in 1999. Within two years the collection expanded into seasonal ready to wear and evolved from underground phenomena in Australia, to the runways of New York & London Fashion Weeks gaining international recognition. This year celebrates eleven successful years and the opening of their first international boutique in Ponsonby, Auckland (NZ).

If you had to list three attributes that you believe you need to succeed in business, what would they be?

Kindness, respect, dedication.

Madame Clicquot was an innovator and an entrepreneur – looking at the last century can you name a woman who you really admire?

Tracey Emin. She’s strong, influential and confronts tough subjects. She has achieved success at an international level being the second woman to have a solo exhibition at the Venice Biennale.

What is your greatest extravagance?

Precious time to spend with our young families.

Veuve Clicquot is about style, touch, twist – what twist do you bring to your work?

We like to weave the unexpected into everything we do.

Madame Clicquot said ‘Only one quality the finest.’ What is your motto?

“Kindness is more important than wisdom, and the recognition of this is the beginning of wisdom”.