Sarah-Jane Clarke is a leading Australian designer and one of the founders of the internationally acclaimed women's clothing label, sass & bide.
Her journey from schoolgirl to international fashion designer was a seamless transition.
Attending St Aidan's during the late 1980s, Sarah-Jane admits that she was not a top student. However, she says that the positive environment gave her the strength of spirit and confidence to achieve her dreams.
After completing a Bachelor of Business at Queensland University of Technology, Sarah-Jane set off overseas with her best friend and business partner, Heidi Middleton, to start creating quirky, wearable fashion. Despite initial setbacks, the pair returned home to launch sass & bide, including their signature design of the two-inch zip stretch hipster jeans.
Sarah-Jane and Heidi never looked back. In early 2011, the fashion house sold a 65% stake in the company to Myer for $42.5 million.
Sarah-Jane said the lessons of life that she learned at St Aidan's served her well during the years of exponential growth within her company.
"The journey has never been better than I could ever imagine: riding the highs and appreciating the lows. It has been a very steep learning curve. It is honesty integrity and treating people with respect that makes one stand out from a crowd, and for that I can thank St Aidan's for teaching me the strong morals that I hold and succeed by today."
