NAME Tess Groom
AKA Gregory Peterson’s Other Half
YEARS AROUND THE SUN 27
FROM Coffs Harbour, Australia
LIVE Glasgow, Scotland
ALL ABOUT BEING Passionate – Creative – Positive – Adventurous – Chilled
JACK OF WHAT TRADE Fashion Illustrator, previously I worked for a Fashion Supply company in Sydney as an Assistant Product Developer
GIVE US THE LOW DOWN My very first role in the crazy world of fashion was working in retail while I completed my Advanced Diploma of Fashion Design & Tech. I worked for an Australian Fashion Designer the Glamourous, Alannah Hill, and loved her style. From there I worked as a Wholesale Brand Rep for Australian fashion labels in both Brisbane and Sydney. I learnt a lot of sales techniques in these positions and was ready for more! I then landed a position at the Apparel Group in Sydney, Australia and fell in love with what I did. I loved sketching cads, sourcing fabrics in China, trend forecasting, weekly fit sessions with our customers, the list goes on and on. This was definitely my favourite role in the Australian Fashion Industry, I loved getting up and going to work, every day was different, there was a lot of problem-solving involved and I really enjoyed that side of it too.
FILL US IN ON FASHION ILLUSTRATION Working retail at Alannah Hill, fed my creative side, by pushing me to mix and match colours, prints,
NO TIME LIKE THE PRESENT It was actually when one of my close friends visited me just after I moved to Glasgow. I had stopped sketching in Sydney, I was so flat out with work and when I had time to myself I was at the beach re-cooping. She reminded me just how much I loved it and made me remember how it made me feel. I was straight back into it from there and started my own business. I am truly grateful for that moment with her.
REAPING REWARDS Apart from really enjoying the process behind the sketch, I love seeing people’s reactions and learning how they see my artwork and what they take from it. Sometimes it can be something I have never thought of, and this then gets the creative juices flowing and off I go to start a new design again.
RUGBY LIFE HIGHS Watching Greg play is definitely a highlight. Watching him do what he is so passionate about is really inspiring. Also, it’s not half bad when the players get their annual holidays, especially being in the UK, everything is so close! I mean, Italy is a 2-hour flight!
RUGBY LIFE LOWS Being away from your family and close friends back home can be really tough. I am very family orientated, so missing special events of your loved ones is hard. You do make lots of great new friendships though, meeting people from all over the globe, they become your ‘rugby family’.
RUGBY FAN GAL MOMENT This one absolutely changed my life for the better, it was when I met Greg. His team had won the Super 15 Rugby Championships in Australia and they were out celebrating in Bondi, Sydney. The rest is history!
RUGBY LIFE REALITY CHECK We don’t all drink champagne and shop everyday… only Friday’s. Ha kiddingggg!
Seriously though, living contract to contract can be pretty tough. When you try and plan for the future, not knowing where you will be once the current contract is up can be stressful at times. However, this is also an exciting side as you get to meet so many different people and live in places that you have never dreamed of, Scotland for example ha!
5 YEARS FROM NOW Happy and healthy. I could be living anywhere in the world that’s for sure, but I know I will be doing what I love (sketching) with the people I love around me and my business will be thriving.
WISE WORDS OF WISDOM When I first moved to Sydney my Dad and I had a Moto, it was B^2 (B squared) which meant ‘Be Bold, Be Brave’ and I have applied that to everything that I do.
WHERE CAN YOUR HYPE SQUAD FIND YOU
Website/Blog: bytesseileen.etsy.com
Instagram: @bytesseileen
Facebook: facebook.com/bytesseileen
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