The short answer is ABSOLUTELY YES, you can claim your handbag as a tax deduction. Up to $300. But don’t go shopping just yet! There are some important things to keep in mind. The basic rules for claiming a handbag or briefcase as a tax deduction is that it must be directly connected with producing […]
We believe in the transformative power of thought, decluttering, purposeful styling and design. Also a little bit of fun in everyday life. We are also huge lovers of minimalism for functionality and setting yourself up for success through easy habits that make life more enjoyable. We are all about paired-back, not cut-off. Creating a home […]
We want to have a positive impact on this planet. Doesn’t everyone? When we first created our Sustainability policy in 2020 it seemed like such a difficult task and were a little nervous about how successful we would be (we are a small business after all) However, after the bushfires, huge impacts of climate change […]
LOOKING FOR LAST MINUTE XMAS GIFTS? Join us for our Holiday Gifting Pop-up at the H&W STUDIO – Surry Hills, Sydney 12th December 10.30am to 3pm The Australian Made Collections family of makers are bringing together their unique pieces, one-offs, candles, samples, clothing, trinket dishes, fashion, cheeseboards, jewellery, bags & more. With some can’t resist pricing. Including […]
There once was an apple happily perched on a tree… The sun was shining and this juicy apple was getting ready for pressing. It knew that like its forefathers it would be made into a delicious juice to be enjoyed by many a family together. What this apple did not know, was that humans had […]
Are you an all round go-getter, who loves working on a diverse portfolio? Love what you see at @hillsandwest @hillsandwestinteriors and feel like you would like to join the small team in Surry Hills? We’re on the lookout for a super talented creative who loves nothing more than getting stuck into a project and bringing […]
We care deeply for our planet and reducing our environmental footprint, and catering to our environmentally conscious customer, is important to us. We’re excited to share that we have taken another step forward and partnered with One Tree Planted @onetreeplanted to help reforestation of our Australian land, one bag at a time. Trees clean our air […]
Having East Village as the first Hills & West home has been an absolute privilege. I was very excited to share our Hills & West, Australian Made Collections story with the East Village team. Following are some of the questions we covered; What has been the hardest challenge you have faced in business overall? What […]
As you know, being Australian made is part of our DNA. We love supporting local and within our first Hills & West store, in East Village Sydney, we are helping you discover over 15 Australian made artisans with a similar passion and ethos as ours. We asked the Hills & West family of makers, why […]
While in lockdown we have been chatting, and creating (see our Style’s By You beauty later on), with a fabulous friend of ours, Estelle, stylist and founder of Micky In The Van. Estelle is a visual storyteller and her imagery and wearable art take you on magical, very fabulous (can I use fabulous more than […]
Timeless active-leisurewear for the modern woman, inspiring you to move with ease, confidence and in these uncertain times, at your own pace. Today we introduce you to the Melbourne active wear label, Jasmine Alexa. Jasmine has a gorgeous mission, even more amazing than making beautiful, comfortable, sustainable and ethical clothing, Jasmine wants women to feel […]
Do you know your ‘official’ body shape? I know I have always been pretty confused (and it has changed a little over the years 😉 So I decided it was high time to demystify body shapes and get some tips from the professionals. I am very excited to sit down with The Style Doctor extraordinaire, […]
Supporting local is what drives us and whist Melbourne is still in lockdown, we want to continue to support and share some of our creative friends. Today we are introducing you to Caz, from Cazinc The Label, an incredibly talented, multifaceted woman who shares many of our loves (trans-seasonal wardrobe staples, interiors and champagne to […]
As Melburnians face another lockdown we wanted to help in some way, and thought it would be the perfect time to share some of our favourite Melbourne brands and their backstories. Today we are introducing you to Sanserié, part of the FAID Store family, and its gorgeous founder Monika Peff, who is very aligned to […]
When Hayden, our talented Gentleman’s Essentials Collection photographer, introduced us to his friend Adam, we were very excited to hear about his latest project, The Open Door Collective. The Open Door Collective, T.O.D.C, is a platform with the goal of bringing individuals, and their businesses, to light; highlighting their stories, their journey’s, sharing what makes […]
With the advent of the colder months, and boy has it become chilly, it’s time to have a winter wardrobe revamp and make sure your wears are ready to keep you nice and cozy. If you haven’t started your winter wishlist yet, don’t worry, here’s stylist Jamie Azzopardi recommendations. He collated pieces from some of […]
With the expansion of the Hills & West Home product range into styling and decoration, with Hills & West Interiors, we are excited to be expanding the team. Over the last 12 months we have been developing our Interiors styling offering and partner network both locally, in the UK and Europe, and today we would […]
We love sharing a backstory and today we are introducing you to 31MADISON, an online destination for fashion and accessories. Tony, 31MADISON‘s founder and driver, has worked with global brands, large and small, for many years. He knows exactly how difficult it is for independents to build an audience, so decided to do something about […]
When launching the Gentleman’s Essentials Collection last year, I was obsessively stalking Instagram for stylish mens’ accessory inspiration (does anyone else get lost in an Insta hole?). When I scrolled across The Classy Lad, I was impressed with the abundance of dapper styling inspo, from suiting to accessories, and when he reached out about my […]
Meet Gallantoro, a unique online destination and store that invites you to tap into your inner Gentleman. That is something we definitely try to encourage 🙂
#WeWearAustralian#ShopforaCausewithKlarna12th May 2020 – 15th June 2020 After an incredibly successful #WeWearAustralian campaign reaching over 7 million publication views and over 11 million through social media, we are continuing the Australian love, this time powered by Klarna who want to encourage more people to shop Australian. Now, with the support of leading shopping experience and payments […]
Timelessness, fun and full of heart, meet Charis Pixie’s Silk Wolfe. During COVID-19, I wanted to help put a spotlight on some of my fellow Australian designers, who too, are trying to navigate these uncertain times. Designers who want to create pieces that stay in your wardrobe, not fast and disposable, are made for durability, […]
Australian made is what inspires and drives us. We’re so proud to support #WeWearAUSTRALIAN: an initiative to raise awareness for everyone in the fashion industry, with an Australian passion like us, impacted by these uncertain times. Designers and creatives who are uniting as an industry to contribute to the rebuilding of our Australian fashion community. […]
With a passion for photography and the sea, Sydney-based Sarah Silverton has spent decades capturing the sand and surf along the gorgeous coastlines of Australia. Her evocative seascapes have been exhibited through wall art, homewares and fashion accessories. All of which are beautifully designed and made in Australia. You know that we are huge supporters […]
Did you know that only 8% of the clothing sold in Australia is made locally? That means a whopping 92% is sourced, sewn, packaged and imported overseas. At the same time, there are many Australian designers braving the status quo and sustainably designing, sourcing and producing locally, with incredible craftsmanship and love. So, how do […]
At Hills & West we’re all about introducing you to amazing Australian talent and unique products. We also have a huge appreciation for beautiful branding and packaging, and when this is mixed with some of our favourite cocktails, did we mention Negroni and Old Fashioned, we had to delve deeper and share. Meet David […]
We love showcasing the passionate people who help elevate and share independent designers and start-ups stories. The platforms who understand the immense value of support and collaboration in the early years to help grow awareness of the talent and incredibly unique products out there. I’ve had the pleasure to interview Kassandra Craig, one of these […]
Spring is finally here. It is a time of rebirth and renewal in the outdoors and so it is a glorious time to do the same indoors. It’s an opportunity to put away some of your dark colours and throws that kept you feeling cozy in the winter months and add some fresher, brighter colours […]
I’d like to introduce you to the fabulous Louise Pearce, a wonderful and passionate soul I worked with before I started Hills & West at SBS. Louise was a corporate who worked with C-suite media tycoons before she decided to have a sea change and move with her family to Port Macquarie. Once her […]
Fashion Week provides a fabulous buzz for all fashionistas alike. Letting us see the latest trends, designs and meet the designers. Of course, our secret delight is all the street style inspo. Since we were unable to attend Mercedes Benz Fashion Week this year (we were in South Africa working on our next project […]
Who is Coco? I am Coco Louise an international stylist, personal shopper and fashion trendsetter. I was born in Sydney and lived in Beirut Lebanon for 10 years where I completed High School. Based in beautiful Melbourne now! As a person, I am extremely bubbly, I love a lot (if there is such a thing) and […]
We’re very excited to introduce you to our newest member of the team, Hayley. As a designer and ‘will do anything’ intern for the last few months, we just love having her around and we decided together she had to join the team. She approached us after seeing Hills & West in our pop-up in […]
We were very excited when Label Magazine approached us and said they were interested in our story. They had seen our collection on Here is the interview titled: Leather Lover 1 Tell us about the process of getting Hills & West off the ground. In October of 2014, I was coming back from a work […]
We love to bring you the wonderfully diverse journeys of likeminded designers… especially those who strive for high quality, locally handmade pieces that go against mass produced, and focus on the unique and different. Meet ISABELLA QUEEN, she is one of these inspirational designers who has such an interesting story, I had to share it. […]
I love sharing other people’s stories however this time I wanted to share my start-up, fashion journey and say that it is ok to reach out for help. Here is a little piece I wrote for the Inspiring Rare Birds Community. Read the article here or below. Let’s be honest. No matter our achievements or […]
I always love to discover the stories behind events or people, so I decided to look into the origins of Mother’s Day and why we chose this day to honour and give gratitude to our mothers and motherhood. When I did a little digging celebrations can be traced back to the ancient Greeks and Romans, […]
I was incredibly excited when KarryOn asked me if I would be interested in having a chat about all things travel and Hills & West. Meeting in my new hood in Abbotsford, Melbourne, following is the very generous and complimentary (*blush*) account of some of the things we chatted about. I have to say, I do […]
I love voyeurism and hearing other people’s stories. I love it even more, when other creative people make the effort to bring stories to life. When I stumbled across Two Quirky Birds, it was a fabulous concoction of all the wonderful things I adore including interiors, fashion and food, delivered in a deliciously, honest […]
Starting a new accessory label is not an easy feat. Not even when you are as passionate as I am. You have the upfront investment with your time; brand design and development, website development, content creation, sampling, product photography, merchandising, look books; materials such as leather and hardware and then there is the largest expense […]
