Inspired by wanting to do something she loved, Belinda started SOPHIE.
The brand came to life in 2015 in her home in Auckland with a dream to create easy to wear accessories. They've grown a bit of a following, with people falling in love with their jewellery, scarves, hats and vegan leather goods.
From delicate silver and gold jewellery for everyday wear. Vegan leather goods and hats in dreamy neutral colour palettes & textures. Each piece is designed in New Zealand and carefully made overseas using only quality materials and excellent craftsmanship. Not driven by and trends or seasons, we release little edits of our pieces throughout the year.
Q & A TIME
Tell us a bit about how you found your way towards Sophie. How did the brand start, and what were your first pieces?
Sophie started at home when Sophie (my daughter) was about 3. I was working in marketing and being a Mum. I’d always wanted a business of my own, and just picked something I loved (accessories) and got going! Initially we made leather goods and jewellery - the ‘xo’ studs were our first pair of earrings.
What are some things you need to have around you to feel inspired and happy at work?
I think who you choose to work with is key to feeling inspired & happy at work. A great team means a great culture, and that’s key. I like people that have an opinion, are down to earth & hard working. Ideas can & do come from everywhere. As far as our space goes, we have lots of cards, lots of great snacks & a few office animals to keep us feeling good!
What do you do to switch off?
I love playing tennis with my friends. It’s full on - the best workout and a great chat too. It keeps me sane. I also LOVE a good podcast - I’m into Jay Shetty, Mia Freedman, Elizabeth Day type ones! A bit of a mix of business/self help/psychology.
How would you describe Sophie in 3 words?
Sweet, Honest and Caring.
Is there one item or perhaps a collection in particular that is your all-time favourite?
Such a hard question, I genuinely love everything and wish I had more ears! I’d probably say the dotty heart sleepers, they’re so cute and I smile every time I look at them. I wore them solidly for a year!
Flo & Frankie is focused on showcasing brands that work hard to improve their business practices by reducing their impact on the environment, improving the livelihoods of all employees in their supply chain or giving back to the community around them. Is this something Sophie does? If yes, can you share some details with us?
We give back regularly - ‘We Care’ is one of our core values. Mental Health is the number one cause we support and we give as much as we can. We support Voices of Hope https://www.thevoicesofhope.org/ ongoing. They aim to create and implement change for mental health and provide hope through the voices of those with lived experience of mental health. We believe sharing stories is effective for reducing stigma, normalising talking about mental health and that this really makes a difference. We provide free scarves to anyone having treatment for breast cancer Breast Cancer Services Directory (breastcancerfoundation.org.nz) In addition to this ongoing support, we gift items to lots of charitable causes and always look to donate to people impacted negatively, in 2022 a few of the other groups we supported were Women’s Refuge, Breast Cancer Research Cure and I am Hope.
