Have you met Madeline? Best known for her infectious laughter and amazing customer service, she is someone you would all remember. From trolley cam, to fitter, and now our General Manager, Madeline has been on The Fitting Room’s team for 5 years now and has BIG plans for the future of the business. This month we sat down with Madeline and got to know her a little bit better for you….
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How long have you been working at TFR?
I started at TFR 5 years ago as the junior/all rounder with no experience in alterations, just a fashion degree and many years working in retail. Under the careful guidance of Mylene and Clare, and being great at learning on my feet, I worked my way to become Store Manager. A couple of years after that, our sister company PQ Fine Alterations merged with TFR and I started my newest role as General Manager. I now have a team of 8 tailors and 2 fitters that report to me, as well as getting to work closely with our Bridal manager, Sheena. In 2021, we expanded the store to include a beautiful new showroom for our Custom Tailoring business, The Modern Gentry.
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Where can we find you when you aren’t at The Fitting Room and what are you doing?
Because of how busy we get at TFR, a lot of my time is spent at home relaxing, or working on myself at the gym (those suit bags are heavier then they look!). I love to hang out with my partner, who happens to work at Brisbane’s best luxury cigar purveyors (I never knew there was so much to learn about cigars!)
I love playing video games (currently obsessed with Elden Ring) and baking pastries and tarts when I get the chance as well.
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What do you love most about working at The Fitting Room?
I love meeting people and learning about the journey their clothes are taking with them. I love having a conversation with someone and taking the time to understand why their clothes are so important to them. I love being able to give people the opportunity to feel good about themselves when they look in the mirror. Working in a very multicultural environment is also extremely rewarding. I have spent 5 years working hard to earn the respect of our incredible tailors who between them have over 100 years of experience. I will always be in awe of the expert craftsmanship and expertise my team produces every day and I am very proud of where we have come since I started here in 2017.
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What is your most memorable fitting or garment?
Being able to create a difference in people’s lives is what drives me every day to work hard, learn hard and play hard after work (haha). I see so many beautiful clothes but it is their story that makes me do what I do. It is not a specific garment that jumps to mind, but at the beginning of the COVID period I remember that we started making scrubs for our local nurses and doctors. We did this to provide sustainable PPE options during a time where PPE was getting harder and harder to come by. It wasn’t anything creative or unique, but it was something that really stuck with me.
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Where do you love to find clothes yourself?
As someone who has struggled their whole life to shop for clothing, I make sure to only support brands that are size inclusive. However, as the market is so small in Australia I do still have to alter most of my pieces to fit. The brands that I generally wear include Alpha60 and a couple of boutique designers.
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What are some challenges you see people facing everyday when fitting clothes?
Australia is one of the few countries in the world with no laws regarding standard sizing. This means that many brands and companies can label their products at any size they want. This is why many of our customers feel disillusioned when shopping and we often hear comments around size and weight when things don’t fit. In my time with TFR my main goal has been to foster a community of acceptance and live by the motto ‘you aren’t meant to fit the clothes, the clothes are meant to fit you’.
Now that you know more about Madeline, make sure you say hi on your next visit. Make a fitting appointment with Maddy here.
