I’ve done yoga with her, I’ve done spin class with her and #letsbefrank I’ve scrubbed with her. Many times.
What can I say? I can’t help it. Tully Lou = #frankcrush.
She bends, designs, teaches and inspires. And you all know how much I love a babe with many talents.
What’s the first thing you think of when you wake up?
Gratitude. I always think of something that I am appreciative of. It might be the sleep I had, the bed I’m in, my family or the friends I have. The more things I think of, the more positive energy it brings to my day and things just happen.
Then, what’s the first thing you do?
#letsbefrank, go to the toilet. I then scull a giant glass of warm water and lemon to cleanse the liver and kick start my metabolism.
How / why did you start yoga?
I started when I was 14, and got into it after being diagnosed with anorexia. I grew up in the country, so it wasn’t something people knew much about. No one discussed yoga, I just stumbled upon it after one of my days in the clinic. It was the start of my recovery process, as it trained me to accept myself and my mind. Initially it wasn’t the movements that I loved, it was the feeling after a class.
Who were the key people that inspired you to start?
When I was 14, there were no ‘pin up yogis’ as such. Social media wasn’t such a big thing. Now, I find myself inspired by people who have found health and wellness by going through a battle. That journey they have been on inspires me and makes me happy. I have a great relationship with Lola Berry. She comes from a similar background and so I always find myself reaching out to her for advice, her opinion or just her to listen to me vent.
Describe yoga in 5 words.
- Challenging.
- Fun.
- Mindfulness.
- Peaceful.
- Connection.
Where did your love of fashion come from?
My Mum – she has always been really fashionable and so I used to spend a lot of my childhood dressing up in her clothes. When I was growing up, Mum worked in fashion so had access to all the catalogues before anyone else. She used to deck us out in head to toe Gumboots and I strutted around like a fashion icon.
From this, I studied fashion at school and was always spending my spare time in textiles classes and fashion based electives.
So what inspired you to start designing yoga wear?
It was the yoga classes that I was attending. Everyone was dressed totally in black, which I just didn’t think was inspiring. You go to exercise to chill out, refresh your mind and get inspired. And black isn’t inspiring. I always wanted to be a designer and spent a lot of my time post school in the rag trade. Working for other people I learnt a lot, however there was no room in the company for me to move.
There was a niche in the market as at the time there were very few activewear labels. I packed up my things and went to live in Indonesia to immerse myself in the label and learn as much as I could. I continued to teach yoga whilst I was away to earn some extra cash, which was a great way to meet people and learn a lot about myself and how I wanted to run my own business.
The biggest thing I learnt was that you just have to keep pushing until you feel comfortable with what you’ve organised, achieved and learnt.
If you could fill a yoga studio with 5 people, who would make the cut?
- Elle Macpherson, because I think she is such a great business woman, health advocate and mother.
- Richard Branson, as I could rack his brain and he is also so influential in his field
- Ed Sheeran, because his voice, his lyrics and his songs make my heart melt. I feel as though he has a no bullshit policy, he’s honest and #letsbefrank he could serenade us.
- My mum, as she’s never been to a class. I think she’d really benefit from it and she’s someone who I look up to so much.
- And for a bit of eye candy, Jude Law. He’s mature, good looking and would give some good insight into Hollywood and fame.
Where do you see TL in 5 years?
Taking on the world. I’d love to be in the top three activewear labels worldwide. I hope I can continue to inspire women, both in fashion and lifestyle.
What are your personal dreams?
At the moment, they’re very TL focussed. TL is me, and I think having my name attached to the brand is a lot of added pressure which I strive under. I’d like to continue being happy with what I’m doing and achieving.
I’d like to think I am still travelling as much as possible, both for work and personal exploration. Having a family is something that is very important to me, however I want to push the brand internationally in a big way before I think about that.
Tell me about your beauty regime?
I’m very simple. I use a lot of coconut oil, on my face, hair and whole body. I also scrub a lot – the peppermint is my favourite as it relieves my muscles post workout and makes me smell like a choc-chip cookie.
I also have one tip: gargle activated charcoal powder. It makes your teeth white.
And does this differ after a bikram yoga class?
I do find that my skin is a bit drier post a bikram class. To help this, I dry body brush or scrub after it, to get rid of the dry skin and replenish my body. When you’re doing yoga in such a heated space, a lot of toxins are released, so by doing these two things your circulation is replenished.
5 go-to foods?
- Almond butter – a guilty, but delicious pleasure. I eat it with a spoon.
- Atlantic salmon with crispy skin and avocado mash.
- My mums self-sourcing chocolate pudding. It’s not refined, and is bad for you. But when you see the fudge ooze out, you cannot say no.
- Japanese food.
- Coconut yoghurt – an expensive obsession.
Who should I put on my to scrub / dirty talk list?
Hmm, I’m obsessed with Nicole Richie and I don’t know why. I think her style and aesthetic is awesome, so maybe it’s that. Or alternatively, Elle Macpherson would be awesome. She’s so Australian, just like you.
xx frank