House of Cheri: Our Story
The idea of House of Cheri was born in 2014 after a realisation. A realisation that the 'perfect shirt' was truly non-existent in the market for the upcoming campdraft season. A shirt that would fit and flatter me in all the right places. A shirt with a fabric so luscious that also maintains a beautiful structure while riding graciously through the wind. A versatile shirt that can be worn through all the seasons, and a lifetime. A classic shirt that incorporates a perfect balance between modernity and luxury. There was nothing that would meet my expectation of how I wanted to look and feel for the upcoming Campdraft Season.
I set myself on a mission to create the perfect shirt but little did I know where it would take me...
I decided to find a dressmaker to sew and bring to life my designs that I wanted to wear for the campdrafting season. Ben, my husband, suggested I ask for some extra pieces to be made to see if any other women would be interested in them for the season. Ben had always recognised the potential I held with my creative ideas. He always supported me as he believed I had a unique eye for fashion and loved all the outfits I put together. If I was experiencing all these problems within my wardrobe, then we both knew other women would potentially be experiencing the same.
At the beginning, I was designing and working from an isolated cattle station in rural Queensland.
You could say the resources it takes to start a business are limited out here. Mail days only happened twice a week and reception is not the greatest in the country side. I remember trying to decide on my fabric from only the tiniest fabric swatches that were no bigger than the size of my palm. I was constantly on phone calls with manufacturers, talking to pattern makers and studying the fashion industry. This was a completely new avenue that felt so unfamiliar to me. The only way of communicating had to happen through emails or phone calls. Never meeting face to face or being able to show detailed sketches about my vision. It all had to be written with very detailed description. Being able to successfully convey my ideas and brand image to people through such limited communication styles would definitely be the hardest challenge I have faced while running my own business. Nevertheless, it was exciting and always keeping me on my toes, but very daunting indeed.
The first bulk order of shirts arrived in the Tuesday mail in the month of July in 2015. I took them straight to the ‘Saxby Campdraft’ that same weekend. My entire body was filled with doubt and nervousness. As we got closer, the negative thoughts were taking over my mind. I thought:
"What have I done? How could a small town woman like me know anything about fashion? What will happen when nothing sells?
Ben and I arrived at the Campdraft. I decided to not tell anyone about my new collection of shirts. Luckily for me, Ben had told everyone and their horse about my range and soon enough we had a massive line from our trailer from people begging to try them all on. This continued for another four weeks to our absolute amazement. I had completely sold out of my first ever range!
In March of 2016 between the next two collections of shirts, I had a terrible horse-riding accident. I was unconscious for a while after the incident took place. I broke many bones and recovery was out of sight for a couple of years. Just as recovery was near in sight, I had started the baby steps back into competing and riding. Unfortunately, I had another fall in October 2020. It took weeks to walk again and months to regain back the strength I had just been fighting for. It’s been a tough chapter; horses have played a massive role in my entire life but since the events, I have stopped riding completely to give myself time to heal.
After the first accident, the dreams I had for House of Cheri were put on hold because of the uncertainty of my recovery time. The road to healing was not easy and many tears were shed during this stage of my life.
Yet, what still remained was my undying passion for the continuation of House of Cheri, no matter what I was faced with and how hard life got.
In 2020, I was fortunate enough to find a connection with the most wonderful, Australian owned manufacturer that had a real passion for my brand. After meetings filled with hard planning, creating and designing, I made it official to relaunch House of Cheri! They have restructured my business process to enable the extra time I need to focus on the designs of my garments. Everything you see that is released by House of Cheri is a true representation of me and the vision I have upheld for all these years in recovery.
The gorgeous colours palette, luxurious fabric, elegant prints and the meticulous details in every style; each piece is designed authentically by me, Cheri.
Every women’s body is different and unique.
My shirts accentuate loveliness displayed in all feminine figures, no matter what shape or size. These pieces are designed to make you feel elegant. These pieces protect you from the harsh Australian sun. They are designed specifically with longer cuffs to elongate your arms and a stiffer collar to keep its structured shape. All pieces are designed to last a lifetime in your wardrobe and never go out of style. They are designed with love and care right from my home. As I look over the journey I have had, it has led me to this moment; to continue to create the most amazing pieces for the powerful women (and men!) of the world.
I know that myself and the House of Cheri team are driven to deliver the most exceptional pieces you will ever own. We are so delighted we are on this journey to serve the people of the world, the most high quality and stunning pieces. We hope that all customers love their shirts just as much as we love bringing them to you!
Love Cheri xxx
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