Women Who Do What They Love - Esa West

Who is the woman that designed this gorgeous frock? Esa West

What is her passion called? Tea Pony children's clothing

Where can you take a squiz at her stuff? www.teapony.com

What does she actually produce? Tea Pony is clothing for adorable girls aged up to four years.

Why does she do all this? It was a passion that I had - the idea came to me and I ran with it. I do it because I feel fulfilled every time I create something. I was quite disappointed in a lot of the clothing out there for kids; there were too many pink clothes and tacky slogans, so I decided to make Coco her own clothes and was approached by a shop to buy them. Getting paid to follow my dream is an amazing feeling.

How long has she been doing it? Three wild, crazy, whirlwind years - since 2006.

What is this talented woman’s story? I’m a designer, a mother, a creative person, a lover and I live in beautiful Australia. I was trained as a costume designer and worked in the clothing industry for several years til my divine daughter Coco came along and inspired me to develop Tea Pony clothing for kids.

What pesky obstacles have tried to block her progress? It’s been a long road, not always easy but still rewarding. I have learnt so much from doing it all myself and have had some major dramas to over come.

I had a lot of winter jackets that were all made inside out due to a communication problem with my production company. I was desvasted and had to cancel all the orders I had for them. It was a mistake that I have vowed never to repeat again.

Running a business and being a mother to a toddler has been a huge juggling act, too. It’s sometimes hard to deal with the guilt of having to work so much.

What are her greatest joys in doing what she loves? Seeing kids wearing my clothing in the street always gives me a buzz. And when Coco asks me if she can have one of the designs I just made…it makes me melt. I also have a wonderful fan base from my blog which has sparked new friendships all around the world.

What is she loving most at the moment? Oohhh, I just love the Belle and Boo printed clothes; they are so popular and the artist who draws them - Mandy Sutcliffe - is incredibly talented. She has a huge following around the world... http://www.belleandboo.com/.

What is her inspiration? Anything, be it a colour or a picture in a magazine or a shape.

If she could do anything in the whole wide, entire world – what would she do? What I’m doing right now. I’m so happy right at this point in my life.

Where would she escape to if she could? Canada then England to see my brothers, and pop in to Paris on the way home for some retail therapy.

What would she buy there? I’d buy shoes and eat cheese; actually - eat cheese while buying shoes. Oh, heaven!

What are her secret aspirations? To open my online shop in the next couple of weeks. To evolve my style more and expand, slowly selling to more countries.

What is her greatest achievement? Having one of my dresses in Vogue magazine. It gave me tingles. I was still making the clothes in my garage by myself at that stage and I thought it was a joke when they contacted me for a dress.

What would be her absolutely perfect day? Cooking for our friends with my partner Luke, as we love to entertain, topped off with some great laughter and a bottle of champagne.

What five words sum her up? Creative, a dreamer, motivated, loving, fun and a bit cheeky.

What really fabulous advice does she have for others wanting to Do What They Love? Life’s not a dress rehearsal, just go for it, as life is too short.

Check out Esa’s blog www.teapony.typepad.com – for all the latest news and some fabulous giveaways. You can soon shop online for Esa’s beautiful range of clothing at www.teapony.com, and in the meantime, stop by her Etsy store at www.teapony.etsy.com.

Are you doing what you love? Please contact me here if you would like to tell your Do What You Love story. I’d love to hear from you – no matter where you are in the world.