This article is in Brisbane News. They must have done some serious air-brushing on that picture...hehe ;) If you've read my bio before, it's probably all old news.
But you probably didn't know I had my sights set on the Air Force. Yep, it's true. I even did an extra subject (Maths C) before school started every day so I could be accepted as a pilot. When it finally came down to signing on the dotted line, I pulled out. Seems the Air Force is no place for someone that does not like to take orders.
Since then I've changed though. I love taking orders now...shoe orders ;)
Here's the article text:
UPClose
CHRISTOPHER
MCCALLUM
27 // shoe designer
In high school Christopher had
his sights set on becoming a
fighter pilot. With his academic
record, he was in with a good
chance. But a desire to build a
business of his own set him on the
fashion path.
“I think all kids are creative, it just
gets stamped out of them in school,”
says Christopher, who now designs for
his men’s footwear label Vein Wear.
Six years ago, having ditched degrees
in Commerce and law, Christopher
eventually found a way to channel
his entrepreneurial ambitions when he
travelled to Taipei, the hometown of his
wife and now business partner, Szuting.
“I came across this pair of shoes that
obviously had some kind of profound effect
on me. I thought there was an opportunity in
Australia with shoes,” says Christopher, who
lives in Bardon with his wife.
After its launch, Vein Wear won stockists
Australia-wide, but had a huge setback when
a major national stockist declared bankruptcy
before paying its account.
Financially devastated, Christopher had
to rebuild his business. He collaborated
with designers to place his product on
runways across Australia, redefined the
label’s identity and won a store space
for a year in Fortitude valley fashion
precinct tCB, where his flagship store
remains. His business now includes
a high-end boutique footwear
line called Oken and a female
footwear division, Kitty Croquet.
Szuting takes care of the retail
and manufacturing side of things,
while Christopher heads the
design, financial and marketing
aspects of the business.
“Our main point of difference
is that we’re original Australian-designer footwear. We don’t
water down other styles from
elsewhere.”
Lizzie Corser
