A reimagined Marrickville terrace

Brie Leon founder & creative director, Janine Zafra calls the vibrant Sydney suburb of Marrickville home. Encased in silvery tones, the facade of her heritage-listed terrace feels right at home in the eclectic Inner-West location, and inside the old continues to blend seamlessly with the new. For Janine, this fascination with object's former lives sparked Brie Leon; originally a website dedicated to selling pre-loved fashion, it has blossomed into an accessories brand inspired by vintage designs. Each piece is steeped in sentimentality and finished with ingenious materials like apple and corn leather. We spoke with Janine about this commitment to responsible production and what’s next for this ever-evolving brand.

“Our home is located in the centre of Marrickville, a part of a corner block of three Victorian terraces that are known to be over 100 years old. I live with my partner James, my seven year old Alfie and our furry family member, Gary. My Mum stays with us a couple of days during the week to help out, which is such a blessing when running a business and small household. We’ve lived in the property for some time, but decided to renovate a couple of years ago to refresh its heritage charm. We’ve kept the front facade in it's original condition, so parts of the house still feel like our old home where my son’s childhood took place, which is always nice to reminisce on.”

Janine's bed is dressed with our 100% Linen Duvet Set in Grey & White Stripe and Sheet Set in Khaki.

“Our new bedroom sits on the second level at the back of the house, designed with a large east-facing window. I’m a slow riser who wakes with the sun, so we are lucky enough to enjoy watching the sunrise from bed on a clear morning, which also helps me ease into a bit of meditation as well. At the end of the day, we all wind down there, reading a bedtime story to our son or having a last little chit chat before lights out.”

I’m a slow riser who wakes with the sun, so we are lucky enough to enjoy watching the sunrise from bed on a clear morning, which also helps me ease into a bit of meditation.

“My home is less about what’s in it and more about the people. I love hosting dinners and casual afternoons with friends and family, and we kept that in mind when we were planning the renovations. Our space really lends itself to socialising and being filled with chatter and movement. It’s those memories that stay with us, and that’s what will always be most special to me.”

“I gravitate towards pieces I am emotionally drawn to, whether it's a sculpture, painting or piece of furniture, then I look up the artist or designer if I don't already know them. I think it's important to not just connect with the piece but the person who has created it and their intention behind it, so I guess I’ve honed my interior style through instinct and feeling.”

“Our journey [with Brie Leon] has been quite a roller coaster from the beginning, as I’m sure all brand owners would understand. In its early stages, I would go with the flow which means we’ve always been adaptable and fluid as a business. This mindset and way of working has led us down an exciting path, which I’m so grateful for. I initially started Brie Leon as an online store selling second-hand clothing with a close friend of mine; we naturally enjoyed styling and photography, so had a lot of fun curating our shoots and collections.

“From this point the name grew into a small online boutique, housing emerging brands from Australia and New Zealand. I was still able to express my creativity through editorial-style shoots, before branching into a jewellery category. This was the beginning of our in-house brand, Brie Leon. The designs resonated with other boutiques, and I expanded into wholesale.

“The brand has taken an interesting path since then, and we now create handbags, jewellery and footwear, which is a relatively new offering. Each year, we design and launch two collections, drawing on the ways of season, style and sustainability to further our brand story. We work only with alternative leathers and recycled materials, and we’ve recently explored bio-textiles crafted from produce waste. Innovation and adaptability are two pillars of Brie Leon, so working with the likes of Apple Leather and Corn Leather is a real opportunity for us to reduce our impact.

“My team is small but mighty, and we’ve recently opened our storefront in Newtown which is a huge feat for us. Growing Brie Leon from my home to a dual office and showroom space in one of Sydney’s most happening suburbs is a real pinch-me moment. I love showcasing what we’ve created directly to those who share our ideals, and the excitement of seeing a design in a public context will never be lost on us.”

“For the home, I frequently find myself scrolling through the work of Kelly Wearstler. She’s an American interior designer, and I own and adore two of her books. Kelly’s style is more maximalist than my own, but she creates spaces that don’t feel cluttered or excessive, infused with a real high-end, 70s LA feel. Even though I’m a minimalist at heart, I take cues from her edge and experimental eye.

“For fashion, I'm really drawn to international street style from Tokyo, Copenhagen and Barcelona. I've always been drawn to 90s styling and design which usually reflects through our collections.

“I find myself inspired by the smallest details in a day, and one colour or object can spark endless ideas. Across both fashion and interiors, I love playing with texture and themes and the overall feeling of a design.”

I'm really drawn to international street style from Tokyo, Copenhagen and Barcelona. I've always been drawn to 90s styling and design which usually reflects through our collections.

“For me, sustainability is an ongoing conscience and mindset, not a selling point. Craftsmanship and curiosity are fundamental elements of our design process, and our commitment to ethical production means we create in limited quantities and emphasise a quality that will stand the test of time. For as long as our impact as a brand will affect others, sustainability will always be a priority for me.

“As a realist, I know that we have a long way to go, but I’m proud of the progress we’ve made to date and we have really exciting objectives that we’re actively working towards. Our products are now crafted from recycled and bio-based materials, and each collection features a consciously selected edit of low-impact fabrications, including Recycled PU, Recycled Cotton Canvas, Bio-Based Apple and Corn Leathers and Recycled Nylon, not to mention recycled metals for jewellery.”

Our collections are, after all, only as good as the people behind them. We’re proudly female-owned and led, committed to inclusivity, diversity and respect for everyone who shares the planet with us.

“From a business standpoint, we have long interpreted sustainability as something that extends beyond the product. To us, it’s a standard of practice and care imbued actress all facets of the business, from company culture to our partners. Our collections are, after all, only as good as the people behind them. We’re proudly female-owned and led, committed to inclusivity, diversity and respect for everyone who shares the planet with us.

“This carries over into all areas of my life, including my own. I will always opt for smaller designers, natural elements and locally-crafted pieces, all in the name of environmental and social conscience.”

Janine leans against our Euro Pillowslip in Pine Gingham.

“We have lived here for over six years, so we’ve seen the evolution of our community and are enjoying the small changes around us. Marrickville offers a really vibrant and diverse culture, so we enjoy new boutique restaurants, cafes and a growing creative community around us. We moved away for a brief period while we were renovating, and we feel extremely privileged to have moved back into a fresh pad that sits within an area with such a strong heritage.

“We had been searching for our own place for a couple of years before we came across this one. I fell in love with the attic room, which was only accessible through our bedroom ceiling. I spent a lot of time up there working on the business in its early stages, so it will always be special to me. It has never had that typical creepy attic vibe, and instead I’ve always found a calming energy up there. We were able to convert the space into a proper bedroom during renovation, which is now Alfie’s room. It still has that same energy, and I’m thankful we were able to preserve its effect.

“We’re pretty spoiled for choice in the Inner West, and I’ve explored most of the foodie spots in the area. My ideal Sunday starts at the Marrickville Markets, then we head to Illawarra Road for a Vietnamese lunch. During the week, I’ll grab a morning chai or oat latte at Algorithm, and then a mid-week wine and dine at Where’s Nick. On a Friday night, you’ll find me and my family at Pizza Madre, before having Saturday breakfast at Two Chaps.”

Finally, we asked Janine what she's most looking forward to in 2024...

“It’s been a big year so far, but we’re beyond excited to meet our new family member this August.”