About
Vision
To be trusted across the dance, fashion, costume and bridal worlds for being an inclusive brand, and creating costumes and gowns that bring joy to their wearer, work with all body types, and transform the everyday into something magical and extraordinary.
Mission
To empower individuals by bringing their dreams to life through custom costumes and gowns that celebrate all identities and stories.
I create unique garments—whether for a wedding, a performance, or a character—while fostering a safe, inclusive, and welcoming environment within both the fashion and costume worlds.
Everybody deserves to feel like a princess!
About Lavender Ladybugs and Me
I began my career wanting to be a primary school art teacher; to encourage creativity and imagination, and to share my love of art. But during my final year of my teaching degree, I realised something was missing. Although I was teaching about art and creativity, my own heart was wanting to fully immerse myself and my career into the design world too.
So, I made the decision to finish my teaching degree, and then go straight back to studying – this time in The Bachelor of Design Arts (Fashion and Costume) at LCI Melbourne.
...and my Scaly Assistant Coconut
...well, she mainly just supervises!
Alongside my studies, I continued working as a dance teacher, and it was there that my love of costume truly flourished. Watching dancers transform the moment they stepped into a costume showed me just how powerful clothing can be. A gown or costume isn’t just fabric — it’s storytelling, a way for someone to feel empowered to be whoever they want to be.
During my graduate collection, everything changed.
For this project I wrote an entire ballet. The story was inspired by folklores around fairies and the Fae, as well as taking inspiration from the many romantasy books out there (yes, I’m an ACOTAR and Fourth Wing fan!). I designed the complete wardrobe for this imagined production that was whimsical, dramatic and romantic. Up until that point, I had struggled at times to design pieces that truly felt like me. But while creating that collection — sketching, sewing, building those fantasy costumes — something clicked. I could not stop the ideas from flowing out, creating these silhouettes that I loved from the dance world, but combining them with my own colour palettes and influences from nature and fantasy worlds.
Suddenly, everything made sense. I realised that I am a storyteller through fabric. That my heart lives in movement, in fantasy, and in creating costumes and gowns that feel magical and transformative. In that moment, I understood who I was as a designer.
When it came time to name my business, I didn’t want to use my own name. I wanted the brand to feel like more than just a person — I wanted it to feel like a world. Nature has always played a powerful role in my creativity, and lavender has been one of my favourite colours and flowers for as long as I can remember. Ladybirds have also been special to me ever since I was a toddler. To me, they symbolise luck, individuality, and small moments of magic.
Lavender Ladybugs became my way of weaving myself into the brand without placing my name on it. It represents the softness, creativity, luck, and quiet magic I want every client to feel — even though I am the hands and heart behind every piece.
Today, I create inclusive, custom or ready to wear gowns and costumes designed to fit all body types and celebrate all identities — whether for a wedding, a performance, or a character brought to life.
Lavender Ladybugs is a safe and welcoming space. A space for imaginations where storytelling, movement, and wearable art intertwine.
Because I believe everyone deserves to feel magical.
— Jem
