Port Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
Penny van Schaik, co-founder of Retreat Myself including sleepwear hand blocked in Jaipur, luxe cashmere lounge sets, RESORT, robes and travel pieces selected to create rituals including aromatherapy botanicals in sleep pillow sprays, calming & balancing Rollons, and Magnesium Foot sprays https://retreatmyself.com.au Previous owner of Billy Loves Audrey(2016-2023), a children’s whimsical accessory brand, with international stockists including Harrods, John Lewis UK, David Jones Australia, The Iconic and hundreds of stockists internationally. In 2021, she sold Europe, UK, and Middle East to the Billy Loves Audrey German Agent, followed in March 2023 with territories Australia, New Zealand, China, Singapore & Taiwan. This is the second design driven brand she has co-founded successfully, building Collect Home (2007-2014) an interiors/homeware brand. This included design, sourcing, manufacturing, import and wholesale. Importing numerous containers annually, including Recycled Glass Vessels from Spain to Australia, Furniture, and handmade woven baskets from Vietnam to Australia in FCL. Penny lived in London and France several years with her then young family and since returned to Melbourne, Australia. While living in London she studied Art History at Victoria & Albert Museum & worked on art exhibitions at the Barbican Art Gallery. Retail Marketing has been at the cornerstone of her career with leading lifestyle brands in Australia such as Country Road, Myer Direct, and in London as Marketing Director for Department Stores & Ford Motor Company, the Barbican Centre, London Restaurant Week, where she created & implemented 14 art installations throughout London including The National Portrait Gallery and Ice Sculptures in Leicester Square.
Retreat Myself designs & wholesales sleepwear, luxe cashmere, sleep wellness brand including beautiful cool cotton sleepwear, block printed in Jaipur, India, along with aromatherapy essential oils and sprays that can benefit a better sleep. Online Store for Retail and Wholesale. Capsules of Sleep Pillow Mists, Botanical Roll Ons to create calm, magnesium bath soaks, magnesium feet sprays and more to come.
Penny van Schaik, Marketing Consultant, and business owner of two successful wholesale brands in Australia, has senior experience in copywriting for advertising, brochures, magazines and shopify. She has experience in planning a new business, socials, communication, publicity, marketing strategies, marketing planning, swot analysis, stakeholder communication, brand development and launching new concepts into the market place, creative development, product design & development, importing and production knowledge. Penny van Schaik created Billy Loves Audrey in 2016, a children’s whimsical accessory brand, with international stockists including Harrods, John Lewis UK, David Jones Australia and hundreds of stockists internationally. In 2021, she sold Europe, UK, and Middle East to the Billy Loves Audrey German Agent, followed in March 2023 with territories Australia, New Zealand, China, Singapore & Taiwan. During this time, Penny's experience included designing and developing accessories, manufacturing, and importing socks from Turkey, Hair, Bags & Dress-Up from China & Taiwan numerous times per year. Penny collaborated with Shipping Agents all imports directly from the manufacturers in LCL, preparing shipping dates, insurance, customs, and commercial invoices along with GST & VAT (for Europe & UK). Built up and developed a new brand (Billy Loves Audrey) and within 3 months secured a 3 year contract with David Jones, the following year secured agents & distributors in Europe. Created a unique brand exhibiting in Paris, Florence, Sydney, New York and Melbourne. Designed & developed two collections per year. Created all marketing aspects for Billy Loves Audrey, including copywriting, wholesale brochures for Australia, UK & Europe, Online & Socials, International Marketing to generate high exposure for the growing successful brand.
Collect Home designed and imported beautiful homeware from around the world. Co-owner with Erica Solomon. Designed, Developed, Produced, Manufactured luxury Homeware selling as wholesalers to over 250 retailers around Australia, including furniture, glass, woven, decorative tabletop and textiles Developed the company's Marketing & Business Plan, Business Strategy, Advertising ,PR, Events, Digital Marketing & Trade Fairs. Researched Design Trends & Created seasonal collections twice a year, collaborated with overseas manufacturers, handled international logistics, production, return on investment, negotiated pricing. Managed critical path and timelines towards quality and on time pieces
Trend spotting for interior, exterior and new architecture and writing for Home Magazine, a Sunday supplement for The Sunday Mail, Adelaide
Re-located to London in 1998, working on short term contracts with: Barbican Centre - Marketing; Allders - Advertising Manager; Wunderman Cato Johnson - Ford, and London Restaurant Week - Developed numerous art exhibitions and installations within major Art Galleries, leading Department Stores and Museums & outdoor installations in iconic London locations.