Brand Profile: SAFO Studio

Meet Sarah Fordham from SAFO

Born in San Francisco and raised in Sydney, artist Sarah Fordham (aka founder and design extraordinaire behind homewares brand, SAFO) produces stunningly colourful works in a range of forms from her cool-as inner-city loft slash studio space in Paddington. Sarah’s creative brain, even from a young age, is both the reason for and the product of her submersion in all things art, which shines through in her deep understanding and love of colour, and her experimentation with different mediums.

“I can’t remember a time when I wasn’t making something. From primary, to secondary, to tertiary studies and beyond, my life has been centred in the artworld. I feel the happiest when I am in the studio – playing with bits and bobs on my workbench with my little dog Indiana Jones at my feet.”

It was her long-held desire to extend her creative direction beyond painting that bore the establishment of SAFO; where her vibrant designs, energetic patterns and trademark colour palette were transferred onto tactile prints and homewares.

“I always wondered what my imagery might look like on substrates other than canvas. I began to visualize these paintings on things. I am a keen observer of interiors and instinctively knew that there was a place in the market for original surface design – beyond the generic chevron stripe or polka-dot.”

In a business-savvy move, Sarah’s next step was to surround herself with experts in fields in which she was not yet familiar - from digital printing, to manufacturing, to retail. After the typical trial and error period faced by many start-ups, Sarah finally found herself in a position to get things moving forward. But, as is the way, another roadblock presented itself… “How do I then get these objects into stores?!”

Luckily for her, a fortuitous crossing of paths saw Sarah come together with born-and-bred homewares and retail guru, Chris Tourgelis, from OPUS Design - a Sydney institution where Sarah herself had been a customer for many years. This serendipitous encounter marked the retail beginnings of her brand new label, SAFO, and her products quickly hit the OPUS Design shelves. Chris became somewhat of a mentor for Sarah, guiding her toward the next direction in her business journey.

“Chris said – “exhibit at Life Instyle!” I had heard of trade shows before but didn’t really know what they were or what they could do for me. I trusted Chris’ advice and I have now been part of two Life Instyle shows – in Melbourne and Sydney.”

And there’s a reason why she keeps going back for more! Like many small biz owners, Sarah’s introduction to trade shows opened up a multitude of new avenues.

“Moral of the story, don’t be afraid to take a leap of faith to take your business to the next level.”

“Life Instyle allowed me to have access to retailers and buyers – those elusive people that, as a start-up, you just don’t know how to find! You can try to Google these people, but even if you can find an email address for them – rarely do you get a reply.”

Sarah found an invaluable opportunity in the chance to showcase her wares directly to a wide range of buyers and retailers from across the country and beyond, tapping into a whole new market.

As is the nature of design and creative minds, Sarah’s process is ever-evolving, and following a few years of experimentation, 2020 has seen SAFO continue to grow. But when considering the future for her brand, it’s the early days and business beginnings that Sarah reflects upon most fondly and with gratitude. “I will always be most grateful for those retailers like Chris, who backed me from the beginning. They will never know how much their investment means to a start-up brand like SAFO. I cherish each order and am so excited to continue building this label – with their help.”

Moral of the story, don’t be afraid to take a leap of faith to take your business to the next level. A simple comment from a trusted friend could be the beginning of some new adventure and path for your small business.