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Christie-Ann Williams is the woman behind the design of the luxurious kaftans featuring vibrant colours and beautiful prints. She is founder and designer of  i Allure beach and resort wear, a mumma to two gorgeous boys and Kaftan Queen.

We chat to her about her business, the inspiration behind it and how she juggles it all.

You have a love affair with kaftans. Tell us about it.

My love of the kaftan came while living in beautiful, hot tropical climates. It became evident through my selection of clothing that kaftans were my favourite piece of attire. My friends know me, as the ‘Kaftan Queen’.

I found kaftans to be so comfortable and flattering, but I realised I wanted more vibrancy and colour than I could find to match the environment and beauty around me! The amazing blues and greens of the calming ocean, the bold vibrant tones of the tropical fauna and the emerging colours of dawn and dusk to name but a few. Hence my i ALLURE beach & resort wear collection was born!

Where do you find inspiration for your designs?

Inspiration comes from my environment around me and from my world travel. Colour also plays a huge role in my inspiration for the collection, as our philosophy is about offering a array of beautiful bright prints which can assist in connecting to a emotional need. For example, when I need to be energised, I will wear orange – it’s associated with energy and power.

One of your goals for building your kaftan business was to run it from anywhere in the world, would you ever consider opening a retail outlet?

Absolutely, we would love to open a retail outlet but at this stage we are offering wholesale opportunities to a limited few retail outlets within Australia and internationally.

What have been some of the difficulties building a business?

Having enough time in the day!

Budgeting. I have never been good at that.

Needing to require a broad knowledge base of everything.

Three tips for other women thinking of doing the same.

1. Ensure you have the right financial support and be prepared to take risks

2. Research, research and more research

3. Be confident in yourself and surround yourself with the right support circle

You’re a mother to two little boys, a wife, a businesswoman and designer, how do you stay on top of it all?

I don’t ever feel I am ‘on top of it’ at all! There are always a million and one things to do but you just need to do as much as possible and be confident that you have done your best.

What should we expect from i ALLURE over the next 12 months?

We have lots planned for our future, the desire and inspiration just keeps flowing. We have had such a great response to our current kaftan collection. As a result our next collection is being planned as we speak.  A little hint of what’s in store: signature designs in bold digital prints.

A friend initially suggested to create a range for the little women of this world, conveniently named ‘little miss i ALLURE’. Wouldn’t that just be divine? Mini kaftans!

We have also had numerous inquiries about developing a range to include the larger sized woman. This is without a doubt something we want to strive towards in the future as well.

Exclusive Offer for Woman.com.au Readers (OFFER NOW CLOSED)

You’re entitled to an exclusive 15% off all kaftan orders until 16 February when you order online at www.iallure.com.au. Type in code: WOMAN (in capital letters!) upon check out.  (postage not included). Click here for more details.

Or you could win a luxurious ocean blue kaftan + matching scarf designed by Christie herself, valued at $204. All you need to do is subscribe to WOMAN.com.au by email. Competition ends Sunday 3 February. More info here

You’ll find Christie here:

Website: www.iallure.com.au
Facebook: www.facebook.com/iAllureBeachResortwear
Pinterest: www.pinterest.com/iallure
Flickr: www.flickr.com/photos/iallure
Instagram: www.instagram.com/iallure_kaftans
Twitter: www.twitter.com/iALLUREkaftans