Sophie Cousins

Sophie Cousins (‘16) explains how the Loreto community around her, helped bring her dream of a sustainable, high-quality fashion brand to life - Fikah.

Sophie in her own words:

I was fortunate to attend Loreto College as a border from Year 9 - 12, graduating in 2016. Coming from Burra, a small town in the Mid North of South Australia, it was a daunting but exciting experience as a 13-year-old.

Reflecting on my time at Loreto is such an honour. It feels like it was only yesterday that I was asking permission to go to the Parade, Norwood. I feel very privileged to have been able to experience boarding life at Loreto. Living with a group of girls who quickly became like sisters and turned into lifelong friends is something I will always treasure.

During Year 12 I found myself questioning what I should study and what career path to take. I wasn’t particularly academic, but strongly interested in more creative subjects such as art and textiles. After graduating, I decided to take a gap year and used this time to travel and gain experience in the workforce in a variety of industries, including hospitality and retail. I knew I wanted to continue studying and gain qualifications to pursue a career. After researching many courses, I found a fashion design degree offered by TAFE and Flinders University.

It was through this degree that I found my love of fashion design. In our final year, we were tasked with creating our own fashion label; this is where Fikah all began. I was fortunate to intern for two fashion labels, which helped me learn the ropes of the fashion industry and what it took to own and manage my own brand – something I had always aspired to do. After my internships, I worked as a fashion and graphic design assistant and then moved into freelance work. I had the opportunity to work with some major brands in a variety of work, including textile, fashion, and graphic design. Throughout these roles, I learned many different aspects of the fashion industry, where I gained skills to make the launch of Fikah possible.

Throughout this time, I began planning to launch my own label with a strong focus on making sure I wasn’t going to create another fast fashion label that impacted the environment negatively. Fikah needed to be sustainable, ready to wear, feature timeless designs and only use high-quality fabrics. I based these goals on what I had learned through my degree and industry experience, but most importantly, what I wanted my brand to represent.

Thanks to the friendships I made at Loreto, both boarders and day girls, I had a community of people around me willing to use their skills to help bring Fikah to life. From help building the website to marketing advice and modelling – I have been so lucky to have such great people in my circle. Fikah launched in November 2022 and is continuing to grow. I aim to launch new collections each season and stay true to my ambition of creating a sustainable, high-quality investment pieces made to be worn over time.

My time at Loreto taught me the importance of resilience, teamwork, and friendship, all of which have been invaluable in giving me the confidence to launch my fashion label. I am incredibly grateful for those that have been with me throughout this journey.