Poppy Lissiman has lived a big life, travelling the world and transforming the spaces she lives and works from wherever she lands. The well-known designer has built a world of accessories that are as much about self-expression as they are about style. In this conversation we are invited into her intimate and playful world, one that is lit up with themed parties and dreams of building her future home on the coast of Japan. It seems there’s no limit to her imagination and almost anything is possible if you keep an open mind and work hard towards that goal. From her early days sewing clothes as a teenager in Perth, to creating one of Australia’s most recognisable independent labels, Poppy’s journey is one of creativity, determination and adventure. We had the pleasure of taking a wander through the interiors of her imagination, to see what the view looks like from inside the mind of a true creative entrepreneur.
My dream job when I was a kid was to either be a doctor or a vet. Unfortunately I didn’t get the grades to pursue that path but thankfully always was a creative at heart so had that to fall back on. Being a fashion designer wasn’t something I’d initially considered or was talked about as a career path when I was in high school. When I got my first retail job fresh out of high school and worked with other amazing creatives who were all in their final years of studying fashion design I considered it as a job. My mum taught me to sew when I was 10 years old and I had always made my own clothes, occasionally selling them to friends and a few small boutiques as a side hustle. When I was 19 I properly started my own brand and the rest is history.
If I wasn’t doing fashion / accessories I would be doing interiors. I’ve dabbled in designing my own furniture here and there and had the pleasure of renovating a house my husband and I bought back in Fremantle, WA during the peak of covid which was one of the best creative outlets I’d ever had the pleasure to work on outside of my brand.
What do you do for fun? What keeps you sane while running a business?
When I have the time and means I love travelling more than anything, I get so much inspiration from it and I’m lucky enough that my work allows me to travel and tack some personal time onto those trips. When I’m home I love entertaining, throwing parties (usually always themed!) and having friends over.
What would you tell yourself now that you didn’t know when you started?
Learn accounting.
What creative rituals do you do at home to get you in the mood for designing?
I can’t start work until my entire space is tidy which isn’t exactly a creative ritual, so once my surroundings are in order I always like to light some incense and put a pot of tea on. If I’m designing I often listen to a podcast while I draw or work on photoshop.
We hear you’ve got an incredible book collection, what titles do you recommend?
Oh gosh, books are my absolute vice! I’m working towards building an epic library - we’re moving house at the moment and my husband was complaining about how many heavy boxes the books take up, to which I had to remind him of one of my favourite quotes from John Waters “If you go home with somebody and they don’t have any books - don’t fuck them”.
One of my favourite books I’ve bought in recent years is The Beauty Of Time Travel by Ramdane Touhami (founder of Officine Universelle Buly) it’s an absolute masterclass on building a brand. Other titles I love and have bought many times for gifts are Rennie Ellis’ photo books for Australiana nostalgia, also been loving giving the Women’s Weekly Vintage Edition of the Children’s Cake Book to friends with kids. Over the weekend I visited Dale Frank’s gardens outside of the Hunter Valley and had my first edition of his Artworks from 2006-2023 signed so this is my current favourite book in rotation I’ve been pouring over.
What’s next on your wish list for decorating your home?
Given I’m moving again I’m thinking a lot about my new house - I’ve never done wallpaper before so I’m going deep down the wallpaper rabbit hole at the moment. I also need to buy an outdoor setting but I don’t like anything I’ve seen so far so I think I will make something myself or enlist someone to help me! I have a very specific idea of what I want.
What do you miss most about living in Tokyo and how do you build a home away from home?
Our life in Tokyo was very tranquil and slow paced which a lot of people are surprised about compared to Australia. I felt very safe and free there, from walking around late at night alone to freedom to express yourself creatively, like the way you dress - there are so many safe spaces for all the sub cultures to thrive and people to really be themselves which was incredible to experience first hand. Building a home away from home was really awesome because we moved up there with just our clothes in suitcases so I was able to design a space from scratch. It was the first time I had worked from home so the space I designed was quite muted - I went with a lot of earthy tones like tan, brown and sand mixed with loads of plants - I guess my mindset was if I had to work and live in this space 24/7 I needed it to be not too overwhelming on the senses. Totally switched it up when we moved back to Australia and went back to a very clashing space with a tiger print couch and red persian rugs.
If you could live and create from anywhere in the world where would it be?
100% Japan. Either Tokyo again or further down the coast on the Izu Peninsula. I miss it so much and aspire to one day have a holiday home there to retreat to!
When you are travelling, what are the essential accessories you never leave home without?
I always travel with between 10-20 pairs of sunglasses and about 10 handbags (occupational hazard as an accessories designer!) I also have a lot of costume jewellery I usually always bring with me as well. I never leave town without a box of incense and a collection of scents, I’m addicted to perfumes and have dozens on rotation.
What are you most excited about this year?
I feel like this year of the Snake is destined to involve a lot of shedding and change which I’m excited and a little bit scared about but embracing as it’s happening. I started designing apparel again late last year after a 10 year hiatus and looking forward to releasing more clothing pieces this year for my brand.
Photography by Tarek Kourhani