2020 has been a turbulent, emotionally-draining year. For one young Aussie designer, having strength and resilience has been the only saving grace to surviving.
Rebecca Klodinsky, 32, is proof that people can really do it all, if they’re prepared to work for it. From being forced to rebrand her label and then the bittersweet timing of launching as COVID-19 hit, navigating the current climate as Australian retailers collapse, restructuring while working remotely and raising her toddler as a single mum … all while trying to relax and relish her loved-up relationship with AFL player, Lachie Henderson. Rebecca’s life has been nothing short of insanity.
However in what has been a long awaited reconnection, Rebecca and Lachie have entered a Southport located AFL Hub together, after Rebecca had spent two weeks in the hub by herself and her son as Lachie was in WA playing. Sharing the hotel with other players, wives and kids; the hotel is locked-down with minimal staff and daily heath checks. While in the iso-hub, she continues to juggle her personal and professional stresses, all while running her business with a toddler in tow. This will be her new normal for the next 5-6 weeks with hub lockdowns extending through to the end of the season.
Rebecca has built her multimillion-dollar swimwear brand, IIXIIST, from the ground up – twice – having to first change from Frankie to Frankii Swim, and then from Frankii Swim to IIXIIST, a dual-relaunch that came down to an overly saturated market filled with businesses that all sound the same. However after spending years in and out of lawyers offices, doing everything in her willpower to save the 2nd brand change, Rebecca decided enough was enough; it was time to take the leap to a name that was bold and stood out on its own. Enter: IIXIIST.
A bittersweet transition, Frankii had amassed an impressive list of celebrity devotees such as Kim Kardashian, Kylie Jenner, Bella Hadid, Rihanna and Hailey Bieber to name a few, who had all reached out to the designer directly requesting pieces (and posting them to their socials for free), plus a cool 225,000 Instagram followers and the endless stream of #frankiiswim awareness.
Then came Coronavirus and the crippling economy pressures that followed; it’s the recipe for an Aussie success story as the label thrives and survives despite the hurdles faced in its relatively young lifespan.
From launching her then ‘Frankie’ at the age of 24 while working in retail full-time and studying a double degree in forensic psychology, to transforming her business to a $7M a year brand; as an entrepreneur Rebecca has tackled some tough tasks head-on – all while navigating single motherhood.
While inside the hub Rebecca is designing her new collection for summer 2020/21, adjusting her processes and collection drops to work with the global Lycra shortages.
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