Meet Merinda Jackson and Emma Simpson, the girls of australian label Runaway Lovers.

How did you come up with the name for the label?

Basically its just a romantic notion of our ideal weekend. Escaping the city for the open road with your hot man or a group of girlfriends for a carefree weekend of partying & laughing at the beach, or an open fire in a cosy cottage. Just escaping the weekly routine!

Having started out as friends, how do you successfully manage both a business and personal relationship with each other?

We’re lucky, we’ve actually become better friends for it. We don’t know what the key is, but its working for us. Our personality types are very similar in some ways & in the ways we’re different we compliment eachother. Communication & knowing when to give eachother space is very important.

Do you have any pet peeves about your business partner?

Tragically we spend so much time together we’ve gotten used to each others quirks. As long as we can keep laughing at them we will not be heading for divorce anytime soon! Our boyfriends do get slightly jealous though!

Has it been a tough journey thus far?

No, its been great fun & we’ve learnt a lot about ourselves & how to run a business. It's actually gone extremely quickly because you are always working a year ahead.

What is the biggest challenge you have faced?

Deadlines!!! Unfortunately its hard when you're depending on a long line of other people to keep their deadlines so you can keep yours.

Given the opportunity to change something, what would it be?

If we could change anything it would be asking for advice from peers & professionals instead of learning the hard way.

The 'Runaway Lovers' girl is....

She’s natural, free spirited, quietly confident & not afraid to be herself.

What does the label represent to you?

It represents the freedom to be adventurous & the quintessential Australian lifestyle.

Describe your favourite piece of the current collection?

The sunseeker cotton bikinis are our current favourite because they’re so different from the other lycra padded bikinis around. It's also the first season we’ve introduced swimwear & we’re proud of the great fits.

Where do you hope to take your label in the future?

We hope to take the label overseas & introduce the Aussie lifestyle we represent in our collections to international customers. We would also love to reach more rural & coastal areas within Australia. After many travels overseas, we feel lucky to have such a beautiful country & rugged coastlines to inspire us & to escape to!! We’re proud for our clothes to represent who we are & where we’re from.

For stockists and to view designs check out; www.runawaylovers.com.au