Ruth Hurley Reveals How She Started A Fashion Empire

In 2012, Ruth Hurley took a year-long break from her full-time job in marketing to travel through Latin America. Instead of sipping cocktails by the pool round the clock, Hurley, who studied at the London College of Fashion, used her gap year to prepare to start a swimwear label back in Australia.

While travelling, she did her business research, spoke to suppliers and drew up designs.

“I think you have the headspace to do that when you’re on holiday. People have good ideas all the time, but when you’re working 9am to 5pm, it’s hard to devote time and energy to them,” she advises.

When Hurley returned to her job in 2013, she launched RH Swimwear – spending every morning, evening, lunchbreak and weekend working on the brand and packing orders in her living room.

“When you’re passionate about it, you don’t mind getting up early,” says Hurley, who went part time at work before quitting completely almost two years ago.

Hurley’s marketing experience certainly helped with promoting the brand, but she says outsourcing her distribution, accounting and IT was the best decision she made – as well as swapping her living room for a warehouse in Western Sydney. The business has doubled in size year on year, gaining a cult following with fans including bikini blogger Tash Oakley.

“I was driving the other day and saw a girl wearing one of my bikinis and had to really focus on the road so I didn’t crash the car,” says Hurley, who now pays herself a salary from the businesses profits. “Phew!”