Holly Bowden and Emma Petterwood open joint shop in Hobart

It was a sliding doors moment with coffee which sparked a relationship between two Tasmanian fashion icons. They’ve now just opened a new store together and are taking Hobart by storm.

It was luck and good fortune that brought two Tasmanian fashion icons, Holly Bowden and Emma Petterwood, together.

The pair ran into each other when Emma was having coffee and she shared with Holly she was negotiating a lease for a shop in the Hobart CBD for her After Eight brand.

“Cool, I’ll do it with you,” Holly, who owns Mason Hats said.

“I think we both knew that when businesses and women support each other incredible things can happen.”

Hundreds of locals and tourists have poured into their joint Murray St shop since it opened a week ago.

Emma launched After Eight in December 2020 in her garage with a handful of designers and a small collection of pieces.

Holly Bowden of Mason Hats and Emma Petterwood of After Eight and have joined forces to open a city store in Murray Street. Picture: Linda Higginson

“Late in 2021 I opened the first After Eight boutique in Salamanca above street level in a New York-esq style retail space-come-private styling suite,” she said.

“The spot is all part of the charm, but there was a niggling inside me that a street frontage space should be our next move.”

“The opportunity to move to Murray St was too good to pass up.

“There was perfect alignment between our two brands.”

Emma was amused when one customer asked if the brands were from Melbourne.

“I said, ‘no, just down the road at Salamanca’ and she couldn’t believe that she had never heard of us,” she said.

Holly believes her hats and Emma’s clothing are a great combination and allow customers to “get a whole look in store”.

Emma Petterwood of After Eight and Holly Bowden of Mason Hats have joined forces to open a city store in Murray Street. Picture: Linda Higginson

“Creating luxury headwear is something very important to me as I love hats and know how important it is to prioritise sun protection,” she said.

“I wanted to offer people something that they actually want to wear all year around- not just because they should.

“A great hat has the power to transform and complete a whole look.”

With the Spring racing season, leavers’ dinners and Christmas ahead Emma sad it was the “perfect time” for both brands to be in the city.

“It’s early days but I have a feeling we will be in Murray Street for a little longer than our three month lease,” she said.