The story of Gorman begins at the last stop on the Great Ocean Road in the coastal town of Warrnambool. In the 1970s the town had a tight knit population of 25,000 and of these people one young woman would go onto become one of Australia’s most recognised names in women’s fashion. Her name Lisa Gorman.

How we spend our childhoods can often foreshadow our future. The eldest of four daughters, Lisa started her fashion empire young by creating clothing for the Gorman sisters’ Barbie collection. Learning to sew as an eight-year-old by her mother Jane on her great grandmother’s hand operated Singer machine, Lisa collected fabric scraps from her neighbours and designed pint-sized couture. Her looks included tube tops, leggings and even sweater dresses with iron-on numbers. Once the miniature collections were ready, the Gorman sisters would stage a fashion show with their dolls complete with a DIY runway, lighting and ‘80s pop playlist.