By HTE Founder, Erin Hughes
Success is an interesting thing.
For some people it’s a number in a bank account. For others, it’s a title on a business card. But for Melanie Vincent, founder of Vic & Bert, success looks a little different.
It looks like arriving in Australia from England with an Australian husband, three young children, no home, no job and absolutely no idea what would come next.
“I had nothing,” Mel tells me matter-of-factly.
Well, almost nothing.
She had years of fashion industry experience behind her, a deep love of interiors, and a shipping container full of vintage treasures she’d collected over the years from London and France, including mirrors, furniture and unique pieces she couldn’t bear to leave behind.
When that container finally arrived in Australia, Mel found herself staring at boxes of beautiful things and wondering what on earth she was going to do with them.
So she opened a shop.
“All the locals thought I was this mad English girl,” she laughs.
Moving from London to a small community near Lorne was a culture shock in itself, but the little store quickly became known for being something different. Something special.
What Mel didn’t know at the time was that the tiny shop would become the beginning of a much bigger story.
There Was Never a Grand Plan
Unlike many founders, Mel didn’t sit down with a five-year strategy, investors or a detailed business blueprint.
In fact, Vic & Bert was born from something much simpler.
An instinct.
A passion.
And a belief that women deserved beautifully made, quality basics they could rely on.
While running the store, Mel continued freelancing in fashion between Melbourne and Sydney. One project for Liberty London introduced her to manufacturers in China, relationships that would eventually become the foundation for her own label.
From there, the pieces slowly started falling into place.
“There was no great business plan,” she says.
“There was just an urge to develop really good quality basics.”
And that’s exactly what she did.
Building Trust, One Garment at a Time
Ask Mel what the secret to growing a successful fashion brand is, and she won’t talk about marketing strategies or social media algorithms.
She talks about trust.
“I think building trust with customers is huge,” she says.
“Trust in the product and trust in you.”
It’s a philosophy that has guided every decision she’s made since day one.
After decades working across every aspect of the fashion industry, Mel knew quality couldn’t be compromised. She had trained as a pattern cutter and understood garment construction from the ground up.
That knowledge became her advantage.
“I didn’t need to depend on anyone but myself.”
Without large investments or family money behind her, every decision mattered. Every collection mattered. Every dollar mattered.
“Money isn’t the only thing that creates success,” she says.
“It’s necessary, but a great idea with little money is much better than a bad idea with lots of money thrown at it.”
When Passion Becomes Responsibility
The early days felt manageable.
Mel was adjusting to a new country, raising three young children and slowly building a business.
Then the business started growing.
And growing.
Every lesson learned was reinvested back into Vic & Bert.
Eventually, Mel found herself becoming the family’s primary breadwinner.
Suddenly the stakes felt different.
“The wheels started spinning faster.”
Anyone who has built a business while raising a family will understand exactly what she’s talking about.
The constant problem solving.
The endless decisions.
The pressure.
The responsibility.
You wake up with one challenge, solve it, and move straight onto the next.
But despite the stress, Mel never lost sight of why she started.
Fashion Without the Noise
What makes Vic & Bert different isn’t just the clothing.
It’s the philosophy behind it.
Mel isn’t interested in forcing women into trends or telling them how they should dress.
Instead, she wants to give women the confidence to create their own style.
“Our customers range from 17 to 90 years old,” she says.
“Everyone wears it differently.”
In an industry that often feels obsessed with youth and fast-moving trends, it’s a refreshing perspective.
If anything, Mel admits she tends to move away from trends once they become too popular.
“If I start seeing too much of something, I usually head towards the next idea.”
Perhaps that’s why Vic & Bert has developed such a loyal following.
The brand feels personal.
Authentic.
Honest.
And in a market increasingly filled with labels that look remarkably similar, customers recognise the difference.
The Reality of Running an Independent Label
Of course, building a fashion business isn’t without challenges.
Cash flow remains one of the biggest.
So does balancing quality, pricing and sustainability.
Mel intentionally keeps production runs small because she doesn’t believe in overproducing clothing.
She’s conscious of the environmental impact and equally conscious of creating pieces that feel special.
“I don’t want to buy what everyone else has.”
“I want someone to ask me where I got it.”
It’s also why she’s careful about growth.
While many brands chase rapid expansion, Mel worries about what can be lost in the process.
“I see so many brands experience massive growth, prices go up and quality declines.”
“And somewhere along the way, the soul sells out.”
For someone who has built her business entirely on authenticity, that’s not a compromise she’s willing to make.
Defining Success
When I ask Mel what success means to her now, she pauses.
Because after everything she’s achieved, the answer isn’t straightforward.
She moved to the other side of the world.
Built a business from scratch.
Created clothing that has become a staple in thousands of women’s wardrobes.
Built lasting friendships.
Created a community.
“That sounds like success,” she says.
And honestly, it’s hard to argue.
As for what’s next?
A small Melbourne store is high on the wish list.
Beyond that, she’s open to the possibilities, while remaining fiercely protective of the values that got her here.
Because Vic & Bert was never built purely for financial gain.
It was built from passion.
From experience.
From persistence.
And from one woman’s determination to create something meaningful.
Something honest.
Something that lasts.
And perhaps that’s exactly why women keep coming back.
Behind every great brand is a story. To discover Vic & Bert and explore the latest collection, click here. And to dive deeper into Melanie Vincent’s honest, inspiring journey, read our full interview here.
