CONNECTING ONLINE BUSINESSWOMEN

SYDNEY

* Includes cocktails & canapes

MELBOURNE

17th February 2009

advantate
156 George Street, Fitzroy, VIC

Click here to register

BRISBANE

19th May 2009

Brisbane venue TBC

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Lara Dall'Alba

destinationstyle.com.au

Lara Dall'Alba was born in Hong Kong and returned to Australia with her family at eight years of age. She was happy growing up in small town Brisbane but she never really got the lights and shopping of Hong Kong out of her soul...

In her early twenties Lara finished her university education in the sciences, decided not to pursue Medicine and moved to London, a vibrant Mecca of style and sophistication. It was here she hatched a plan to watch out for a great business idea in London that she could return to Australia with.

Almost five years later, after many travels and an English boyfriend as part of the entourage, Lara decided the internet shopping marketplace abroad was emerging as more than just a flash in the pan. Lara also observed that Australia had taken its previous lowly fashion presence and had gone high end with fashion. It was time to bite the bullet, return to Australia and chase down brands and labels offering a different niche from what was currently in the marketplace; quality garments at an affordable price.

Lara returned to Australia and whilst waiting for the website to be created her introduction into fashion was to dabble in design. She created a range of sleeveless sequined cotton kaftans to sell at Bondi Beach Markets and managed to get invaluable international publicity when she met Paris Hilton and when the next day Paris was mobbed wearing her designs on Sydney's Oxford St.

May 2007, DestinationStyle.com.au was launched and its 'Affordable Chic' ethos has been quickly snapped up by many women across Australia and overseas. The site has been profiled by various national papers including Sydney Morning Herald, The Age and The Courier Mail and women's glossies have included pieces from the site for fashion shoots including Shop Till You Drop, Cosmopolitan, Cleo, InStyle, Who magazine and New Weekly.

In June 2008 Lara was named as a finalist in the Anthill Magazine's 30 under 30 Small Business Entrepreneurs competition. Lara is currently enjoying the challenge of building a young business and raising the profile of online shopping in Australia.

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