Lisa Ho

[1] She began sewing at age four inspired by her grandmother of African descent,[2] a tailor, whom Ho says she 'probably drove mad'.

Ho made patterns out of newspaper and by age 10 had a sewing machine at the end of the kitchen table 'that nobody was allowed to move,' which she used every day to make things for herself and four sisters.

She later trained in fashion design at East Sydney Technical College, graduating in 1981 and spent a year working for three other companies, which she 'hated', before going out on her own.

[7] Her international reputation was first recognised during the 2000 Summer Olympics opening ceremony, which featured a special segment she designed celebrating her role in Australian fashion.

Ho was one of the victims of serial conman Hamish McLaren (ultimately losing her companies and $350,000 personally) who she met in 2011.