Inside Story With Kate : Her Canberra

Kate Dawson is the face and brains behind one of Canberra’s most stylish shoe boutiques, Sissa Sorella.

Opening in 2018, you won’t find bright lights or white shelves, just a warm and inviting space tucked behind Double Shot at the Deakin shops.

A Business graduate from RMIT University in Melbourne, Kate embarked on a career in logistics with Qantas in Sydney before moving to Canberra upon the birth of her daughter Ava, 12 years ago.

She and husband Jai ran Flint in the Vines at Shaw Vineyard Estate in Murrumbateman for seven years, before a stint in event management at the National Gallery of Australia. We get the inside story on her colourful life.

What is the first thing you do when your feet hit the ground?

I take myself up Red Hill with our two cavaliers Lola and Charlie.

Tea or coffee?

Coffee before 10 am and herbal tea all the way until bedtime.

Fave coffee spot?

Without a doubt, Double Shot in Deakin. The staff are fabulous and the coffee is consistent (and it’s only 27 steps from my store!). Convenient.

What’s on your playlist?

Jazz. For the store.

Biggest Netflix binges?

Suits, Handmaid’s Tale, Outlander.

Canberra needs…?

More independently-owned boutiques in our suburban areas.

A beach would be nice to smell the ocean and walk along the sand with the waves crashing.

Big-name musicals—we head to Sydney for the big musicals. I wish we had more here to help us all stay local.

Reading?

I am currently just finishing up Boy Swallows Universe, and although I found it tricky at first to get into, I now can’t put it down. My other one on the go is Jacinda Ardern: The Story Behind an Extraordinary Leader. Next on my list is Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine.

Which area of Canberra do you live in and why?

Inner south. School and work are close by so it’s very convenient and saves me a lot of time. I grew up in the area and just love the proximity to everything.

I also relish the sense of community around here and love that I see familiar faces on my morning walk, in the coffee line and even picking up groceries.

You can read the whole article here on Her Canberra.