Alannah Hill

Alannah Louise Hill (born 26 March 1962) is an Australian fashion designer, well known in Australia and internationally. Alannah began her fashion career at Indigo Boutique in Chapel Street South Yarra in 1980. Alannah Hill the Brand was born whilst Alannah worked at Indigo for sixteen years. In 1997 Alannah began working for Factory X. Factory X were Alannah's investment backers for her Brand Alannah Hill. In 2013 Alannah famously walked away from her Brand "Alannah Hill" leaving Factory X to run the Alannah Hill Brand. Alannah has no creative input into the Brand she created and it's now solely run by Factory X.

Hill was born in Franklin, Tasmania, but spent much of her childhood in the coastal town of Penguin. At the age of 16 she moved to Melbourne, Victoria where she hoped to establish an acting career. She did have one small acting role in the 1986 film Dogs in Space starring Michael Hutchence.

In Melbourne, Alannah was cast as Girlfriend Number 2 in Richard Lowenstein’s 1986 “quintessential post-punk” Melbourne film Dogs in Space. In reference to her time as an actress:

“I had NO idea what I was doing on that film set! I kept staring into the camera unable to act, unable to focus, unable to accept that I didn’t have a name! I was an introvert trying to be an extrovert ~ I felt plain, unremarkable, almost as if I was slipping through the cracks of everyday life."

Whilst waitressing in a cafe, she was offered a job at a fashion store (Indigo) in Chapel Street, South Yarra, where she worked for fifteen years creating her brand Alannah Hill.

Hill opened her first boutique in 1997, and with the financial backing of Melbourne-based business Factory X, established 42 Alannah Hill stores in Australia as well as being stocked in David Jones stores.

On 15 August 2013, Hill announced she had walked away from her fashion business following a dispute with the label's owner Factory X. Factory X will continue to operate the Alannah Hill stores, however, Hill will not design for, or have any further input into, the brand that bears her name. At the time of her announcement, Hill indicated that she wanted to continue in the fashion industry.

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