After 6 years of bringing you styling shoes for all seasons, we thought it high time you met the team. One half of the SAINT&SUMMER duo is Roxy Message; passionate entrepreneur, ridiculously talented athlete (she’ll kill us for saying that) and mom bomb! Roxy means business… it’s something she has always been passionate about.
Read her awesome answers in our Q&A with the #bosslady herself.
Was there life before SAINT&SUMMER?
Before SAINT&SUMMER, I had my own swimwear label: Roxstar Bikinis, which I had a lot of fun with. I also learnt a lot about the industry as a result. The SAINT&SUMMER came along and in its early years, it grew so much that I felt, in order to prioritise my family, I had to choose. I chose shoes!
You’re clearly passionate about shoes. What else?
Without a doubt my family come in tops. They are my ultimate joy.
Second to that I love keeping fit and being active and seeing what my body is capable of by taking part in endurance events. I am also fiercely passionate about being the best role model that I can be for my children, as my mother was to me. One of the values she instilled in me was to be a financially independent women and being a business owner herself, I always aspired to follow in her footsteps.
What can we spot you wearing from the AW19 range?
Definitely the BRANDY leopard print slip on. I am obsessed with easy wearing moment and love the detail of the leopard print fabric and gold buckles, which brings a trendy twist to an otherwise ordinary sandal.
Tough question… but what’s your top pick from all the SAINT&SUMMER styles?
I have loved our white SNEAKY platform sneaker. They are so incredibly versatile and comfortable and can be paired with just about anything. I love that they are made from PU and can be easily wiped cleaned and the platform sole helps to give this shorty bit of height.
The little ones? We want to know everything…
My children are my absolute pride and joy and 2 answered prayers. We adopted my daughter, Summer in August 2016. She was born at 29 weeks and weighed a teeny tiny 3.1kgs when we brought her home when she was 6 months old. She is now 4 years old and has grown and developed so beautifully. She is our fiery, sassy one and keeps us on our toes.
We adopted our son, Jagger, in May 2018 and brought him home when he was 3 weeks old. He is now 3 and is a little darling with the squishiest thighs you have ever seen. No… seriously! They’re too much. He is a sensitive soul who is very affectionate and always has a smile on his face, which obviously, always puts one on mine. We are so incredibly privileged to have been entrusted with these 2 angels to call our own. Our little family is now complete with our gorgeous pigeon pair. “ I love you because the entire universe conspired to help me find you.” This piece from Paulo Coelho’s The Alchemist sums it up for us. Everything happens for a reason. And they are ours!
On that note… Who came first? Summer the sassy 3 year old, or SAINT&SUMMER?
The shoes came first, but I feeI need to add that I’ve always loved the name Summer. It’s been on my “girls names” list for years. Long before we dreamt up S&S. I did contemplate calling our son Saint like Kim K but settled on something more original?!
What inspires you…
- My husband - he is a specialist in his field of Logistics and his knowledge and experience has always inspired me. He has taught me to never stop learning.
- My mom and sister - they are exceptional businesswomen who both run very successful businesses, Suburban Cafe and CROP Hair Studio. Their dedication to their businesses and incredible work ethic is always something I aspire to. Simply put, they rock!
- My partner in crime, Julia - Her boldness and ambition never fail to amaze me. She is persistent and never gives up no matter how unobtainable the end result seems. Her steadfastness inspires me to try new things and take risks knowing she will always back me.
- My children - I would love to be the best role model that I can be to my children. I hope to teach them that they can do absolutely anything they set their little hearts to.
Your 3 most important things about being a woman:
- Independent - Before you are a wife or a mother, you are YOU and can stand on your own 2 feet.
- We are multi-taskers and damn good at it!
- We leave our egos at the door.
What are some interesting places work has taken you?
Taiwan was the most fun. It’s where, even after 20 years, Julia and I had one of my best nights out to date. The video evidence is something that needs to be kept tightly under lock and key!
What have you learnt about working with a friend?
There is nothing better than seeing your best friend every day and travelling the world with them and experiencing new things. The highs are higher and the lows are lower as there is 20 years of friendship riding on it.
“When I’m happy I …
Get very excitable and laugh a lot.
What don’t we know about you?
I am hugely shy and hate being in the spotlight. I boycotted my entire wedding out of fear of walking down the aisle and all eyes being on me. Instead we opted to elope in Mauritius with 15 of my nearest and dearest.
SAINT&SUMMER in three sexy words:
Bold, provocative, resilient