Fashion Aces – Mark & Silvana Philippoussis
ATHLEISURE WEAR THAT’S AS STYLISH AS IT IS FUNCTIONAL
We weren’t born athletes, but we were born movers. Whether you’re hitting the gym, chasing after your kids or walking to your local coffee shop, aour focus is on comfort, function, and style.
At AS WE CREATE, we believe that clothing should not only look good and feel good, but also do good. That’s why all our garments are ethically made in Melbourne, Australia, using only 100% GOTS certified organic cotton.
We’ve skipped the middleman to bring you top-notch active wear at honest prices. Our commitment is simple: premium quality without the premium cost.
Join us and discover the freedom of movement without compromise. Explore our collections, join our community, and create your own adventure.
Mark Philippoussis (FOUNDER)
Tennis royalty Mark Philippoussis and his model wife, Silvana encapsulate glamour, health and success – an image that savvy marketers could only dream about.
But the couple is firmly in control of their own aspirational brand, As We Create, which is a luxe athleisure line that encompasses hoodies, sweat shirts and more.
In an even more powerful move, the couple is closely involved in its production right here in Australia and also model the collection.
It’s a solid partnership that has brought them even closer. Introduced through mutual friends, they married in San Diego, USA in 2013 and have two young children together, Nicholas and Maia.
Post his single tennis circuit life, Mark Philippoussis is now so much more – a visionary, who wants the entire nation to enjoy wearing As We Create. He is also someone who holds the space for his wife to write, paint and to nurture the family. Silvana is also designing a women’s only collection for the brand but more about that later.
The tennis champ, who was once ranked eighth in the world, has several reasons for supporting the Australian manufacturing sector. He wants to give back to the country where he was raised and flourished as a young man, and he also wants to produce premium, sustainable clothing that will become a wardrobe staple.
As We Create is not only ethically made in Melbourne but it is manufactured using 100% GOTS certified organic cotton – a true luxury line.
Mark and Silvana have also ensured that every piece in the collection sells for under $100. They believe that an affordable price point is only fair in the current economic conditions.
… it’s essential that our collection is affordable, so that more people have a chance to wear it and to feel good.
“The cost of living is way too high at the moment,” he explains. “A lot of people can’t even afford to pay rent. They go shopping for food and come out with a small $50 bag. So, it’s essential that our collection is affordable, so that more people have a chance to wear it and to feel good.”
After all, this is not only a collection that looks attractive but feels snug and soft against the skin. To pull on one of the hoodies, is to be embraced by comfort and warmth.
Just finding the right place to manufacture As We Create, was a challenge with only a handful of possibilities in Melbourne – a manageable drive from the Victorian Surf Coast where they live.
Philippoussis put a short list together and gave each factory a sample to make. His final decision was based on the quality of the garments and the attention to detail, including the stitching. It was also important to see how the factory was set up to ensure the range lived up to expectations.
“I’m not going to lie, it is very expensive for clothes to be made in Australia,” he says. “It seems that every six months a metre of fabric goes up, followed by another element and it all adds to the production costs.
“But Silvana and I are not interested in having another mass market sports brand, made overseas. We wanted it be authentically Australian.”
… I know that the fashion industry can be brutal, especially for those who want to get in and out fast. You can’t just make a million dollars overnight.
The couple acknowledge that their brand will take some time to develop. They’re looking at a plan of around 10 years while they build on the momentum.
“I don’t care if we go a few days without getting orders as I want to build something meaningful,” he says passionately. “I know that the fashion industry can be brutal, especially for those who want to get in and out fast. You can’t just make a million dollars overnight.”
As one of the most successful tennis players that Australia has ever produced, Philippoussis had an injury-plagued career but still managed to peak at No. 8 on world rankings.
He won two Davis Cup titles in 1999 and 2003, and made it to the finals of the US Open and Wimbledon.
These days, he still travels around the world to play in the Legends matches six times a year and was also a commentator at the recent Australian Open in Melbourne.
He’s a man whose known for his resilience, bouncing back from career defining injuries. However, this true grit was put to the test when he appeared in 2021 in one of the world’s toughest reality shows – SAS Australia. Viewers were treated to footage of him being thrown out of a chopper, climbing a dangling tightrope and repeatedly submerged in an ice bath, risking hypothermia. It was tough to watch even by SAS standards.
… as long as you keep going, as long as you keep believing, as long as you do not quit, you can achieve anything that you dream of.
“It challenged me physically, psychologically and emotionally,” he says. “In fact, it was one of the most difficult things that I have ever done. But I wanted to show my son that as long as you keep going, as long as you keep believing, as long as you do not quit, you can achieve anything that you dream of,” he says.
The resourceful Silvana also believes in stretching herself. She wrote and illustrated her first children’s book, ‘I Am Me,’ after not finding anything similar to read to her children.
“I wanted to make a clear message about everyone being different in their own way, so each person has to get comfortable in who they are,” she explains.
I Am Me, which is self-published, is now available in select bookstores in Victoria where she’s been blown away by the support she’s been given.
“Silvana is far too modest,” says Mark, proudly. “She’s an incredible artist, who’s already sold a bunch of her paintings and people pay her commissions to do more.”
So, clearly the couple is not lacking when it comes to finding a purpose and working hard. Perhaps there’s some advice for other small Aussie start-ups holding serve on their next move?
“Consistency is so important,” he says. “I approach my business the same way that I did my tennis career. It was all about spending hours on the court and getting my body strong enough to master any challenge.
“So, I believe that you just have to keep showing up and getting past your pain threshold whatever that might be. You just have to go in every day and work your butt off.”
That’s grand slam advice for all of us.
