In 1992, Ronnie Sansonetti needed new pants. She wanted them to be flattering, comfortable and high quality pants that would survive being worn day in, day out. They needed to be able to keep up with two young children, running a business and a busy social calendar.

Unable to find anything that fit her brief, Ronnie made her own. The Grace Capri was created and became the first item in Ronnie’s fashion line, Andiamo. All clothing is designed and made in Sydney and Ronnie says she is fiercely proud to be one of the last standing family owned and operated Australian clothing labels. When she started Andiamo, off-shore production was unusual. Over the years, many Australian apparel businesses have migrated their production to Asia. Ronnie says she is fortunate this has never been an option for her. “We have worked hard over the years to build a long-lasting relationship with our local makers and in return we have been able to deliver a product that will last for years and will become a great investment for our customers,” she said. “We are proud to have been supporting some of our makers for over 20 years and even prouder that we are still able to continue to do so.”

Ronnie believes this commitment to remaining Australian made and ethical practices has led to increased support from customers and wholesalers. She says that guiding pattern makers, doing cutting in-house and supervising the production process ensures the best possible fit, quality and finishing. The Andiamo pant range has grown to include 20 variations of the classic capri – shorter, taller, wider, slimmer.

At the core of the Andiamo philosophy is creating Real Clothes for Real Women. Ronnie believes that feeling and looking great is about finding styles that work for you. “We design for women who are not slaves to fashion but appreciate style and enjoy new shapes with their figure and lifestyle in mind,” she said. “We don’t really believe in ironing, so we use as many easy care and stretch fabrics as we can.” Andiamo is stocked around the country, often by small business owners, mothers and daughters, and sometimes sons, wives and husbands, friends and business partners. Ronnie relishes the opportunity to support other small businesses and enjoys sharing in their collective success.

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