Photography: Michelle Sokolich.
By the time Stephanie “Steph” Marsters answers Woman’s Weekly’s video call, she has filmed fresh social content, tackled office admin and prepared a customer poll about next winter’s knitwear.
It’s classic Steph: busy, bubbly, “lover of a good yap” and plotting her next move.
“I’ve got little projects running around in my head all the time,” the 53-year-old laughs.
They include a rather unlikely meatloaf food truck.
“Labrador energy, I guess!”
A decade ago, life looked very different. With two children and sometimes just $2.30 left before payday, the West Auckland mum used a $1000 work bonus to buy 40 garments.
Filling a gap in the market
For two years, she worked full-time, built her label Isla-Maree at night and sold clothes at weekend markets, determined to keep the business in the community that first backed her.
“It was exhausting, but exciting because I could see it growing,” she says.
After launching online in 2016, Isla-Maree took off.
“People were gagging for something new and good in the plus-size market,” she explains.
When Steph started out, the options for plus-size women were, ironically, slim. Larger women had few places to find the same stylish clothing available in mainstream stores – a gap Steph says still remains.
“It’s a huge group of women who deserve the same fashion as everybody else,” she insists.
“There’s no excuse. It can be done and it should be done.”
Choosing confidence at every age
Today, Isla-Maree generates more than $3 million in annual revenue and employs 12 people.Although she describes herself as a “funny-looking kid” with braces, big ears and frizzy hair, confidence always came naturally. Ageing online has occasionally tested it.
“My customers are growing with me. It’s nice for them to see I’m just showing up as I am.”
Unkind comments can briefly rattle her, but Steph and her team laugh them off.
“You have to because otherwise it would stop you showing up.”
Her relationship with her body was more complicated. Like many women who came of age in the ’90s, Steph spent years pursuing an elusive ideal. Motherhood and the Isla-Maree community changed that.
“People were loving my body, my style and how I looked, and I thought, ‘If other people are loving it, I should probably love it too.’”
Her advice to women delaying photos, holidays or fashion until they lose weight is simple: live now.
“If you want to wear the balloon pants, wear them. It’s about walking into a room feeling confident and feeling like yourself. It’s the mind that’s stopping you.”
The family behind the label
Steph met her husband Nelio while playing touch rugby after he stepped in when her team was short. Later, a friend secretly programmed Steph’s number into his phone.
“A couple of weeks later, he rang asking, ‘Who is this?’” she laughs.
“I didn’t remember his name, but we got chatting. The rest is history.”
Married for 22 years, “Big Nelio” – to distinguish him from their 21-year-old son “Little Nelio” – now works alongside Steph. Sons Nelio and Matteo, 14, grew up helping at markets, in the warehouse and in their mum’s social media videos.
“They’re not embarrassed by me, thank God!” she laughs.
“They’re quite proud, which is nice.”
The story behind the name Isla-Maree
Matteo has a sweet connection to the company’s name. Conceived during a Cook Islands holiday, he was the family’s long-awaited chance for a girl. Steph imagined a dark-haired daughter named Isla-Maree – combining “island” with her middle name.
“Everyone had pinned their hopes on me,” she says.
“Then I went for the scan and she was a boy. I thought, ‘Oops, sorry, guys!’”
Unable to relinquish the name, she gave it to her business.
“It was the dream of my baby girl,” she smiles.
Neither son currently wants to take it over
“See, I should have had a daughter,” she laughs.
“They might marry someone who’s interested though!”
A success she still can’t believe
Despite her success, Steph still carries the mindset of the mum who counted every dollar.
“It’s really hard to shake. I still feel like I’ve got to be careful.”
For Isla-Maree’s 10th anniversary, she splurged on a Louis Vuitton men’s bag – chosen because it was sporty and had plenty of pockets.
“It took 10 years to allow myself to do that.”
More importantly, Isla-Maree enabled her family to move from renting into their own home and become debt-free. Steph remains surprised by her side hustle’s success.
“I thought it would always be a market stall,” she says.
“Every day, I wake up and think, ‘Really?’ I’m driving to my building, with my staff and all my things. It’s still amazing.”
