Luke Sales' entry into the fashion industry's lofty and exclusive heights hasn't required the brute force and headstrong business bitch skills that many may assume necessary. He and his business partner Anna Plunkett have instead taken the path more like that of the chosen ones – surprising even themselves at the swift international acceptance of their label Romance was Born.

'I must admit, I don't know what happened but we were pretty lucky, our stuff has gone off really well. It's amazing how well we've done considering we're only two years old and we just left fashion school. I don't think it's been as hard as I thought it would be.'

Luke left high school and took up a place at University studying Botany, seemingly strange for a boy who had always had an eye for art. It wasn't until his auntie's neighbour, a teacher of fashion at Newcastle TAFE, started talk of Luke making a study switch that he considered it seriously.

Luke went to Newcastle TAFE for a time and then moved on up to the *Sydney Design School* where he met Anna and the pair started their label. Always quietly confident, Luke found his studies provided a chance to hone the pre-existing talents he possessed, but not much more.

'I didn't really learn much about the industry from our course even though I'm sure you were supposed to. I've just learnt so much from doing it myself that I've kind of forgotten what I learnt.'

The talented two of Romance was Born found themselves drenched in opportunity when an entry in the International Tertiary Support Competition ITS#4 held in Trieste, Italy turned out to be a winning one. They were one of the 20 labels, selected out of 700 entrants, to take up an internship with John Galliano in Paris – an amazing experience for some kids just out of school. Still, Luke found his desire to just create (and do his own thing) remained top priority.

'It was kinda frustrating also 'cos we had nowhere to work. We worked in and out of each other's bedrooms and whatever cos we couldn't really afford to hire a studio. It's kinda cool to look back and go, "Fuck Yeah, I'm glad we aren't doing that anymore", cos we just wanted to keep on working so we could get to the point where we could afford to work somewhere comfortable also.'

Romance was Born has since been seen adorning many a high-profile canvas, such as the bodies of Debbie Harry, Karen O and Lilly Allen; the pages of Oyster, Yen and Dazed & Confused; and the catwalks of the Melbourne International Fashion Festival. But for Luke the glitzy stuff is the least of his interests.

'Every now and then you have to do some thing for PR or for a magazine that you're not really into, or just be getting filmed and I freak out. It's not really the kind of stuff I want to do. We don't really understand Australia's obsession with the face behind the label and how fashion designers are known by everyone, that's not really what fashion is.'

Luke also has no interest in regurgitating a pre-packaged line about what Romance was Born is all about or offering some insightful reasoning behind his designs but he says,

'I think it's really good when you see someone on the street wearing it and they're really happy about it, or when you can see that some one gets it. I think that's the best part of the job.'

With their space in-which-to-exist-in-creative-bliss Luke and Anna can continue working away at their collections. Enjoying protection from the distractingly bright lights of the fashion world while the plot their next step: to Japan.

'It's such an amazing country, yeah more Japan stuff, and maybe a show in New York next year and maybe Paris as well cos it's like I don't know, why not, may as well.'