From Panama Hats to Interior Design: Tina Kent (Fairholme Old Girl 1999)
March 24, 2025
Tina Kent | 1999 | Black House | Day Girl
'One of the things I loved about Fairholme was the emphasis on encouragement, empowering each other and celebrating each others’ achievements.'
For Fairholme Old Girl and successful interior designer, Tina Kent (1999), these seemingly small rules were more than just guidelines; they were a way of teaching the importance of maintaining a strong, consistent presence, both personally and professionally. She says in the same way the emphasis on kindness and respect at Fairholme wasn’t just about being polite, ‘it was about representing our values in everything we did, no matter the situation.’
‘The creative side of Interior decorating is equally as important as the communication side,’ she says. ‘I have to be able to communicate my ideas, the look of the room and practically how it will function to the client. At Fairholme, I remember being encouraged to speak on assembly, and have my own opinions in class, with the Principal and teachers.
‘I think Fairholme gave me the training to be able to speak about an area of knowledge with confidence. I also think having a go and being kind were two big messages that came out of school.’
When Tina walked out Palm Drive for the last time in 1999, she earned a Bachelor of Nutrition and Dietetics degree and spent a decade working in the industry… until her passion for interior design gradually took centre stage. What began as a seed of interest in pretty and practical wares and fashion, soon evolved into a fully-fledged career shift, as she discovered a love for creating beautiful, functional spaces. Driven by her creative vision and a desire to bring aesthetic harmony to the environments around her, she embraced the world of interior design, where her unique perspective and attention to detail would flourish. Her brand, LCA (Lady Chatterley’s Affair), has gained such popularity among interior enthusiasts, she has recently expanded to include not only interiors, but home decor, homewares, fashion, accessories and workshops.
‘LCA started when Mum had an idea to design and manufacture beautiful coloured shopping baskets inspired by a vintage basket her grandmother had. We began wholesaling our LCA Baskets into boutiques and gift shops all over Australia. After the baskets were successful, we started adding other fashion accessories - leather bags, jewellery, children’s clothes, hats and shoes.’
But it was one ostensibly innocuous interaction with her Geography teacher in 1997 that has perhaps had the most impact on her career.
‘My Geography teacher, Mrs Sulewski (who was also my favourite teacher!) was incredibly practical but used to wear high heels to school every day. When I was in Year 10, I remember her saying, ‘Look at the demographic trends and choose a career that will be highly sought after.’
In 2010, Tina did indeed look at the demographic trends and started an online shop selling fashion accessories and soft furnishings. ‘I wonder if Mrs Sulewski knew just how huge ecommerce would become?’
‘I started my online shop before any of the major shops were online, and we used to send parcels all over Australia. Many of my customers were based in regional areas of Australia. Life was very busy and full with two babies and a small business. I was decorating our home and customers used to ask about soft furnishings and so over time I started to professionally decorate their homes… Interestingly, many of these customers are Fairholme Old Girls.’
This Fairholme Old Girl network support has proven to be a powerful and invaluable asset when it comes to growing her business. Tina says the strong, supportive community of past students, bound by the shared history and a deep commitment to one another, has provided a unique platform for collaboration and opportunity. In regional Australia, where connections can be somewhat limiting, the Fairholme Old Girl network has become a vital lifeline, fostering both professional growth and personal connections that have helped her business thrive.
‘At the time I didn’t realise how extensive the country girl network was in regional Australia. Since having an online shop and using mainly social media for marketing I can now see how valuable that network is.
‘Many of my customers are Fairholme Old Girls that I didn’t know at school, yet started supporting my business in its early days. Clients like working with people they know and feel comfortable with, and I find rapport with country women – and Fairholme Old Girls - very easy.’
Tina credits part of her success to this tenant; the power of women supporting one another in business, and in life. ‘One of the things I loved about Fairholme was the emphasis on encouragement, empowering each other and celebrating each other’s achievements,’ she reflects.
‘I was always very motivated by friends who were clever at school and, in turn, they cheered me on to achieve. At school, I felt like we were all encouraged as individuals to achieve, and then we celebrated the achievements as a group. There were so many activities and options at Fairholme for girls to be good at different things. I’ve had support and backing throughout my career from excellent females and it has been so valuable.’
The interhouse rivalry at the swimming carnival and dance competition, fundraising for Interact, the musicals with Toowoomba Grammar School, and the friendships between Day Girls and Boarders are all touchstone memories for Tina, and she hopes current students create their own lasting memories, finding joy in the friendly competition, the spirit of giving, and the bonds formed both in and outside the classroom.
‘Fairholme for me was about building confidence. I left school confident I could achieve at university, confident to be able to meet with, and speak to, people in all social situations, confident to make lasting friendships, and confident that I could achieve at anything I dedicated time and effort to.
‘I would encourage the current Fairholme cohort to get involved in as much as possible at school and try all of the things. A career can twist and turn and take on many different paths, but the skills of making friendships, finding the joy in what you do, and empowering fellow females are invaluable - and lasting.’
More News…
Fairholme College is delighted to welcome Mr Mitch Koina as our new Coordinator of High Performance Coaching. Bringing more than a decade of experience across diverse educational settings, Mitch joins the community with a strong commitment to student wellbeing, participation, and performance. ‘This is my 12th year of teaching,’ Mitch shares. ‘I’ve done a range of different contexts now, I did two years down at Lockyer District High School, I then spent six years at St Mary’s College before moving to St Josephs, where I’ve been for the last three years. Now obviously I’ve made my way over to Fairholme which I’m really excited about.’ It was both the College’s reputation and the scope of the role that drew Mitch to Fairholme. ‘Fairholme is a very prestigious college, it’s got a great name and reputation,’ he said. ‘The role itself is really exciting for me. I’ve got a passion for fitness and particularly looking after the wellbeing of young girls, whether that be on the sporting field or with their social aspect, academics, just all round developing good girls on and off the court.’ A strong advocate for pastoral care, Mitch brings valuable leadership experience to the position. ‘I did a Head of House role at St Mary’s for three and a half years, so pastoral care has always been my calling so it’s great to tie in the sporting aspect as well as wellbeing,’ he explained. His philosophy centres on the connection between student wellbeing and performance. ‘It’s all dependant on each other. If we’ve got girls who are happy and their wellbeing is flourishing, then they are doing well on the sporting field and vice versa too.’ Looking ahead, Mitch is focused on building both excellence and enjoyment within the program. ‘I would love to get participation rates very high. We have a lot of elite athletes here that I want to achieve and do really well, but I also want to work on girls enjoying their training, coming in and having a nice vibe around the sporting field and the training.’ Importantly, Mitch emphasises that success looks different for every student. ‘We’re not all Australian representatives, but if girls are working really hard and achieving to the best of their potential, whatever level that may be in the sporting arena, I think that’s a program we can be very proud of.’ As he begins his journey at Fairholme, Mitch is eager to connect with the community. ‘I’m really excited to be a part of Fairholme, it is a great opportunity. The staff and the students have been fantastic to me so far, but as the weeks go on, I’m really looking forward to getting to know the girls and building some relationships from there.’ We warmly welcome Mitch to Fairholme and look forward to the energy, care, and expertise he will bring to our High Performance Sports program.
What inspired you to apply for the Prefect for Sport position? I was inspired to go for this position as I have seen the passion that Fairholme as a community has for sport, and the true love and respect the staff have for athletes at the college. I wanted to work closely with the girls and staff to help progressing sport at Fairholme. Do you have a favourite sport? My favourite sport is touch football. It has given me so very much and I am forever grateful. What has been your proudest sporting moment so far? My proudest sporting moment so far was being fortunate enough to represent my country in the sport I love most. Who has been your biggest influence or role model in sport? My biggest role model in sport has to my parents. They never fail to push me towards things that might seem out of my comfort zone or scary. They constantly support me through everything and influence me to be the best version of myself on and off the field. What are you hoping to achieve this year as Prefect for Sport? I aim to inspire everyone to just have a go. By the end of my final year at Fairholme I hope I can inspire people to just get o ut of their comfort zones and try something new. What advice would you give your Year 7 self? I would tell my Year 7 self that in the big picture no one is going to judge you for trying your hardest and giving things ago! And not to put too much pressure on yourself! Do you hope to pursue sport after school? I wish to continue to play sport at a high level after school. whether that is through touch or rugby. Sport is a very important part of my life that will hopefully continue well after I leave school.
How long have you been involved in The Arts at Fairholme? Since I began here in Year 7, but before then I started playing piano and violin in Year 5. I have participated in a number of ensembles within the school and greatly enjoyed each of these. What does being the Prefect for The Arts mean to you? Personally, I think that being the Prefect for The Arts is primarily a role in which I can help to support other girls. I’m a designated person that girls can come to if they have any questions or concerns with anything regarding extracurricular artistic involvement, and I do a little to help with running some of the artistic aspects around the school, such as finding girls to volunteer for busking at events. But mostly, I think it is about being a positive promoter for the arts, and encouraging other girls to expand their world view to include creativity. Which art form do you enjoy most (e.g. music, drama, visual art, dance etc)? My main art form that I participate in is instrumental music, through my involvement in a few ensembles within the school on violin and piano. However, other art forms, like dancing during March Pasts or singing Shine Jesus Shine are pretty fun too. Do you have a most memorable Arts experience? I think that one of the most memorable Arts experiences that I have had has been at events where I have accompanied my grade, like when all the Year 11’s last year sung at the Valedictorian dinner and I played piano along with other instrumentalists in my grade, Tilly Anderson and Emma Salter. However, I think the most enjoyable Arts experience that I have had is playing Jingle Bell Rock at the boarding Christmas dinner last year, when the rest of my cohort stood around the piano singing. I felt that this was one of those excellent examples of how music can bring people together. What advice would you give to students who might be nervous about joining an arts activity? I would say that it is always worth giving something new a go. You’re much more likely to regret the chances you never took than the ones you do. I’m a strong believer that being involved in any form of extra-curricular activity is so beneficial for everyone; it expands your world view, you meet new people, and get outside your comfort zone. Each individual has something they are good at, and how are you going to find out what that is if you don’t try? Do you hope to continue with The Arts after school? Definitely. It has become such a big part of my life, and I honestly get so much enjoyment out of it. The great thing about the arts is that they are things that you can do at any time of your life. You’re never too old, that’s a skill you have for life. Other people can also get so much enjoyment out of the artistic abilities of others. Who doesn’t love to have someone who can sit around the camp-fire and play guitar, or create a beautiful piece of artwork?
