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Cath's take on the industry is based on long years in the textiles industry. She and Kirsten met in the early nineties when both women were working at fabric label John Kaldor: Kirsten in a commercial role, Cath as a designer. Inevitably they went their separate ways; Cath going on to co-found the hugely successful Art Park homewares label followed by a solo enterprise under the name Masterpeace, and Kirsten making a sideways move into costume design.

Cath Dersema (left) and Kirsten Junor

But in 2003, a good fifteen years later, a chance encounter brought them together again, and almost instantly they fell upon the idea of combining their talents and going into business together. Within months they were designing patterns, printing fabrics, stitching up garments and homewares under the name Prints Charming and successfully selling their products to a growing network of retailers.

The initial success was sudden and satisfying, but the design duo was soon feeling the limitations of a business based on product alone. Then, a chance visit in late 2004 to one of Australia's leading patchwork shops in Sydney led to a change in direction. Cath and Kirsten walked into the shop as anonymous browsers and walked out having secured an on-the-spot business deal to have Prints Charming screen-printed fabrics being stocked in one of the quilting community's most respected outlets.

Prints Charming's partnership with Marcus is a natural progression for the young business - a fairytale, you might say - but not entirely unexpected according to Cath, who theorizes that the youth and originality of the local product is at last making an impression on an international market that is ready for something new. "I think the American quilter will really enjoy our designs because they are fresh and different, with their own personality - our mood is light, bright and whimsical! The team felt that Marcus' approach to this segment of the market was the right match for their designs.

Kirsten says, "We feel that everything we had done until we met again was leading us to this. Everything we'd learned along the way. Every exhibition we'd seen. Every drawing we'd done. We were meant to meet and this is what was meant to happen."

Though Prints Charming's fabric designs for Marcus will now be available to patchwork and quilting communities worldwide, Cath and Kirsten also continue to produce functional wares like bags, dresses, pillow cases and lampshades. Kirsten sums up: "We're both absolutely passionate about this."