In Residence with

Anika Plowman

We sit down with Anika Plowman to talk about building Sage Agency, finding home in Melbourne, and the quiet transformation of becoming a mother.

Hailing from Tāmaki Makaurau, Anika Plowman (née Joshi-Smith) is someone who, through her own optimism, hard work and generosity, has built a career on genuine relationships. She began in fashion retail, learning the industry from the floor up, and over a decade on, the connections she made and continues to nurture have shaped everything that followed.

Today, Anika is the founder and director of Melbourne-based Sage Agency, guiding fashion brands through the complexity of global markets with the kind of instinct that only comes from having lived the industry first. She is also one of its most trusted voices, co-hosting Style-ish, a podcast that has accumulated over 2.2 million downloads and built a loyal community who want their fashion conversations to be as intelligent as they are enjoyable.

Behind the mic and beyond the meetings, Anika is also navigating one of life's most grounding chapters: new motherhood. She and her husband James are new parents to Poppy, raising her, alongside their beloved dog Miso, in a Richmond villa - a home that, like Anika herself, manages to feel considered and warm in equal measure.

We sat down with Anika to talk about building a business from scratch, what motherhood has quietly rearranged, and why Richmond has become home.

You started in fashion retail and built from there - relationships first, business second. Looking back at that version of yourself, what has changed about the recipe, and what has stayed exactly the same?

Community has always been important to me. I’m naturally a people-person and building my career from the shopfloor has taught me how to network, read a room and nurture relationships that last. Trust has always been at the core, and this has only solidified as my career has progressed. What’s changed is where I invest my time and energy.

Motherhood has taught me to be more mindful and deliberate. One thing I am adamant on, that relationships are the business, not something adjacent to it.   

Sage Agency exists to help fashion brands navigate global markets, a niche that demands both commercial precision and genuine creative fluency. How do you hold those two things together, and which one shows up more than you expect?

Having an innate understanding of the brands we represent, and their unique value proposition helps craft the commercial strategy. Our goal is to ensure the storytelling behind each brand is amplified in the market, never diluted even if it’s at the expense of a sale. Protecting our placements and positioning encourages longevity, but tracking and analysing the data is where the magic truly happens and guides us to make meaningful commercial decisions, season on season. Creative fluency helps to get a foot in the right door, but commercial precision is what helps us to sustain a long-term relationship. 

Style-ish has clearly struck a chord - 2.2 million downloads doesn't happen by accident. What do you think you and your co-hosts are bringing to this space that wasn't already there?

The synergy we’ve created in the room is hard to replicate. We genuinely enjoy each other’s company and value each other’s opinion and areas of expertise. We’re not all experts in the same field, so the conversations we’re having are informative, candid, and genuinely enjoyable.

We want the audience to feel included, so I think our ability to break down the industry in a palatable manner and from our own personal experiences, has helped to create trust with the listener. We also don’t take ourselves too seriously, so I think you can come to Style-ish for a sense of escapism and entertainment.

Your work is anchored in fashion, but a love for how things look and feel rarely stays in one lane. Does that sensibility carry through into the way you think about your home?

Completely. I don’t think you can spend a career immersed in rich aesthetics and storytelling without it influencing your surroundings. Our home is very much an extension of the instinct I bring to Sage - considered, but never precious.

Fashion has taught me to appreciate the finer details. I love the feeling you can get from a space, similar to the feeling of wearing beautiful products. Our home leans into that - natural materials, soft light, things that feel good to touch. We’ve created a space that holds up under real life, perfect for Poppy and Miso.

"Fashion has taught me to appreciate the finer details. I love the feeling you can get from a space, similar to the feeling of wearing beautiful products. Our home leans into that - natural materials, soft light, things that feel good to touch."

Becoming a mother to Poppy - how has it changed the way you move through a day? And as you come through the newborn haze, has it shifted what you want your work to actually feel like?

I am so much more intentional with my time and priorities. As an owner/operator, I don’t have the luxury of switching off from work, so alignment is integral. If anything, I’m now more selective of where I invest my energy. It’s less about chasing growth for its own sake and more about making sure everything I say yes to is aligned with the life I want to build for Poppy.

No matter what a day looks like, I'll always make it home for bathtime. It’s one of my favourite moments of each day. 

A home tells you a lot about a person - not the curated version, but the real one. What are the things in yours that matter most, the pieces or objects that have a story behind them?

I’m sentimental at heart and some of my most treasured pieces are those that hold meaning. Poppy's room has quickly become my favourite space in our home. This room used to be my wardrobe and now it’s a whimsical space designed for her imagination. My wedding veil hangs over her cot as a canopy, which I like to think acts as a reminder of the love around her.

You and James have made your life in Richmond, and it's also where BAYA's showroom sits. What is it about this pocket of Melbourne that keeps drawing people in?

Richmond has so much character and celebrates the lifestyle that Melbourne has to offer. Community and culture are at the heart, it’s vibrant and social while being wholesome and family-orientated. Some of our neighbours have lived on the street for decades, it’s the type of place you can make your forever home.  

Everyone has their Sunday rituals - the coffee order, the morning walk, the market run. Has the arrival of Poppy quietly rewritten yours, and what does a slow Sunday look like for the four of you now?

A sleep in, if we’re lucky! Poppy sets the pace and our Sundays are very much tailored around her. We used to rush out the door and always had somewhere to be. But now, some of my favourite Sunday rituals are the ones that never leave the house. Coffee outdoors with Miso playing on the grass, while James and I lounge with Poppy, in no hurry to be anywhere else. I used to think a weekend well spent was being busy, but now it’s just about the four of us being together. 

Anika & James' Selects

MAYFAIR RUG - WHEAT

SANDRINGHAM RUG - FOG