Deux Diaries: Sarah & Andrea

Deux Diaries is the place for friends, partners, soul mates, lovers, the two of them.

In our inaugural edition, we're graced by Andrea Norberg and Sarah Doyle, the wildly creative duo behind Dirt. Two sides of a coin; Deux in mind, style and spirit.

 

 

 

 

Nicknames for one other

Sarah: It’s funny, I give nicknames to almost everything (very Australian of me), but Andrea might be the only person I’ve never given one to. Maybe it’s because we’re together 24/7, so I’m always talking to her, not about her. Now that she’s moving to the UK that might change. Some friends call her Drea 

Andrea: I wish I could say we had fun nicknames for each other, but it’s just Sarah and Andrea. All our friends call her Sezzy or Sez though!

 

Relationship

Andrea: First and foremost, we’re friends, but we’ve also been business partners for the past five years. Most of our travelling is done together too. I think we’ve found a really good balance between work and our personal lives. Whether we’re in Bali, Guangzhou or Paris, we always have a good time. It’s one of the many perks of building a business with friends. 

 

 

 

 

The moment you first connected

Sarah: We first connected at a friends club in Bali, Andreas' partner at the time was there to DJ and I saw them both come in and I  introduced myself. Then later when Covid hit we both lived a bit further up the coast which was very empty during those days so we started to get together almost daily.

Andrea: We were introduced through mutual friends at a bar called Black Cat in Bali around 2019. I don’t think that bar has existed for years. During the pandemic, Sarah and her partner moved into my neighbourhood and that’s when we really started spending time together. That period is when the seeds for Dirt were planted.

 

Why it works

Sarah: We’re very different people with different cultures and upbringings. We don’t always see things the same way, but those differences balance us out. Then we’re so similar in how we enjoy life, have fun, and express ourselves through fashion.

Andrea: In many ways we’re polar opposites, but we’re very similar in how we approach life. We don’t take things too seriously. We know when to lock in, but overall we keep things pretty light-hearted. At this point, we’re really good at reading each other’s moods and respecting boundaries. I think we’ve only had a couple of proper blow-out arguments in the past five years, but we talk it out and then we’re good again. Mutual respect is what really makes it work.

 

Top of the joint to do list

Sarah: We have had many new experiences together that we are both so grateful for! The goal would be just to continue making memories and experiences together as Dirt continues to grow.

 

Each other’s style in 3 words:

Sarah: New, ONBRAND, tailored. 

Andrea: Effortless, inventive, cool.

 

 

 

The best thing you’ve bought together

Sarah: Flights all over the world is a pretty cool one. Over the past five years, Dirt has given us the chance to travel widely and see new places together. 

Andrea: Probably the bright red desk we custom-made in Bali a few years ago. If you follow the brand, or us personally, you probably know exactly which one I mean. We first set it up in Sarah’s spare room when we were running the brand from there, it later moved with us into our first proper studio. It’s become a pretty symbolic piece in our journey. That desk has seen everything: growth, heartbreak, stress, joy, all of it! We recently closed our Bali office as I’m moving back to London and the brand shifts to a more remote way of working, so the desk has now made its way back to Sarah’s spare room. A full-circle moment, really.

 

Who would play the other in their biopic

Andrea: Margot Robbie. Sarah's a fan, and they're both Australian!

 

Something you love and admire about each other

Sarah: Andrea has a very serious, professional side, which I really admire. She also has a side which I love where she simply wants to enjoy life. She’s very much a YES man when it comes to new experiences, spending money (shopping, which we love love) and having fun. I also really admire her knowledge and awareness of everything around her, especially the things that matter to her.

Andrea: Sarah is really unapologetically herself. It’s very refreshing, especially in a time where everything feels overly curated and performative.

 

 

 

 

What you disagree on

Sarah: I think we disagree on many things, which is actually something I value about us. We often see life and work from different perspectives, and that contrast strengthens both our relationship and how we work together.

Andrea: We’re almost polar opposites, so we disagree on plenty of small, trivial things. But those differences actually come together in a really interesting way when we design. We rarely butt heads though, it just seems to work. I think that balance is a big part of why we collaborate so well.

 

Something you collect together

Sarah: We signed up for a Vogue subscription years ago and have too many magazines in storage. 

Andrea: We always make a point of vintage shopping whenever we visit a new city. Over the years we’ve collected a bunch of random pieces that we pass back and forth. We’re the same size in both clothing and shoes, so we can basically share wardrobes which really comes in handy, especially when travelling. 

 

A distinct memory shared

Sarah: A memory from when we just started Dirt has come to mind, we were such babies and really had no idea what we were doing but we had all the confidence in the world to think we could do something worth it and to dream big! Even in them early days when we may not have taken everything to seriously.

Andrea: The trip we did to New York a couple of years ago stands out to me. It was both of our first times in the city, and also our first fashion week. We were there for our showroom and acted as shoe sponsors for a couple of shows during the week. I think it was the first moment it truly hit us that the brand had real momentum, it felt pretty surreal.

 

 

 

 

 

Star sign analysis

Sarah: I don’t know much about astrology at all. I only know my birth sign is Taurus, and that's through and through, some might say.

Andrea: You’re asking the wrong people! I just downloaded Co-Star last week and found out I’m a Virgo rising, Aquarius moon. I’m still figuring out what that actually means. My sun is in Cancer, which makes sense. I cry a lot and love my people deeply.

 

Pet peeves

Sarah: I’m naturally a bit impatient. If someone’s late after we’ve agreed on a time, it can get to me. But living in Bali, you kind of learn to expect it, everyone runs on “Bali time.” It’s definitely rubbed off on me over the years, probably more than I’d like to admit.

Andrea: Badly organised spreadsheets. Nobody warns you how many hours a week you’ll actually spend working with them when you’re growing a fashion brand. You learn to get really good at it.

 

Fictional character analogy

Andrea: We’ve watched Sex and the City a million times over the years, I see a bit of ourselves in the characters. They’re so different from each other, but that forms a strong bond. We’re both approaching the same age as they were in the first season, which makes it feel so much more relatable. 

 

Best cheer up treat

Sarah: Dirty martini or beach walks, I like a balance. 

Andrea: I have a really bad sweet tooth. My current obsession is martabak manis, it’s a thick Indonesian pancake which comes with different fillings. The best combo is chocolate sprinkles, peanuts and grated cheese. Don’t knock it ‘til you try it.

 

 

Fave current song

Andrea: I’ve been listening to KeiyA’s album 'hooke’s law'. There are so many good songs on it, I’ve been rotating favourites.

 

Fave ingredient

Sarah: Garlic = health 

Andrea: Coriander, maybe. I love any herb. 

 

Do you have a shared playlist?

Andrea: For the past couple of seasons, we’ve asked friends of the brand to curate playlists with sounds they feel capture the spirit of the brand or the collection. It’s been so interesting to see all the different interpretations, they’ve all been amazing. We’ll link them below so you can explore them for yourself!

 

listen here: