FUSING FASHION AND FUNCTION For Jabbour, entrepreneurship was part of her upbringing. Growing up with a father who ran a successful fashion manufacturing business, she saw the impact of invention and determination firsthand. “My dad was an entrepreneur with a successful business producing shirts and suits for major retailers,” Jabbour recalls. “He was one of the first Australian businesses to set up an office in China, bridging that manufacturing gap when no one else was.” This exposure gave her an early understanding of the fashion industry and a passion for business. While studying marketing at university, Jabbour was intrigued by fashion’s role in brand identity and how first impressions shape experiences. “I was really passionate about the power of dressing the part and how what you wear impacts how you feel,” she explains. That insight was the seed that led to the founding of Total Image Group. Jabbour saw a gap in the uniform industry where fashion and function rarely met.“Nineteen years ago, the uniforms’ options were limited unless you were a bank or an airline.You had minimal women’s styles, boxy cuts, and polyester fabrics that didn’t represent the companies they served,” Jabbour notes. With a vision to create fashion-forward uniforms that also served practical needs, Jabbour launched Total Image Group, leveraging her father’s experience in manufacturing while adding her flair for design and brand storytelling.“Our goal was to make great uniforms that represented the brands they stood for. We wanted to create uniforms that employees would feel good wearing,” she says. FROM LEARNING TO LEADING One of Total Image Group’s unique aspects is its deep family involvement. Jabbour’s father, who initially helped guide her through the business’s complexities, now serves as TIG’s Chief Financial Officer (CFO). Her husband, who joined the business a few years later, plays a role in project management, IT, and operations. However, Jabbour stresses that working with family requires careful navigation. “Initially, my father had a much more active role, and I was learning from him. But as the business grew, we had to figure out the balance. We had a conversation where I said, ‘There can only be one leader, and I’d like to captain the ship.’ Fortunately, he was very comfortable with that, but it was a moment of growth for both of us,” Jabbour reflects. Similarly, Jabbour’s relationship with her husband in the business required boundaries and clear 97 BUSINESS VIEW OCEANIA VOLUME 06, ISSUE 10 TOTAL IMAGE GROUP (TIG)
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