Grace Olivia Roberts on Turning Her Sun-Filled Lifestyle Into a Sneaker Story
Meet the Australian designer and founder of Temptation Vacation whose debut ASICS SportStyle collaboration is an ode to “tuning out and dialling in.”
It’s not every day you get to showcase your hometown to the world, let alone through your very own sneaker collaboration. Most won’t ever experience an opportunity like this, but Grace Olivia Roberts is making sure it’s one that’s going to count. Hailing from the Gold Coast, Queensland, Australia, Roberts came to prominence through social media thanks to her effortless, sneaker styling inspiration, rocking everything from the Nike Air Max Plus to the ASICS Novalis GEL Teremoa. But it’s not just Roberts in the limelight these days, it’s her lifestyle brand, Temptation Vacation, too.
Co-founded in 2020 with Ed Hatcher, Temptation Vacation is a direct reflection of the duo’s lifestyle on Australia’s East Coast. The brand’s mantra, “Tune Out, Dial In,” is a succession of words she swears by; a reminder that a break isn’t measured in distance, but in the pauses you claim for yourself. Roberts’ hometown has indubitably shaped both her personal style (with her signature outfit being a bikini, baggy pants and sneakers) and brand ethos – and naturally has played a huge part in the collaboration.
Now, the designer and brand owner is ready for a new challenge with the unveiling of Temptation Vacation’s debut collaboration with ASICS SportStyle. More than just an aesthetic iteration of the ASICS SportStyle GEL-DS Trainer 14, the design is a love letter to Australia – reminiscent of weekends spent along the country’s coastline, invoking the essence of the Australian beach through its textures and color palette.
For this installment of Baes with Kicks, we sat down with Roberts to chat about her relationship with sneakers, carrying a part of Australia in everything she does, the process of designing her first ASICS collaboration and more.
Name: Grace Olivia Roberts
Occupation: Brand Owner
Location: Gold Coast, Queensland, Australia
What’s your relationship with sneakers? Have they been a constant throughout your life?
Sneakers have always been a massive part of my life. Mixing comfort with style, all in one, is everything to me. I just always end up in a pair of sneakers I’m loving, with a comfortable pant, no matter what.
You’re from the Gold Coast, Australia, how does your home base inspire you – whether that’s your personal style or design process?
Home definitely inspires my personal style. Our relaxed coastal lifestyle here allows me to throw on my bikini with some baggy pants and sneakers, which to me is the most perfect functional and cool outfit. You get to show off some fun style and colors, while at the same time being comfortable every day.
How does that tie into your brand, Temptation Vacation? Is Australia what inspired you to create the brand?
The brand was created around the idea of a single moment in vacation, wherever that may be, whenever that may be. Our vision was to strike the optimal balance of comfort, functionality and luxury, as that’s how we love to live our lives. It’s all about the simple things in life as a moment of enjoyment, blended with luxurious moments, but at the same time not needing one or the other to enjoy the present.
The brand itself taught us that what brings the most happiness is really just enjoying moments, and enjoying the scenic route, not so much the destination. It’s all about the people we work with, the places we get to travel to and making stories along the way.
What can you tell us about Temptation Vacation’s debut collaboration with ASICS SportStyle?
We are beyond excited. It’s been a long journey. To be able to create a shoe that is everything I love about a sneaker has been a dream. We have an awesome team of friends who have worked with us from the start, who have all had input. From design to models, photographers and videographers, everyone involved in this collab has been there from the start — it really feels special. We made sure we took in a mix of ideas from the whole team, internal and external, to tell this Australian story.
The collaboration has a special heel detail, which reads “Tune Out, Dial In.” What is the significance of the phrase?
The idea is to “Tune Out” from the stresses of daily life, and “Dial In” to a moment of relaxation. It’s all about taking some time, long or short, and enjoying a moment of peace. This is something we need a reminder to do every day, as you get carried away with busy jobs and life, so what better place than your own collaboration to remind you.
The campaign is a vacation for your senses and transports you to that place of calm and serenity. In terms of the global sneaker narrative, it puts Australia on the map in a big way. What are your thoughts on that?
Our aim for this campaign was to highlight the beauty in our own backyards. Only a two-hour flight away in our home state, we were in the most beautiful, untouched tropical oasis we had ever been to in Australia—Magnetic Island. We want the world to see all the beauty we have to offer in our home country.
What helps you keep on top of all the things you’re constantly working on?
I’m super proud of how far we’ve come and I’m so grateful that I get to do what I love everyday, around all my favourite people. To be honest with you, I think we are never really truly on top of everything and it’s the crazy mix and balance that makes it fun. At the end of the day, there’s always something you feel you could have put more time into, but essentially that’s the message we want to tell – you need to pause in the moment and focus on just that one thing – and let the rest go. I guess it’s a learning that we are still working on.
Speaking of work, what’s planned for the rest of the year?
We’re working on some new collections, trying to get a little more consistent with a drop schedule, but always want to keep it fun and interesting so, I guess that’s a balance. We’re really trying to dial in the product we are making, not rush anything and let the new silhouettes and fabrics talk. Honestly, I just want to make products that we love to wear ourselves and you probably guessed… take some time to relax, too.
