DEC 25th That’s Ana. And me. Production meeting. Back in February. Drinking tea on her mums living room floor, Hawkes Bay. We were working on winter patterns, before summer even launched. That’s a whole lotta faith mixed with a lil bit of crazy. Planting sowing watering waiting, watching intently for signs of growth and change. That’s been the theme this year. Plant the seed. Plant the seed. Watch it grow. Ana talks about this when we ‘work’ together (aka grow a relationship that fuels and nurtures our businesses) - I’m astounded when Ana shares she once wished for different seeds. Ones that would help through healing, ones that said ‘Doctor’...
NOV 29th I talk a lot about clothes being great communicators and connectors. As women they are the ice breaker. They encourage our first words to one another. But as well as being one of the tools we reach for in relationship building, for me they also storehouses and mementos - like photographs in a cherished family album. For my Mum and me especially they trace the history of our relationship. I look at clothes she’s made me, or I have made her over the years and I remember what we talked about as we chose the fabric and designed and sewed the pieces. I remember the first outfit she taught me to make when I was eight....
NOV 22nd Ok Confessions, this one barely scrapes by as a Throwback Thursday – technically we’re throwing forward as these beauties are yet to hit the racks. But for me they have been a long time in the making – their story began right back at the beginning of Tonic & Cloth The road to organic denim with comfy, ‘on point’ goodness was a wiggly one. Dotted with samples that were too heavy or lacking stretch, or with suppliers whose minimum order quantities had me shaking at the knees. But it was also a road that was stretching out toward sustainability. Usually when we talk about sustainability, we focus on saving the planet and organics – which is...
NOV 15th The Get Shorty Shorts started as a One of a Kind Wednesday creation. I wanted the flirty summer goodness of a pair of shorts, but with a little kick of vintage sass. AND they had to be wearable too of course – so yes you guessed it, elastic! And pockets! I made the original pair from a light-hearted sherbet yellow linen and backed the waistband with a vintage floral print. The high waist/elastic combo brought the polish without the pain. While their flirty vintage goodness had me hankering for a martini and a spot of tennis. You could wear them with some plain white sneakers but in my opinion a pair of two-tone heels really make them...
NOV 8th July 1st was my birthday and like any woman worth her salt I bought myself a gift. Then had my kiddos wrap it and present it to me in a flurry of birthday morning excitement. It was the ultimate ‘put a smile on my dial’ gift, a set a tiny ceramic coffee cups handcrafted by the incredible ladies of Light + Vessel. Two days later, on July 3rd I received an email from Carolyn Enting of Good Magazine asking Tonic & Cloth to show in the Good Sustainable Style Show at NZ Fashion Week. Carolyn talked about the importance of styling on the catwalk, and as I sat and mused over this – sipping my coffee from my...
