In 2021, we packed up life in Melbourne and moved north to the Gold Coast. We were looking for a lifestyle change and we got it, but I wasn't expecting it to also rewire how I think about clothes. The days and seasons are different here. The pace is different. The way women dress is different. Spring Summer stopped being a brief window and became a way of life. I started designing for real heat, for those days you're still in your outfit at 8pm and it still feels right. Living in Melbourne, Autumn Winter was always the focus. Now it's an even balance. That shift has been woven into every collection since.

I'm in the thick of it with three young kids, a brand, and exactly zero minutes to think about what I'm wearing in the morning. So I designed my way out of the problem. We're out the door by 8am and off to school and daycare drop off. I'm in whatever I'm wearing to work: photoshoots, agency meetings, supplier drop-ins, content days. The office is very casual and often, due to the heat, we don't need to wear much! This is particularly upsetting when we have launched a new AW range and I have to wait months for it to be cold enough to wear it. The days are full and there is certainly no time for an outfit change. If I'm not catching up with a friend for a walk or dinner, evenings are filled with a few hours of family chaos before bed. This is the reality I design for.

This brand exists because of the women who found it, came back for it, and told their friends about it. I don't take that lightly. Every season I ask myself the same question I started with. Does this make her life easier? Does it make her feel good? Does it earn a place in her wardrobe? If the answer is yes, we got it right. If it's not, we go again.