Made By Hand
What a rollercoaster the last few months have been for all of us! So much so that it has taken us that long to properly introduce you to our new collection “Made By Hand”.
This collection is very close to our heart as it has been such a labour of love for all our team in Fremantle, Western Australia and The Stitching Project in Pushkar, India who produces all our clothes.
From the time of concept, I decided to collaborate with Ómra Caoimhe and my daughter, Madeleine Beech, both 2018 Fine Arts graduates, in our mission to offer emerging artists a creative platform in a structured environment focused on sustainable and fair practices and connecting them with communities using their traditional craft skills.
Together, they created a narrative focusing on the human before the garment whether it be maker or wearer.
More than ever it celebrates our makers, the skills they have learned through cultural heritage and strong community sharing, the processes they use daily using their hands, their passion and commitment to craftsmanship.
It also brings into focus the human in the wearer. To bring consciousness back into an act that has been banalised over the last decade is a step to the joy and pride one gets from the beauty of cloth, choosing a garment, learning its origin, story and the way it was made so that one can cherish it, learn how to look after it and even mend it.
Ómra Caoimhe and Madeleine Beech used the study of folk art books featuring handmade toys to create emotive and striking prints of cane benches, fences and gathering people in communities highlighting the raw texture of natural traditional khadi cloth.
I feel truly blessed that they took this challenge with such passion and professionalism to create such a beautiful collection.
For this collection to come to fruition, the team of The Stitching Project had to overcome incredible challenges and obstacles and we are incredibly grateful and humbled by their resilience and commitment. After a strict lockdown of 12 weeks, the team worked tirelessly to finish a collection that was a week away from completion before lockdown. With no government buses and most infrastructures still shut, they showed up every day. They cut, block printed, ironed, and stitched to deliver a collection showcasing the highest level of craftsmanship.
To every single team member of The Stitching Project and especially to Fiona who coordinated it all with such faith, humour and patience while dealing with the hardships India has had and continues to face, I am eternally grateful.
What we have created together is a testimony of the incredible partnership, the family we have formed over the last 6 years. We work hard, we have high expectations of ourselves, we support each other and we laugh.
You, our customers, are part of this family. Your support over the last few months has kept us going. Your messages of support, words of kindness, referrals, and your orders have made us so proud and grateful of the community we have built together.
Together we will get through this.
Enjoy “Made By Hand”. This is our gift to you.
The collection is now available online, in our Collab store at the Fremantle Markets and Store @ Fib at the Fremantle Fibonacci Centre.
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