STORY

I never planned to start a clothing brand.

I simply couldn't find outdoor clothing that I wanted to wear.

Every time I walked into an outdoor store, I felt like I had to compromise.

The fit wasn't right.

The colours weren't right.

The design wasn't right.

None of it felt like me.

Being petite, I struggled to find clothing that fitted the way I wanted. Most pieces felt oversized or bulky, when all I wanted was something more streamlined.

I found myself drawn to outdoor clothing from the 1970s and 1980s. I missed those colour palettes. They had largely disappeared from women's outdoor clothing, yet they were exactly the colours I wanted to wear.

I couldn't find those colours in the fabrics I wanted.

The idea stayed with me.

Then, while hiking at Cradle Mountain in Tasmania, another hiker admired what I was wearing. Ironically, almost everything I had on came from op shops. I'd put the outfits together myself, but they weren't technical enough for the outdoors.

As we talked, I found myself describing the clothing I wished existed.

He simply said,

"You should make it."

I'd heard those words before.

This time, I stopped dismissing the idea.