2024- Contemplations
•Posted on January 19 2024
Happy New Year,
I really enjoyed the festive season this year with lots of real relaxing and I think I’m finally learning how to do it. There were minimal times that I found myself in the workroom, which is a new thing for me as I usually just pop in there to write an idea down or check on a fabric. I found that doing a jigsaw puzzle while listening to an audiobook stops my mind from wandering onto work things. The simple process of sorting puzzle pieces while visualising the book that’s being narrated was perfect, I recommend it.
The start 2024 work year has been filled planning the year ahead. Last October we had a Pop Up Event to launch the RANT ‘Whispers of the Flowers’ collection and everyone loved the opportunity to touch the fabrics and try on things they have looked at online. So this year we have two events planned, both in the same venue, Scrumptious Reads (a cute independent bookstore) in Red Hill, Brisbane. There’s plenty of parking it’s a really nice space to set up shop in.
Winter ~June 1st & 2nd
Summer ~ November 2nd & 3rd.
I’ve been asked if we can do events in other cities but it would be too difficult to do, sorry. Just transferring the stock along with racks and changing rooms etc is a mammoth task when it’s only a suburb away. But if you did plan to come to Brisbane this year and did make it here on one of those weekends, it would great to see you and say hi.
We are keeping to our minimal production again this year, creating small capsule collections in limited quantities. It’s a more sustainable way as we don’t want to make any more than we can comfortably sell. We’re not part of the business model that makes lots and then has big markdowns to move it all. Our production is small and considered, adding new fabrics and styles along with the classics we are known for.
Over the 20 years that RANT has been around, we have made many styles and some of them come and go over the years. Many of these ‘blast from the past’ styles that re-emerge have happened because I get requests. I listen to all suggestions and take note of what’s being asked for. When I have a few requests for a certain style and I have the right fabric available and it matches the collection I’m creating, I add it.
The Cleo pants are a perfect example. I last made these in 2012/13 in plain black and olive bamboo. Many people loved them and had several pairs of them, wearing them most days. A few years later I received emails asking if we are doing them again as their favourites were getting worn out and they wanted to secure ‘back up pairs’. In 2020 I did make a new version of them, adding some panel lines and pockets, but people still wanted the originals with no side seams or pockets so they sat flat and layered perfectly.
Doing pants like this isn’t very economical as the pattern pieces are big and you end up with a narrow long piece down the side which was hard to use. As we are cutting everything in house now and doing small runs, we were able to cut the long slim panels of the Lanky legs in this awkward off cut, making it a viable style to do again.
(Above are images from 2012 The Vine collection, showing outfits with the bamboo Cleo pants)
Finally in late 2023 the Cleo pants returned in plain black and printed bamboo and they are making quite a few people happy. We plan to keep this loved style in stock for a while, topping up sizes as we sell out of them.
(below are the new options for the Cleo pants, plain black and printed bamboo)
So if you have a favourite style that you would like to see return or any other suggestions, don’t hesitate to contact me, via email, Instagram or leave me a comment on this post.
Over this summer season I was surprised at how many merino wool garments we sent out. It seems many people are back into travelling with Japan along with the UK and Europe being top of the destination lists. It’s interesting packing the orders and seeing what people are buying and the mix of warm merino in some and lightweight Bestowed dresses in others has me realising that totally season-less things have become.
(Dakotah cutting a few Aura tops for the Bestowed collection )
Considering this, I’m making the 20th Bestowed collection truly season-less. I’m working on this collection at the moment and plan to launch it mid- late March. I am doing a sleeveless dress but also a long sleeved coat, a 3/4 sleeved dress & tunic with comfy pants to layer underneath, perfect if you’re traveling to the northern hemisphere mid year and perfect if you live in the northern parts of Australia too.
I’ll post pics on Instagram if you want to follow along with the process there otherwise we update every couple of weeks via our newsletter (sign up on the bottom of our main page). If you sign up for the newsletter I promise you won’t fill your inbox! We only send updates once a fortnight and to be honest, I wouldn’t have that much to say if we sent them daily. We’re into ‘SLOW fashion’ which is considered production, making less, making it the best we can and only producing what’s needed.
Cheers,
Sarah
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Posted by Diana | January 24, 2024
Leave a CommentThanks Sarah, my wardrobe is full of your designs. My favs are Bestowed maxi dresses for relaxing at home in the hot Perth summers, and Harmony and Marmalade skirts and a variety of tops for venturing out. I have several versions of your Helen pants for mid season and a very comfy pair of very baggy striped cotton pants for summer. I get to wear my summer gear in June / July too when I visit my US family in North Carolina each year. I get lots of comments there ;) Can’t wait to see your next collection . Cheers Diana