Raspberries and Soda is a proudly Australian made women’s fashion brand, but being Australian made is more than just a label for us - it’s a history of becoming and growing and way of creating, sharing and building a legacy.
My family immigrated to Australia when I was a child, and I chose to naturalize as a teenager knowing this was where I would call home. I grew up here, in a semi-rural area surrounded by native plants and animals. In my own backyard I was lucky enough to see possums, rainbow lorikeets, green tree frogs, koalas, cockatoos, frilled-neck lizards, magpies and even goannas . I spent hours obsessed over trying to draw the native flowers, and loved collecting cicada exoskeletons and looking for Christmas beetles as we inched towards summer. My favourite things are watching the seasons change and noticing which trees are flowering, what bugs are in the garden and how the weather is shifting.
There is so much I love about Australia, and it’s my adoration for the natural beauty of this country that inspires me to design and create pieces that are wearable for our unique climate, and which are also environmentally conscious - respecting the country I am so proud to call my home.
One of the main ways I design wearability into our garments is through fabric selection. Here in Brisbane where I am based, it is often humid and very warm, so wearing garments that are breathable and don’t stick to you is a priority. This is a major reason I choose to work primarily with natural fibres like linen, cotton and silk. These allow your body to breathe and the air to flow easily through them helping you stay cool. They are also eventually biodegradable, unlike their synthetic counter parts. They come from plants and animals and one day can be turned back into the soil without creating extra pollution, micro plastics or environmental damage. Respect for the environment is a central value in all aspects of our day to day work.
No one could ever say Australia is a beige or boring country - our people have bold personalities, our birds are some of the most colourful in the world, our weather changes are dramatic and powerful, and the country is so vast our landscapes are widely varied and changing. This vibrancy and variety is what inspires the strong colour choices and bold print selections that are the backbone of Raspberries and Soda’s designs. I want designs that share the colour, culture and the multifaceted beauty of this incredible land.
I see it as a privilege to live, work and create in Australia. Supporting other Australian made businesses is practically my hobby these days. I obsess over other small brands creating unique, fun and cute products; from mural and mixed media artists, earring makers, scrunchie sewists, the best chocolate products and beautiful pottery and homewares, there is so much talent to be found here.
I work hard to find skilled Australian based suppliers, makers and production partners that can be integrated into Raspberries and Soda’s products. I use local surface designers, fabric manufacturers and printers, pattern graders, seamstresses and embroidery specialists to bring new designs that embody Australian spirit to life. Working with other brilliant Australians brings me so much joy, and knowing that by working together we keep skills, talent and future job opportunities right here reinforces that being Australian made is not just a cool thing to do but will build a legacy for our children and the generations to come.
My children are first generation Australians, and I hope they can grow up adoring this country in the same way I have. I want to create a legacy of not only a brand that respects and reflects our home, but one that celebrates it and all its wild, diverse and incredibly unique characteristics. A brand that is memorable for the way it loves and cares for both its heritage and the future it is helping to shape.