A Sneak View Behind the Curtain

The Building Blocks collection we did was a little earlier than our usual winter offerings. In 2024 we did the launch of the 'RANT Pants' collection in June when it was cooler and Brisbane was in winter mode. It was challenging doing a merino collection during the hot and very humid Brisbane summer but we had the merino knitted and dyed in our custom colours sitting here and ready to go. 

We needed to have the collection created, photo shoot and Pop Up done and all the stock cut, sewn, washed, checked & tagged before May...... Why did it have to be early this year?

Those of you who know our little family business know that since 2023 it's been just myself and my son Dakotah working here daily at RANT HQ. Being such a skeleton staff it makes taking holidays challenging without closing down for a week. But this year we had an occasion that only happens once and needed us to all be involved and some days off were needed. 

Dakotah got married to Alice, after 7 years of being part of our family it was made official. It was very small and private, more like an Elopement but with us included. Seven of us took off to Binna Burra for an extended weekend of eating, chatting, playing cards and walking in the forest. We arrived on the Friday, so by the time Monday came around we were all chilled out and relaxed. 

Before the sun came up on the Monday morning, our talented friend and photographer Todd Hunter McGaw headed up the mountain to join us. Lucky for us Todd happens to be a celebrant too! Todd has known Dakotah since he was about 11 years old, and Dakotah didn't want to be married by anyone else than Todd.

So... the Building Blocks collection was created so I could make the Wedding outfits. We wanted the perfect green coloured merino and that had to be custom dyed. And to get custom dyeing you need to meet the minimums, so to make the wedding outfits I needed to do a collection at the same time. 

The Facade Coat we first did in 2018 and both Dakotah and I love it, swishing around in our black coats in winter each year. Dakotah wanted a green Facade Coat as his wedding outfit and that was the starting point of the collection too. His version was custom made extra long and without ties as he likes it to simply flow behind him as he walks. I also made some thick bamboo pants ( tweaked from the Nellie pants shape) to tuck into some knee hi 'Nom D' boots I had from 20 years ago that were actually a little too big for me but were the perfect fit on him. 

Alice is really petite so I custom made a wedding coat for her with  proportions to suit. The outside layer was the same green merino which I fully lined in an Elderberry coloured silk/cotton, so it ended up being the same colours as the Building Blocks collection. The Coat was fastened with a beautiful copper leaf brooch that was cast from real leaves and made locally. Under her coat she wore a tonal spirulina green bamboo Copper top and Thea skirt. 

Making the outfits for them both was such a special thing. I kept it as a secret so neither of them knew exactly what the other was wearing till the morning. 

A dawn wedding, above the clouds, shrouded in mist, kept warm by the soft merino, celebrating a special moment.

Just something to share, without sharing too much!

Cheers,

Sarah