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It all started with an Apple... Winter 2016 Blog
It all started with an apple…
Rebecca Dress in Candy Apple
Many years ago (about 15 to be exact) I printed a little apple fabric (Candy Apple, above, is the new version of this, recoloured and resized for a bit of fun!) which was redesigned from an old children's book, some pretty tulips, some tiny roses and I mixed-and-matched those with brightly coloured polkadots, creating my first children's fashion line. "Children's fashion line" might be overstating it a little as it was about 4 pieces that I designed and took to the markets, but, hey, it was a start!
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Designing and printing your own fabric in Australia is quite difficult in short runs and I did a lot of begging and pleading and favour pulling (plus making my mum sew all night with me to get the range finished in time to take it to the markets at 5am the next day). But we made it happen! It was exciting times and a strange venture into the unknown. A business! Doing something fun!
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It's weird how some memories are so strong and so vivid. When I launched my label, it already had a name (I knew I'd call my line Oobi - you can read other stories about the history behind the name) and I knew it would be bright, bright, BRIGHT! Baby clothing and even kid's clothing 15 years ago was pretty basic (or very fancy/formal) and it was a lot of "beige for babies" or pink or blue.
Of course, it wasn't a hit with everyone… But then… Some people just "got it". And they really loved it. And my future path was set. I was going to be a fashion designer and printmaker. Wow.
Hand-Embroidered baby tutu (Fluttery Tutu).
I wanted to do brights. Reds and pinks and big strange fruit, drawn by hand and flowers in a naive style that suited my skills. I'm all about colour, I just love it. And I love mix-and-match.
So 15 years later and this apple has become something of my signature, and mix-and-match is my passion (you can also read about how I create quilts for Oobi, the ULTIMATE mix-and-match - it's important that they're never 'expected' you have to throw something quirky in there - always).
Quilts, pillow cases and pram quilts in "Foxy" print
And here's "Into the Woods" a range that I've made with my classic apple prints and new "Foxy" print (side note, what do you do when you have a vest called "Lamby" and the print called "Foxy"? The birth of Lamby Foxy...!). Some recoloured, some resized… I've finally given them names "Candy Apple" and "Toffee Apple" because, well, they're a little explosion of sugar too. This range is all about putting some fun, sugar and sweetness into winter. The garments have all been designed with the idea that you can mix them with previous seasons of Oobi or, you can create a whole new look.
'Pikelet' Quilted and Reversible Vest with Hood
We're launching next week, the 18th of March. But here's the entire lookbook! Check it out, we've added loads of treats to the pages...
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I'm also proud to say that we've collaborated with some young illustrators on some new prints too. I've always enjoyed reworking and "Oobi-fying" vintage prints or retro prints and working together with other designers, making their prints take on another life, has been loads of fun and exciting for them too I hope.
This range is fun, it's bright, it's very mix-and-match and I really hope that you love it. There's a "fabulous" little fox, some little loves, some wild apples and loads of fun accessories to play with.
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As always, we pledge to donate a brand new garment to an Aussie child in need for every single piece sold as part of our Oobi-fy the World program. We're fashion with a bit of heart.
Hope you love the range! Reach out and say "Hi" any time. I love to chat and share.
Al xox
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