Monthly Notes : October
2 days ago
·2 days ago
·
I'm writing this from a little pause. Since the launch, I've been taking a few days of rest, which I don't often let myself do.
The bench is completely empty for the first time in months ~ a strange feeling, but a good one, because as soon as I'm back it'll fill straight up again with orders from launch night and stock for the online launch which you'll get to see before anyone else ~ more on that below.
So consider this the deep breath in between!
WHAT'S HAPPENING
Figura had her first night out on the 1st of October at Soft Focus House, and despite the heavy rain it went so well. Not everyone who RSVP'd made it through the crazy weather, but the people who did were so generous with their feedback, about the collection and about the experience we'd put together for them ~ and that experience was very much a team effort.
Léonie Bouchet of Racine created a display of abundance to feast on, with breads shaped like hands, carob and almond biscuits shaped like the simétrie eye, an orange blossom cocktail with a carob jelly, and a sculpture made from butter in the shape of a woman's figure, a nod to the Maltese statues I've been referencing all year. Bec Patterson of Margo’s styled the table with muslins, doilies, lace cloths, braided cottons and wild fennel. Marta Novovic of Bop Lab created a bespoke scent for Figura, with a sandalwood base and notes of orange blossom, fig, basil and bay leaf, a warm scent to take us back home to the Mediterranean. And Sarah Godden's home ~ you might remember Sarah from my July episode of with simétrie ~ with her columns, sandstones and Grecian vessels, was exactly the brief for presenting the work.
I also made a playlist for the evening, all the senses were curated to carry us into the world of Figura.
BEHIND THE PROCESS
I'd spent that whole same day shooting the Figura campaign.
It's the first campaign I've ever styled myself. I spent weeks pulling the looks together, editing ideas and sourcing as I went. I was nervous, because I'm still finding my own confidence in my style. Funnily enough, dressing the muse for Figura, Caitlin, felt easier.
I could see her in the clothes I was choosing, and I could see her alongside other women I admire, like Paloma Elsesser, Jennifer Atilemile and Ashley Graham ~ curvy, confident women who look amazing, and whose curves are their literal superpower. Instead of dressing to look smaller, it was dressing to show off her figure. Many of the looks were exactly the kind of thing I'd actually wear, and when the first images came through I realised I could finally see myself in the campaign. In the past this hasn't necessarily been the case.
That's really the heart of Figura. The goddess at Tarxien would've stood almost three metres tall, she was very wide at the hips, and she wasn't hidden away ~ she was put in a place of reverence. And she wasn't the only one, there were so many other 'fat ladies' found in temples around Malta. Something to be worshipped, not shied away from, which is what I've been doing with my own body for most of my life. It's not like I'm fully comfortable in my own body all of a sudden, but this collection, and styling it myself, have been steps towards growing more confident in the body I'm in. Learning to love my thick legs, one step at a time.
Thank you to the whole team who made the campaign with me ~ Abhishek Gambhir, Caitlin Murphy, Candice Agius, Kelsey Menadue, Jordan Hallewell, Emily Lake and Archer Kerr.
ON THE HORIZON
Figura goes online on Wed 14 Oct at 5pm AEDT, and I wanted you to hear it here first. You'll also have the first 48 hours to order, before it opens to everyone else on Fri 16 Oct.
The campaign images will come with the launch email, along with the four new silhouettes ~ the Figura Tote, the Petit Figura Tote [previously the Figura Baguette], the Figura Oculare Case and the Figura Wallet ~ and the three new colours, Fig, Almond and Peppercorn.
Put it in your calendar, and if you were at launch night and something has stayed on your mind since, hit reply and let me know! A few pieces will be ready to ship, and the rest will be made to order, so the earlier you get your order in, the sooner it will be with you ~ which matters more than usual this close to Christmas.
SIMÉTRIE SCHOOL
Ravjul [Maltese for ravioli] are my ultimate comfort food, and I was eight or nine when I started making them with Mum ~ I'd roll the dough and cut the circles with a glass, then help her fold and close them. It's one of the few Maltese traditions that was passed down to me, and making the charm is almost the same.
Cut, fill, fold and press. You'll fill the leather with recycled wool felt, fold it and glue it closed, then recut the edge in scallops, the way you'd press the pasta closed with a fork, using offcuts from my bag production that are too small for a bag and too good for landfill.
It's only 2.5 hours, a really good one for beginners, and a lovely way to finish up the year with a friend or your colleagues.
FROM MY BENCH
The bench is bare for now, but it won't stay that way for long!
If something catches your eye once Figura is online, or from any of my other collections, I'd love to make it for you.
Current lead times reflect the reality of a small team, mostly me, making everything by hand ~ smaller pieces take 2–4 weeks, bags 4–6 weeks, and totes 8–10 weeks.
I absolutely cannot wait to share Figura with you all. Thanks for being part of this journey,
Simone xx
Comments