Monthly Notes : September
Just wanted to acknowledge that this month marks 12 months of monthly reflections in this format that I've called my ‘monthly notes’. Whether you've been reading from the start or have recently joined, thank you so much for following my journey. It's been a really helpful tool for me to organise my ideas and plans and share more intimately what I'm working on with you on a consistent basis. Let me know any feedback, as always, I thoroughly enjoy reading your responses to my reflections!
WHAT'S HAPPENING
I finally sat down to really plan out the rest of the year ~ and eeek ~ there’s not much time left is there? The concept I am working on, Figura, which I will go into more below, has been in the works for months. I have been swapping out ideas for shapes, references and new colours. I initially looked at doing three new colours, then thought that was a silly amount of new work for me to achieve, then paired down to two. Then looking at the them again a few weeks ago, I was staring at my [very rough] sketches and decided I definitely needed that third colour. So September is going to be very, very busy prototyping my new shapes, and current shapes, in three new colours! Send good vibes my way please!
Introducing the three new colours ~ Fig is a deeper, dirtier green than Matcha. Almond is exactly what you think when you think of almond meal. And Peppercorn is a really deep dark brown ~ exactly like whole black peppercorns, which I planning to pair with off-white stitching.
Two of them, Almond and Peppercorn, are coming as Gaze Belts, and I picked up the freshly cut straps from the strap factory last week, and honestly they look so good. I'm really excited to get them made up and see the finished collection come together.
CURRENTLY MAKING
The prototype I’ve made so far is a tote, which is inspired by the research I have been doing for Figura.
The base is a bit like a bean shape, and the body gets wider as it comes up from the base to the top line, and there's a tuck through the middle. It's a first prototype, so it's not right yet ~ it needs a bit more work. The handles are quite distinct, as well as the tuck. The shape where the handles meet the body of the tote is what needs refinement at the moment, and I think they're set too far apart. So they need to come in closer. I’ll be working on that later this week. If you’re interested to see progress in real time, follow me on Instagram and stay tuned to my stories.
I'm releasing this new shape in two sizes ~ the Figura tote, an everyday tote, and an east-west baguette, the Figura Baguette.
BEHIND THE PROCESS
A lot of the inspiration for Figura has come from research into the ancient people of Malta and the archaeological finds in the temples over there.
There’s around thirty megalithic sites across Malta and Gozo, and they're older than the pyramids! In some of these temples there are statues of women in bigger bodies ~ they've been labelled fat ladies, or goddesses, depending on which references I have read.
The one I keep coming back to is at Tarxien. She was colossal in every sense of the word, large columns as legs, and only her lower half survives. Very large legs, very wide with a pleated skirt across them. And when I look at them, I kind of see my own legs. Someone carved those legs about five thousand years ago and put them in the middle of a temple.
I've been embarrassed about my legs my whole life. It was only a few years ago that I found out I have a condition called lipoedema, which is swelling in the legs, and it's a result of genetics ~ it's not about diet, and it's not about lifestyle. That part matters, because when you're in a bigger body, it definitely feels like you are being judged for your diet and lifestyle. So learning about this did make me feel less shame. Don’t get me wrong, there's still a lot of shame that comes with being in a bigger body and in the fashion industry, given the lack of representation in that space. Things are changing though, and I have hope. I also want to be part of that change.
So I've designed a tote and a baguette bag based on her. The bean base and the way the body widens ~ that's the legs. The tuck down the middle is the middle of the legs. And I didn't know when I drew it that the statue's surviving half is pleated [or tucked] too, which I'm choosing to take as a good sign.
ON THE HORIZON
I am working on the photoshoot for the end of the month, and the plan is to launch in early October.
I sent an email off to a photographer last week and I am really excited about what we could create! I'm trying to do something a little more low key than usual due to budget constraints, which is really frustrating, because I want to present the work as closely as I can to my vision. I am still excited for the potential, as there are so many visual elements to play with.
I also have a new episode planned for my new podcast series, with simétrie, to align for the launch in Oct. There’s a lot in the works at the moment, so hoping I can pull it all off!
SIMÉTRIE SCHOOL
The other thing I've been planning is new workshop dates! If you’ve been thinking about courses this year, these are the last ones on offer for 2026.
Make a Baguette Bag ~ October.
[NEW] Make a Ravjul Bag Charm ~ December.
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Thursday 10 5:30-8pm
This one's a really good one for beginners, so if you've been looking at the school courses and thinking that seems really cool but I don't have any experience and I can't commit to such a long course ~ this one is short and sweet. Only 2.5 hours, and you come out with something super cute and new appreciation for the craft. Bring a friend, or get in touch if you'd like to book a private session with your colleagues to finish up the year.
GATHERINGS
The Figura launch is in the planning stages ~ keep the 1st of October free 5-8pm, Melbourne location TBC.
FROM MY BENCH
If something here catches your eye, I'd love to make it for you. Current lead times are still as usual, thanks to my helpers in the atelier ~ smaller pieces 2–4 weeks, bags 4–6 weeks, and totes 8–10 weeks.
A few pieces are [ready to ship] now if you'd prefer not to wait.
A gentle reminder that Shell leather is running very low and will not be reordered.
And a little surprise is that a small amount of Matcha leather is back in stock! I ordered this from Packer a few months ago, although I was hoping it would arrive sooner. If you’ve been eyeing this colour, now is the time to take an even closer look.
Thanks for being part of this journey,
Simone xx
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