Behind The Brand: Saffron Lane

What led you to create Saffron Lane?

A few years ago, I found an old box of photos. The collection of prints inside were of my mum and her friends breastfeeding and pregnant in the 70’s. We started the conversation around how she felt times were different then, there seemed to be a natural freedom of expression and use of divine cotton fabrics. These qualities, together with memories of my own pregnancy and breastfeeding journey, inspired me to create a clothing range that embraces timeless natural designs elements, while also celebrating motherhood.

How do you plan and design for your collections? What is your creative process?

As a child of the 90’s I spent a lot of my childhood with my mum shopping in Op Shops and finding treasures. All these years later I still feel inspired by vintage one of a kind pieces. When I see something feminine and different, I think about how I can make it work for pregnancy or breastfeeding wear.

Many of the first collection was inspired by pieces my mum wore in the 70s.

Designs are drawn up in my little studio at home, and then I meet with our seamstress to create the final pattern and sample. Once we have a collection, they are sent to India, where another collection of samples are made.

I love traveling to India at this point to personally work with our amazing team in Jaipur, to see the production process from fabric printing to the final touches. For me the joy of ‘slow fashion’ is truly felt, as you watch your collection come to life, piece by piece.

We love how your business is not only sustainable but aims to give back to the community. Can you tell us a bit more about the ‘Basha’ initiative?

The first time I travelled to India was with my mum and sister, thankfully my mum is a real adventurer and we went off the beaten track quite a lot. It was here that I fell in love with the real India, family, colours, inquisitive children and their mums cooking amazing meals with hardly anything. I knew that if I was ever to come back and create a business, I would try and find a way to give back.

Saffron Lane has created an opportunity to support ‘Basha’, which in Bangladeshi means ‘house and hope’.

Basha is a Fair-Trade enterprise and a house of hope for women who are recovering from or are vulnerable to sexual exploitation in Bangladesh.

Basha’s vision is to continue to grow, as long as there are women in Bangladesh in need of dignified work. Together we dream of a day when women live without fear, and risk of exploitation.

The beautiful handmade baby blankets come with a little tag with a stitched name of the maker, you can then find her story on Basha’s website, which we love, as it is a simple yet amazing way to create connections to the maker. When you buy a Basha blanket, you are making a purchase that supports mothers in need, by giving them opportunities to build their future.

How often do you release new designs and what are your current best sellers?

I admire and follow the initiatives of the global movement Fashion Revolution. I feel if I can focus on timeless designs, two collections a year is enough for our beautiful planet. We try very hard to create special pieces that are truly original and not a production of fast fashion and seasonal trends. My dream for Saffron Lane has always been to create timeless pieces that one day I hope will be handed to the next generation… full of memories.

We launched three months ago, and our bestsellers have definitely been our dresses and our Ella Birthing robe.

When you’re not working on your business, what can we find you doing?

I am happiest barefoot with my feet in the sand spending time with my family.

When I’m not on the beach, we are home in the garden, planting flowers for the bees and slowly renovating our house. Sometimes it is a juggle, but I wouldn’t have it any other way.

This might be like asking you to pick a favourite child but which is your favourite product/design/collection and why?

I love our Lola dress, named after my daughter. It feels so feminine to wear as the fabric moves around behind you as you walk. This piece also reminds me of the versatility of our brand. It was so important to me that every piece in the collection felt just as amazing after pregnancy.

Finally, because it’s always nice to get to know more about the person behind the brand, can you please help us answer the following #quickfire questions?

Black or White? White

Cocktail or Wine? Cocktail

Savoury or Sweet? Savoury

Beach or Mountain? Beach

Winter or Summer? Summer

Book or Movie? Movie

Want to see the products up close? Come to our next Sydney baby expo or Melbourne baby expo by visiting our Sydney baby expo page here or our Melbourne baby expo page here.