Hello!

How are you? Have you felt the change in the air, a new season approaching? On Stradbroke Island over the weekend, we had all four seasons in 24 hours - sunny, windy, stormy, and then calm again. The seas were wild, the tide was high, and the red ‘Beach is Closed’ flag stayed staked at the entrance. Luckily, the gelati shop was still open, and the flavour of the day was rosewater with meringue … double scoop please! In amongst the madness, I managed to quickly capture a rainbow falling right in the middle of the gorge before I was unceremoniously blown away. Mother Nature, she is truly a fickle beast.

Remember I told you about my reading goal for this year? This week I’ve chosen the “Meaning of Travel” by Emily Thomas. The opening pages offer the top ten tops from various old books, written from around 380 BC to 1889. A few made me giggle, like “prohibit young people from travel” (Plato, 380 BC), “pack sensibly for train journeys, and remember ladies need more time”, “avoid hurrying and worrying” (Knox, 1881), and “on trains, beware hats and ham sandwiches” (Davidson, ). I’ve enclosed the full list. Thank goodness times have changed since then! However, I do know that I still won’t be eating ham sandwiches on any train trips.

I like to think about travel as being reborn – many trips start with us feeling an otherness, those initial looks at a new place accompanied by loneliness, jetlag, and confusion. However, once this passes and our eyes open, we then get to see and experience the richness of these new people and places around us. I find these experiences, this initial disorientation followed by a growing familiarity, alter the way I think, challenging the monotony of everyday life.

From memory, the first time I ever heard this sentiment was in London, sitting on my uncle’s living room floor. He was regaling me with tales of his trips to Marrakesh, sourcing rugs for his business in Knightsbridge. Since then, Morocco has been on my list to visit, so when these prints came across my desk, we decided to incorporate them into our trans-seasonal Naudic collection, retaining our chosen colour scheme. The first place that these patterns conjured was Marrakesh, reminding me of those conversations on the floor in London – memories of mosques, archways, and markets. It was only appropriate, then, that this collection was named Marrakesh.

That collection is now in production and will be launched in March. I’ve enclosed photos of the fabric getting ready for approval before it is cut and stitched. The Pantone colour swatches are laid next to the main print, to check they have the best possible match. I’m in love with this contrast right now, of the summery strawberry pinks paired with the moody mints, particularly as we head into the cooler months. They’re unexpected additions to a trans-seasonal collection, bringing the brightness of summer even as days get shorter, and temperatures fall.

I tested a few of my favourite pieces this weekend while I was on the island. The names of each piece are under each picture. I captured these pictures between the sun, wind, and stormy weather that defined last weekend. In a strange way, though, the weather was perfect to check their suitability for trans-seasonal weather, going between cool, warmth, and whatever else a trip may throw at us. After that weekend of wild weather, I found they’re perfect to pack in my suitcase, making me ready for any occasion which I find myself in.

I’ve also enclosed an aerial video of the island. My family have been laughing and talking behind my back, asking “what’s she doing!” … yes, I was twirling for the photos, it’s the only pose I know! However, you have to agree with me that the drone shows the minty blue of the water surrounding the island. It’s always awe-inspiring to see the otherness of where we stand from an aerial view, to see ourselves situated in a much wider world.

Until next time,

Emma

The Making of Marrakesh