Muse Series: Daisy and Caroline of Cloth & Co
Mother and daughter duo, Daisy and Caroline, are the Founders and masterminds behind sustainable fashion brand, Cloth & Co.
Founded in 2014 with a commitment to making a positive impact on the lives of the people who make their products, and crafting timeless and durable wardrobe pieces from 100% natural, organic, and sustainably sourced fibres, Cloth & Co. is the intersection of fashion and sustainability.
Daisy and Caroline’s experience working in communities with women and children in India, coupled with their creative spirit and business prowess, fueled their desire to build a fashion brand with both exquisite craftsmanship and sustainability at its heart.
The story of Cloth & Co. is truly inspiring and we are delighted to have had the opportunity to sit down and chat to these two incredible women who are paving the way for the future of fashion.
What inspired your shared passion for positive environmental and social change? And how has this been foundational to the business you've built today?
I (Caroline) grew up in nature living on Sydney’s Northern Beaches and ever since I can remember I have been conscious of what food we eat and where it comes from, my mother never gave us pre-packaged food and the clothes I wore growing up were always made from natural fibres.
My parents (Daisy’s grandparents) were in the textiles business, importing beautiful luxury textiles for the Australian fashion industry and Natural Fibres were without question the only choice - synthetics were not even a consideration. I remember rayon, viscose and polyester being spoken about with complete disdain (laughs). Apple doesn’t fall far from the tree.
Social impact came well before we started the brand. For both of us, working in communities with women and children in India had a profound influence on the nature of our business and the purpose behind everything we do. The stitching unit we established is a collaboration between Women Fiber to Fashion and Cloth & Co. Here, women who have survived trafficking receive training in high-end tailoring, ensuring they work in a safe environment with dignified employment. This partnership reflects our dedication to making a meaningful difference in the lives of others.
Tell us about your creation process. What inspires you?
Our inspiration comes from our love of all things minimalist, our passion for modernist design principles and aesthetics and the inspiring women we encounter in our day to day lives. Our collections are created to be worn with ease and confidence, with little to no embellishments or frills, sleek silhouettes designed to be key wardrobe pieces.
We believe that instead of buying new clothes every season, you should invest in timeless, versatile, and durable pieces that you can wear for a long time and mix and match with different outfits.
The fabrics (cloth) come first. We only source natural fibre fabrics and where we can, we work directly with artisan communities to source hand loomed cloth.
What is the inspiration behind your upcoming Autumn Winter 2024 collection?
Each collection is designed with the previous one in mind so the garments can be building blocks for a really versatile, wearable wardrobe. Of course we respond to our customers' response to the styles and fit and create highlights that will make women feel good and look great!
We are mostly inspired by the people we work with, artisans whose skills are incredible. We try to keep our collections timeless and understated so we tend to deconstruct techniques and develop in our signature neutral palette and focus on the tactile quality of the fabrics, the hand feel and drape.
Images: Sneak peek of Cloth & Co. AW24 Collection
How does scent inspire you creatively?
Being sensory and tactile people, scent draws on the emotional associations with a particular mood or memory, it takes you out of your everyday life and is a nuanced and multidimensional interplay between a memory, or an emotion. Scent is an important part of the whole, we fell in love with India very early in our journey and the scents and sensory overload played a big part in this.
What is your most nostalgic scent memory?
Caroline: For me, there are many but one that immediately comes to mind is Daphne in my grandmother’s garden. An immediate emotional connection to her and time spent with her in my childhood.
Daisy: A scent memory that comes to mind is the combination of salty air, sweet fruit, and summer blooms. It instantly transports me to lazy days spent by the beach, a sensory snapshot of carefree summer moments from my childhood.
What is your favourite scent type?
We both have a similar scent we like to wear, Caroline’s is definitely earthy, woody and peppery scents with rose and patchouli, which is why I (Caroline) chose the VAHY Midnight Ruse and Daisy always gravitates towards sandalwood, nothing too sweet - Desert Nomad has a beautiful combination of sandalwood with vanilla and citrus, I think there’s definitely an Indian connection with our scent preferences.
Learn more about Caroline and Daisy here.
