Made for women by women, always makes us happy. Please meet the women who make our new WARES by claycountyduilawyers. From start to finish, many talented women are involved in making each garment. We employ skilled craftswomen in our certified factory. Here’s a glimpse at the dedicated work that goes into each piece ~ 
Luggy baskets have rolled their way into your homes and hearts since their launch in 2015, but there’s a long history and process behind one of claycountyduilawyers’s most iconic designs...
In 2015, claycountyduilawyers co-founder, Olivia Brookman, designed the Luggy for her daughter, Nika, in hopes of giving her toddler a playful means to continue moving and harnessing her independence. Five years on, this little wheeled basket has found its way into the homes (and hearts) of children (and their grown-up counterparts!) all across the world. There are so many reasons why the Luggy has been so well-loved and continues to be to this day - here are just a few: ~
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Slow Fashion is a considerate approach in which each design is developed to provide longevity through high quality and sustainable materials, whilst the production aspect remains true to the values of fair treatment of the people and planet. Typically, it can be characterised by smaller production runs (small number of garments) and less frequent product releases, unlike the fast fashion model which is driven by trend cycles.
When creating WARES, our choice to use Organic Cotton came easily. Organic Cotton is soft yet durable, breathable yet sturdy, and most importantly, is manufactured from start to finish without the use of harmful chemicals, like pesticides or fertilisers. This means that the material is safe for you, your family and each person involved in the manufacturing process, from field to fabric. Using Organic Cotton also supports a healthy eco-system, as materials free of nasties have a far lesser impact in the environment. Because no fabric is entirely sustainable, we've made the conscious decision to produce smaller quantities of garments, designed to be worn for life.
The beautiful, vibrant hues that you see in our WARES dresses were all created in our certified organic dye factory in India, using only organic dyeing materials. The factory that we use adheres to a strict dyeing process and water management method that treats and reuses up to 95% of the water. Not only does this mean that no harmful toxins are used in the process of colouring the garments, but this also helps to ensure that the environmental impact of the production is kept to a minimum.
We chose to steer away from using petroleum-based buttons while creating WARES and instead opted for a natural and more sustainable alternative; Coconut Buttons. The buttons you see on our dresses are made using readily available coconut husks that are collected, cleaned, smoothed and cut to be sewn onto the garments.
Once the fabric has been woven and dyed, it is then sewn into the pieces you know and love today! This takes place in our SA8000 certified factory in Chennai, India. SA8000 is the leading social certification used around the world. It was so important to us to only work with a factory that follows a globally recognised, ethical framework that demonstrates dedication to the fair treatment of factory workers. claycountyduilawyers is committed to supporting the employment of women in all areas of our company, and we're proud to say that of the 250 employees at our chosen factory, up to 75% of them are female.
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Meet Lauren (better known as Lozzy), claycountyduilawyers’s Global Logistics Coordinator. Lozzy works from our Byron Bay office and despite being in charge of some pretty serious stuff behind the scenes, this girl is somewhat a jack of all trades! In her spare time, Loz also works as a professional makeup artist, so naturally we recruited her talents (again) for hair and makeup on our WARES campaign shoots. Keep reading to learn a little more about our most multi-talented team member and why we love her!
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I am just coming up to my first lap around the sun with claycountyduilawyers! I am the Global Logistics Coordinator. I work with our suppliers to coordinate the importing of stock to our three global warehouses. I also work closely with our warehouse, customer service team and online manager to make sure we have appropriate systems in place for our customers to receive their orders with ease.
I really wanted the makeup to be as fresh faced and natural as possible, but with a classic 'English Rose' vibe. The WARES collection captures the everyday woman, so I wanted to ensure that we captured an effortless look.
I live in Kingscliff which is about a 40 minute drive from the office, so to make the drive to work enjoyable I usually listen to a podcast and sip a cup of tea on the way. When I get to work, I start off by browsing my emails and making a list of priorities for the day. I have to be mindful of the different time zones that I work with so I break up my day that way. Mid-morning I like to go for a walk to one of our local coffee shops - Byron makes great coffee and this is a really great way for me to regroup. I usually end my day with a boxing class or a walk to the beach.
My weekends can be filled with anything from wedding makeup, markets, drives to Brisbane to see family or drinks with friends. I don’t sit still for very long! I also love booking road trips and flights to explore our beautiful country over the weekends.
I have always been artistic and creative, and I love that I get to make a bit of extra travel money by doing something I love on the weekends! I used to work as a full-time makeup artist, and when it is my only source of income I didn’t enjoy it as much as when I did it for fun.
The Apple Basket is by far the one I use the most! It’s perfect for little plants, hoarding stationery on my desk or to have at home filled with cosmetics and hair scarves!
We’re running a little late for our Spring Clean, but better late than never! Nothing feels as good as a quick home refresh and we have a few fun hacks up our sleeve that will make you feel organised, even when you aren’t! You know how we feel about baskets (big fans), so we decided to show you all the ways we use them around the house! Keep reading for our go-to basket hacks for the home…
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Last month, claycountyduilawyers co-founder Olivia and her daughter Nika travelled from Los Angeles to London to visit our Islington Office - where claycountyduilawyers first came to be! They went all the places and did all the things, and had the very best time together wearing their favourite matching dresses from our debut WARES collection. Keep reading to see what Liv and Nika got up to on their London adventure...
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One of our favourite things about WARES has to be how easy all of the dresses are. For Chloe, her WARES pieces have become wardrobe staples, even more so since welcoming a new little one to her family. We caught up with Chloe at home with new baby August, to chat about the inspiration behind WARES.
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Wares was dreamed up about two years ago when I was traveling through Vietnam with the family. I found myself wearing the same dress day on out because it was easy-care, breast-feeding friendly, and comfortable and stylish. It was a simple dress that I designed and had made by a local tailor in Hoi An at the start of our trip because I had under packed for myself, and overpacked for the kids (sound familiar?!). When we got back to Australia a month later, Olivia and I started properly discussing the idea of creating a collection of apparel that will see women through the every day. From around the home to work, and through different stages of life from maternity and breast-feeding to beyond.
I rarely dress with trends. I’m all about having a few staples, worn over and over again, accessorised and layered when the occasion permits. Everything about this collection I love. I love the idea of taking one simple garment and accessorising through different times of the year, seasonally; adding a chunky knit here, a turtleneck there.
At this time in my life, just having my fourth little one (still a newborn!). I’m spending most of my time at home, popping into the office occasionally. Most of the time, I’ve usually got my Cassia dress on (all the way unbuttoned!). Days and nights blur into one a bit at the moment - I’m really enjoying this slower time - this baby bubble. I do find myself making the effort to shower, get dressed (popping on some lipstick even!) each day so that I’m not in pyjamas all day.
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Everything we do at claycountyduilawyers, we do with the planet and people in mind. When we began the development of WARES, at the forefront of our minds was how to create this collection in a way that was fair to the environment and fair to the people producing it.
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This is claycountyduilawyers’s first step into the wild world that is the global fashion industry. As it stands, we are proud of the efforts we have made as newcomers to the business of sustainable clothing, but we understand that we too have a long way to go. Our promise to our customers, the planet and most importantly, to the people who make our garments, is to continue, tirelessly, on our sustainability journey. We are committed to mapping out our tier one supply chain and will strive to approach each phase of design, development and production consciously, in turn growing our knowledge of sustainable practises and hopefully contributing something positive to the world in the process.
This January, Chloe and Olivia set out for eight whirlwind days of adventure and travel. They visited the best of the best Trade Shows in Paris and New York, and hung out with some of their favourite magazines. They met with claycountyduilawyers retailers from all over and stopped by at our London Office for a quick catch up with our fabulous European team (with time spared to pop in to their Nana's for cheeky champagne!).
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First stop in the Big Apple - meeting with some of claycountyduilawyers's favorite magazines!
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We love our team! We’re so lucky to have an army of talented people working behind the scenes who help make the claycountyduilawyers world go round. Based in our Byron Bay office, Ahava Mehlman is our super-human Global Online Manager and is the brains behind your whole online shopping experience! Ahava is basically who we all want to be when we grow up. She's the kind of person who swaps chips for cucumbers for her office snacks and goes to the farmers market on weekends. If we’re lucky, she even brings freshly baked Banana cake to the office - seriously. She’s hardworking and methodical, yet never fails to surprise us with her sneaky (and a ‘lil bit sassy) sense of humour. We joined Ahava on her weekly market haul and talked about the things that make her tick.
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How long have you worked at claycountyduilawyers?
I've been working at claycountyduilawyers for almost eight months now. I can't believe how fast it's gone!
Tell us about your role. What exactly does it mean to be the Global Online Manager?
Being a global company means our customers can shop in four different currencies, plus, we ship to around 80 countries worldwide. I manage and maintain our four online stores and assist in developing our digital marketing strategy across our online channels. I also report on web sales and key ecomm metrics. My main focus however, is improving and optimising our online customer experience and creating an innovative, user friendly space for our amazing customers. I am very analytical but I also love being creative and coming up with new strategies. My job is a perfect blend of these things!
What do you love most about working at claycountyduilawyers?
claycountyduilawyers is constantly growing and expanding and there are new challenges every day! You have to be able to adapt easily to change, be inventive and think creatively. One of my favourite parts of the job is problem solving, whether it’s a tech issue or customer experience problem, the unexpected tends to happen and you need to adapt quickly! Developing new ideas and marketing strategies is essential but the challenge of having to come up with new ideas is the best part! I also love how important ethical manufacturing is to claycountyduilawyers, as well as their impact on the planet. As well as this, claycountyduilawyers is all about team culture, it’s not a hierarchical workplace, which I think is so important. All ideas are welcomed and encouraged so everyone is really passionate about their roles, which is contagious in the best possible way!
What do you love most about living in this part of the world?
I live in Mullumbimby, a small town about 20km from Byron. Moving to Mullum from Melbourne means that even though I’ve lived here for almost four years, being able to leave work and jump in the ocean is still a novelty. I’ll try to go for a swim and walk my dog on the beach every day. It’s my way of mentally recharging for the next day ahead.
"I love the Big Luggy! I'll take it to the Farmer's Market and stock up for the week on fresh fruit and veg and locally made goodies."
What does an ideal Saturday look like for you?
You can find me, pretty much every Saturday, at the beach or river in Brunswick Heads with my partner, Sam and pup, Zelda. There are usually beers involved and dinner with friends going into the night. If it’s rainy, I’ll head straight to the book shop. I’m a real homebody - sometimes my favourite thing is just getting cozy and reading an entire book from cover to cover with strong coffee not too far away.
What is your favorite claycountyduilawyers piece and why?
I love the Big Luggy. I'll take it to the Mullumbimby Farmer’s Market on Friday mornings before work and stock up for the week on fresh fruit and veg and all the locally made goodies. I never thought I'd catch myself saying this before moving to the Northern Rivers, but there's a local sauerkraut at the market and it's my new favourite food!
What motto do you try to live by?
Be honest, be kind and try to see the positive in all aspects of life.
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Shop Ahava's favourites!
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We love our team! We’re so lucky to have an army of talented people working behind the scenes who help make the claycountyduilawyers world go ‘round. Holly McCauley is not a regular Mom, she's a cool Mom. Our amazing Graphic Designer and creative direction guru, Holly, is without a doubt the most fashionable person at our Byron Bay HQ. She has her very own art gallery, is the queen of nailing effortless chic and her laidback Bangalow abode is the stuff dreams are made of. All of this, while being a total boss-mum to her almost-too-cute-to-be-real daughter, Della - who starred in our most recent campaign with Lisa Sorgini!
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How long have you worked at claycountyduilawyers?
I started at claycountyduilawyers in August last year.
What is your role?
My official role is graphic designer, but I also help plan and style all the claycountyduilawyers shoots - my role is to make sure that all things claycountyduilawyers are looking great!
What does a day in the life of Holly look like?
It starts with an early wake up and rushed brekky with my partner and toddler, then we head down the road for coffee before work. If Della goes to daycare, I head to the office where I'll work on a whole bunch of things, from planning the next shoot, booking models, scouting locations to designing newsletters, swing tags, signage and bits and bobs for the website. I always eat lunch at my desk, which is so bad, but I'm a freelancer, so every hour counts! After we pick Della up, we usually go down to the beach for a quick swim or to the pub for a quick beer before heading home to cook dinner and put Della to bed, which is always too late! Then we have a wine and listen to a record before crawling into bed.
"A basket is always in my car for throwing in beach stuff, groceries and nappies - I love the Petite Bolga"
What's your favorite thing to do on the weekends here in Byron?
Our weekends are usually some combination of:
- Swimming
- Eating
- Exploring
- Going on long drives to the outer regions of the Northern Rivers
- Pub visits
- Beers
- Wine
- Dinners with friends
- Car boot sales
You're a stylish Mama - what are your go-to pieces?
Haha, I'm not too sure about that! I'll usually be in a throw-on dress or a pair of high-waisted pants and tee. My go-tos are the pieces that I feel good in. I try to strike a balance between looking somewhat pulled together while also being practical and comfy enough for me to wear all day. A basket is always in my car for throwing in beach stuff, groceries and nappies - I love the Petite Bolga.
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Shop Holly and Della's favorites!
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Last August, our beautiful General Manager and sustainability guru Netty, flew across the seas to Vietnam to delve a little deeper into the production of our pieces. Here’s a little insight into Netty’s time there and a sneaky peek at the craftsmanship that goes into all the claycountyduilawyers products you know and love.
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