A DECADE spent working with some of the top names in fashion including Collette Dinnigan, Trelise Cooper and Easton Pearson has done nothing to dampen Kate Lamond’s passion for working with luxurious fabrics.
The former Brisbane designer, who now calls Buderim home, is producing her own range of Merino wool sleeping bags for babies and toddlers and says working with wool combines her passion for quality fabrics with her desire to create.
“I have always loved working with Merino wool – it is such a versatile fabric and lasts so much long than other fibres,” she said.
“I grew up in Brisbane but my family have very strong ties to rural Australia. We spent a lot of time on our cousin’s sheep property as kids and two of my siblings now live on properties themselves.”
“It’s given me a deep appreciation of what farmers go through to get that wool to market and I love that my business is helping to support farmers, even in a small way.”
Kate launched her design business, Ssen (a reference to her maiden name, Anderssen) after returning from London ten years ago.
But it was while working in New Zealand with renowned fashion designer, Trelise Cooper, that she hit upon the idea of creating her own range of baby sleeping bags.
Kate said it took some time to perfect the pattern and find a manufacturer.
“I had come across a supply of Merino wool and wanted to utilise it for sleeping bags because it’s a perfect fabric for babies,” she said.
“Merino wool is a highly breathable, all natural fibre and it reacts to changes in body temperature so it warms the baby up in winter and cools them down in summer.”
“It also draws sweat away from the body and doesn’t attract lint or dust which makes it perfect for babies with allergies.”
“My design is a little different to others – you can change a nappy without taking the sleeping bag off which a lot of mothers love.”
Kate sells the bags online and is looking at suppling selected retail outlets.
While Kate’s bags have so far been made with New Zealand Merino wool, she’s now on a mission to find a source of Australian wool.
With the bags being made in China, that’s proved more difficult than she expected and Kate said she’d love to hear from anyone who could recommend a supplier.
“I need to be able to source Australian Merino wool but out of China where I get the bags made,” she said.
“I’m frustrated that all my contacts have so far yielded nothing – given how much wool we export to China and the fact that the Australian wool industry needs all the help and promotion it can get, I am amazed that I’ve hit so many brick walls on this.”
Kate said good sales and positive feedback from customers has encouraged her to wrap-up other work commitments to allow her to devote herself to her flourishing business fulltime.
“The feedback I’ve been getting has been really encouraging and I’m really looking forward to finding an Australian supplier and giving this my best shot,” she said.
For more information visit www.ssen.com.au
