Brooke Terry wants to bring colour and sparkle into people’s lives and in doing so change the way we shop.
She began selling vintage clothes, but after stumbling upon a woman selling Kantha blankets at a market in Sydney, fell in love with the fabric.
Through that chance encounter her business, Renew Bohemian, was born.
Kantha is an old Indian tradition which involves hand stitching old saris into cloth that are then repurposed, usually into blankets.
It was while travelling around Australia and selling her vintage clothes and Kantha blankets that Brooke met a woman who bought her blankets to make kimonos.
“That was just the inspiration I needed,” she said.
After doing research she found an ethical manufacturer in India who works directly with the women in the villages.
“I know everything from start to finish. I visit them to ensure everything is as they say it is,” she said of the manufacturing process.
“I don’t think people should suffer so you can wear a fancy pair of pants. It can all work together; someone can be paid for their time properly and we can all have nice things.
“My mum is a seamstress, so I was always aware of the industry and there are more people talking about it (labour production in clothing manufacturing) now.
“It can take a month to stitch one Kantha blanket so it’s very time and labour intensive.”
Brooke is proud of the fact Renew Bohemian is providing an income to the rural women in the villages, allowing them to support their families.
“Some of the women don’t know how to read or write and this provides them with an opportunity,” she said.
Brooke is also proud of the fact that her business, which has grown to become the second largest brand selling Kantha globally, is based on Tamborine Mountain and employs locals.
“The products are very niche. We make everything: jackets, pants, dresses and tops,” Brooke, who designs all the pieces herself, explained.
“Nothing is ever the same. Every piece is unique and no one else will have the same.”
“I just make things I want to wear. We also want to bring a bit of fun and creativity into people’s wardrobes.”
Her strong business model and global reach has meant that last year alone the fabrics used in the collections gave a second life to almost six tonnes of textiles that may otherwise have ended up in landfill.
Brooke hopes to be able to keep growing and educate more people on the issues surrounding mass-produced clothing.
On the last two weekends in September Tamborine Mountain residents will have an opportunity to purchase her clothes at a pop-up shop, with the location still to be determined.
