Limits

And just like that, another winter is rolling around (cue audible sighs!). I don’t mind the fresher temperatures as long as I have the appropriate clothing to keep me toasty and this year I’m excited to be launching a capsule range of cold weather pieces to help see us through!

I often get stuck designing new seasons because I avoid bells and whistles. I like practical silhouettes in neutral colours that will mix and match easily with other basics in my wardrobe (it’s because I’m lazy really, and getting dressed is hard enough let alone on dark, freezing, winter mornings!), but I also don’t want Theo garments to be boring. It’s super important that the designs are not trend-driven so that we can continue wearing them year in and year out, so they don’t end up in landfill prematurely, wasting all the resources that have gone into production. But this isn’t the norm for fashion labels.

The current business model of fashion is to design collections that will sell, sell, sell in season and then become irrelevant when the next season rolls around (power shoulder or peplum top anyone?). While this was semi-sensible when there were only two seasons a year (Spring/Summer and Autumn/Winter) fashion brands have decided it’s much more profitable to have a billion seasons a year and literally bring out new styles daily. Another model is for brands to price their garments so low that somehow ‘it makes sense’ to buy a new ‘crappy’ garment (let’s say a basic tee) every 4 months rather than purchase a ‘nice’ one that will cost more off the bat but will wear better and last far longer.

As a small business, both of these models are not only impossible for me to achieve but they are so far from what I would consider responsible and sustainable. I have lovely loyal customers coming into the South Melbourne shop to see if I have released any new styles since their last visit, to which I have to sadly respond ‘no’. Other times I have customers who love a style only to find their size is out of stock. ‘Will you be restocking soon?’ they ask. To which again I have to sadly respond ’no’. (FYI, a restock for Theo means a turnaround time upwards of 6 weeks. That’s the time it takes to get our hands on the fabric, transport it to our makers, have a reasonable time frame for our makers to sew the garments, and then ship it to us. That doesn’t include any dye or washing processes that might be involved or any embellishment or special finishes. The last time I tried to do a ‘quick restock’ I ended up with long sleeved flannel shirts in summer. Never again!) I also have new customers wanting to shop ethically who ask why our range is so small and why our sizes sell out so quickly.

The solution to everything would be to design more styles, release them more frequently and produce bigger quantities. This solution sounds a lot like becoming fast fashion to me, and therefore it is not a solution at all! What I hope to do instead is to offer the new range to you - the loyal Theo tribe, first! To access the range you must be on the mailing list by noon AEST April 13. My order quantities have already been placed, but before I launch the range online to any Tom, Dick or Harriet (and before I head to the Sydney and Brisbane Finders Keepers Markets or stock the South Melbourne shop), I am offering what I have to you! (Make sure you check your junk boxes, other boxes or whatever Gmail is calling them these days, too!)

When I say I have limited quantities I don’t mean to inspire a rush of impulse buying or FOMO, I just mean that I have already ordered a specific number of each size and when they run out, it’ll be another 6 weeks before I can offer it to you again. Some styles are more limited than others because I have utilised some beautiful dead-stock fabrics (leftover rolls of fabric) which can’t be reordered. I’ll make the second drop of styles available to you first too, so keep an eye out for that. A quick apology to my Theo man friends for not having styles ready for you! Would you believe 85% of Theo engagement is with women, so my attention has been with the majority. If you would like to see a greater men’s direction, let me know on the socials and tell all your ethical man friends to get involved!

As always, thanks for following Theo’s journey. Greater things have yet to come, I believe! Don't forget to join the tribe if you'd like to view the new range first. Click through here! >>
Until next time,