Oak Meadow recently celebrated five years! The brand that began as a fanciful idea and a dream; the one that I’ve worked tirelessly to grow, is now five. It feels like a big milestone and it’s prompted me to reflect on all the love and energy (and angst!) I’ve poured into my work. It's only now that I'm reflecting on how big the past few years have been; nurturing a brand, raising my boys and staying creatively fulfilled. It’s been big and challenging and wonderful and I wouldn’t have it any other way.
When I started Oak Meadow I never envisioned it to grow like it has; I never imagined that it would open so many doors, that I would meet so many beautiful people and that I would discover such a profound contentment in seeing women wear my designs. I started Oak Meadow because my intuition told me to and I suppose it goes against all business advice which is very much rooted in solid plans and financial forecasts. Me? I just listened to the inner voice that bellowed loud and clear: make the dresses you want to wear! So I did.
If you’re not familiar with my story; Oak Meadow began around the same time that my little family bought a bus to road trip down the East Coast. My youngest, Soli, was nine-months-old and the free spirit within me wanted nothing more than the spontaneity and adventure that the road offered. Bus life had a charm to it but it was also hard work. It was where we ate and slept and lived and amongst all our daily essentials was a boot-load of Oak Meadow stock, destined for a new home (I dreamt about setting up in WA for a while there).
If you’re not familiar with my story; Oak Meadow began around the same time that my little family bought a bus to road trip down the East Coast. My youngest, Soli, was nine-months-old and the free spirit within me wanted nothing more than the spontaneity and adventure that the road offered. Bus life had a charm to it but it was also hard work. It was where we ate and slept and lived and amongst all our daily essentials was a boot-load of Oak Meadow stock, destined for a new home (I dreamt about setting up in WA for a while there).
I had romanticised the road trip but what unfolded was a significant turning point in my life. And like all turning points, it was tumultuous. There were tears and doubts, a leaking roof and many, many days mothering the boys alone (in the rain or the bus with the leaking roof) while Sam worked two jobs to keep us afloat. I was trying to manage Oak Meadow stock and fulfil orders with little to no tech knowledge and only McDonald's free wi-fi. It was truly awful and undoubtedly life changing.
And yet, there were still pockets of joy. Beach days, spontaneity, clear skies. I’ll never forget the thrill when we sold Oak Meadow collections and could afford a bottle of wine and a few nights in a caravan park.
Bus life was not for me, at that time in life. I would definitely do it again - with a stronger mindset, more savings and a bit more of a plan but back then it was triggering and I count it as one of the hardest times in my life.
One night, in the deep winter in Lorne, we decided that we had to do something drastic. We had a bit of money in the bank and as a big leap of faith, we booked tickets to Bali. It was my saving grace. The sun and warmth gave me the perspective I needed and upon our return to Australia we moved back to Byron to start again.
Oak Meadow miraculously survived bus life and Covid and yet we’re still experiencing the reverberations of the Northern Rivers floods. But now I no longer have to carry the business alone. I’ve got a team of beautiful, kind and generous women who know the ins and outs of it; who can do it all while I spend time with my family. What an enormous privilege it is!
If I have learnt anything from the last few years, it's the importance of doing what’s sustainable for me as a woman, a mother and a creative. I have embraced morning exercise for the first time in my life and while it sounds a bit cliche, it really has changed my outlook on each and every day. I’m also more mindful of the time I spend on social media, I purposefully carve out space to draw and dance, and family time is a priority.
I’ve just returned from two months in Bali and I know so many of you have asked about where we stayed, ate and surfed. All the details coming in my next journal post.
Thank you for supporting Oak Meadow, for wearing my designs and for embracing the feminine, beautiful clothes I always dreamed of creating. Oak Meadow wouldn’t exist without you and I’m so grateful x
