about us

FOUNDER

Melbourne Designer, Linda Mackay

LOCATION

Relocated back on the big island of Australia since the onset of covid.  We moved to the Sunshine Coast to be near family and to establish a new art/fashion studio.

Over the last twelve years, we’ve been located offshore in the Republic of Vanuatu, previously known as The New Hebrides.  A beautiful archipelago located between the Coral and South Pacific Seas of New Caledonia, west of Fiji and south of the Solomon Islands.  When we had to expand the retail and manufacturing side of the business, we relocated to Bali, Indonesia. 

Little did we, or anyone else know what 2020 had in store for all of us!  Things in Bali were growing at a rapid pace and then all of a sudden, it had to be packed down and it vanished before our eyes.

THIS STORY BEGAN

In 1991 with a period designing a pure linen resort wear capsule collection for travellers passing through the tropical region of Far North Queensland, Australia.  Just as the new year of 2000 was to tick over, I returned to Melbourne to resettle and to resume work in Fashion, Arts and Events industries.  

Twenty-one years on, in August of 2012, I packed up everything I had not sold, and returned to Port Vila, Vanuatu to restart the pure linen collection.  I’d spent part of my childhood there and it was like returning home.  It felt so familiar and I quickly found that I really came to love the small island lifestyle - an island that only took a couple of hours to circumnavigate.

Since those early days, the brand has grown - from one founder and four others who are invaluable sources of help and support, to a total team of around 20 during the production period.  But we still make the same basic drawstring pant as one of our staple items as we did in 1991.

We still hold the same PHILOSOPHY that ‘Whatever you do, do well’.  We strive to achieve that each and every day, no matter what.

linda mackay design australia drawstring linen pants

linda mackay design australia drawstring linen pantslinda mackay design australia drawstring linen pants

OUR VISION is focused on:

  • Providing well designed, well-made beautiful pure flax linen garments. Soft, smooth, luxurious, and available in many sumptuous colours.
  • Garments at a reasonable price so they’re accessible to everyone.
  • Garments which give you a casual sophistication and easily take you through your normal day-to-day or when travelling to warm climates.
  • Building relationships with our, suppliers, our colleagues and most importantly you, our valued customers.
  • Loving what we do. We’ve believed in this product since day one. Today our passion for the business is stronger than ever before because we’re seeing all the possibilities of what can be added to the collection as time goes by.
  • Being experts. Our knowledge and expertise allows us to educate our customers and to answer any enquiries, and we’re equally delighted when we learn something new.
  • Being open to change. We welcome change so we can grow with changing demand and expectations. We always see that there is something to learn from others.
  • Being innovative. True innovation comes about when an idea can connect with the customer in a way that benefits their lifestyle. Existing styles continue to go through changes. We are all for changing or adding something to an existing style if we believe it will refine and improve it for our valued customers

OUR BIG ISLAND AUSTRALIAN STUDIO

is where the collection is designed, sampled, tested and where some manufacturing takes place. The remainder is now done in Bali where I spend a number of months training, overseeing production and monitoring quality. I’m fortunate to travel between two beautiful tropical locations which provide endless inspiration and resources…and where travelers are welcomed from all over the world. An exciting mixing pot of different nationalities and languages.

DAY-TO-DAY BACK IN AUSTRALIA 

Each and every day we’re greeted with a beautiful day – whether it is bright, warm and sunny or on the greyed over and cooler side as winter sets in upon us.  Each day we make our way to one of many local cafes in this area to enjoy a strong coffee and to take in the water views near where we live.  Then it’s a short leisurely walk back to the studio to continue on developing this new phase of the business.

Things are definitely quite different to when I was located permanently in Bali just over two years ago.  Still, the days are just in a new environment with

QUALIFICATIONS and a lifetime of EXPERIENCE in

fashion design, fashion styling, fashion forecasting, fashion illustration, textile design, printmaking, garment manufacturing, event design, branding, photography, retail and exhibition design, visual merchandising and training & assessment DDIAE School of the Arts (Toowoomba), Brisbane TAFE, RMIT (Melbourne) and TAFE QLD (Sunshine Coast)

AWARDS in resort wear, swimwear, active sportswear and evening wear RAQ Fashion Awards, Sunshine Coast and Far North Queensland Fashion Awards.