Today we meet Shelley, the inspiring founder of sustainable brand Beiged Store. She talks on loss, growth and silver linings, and the passion behind her beautiful brand.
What inspired you to create Beiged.
Beiged was born out of tragic circumstances, that led to a silver lining. I miscarried our twin babies and after a gruelling surgery and few months recovering I found myself sinking into a really dark space. We couldn’t have any more children after that as I was so ill so all of our plans for the future had dissolved. As a creative I knew that I needed a project to pour my heart into, to give myself an outlet. I had previously been sewing clothing for myself and my 2 boys a few years earlier as I could never find the type of clothing I wanted to wear, so it felt like a natural progression to start up the brand.
Tell us more about the ethos around your brand.
Beiged vision is to create clothing that is neutral, comfortable and simplistic to aid women in their every day lives. At the core of everything I design I want it to have both form and function and always reflect the sentiment that less is always more. Instead of following trends and releasing seasonal pieces that go on sale I wanted to create a model that was kinder to the planet. I like to think of every release as indents to the overall concept that is Beiged, with a timeless and cohesive feel woven through all of the pieces I create. I have very close relationships with all of our manufacturers and its a great feeling knowing we are producing clothing with people who care about our brand and are treated fairly in the process.
Rituals for self care amongst the busy-ness of life.
Movement and nourishment are 2 important rituals that help me stay sane! And while I may go through periods where I let them slip a bit, I always find my way back and instantly notice the difference in not only my body, but my mind.
Where do you draw inspiration.
I draw inspiration from my lifestyle, especially when we travel. We spent 3 and a half weeks traveling around Aotearoa at the beginning of this year and I was just so inspired by the beauty of our land. All of the pieces I design for Beiged are things I would want to wear, I pay little notice of what other brands or trends are doing. As a mother, wife, friend, businesswomen and everything in between I want clothes that can take me through the day that I feel comfortable and confident in.
What can we expect to see in the future with Beiged.
This year is a very exciting year for Beiged as we are experiencing a huge period of growth in both our retail and wholesale sectors. I will be spending a lot of time scaling our business to try keep up! I remember hearing on a podcast someone talking about how challenging growth was and I remember thinking how silly that sounded as growth is such a good thing, but now I’m in the thick of it I can appreciate all the challenges that come along with it! Right now we have just released our new collection, Balmy Nights which I’m so proud of. Looking into the future we are also introducing 2 new product categories throughout the year which I cannot wait to share. I truely feel so grateful for what has happened and what’s to come with my little humble project.