Our TVM Startup Stall recipients for this week are Blaze Reddy and Mel Augustino with their label, Harper and Harlow. They will join us for the first time at TVM this Sunday 19 August with their beautiful and ethical childrenswear.
We both met 11 years ago as we worked together as flight attendants based in New Zealand, we still currently work for the same company however we are now based in Australia and living in Gold Coast raising our little wildlings. A deep friendship formed and we bonded over creating sustainable clothing from natural fibres.
What made your pursue your creative passion?
Being mothers made us feel like we had to pursue our passion. After having our little girls we wanted to ensure that we were setting the right example and also someone that they can look up to.
What does your brand consist of?
Harper and Harlow the label consists of beautiful organic hemp and linen fabrics designed for children and soon to be woman. A lot of thought and love has gone into these designs and it is made so that your child can grow with it, for example everything is adjustable or can be worn different ways. We are a brand that is very proud to go plastic free including postage and packaging this is a passion of ours being environmentally conscious and we hope that being a small business we can make an impact or even better have bigger companies follow in our footsteps.
Where is the label designed and made?
Our label is designed by us here in Gold Coast, modelled and taken on many adventures by Harper and Harlow and made with love by a beautiful mother in Bali who is a great friend of ours. She also employs five of her friends and family members to help and they all work together while their little girls run around in the background.
What inspires you?
Everything about nature, our little wildlings and travelling. We are both so lucky that we get to travel around the world and visit places we could have only dreamed of. We also grew up in such a surreal country the land of the long white cloud surrounded by unspoiled greenery, rolling waves of soft earth and beautiful culture, we want to pass this onto the girls and show them this spectacular world we live and all the beauty that surrounds us.
What are your plans for the brand and where do you hope it takes you?
We plan on releasing a boys and woman’s range in the coming months, we hope to help people understand that how we choose to consume impacts the environment and the people making it. At the moment we are just so excited to share something we both have worked so hard at creating and can only hope that people adore and enjoy our clothing as much as we enjoyed creating it.
What were the biggest challenges when launching your brand?
Oh my gosh how we laugh at ourselves now, we really went in blind trying to juggle motherhood and being new to the industry. Our biggest challenge would have to be the business side of it all, there is some much that goes into running a small business and it has given us such a deep respect to everyone who is giving it a go.
What is the best thing about having your own business?
The best thing about having our own business and a business partner/friend is that you can always rely on one another to help each other out, having our own business meant we could do something we have always adored creating ethical clothing while being at home surrounded by family and spending precious time with Harper & Harlow which is very important to the both of us.
Connect with Harper and Harlow online, here.
Follow them on Instagram, here.
Find them at TVM this Sunday 19 August 2018.
To find out more about our TVM Startup Stall, check here.
