The Elemental Collection from local brand Because of Nature. Photography by Emma Byrnes
At the beginning of this year I had an email drop into my inbox and it was simply titled “HELP”.
It was from Geelong-based textile artist and natural dyer Kathy Williams and she was looking for someone to photograph her upcoming 100% compostable clothing collection and get help with visual strategy and web design to relaunch her brand Because of Nature. She also wanted to communicate the work that she was doing in India mentoring rural village women to establish a zero waste weaving and production unit.
Kathy’s SOS had landed in the right place. Immediately my interest was piqued. A brand whose focus was zero waste textiles, 100% compostable clothing and working to empower marginalised women in India. Yes to all of these things.
And when Kathy and I met up we both felt energised by hearing of each other’s worlds and the possibilities that could evolve from a collaboration. (I want to pause right here and point out that this is a very important and sometimes intangible aspect of my business - the synergy between myself and my clients. It has to be deeply felt as I often work with small business owners who are so passionate about what they do and this passion is often commensurate with - or at times supersedes - other more traditional aspects of running a successful business like cashflow projections and the bottom line. If we do “click” then generally it seems that the time and energy that is consequently poured into the project from both parties is satisfying and deeply felt - it can even be transformative).
So Kathy squirrelled away in her dye house for a month or two - dyeing and making - and then I photographed The Elemental Collection in late February. We found a beautiful location and a wonderful model Bee that when combined brought true magic to Kathy’s vision for her garments.
Kathy’s story is so interesting. It is multi-layered and quite complex as she is self taught and has been immersed in textiles for 50 years. For her website I spent hours wrangling words and trying to put all of the pieces together so her audience could make sense of the different threads without getting overwhelmed. I just wanted them to spend their time admiring Kathy’s hard won vision and appreciating her journey. I won’t double up by telling the story - just head over to the website and see for yourself. All I can say is that you will fall head over heels for her methodology and philosophies.
I’ll leave you with a testimonial from Kathy as I am always thrilled when a client gets as much pleasure working with me as I do from them:
“Sometimes running a small business becomes very overwhelming...the logistics of websites, photoshoots, branding, marketing and being all round boss girl can be quite confronting to say the least. And then gracefully with peace, dignity, joy and happiness Emma comes into your life. Ask the universe and she will always provide. Working with Emma has been such an empowering experience, I have learnt so much and she has allowed me to realise I’ve got this! From her exquisite photography, her research, her capacity to understand and embrace your business as if it’s her own and then creating the website of my dreams! Her talents have no boundaries, a truly genuine woman of integrity. A unique quality in this hectic world.
Thank you from the bottom of my heart.””
If you think your brand needs a refresh don’t hesitate to get in touch if you think we might be a good match.