FROM LITTLE THINGS BIG THINGS GROW

The collections seasonal print was a unique collaboration with visual artist and environmental photographer, Carolyn Young. 

In the aftermath of the bushfires that haunted last summer, I was seeking a way to pay homage to the landscape that we lost, and the process of regeneration to come.  

To better understand the Australian landscape, I started the search for scientific imagery of native flora and fauna. I thought about the drawings and specimens found in museums. 

It was my interest in tiny fragments that brought me to Carolyn Young’s work.

Carolyn finds beauty in small pieces of our landscape that are often overlooked. I was drawn to a photograph of hers of different specimens of grass - each piece of grass looked exquisite, almost like a tiny, elegant sculpture. Her work explores what is below the earth, not just on the surface.

I immediately knew her photography would perfectly synthesise my love of science, nature & art into this collection’s signature print.

Carolyn has a science background, so she preserves the root system of each specimen she collects. She arranges these on a grid, undercut by a layer of black velvet before photographing.

 My love for this collaboration only grew when I was on set shooting the collection with the beautiful Charlee Frazer. As she stepped in front of the camera, Charlee said the print reminded her of her favourite quote.

"Sometimes when you feel you’re in a dark place, you think you’ve been buried, but really, you’ve been planted."

It’s a special idea: taking something you rarely notice – like a piece of grass – and placing it centre stage. This collection aims to do the same – to render the unconventional elements of nature beautiful.