TWO Hunter mums are launching what they believe is the nation’s first proudly home-grown, dedicated “twinning” clothes label for mothers and children.
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Peta Purcell and Rowena Campbell say their bespoke label Mother & Joey responds to a niche for co-ordinated clothing that is popular in the US and Europe.
Co-ordinated or “matchy matchy” fashion – where mums wear clothing which matches elements of the clothing worn by their children – has been embraced by stars including Beyonce and the Kardashian clan.
The Hunter mums met in Morpeth as neighbours and, both keen sewers with an appreciation of quality fabrics and timeless fashion trends, dreamt up their label in February.
“Rowena said one day that there was a market in matching outfits, so we did some research and couldn’t find anyone specialising in it here,” said Mrs Purcell.
The Mother & Joey range features high quality linen and cotton suited to the Australian climate and made to last for generations.
The women have worked hard to ensure that every element of their clothing – from the label tags to the actual product – is made within a two-hour radius of their studio in Morpeth.
They design and sew their designs in Morpeth before engaging a patternmaker and seamstresses in Sydney to grade the patterns and make them to professional standards. The word “joey” is both a nod to a child and the brand’s Australian-made ethos.
“If we can keep production here then that is unique and gives us more traction, it’s authentic,” says Mrs Purcell, who is on maternity leave from her marketing role at the University of Newcastle.
“We really hope that people love the range and the feel of it, we are keeping it local and pumping money back into our economy,” adds registered nurse Mrs Campbell.
Mother & Joey will debut its first collection at the Sacred Tree Markets in Morpeth on December 11 and that evening at The Impossible Christmas markets in Newcastle West.
The website will be live from January for online sales.