Heart-to-Heart: With Hayley Barrett

Did you hear the news? Earlier this week we finally released our fabulous collab with Kollab (tongue twister, I know) and your responses were full of sheer joy and excitement. Thank you for all the love friends! Boy-oh-boy there’s some pretty picnics on the horizon. If you're a lover of our famous Floria pattern, then we’re sure, the classic range would've made your week a whole lot brighter. Sage x Clare + Kollab rolled into a product? A match-made-in-heaven really.  

The Kollab team were a dream to work with and we’ve loved getting to know them. If you're reading this Kollab team - we think you should move your HQ next door so we can meet up for lunch breaks ;) imagine the fun (and picnics) we’d have! 

Shop the Sage x Clare + Kollab range here.

We recently caught up with Hayley Barrett - Founder of Kollab for our Heart-To-Heart series. She really is an amazing human and our brands share such similar values. Get comfy, pour yourself a cuppa and meet Hayley… 

Featured: Gia Maxi Skirt | Shop the Sage x Clare + Kollab range here | Image credit: Armelle Habib.

Kollab began back in 2014 - was there an exact moment that sparked the idea for this amazing biz of yours or was it more of a gradual thing? Tell us the story of how Kollab came to life!

Kollab was originally started with the mission to make the practical fashionable. We saw a gap in the market and with my background in fashion we felt we could create a more appealing collection of everyday products with a fashion edge whilst also where possible choosing materials that are kinder on the planet. Our key focus was to keep it affordable and durable while offering great products for everyone!

Shop the Sage x Clare + Kollab range here | Image credit: Armelle Habib.

Shop the Sage x Clare + Kollab range here | Image credit: Armelle Habib.

Shop the Sage x Clare + Kollab range here | Armelle Habib.

Shop the Sage x Clare + Kollab range here | Armelle Habib.

What is the design process of Kollab products… can you chat us through the journey of your designs from start to finish? 

We make our collections fun and colourful with a curation of artwork that we hope will appeal to everybody to use every day! Each collection is always aligned to trends in the market in both fashion and homewares, but also careful consideration is always placed on who our customers are with every range we build. They are the backbone to the business, and we create every collection with them in mind. How will they use this on the grocery run? What prints compliment the clothing they will be wearing this season, or simply will this be practical (and look great) when they hit the beach! There’s always a lot of fine tuning to get the perfect balance in a collection.

Both of our brands share a deep love for all things colourful and we are all pretty passionate about bold + joyful pattern. What are the key inspirations behind your designs?

Yes, we certainly love colour and pattern! We always start with trends of the season to get the creative juices flowing and ensure that we have a good mix of prints that represent these. Building from this we look for brands or Artists that we would love to partner with to work with to incorporate their designs into our collections. We are also always listening to our customers and wholesalers to find out their feedback so we can have our finger on the pulse for what they expect from us and new ideas they would like also. We know what colours and prints work well for us, so our inspiration always stems from this in some way. And when all else fails, a retro floral never fails!

Hayley and I braved the camera (it took bribery & croissants) - you can watch our interview together on IG here.

What’s been your favourite memory so far as a business owner? 

I think favourite memories for me are just seeing our products in the wild. Just walking past someone using our bags at the supermarket makes me happy and proud of what we have achieved. Or sitting on one of our mats in the park enjoying time with friends.

Image credit: Al + Imo. Featured: Floria Mini Sweater + Floria Mini Track Pant | Shop the Sage x Clare + Kollab range here.

How would you describe your personal taste in interiors and who or what influenced this?

We are building our family home on the Mornington Peninsula at the moment, and I feel like it would be described as a retro beach house with all the mod cons! We can’t wait to move in and put our stamp on it. Generally, I would say I love all types of fashion including interiors. I like both street and designer, but I also love vintage so it’s hard to pinpoint one genre of influence as my husband Mick and myself, love fashion, music and interiors. We have developed our interior style together as a result of all these passions. 

Top 3 favourite Sage x Clare products… GO!

Maxi skirts, table cloths and quilt covers.

Do you have any tips for those out there wanting to pursue their dreams of starting a business? What do you wish someone told you when you were just starting out?

Believe in yourself and just have a go. I have always felt that mistakes are ok and part of the learning process for running a business. I make sure our staff know this with everything they do. We can all learn from each other. Discussing what happened and how we can improve is a great conversation. I always try to focus on the solution of an issue and not too long on the problem itself.

Image credit: Armelle Habib.

What makes you happy outside of your business? You’ve got an entire day to yourself, how would you spend it? 

Heading to the beach with my family and friends and / or creating something in the kitchen. I love time at a market, checking out supplies and what’s fresh and then preparing something delicious!

You must be picnic experts by now! If you could choose anywhere in the world to have a picnic party right now… where would it be and why?

This is so hard! We haven’t travelled much internationally in the last few years, but I do love to travel. Anywhere whether it be Australia, or overseas, so for now my answer is by the ocean with great food and friends. You really can make anywhere picnic perfect with the right company, food and set up!

With a whole lotta love. Xx 

Find the Kollab website here.