ANEAU

Muse # 7 - Rebecca Castle + Analiese Gregory, Tasmania Robe Trip Photography by Scott Robertson It's always summer somewhere... A conversation between Rebecca Castle + Analiese Gregory. Rebecca: Analiese I’m coming to visit, four-day road trip? Analiese: YES!!!! Bay of Fires, it’s going to be 30+ degrees everyday & we’ll wear our ANEAU Swan robes the whole time #robetrip!!!   Wardrobe for trip consisted of robes, cossies, summer frocks & Analiese’s wetsuit. Four days camping in the Bay of Fires is HEAVEN ON EARTH. Swimming in crystal clear azure waters that rival if not beat Barbados, the Seychelles or Mauritius & napping on the white sands, with robes for sun protection. Dining on foraged sea treasures of abalone, crab, crayfish & the odd bit of kelp washed down with a collection of natural wines from Analiese’s own cellar & late night negronis watching the stars, or sky telly as we call it. Now I realize that robes are essential beach attire, day or night.        

MUSE # 6 - Dara Tippapart Photography by Scott Surplice How did you and Richy meet?  Richy and I met at a party on Australia day eight years ago. He threw bits of baguette at me to get my attention and now the rest is history... Your wedding location was so enchanting and magical. Did you always know this was where you wanted to have your wedding and celebration?  I always knew I wanted to get married in the countryside. I dreamt of having it in Chianti, Italy on a property we had once stayed at, but sadly I knew it would be a massive stretch for our friends and family to get there. Funnily enough I found our wedding location on Instagram. I booked in an appointment with the manager and immediately fell in love with the property as soon as we pulled into the driveway. Merribee is a charming property filled with herbaceous plants, an abundant edible garden, gorgeous roses the size of your hand and a lavender paddock. The other thing that won me over was the outdoor dance floor that was dimly lit at night, very romantic. The caterer and florist were locals and the loveliest people to work with. It took alot of stress away knowing they understood my mood board. I loved that the property did not require any styling, the gardens were in full bloom. HAHA I cried when it was all over! It’s so lovely you had your three sisters as your bridesmaids. What is the ritual or importance of having bridesmaids?  Weddings are stressful and can be overwhelming especially if you are planning a wedding from overseas like I did. It was so important having my sisters as my bridesmaids who know me inside and out and that I can also be upfront with. It was really nice getting to spend time with them, we are all busy living apart doing our own thing so it was special to have them be my support crew and also hear their speeches on the day. I was in tears laughing and crying!     Being a photographer yourself what was your brief for the photography of your own wedding?  I found it a difficult task trying to find the right photographer who's style I personally felt connected with. Don't get me wrong, there are plenty of talented photographers out there but it was important to have a photographer who was was chilled and unobtrusive in their approach. That's my approach to any shoots I do so I wanted someone who knew how to work that way too. To be honest, I don't think I gave him much of a brief except that I requested that we not be away from the party for too long doing 'couple shots'. I wanted more photos of us and our guests mingling. That felt far more natural, I get so bloody awkward in front of the camera! If you could write a note to yourself on the day of your wedding. What would it be?  Hmm well it would probably be something like this The day is finally here, all those late nights planning, losing sleep, getting upset and overjoyed about.  Don't be nervous or sad because you haven't practised your 'first dance' and its not 'perfect'. You're dancing to your special song that means something to you, that's all that matters. Take some selfies with mum and dad, have a gin and tonic with mum and you'll be right! Enjoy every second of today, slow down and take a moment away on your own and as a couple to soak in everything that you have created. Most importantly, remember to find a quiet spot when the party is over and all the guests are gone and look up at the stars in the sky.

MUSE # 5 - Kiri Vasales  Photography by Anna Westcott  What do you hope for the future for luna? I hope as she grows she knows she is loved fully and unconditionally. I hope she sees and feels the power and confidence within herself to achieve anything that she wishes, and I hope she goes through life remembering to be true and kind to all. She’s bound for big things this girl.

MUSE # 4 - Chinni Swamy, Founder of Purkal Stree Shakti  Photography by Hannah Scott-Stevenson Chinni, can you tell us about your story and how 10 years on Purkal stree shakti came to be and evolve? In the past 10 years Psss has evolved in many fronts. From being a small unit supporting 40 women it has grown into a registered NGO. When we started we were working from my home. Now we function from a full fledged workshop which makes it more efficient and professional. The number of women has grown to 170. The women have organised themselves into self help groups with elected leaders and their own bank account for their business. Thus the business of Psss is owned by these self help groups. The women are learning to manage their enterprise. The group leaders are consulted for every important decision connected to the business. We have developed a number products over the years. We now make quilts for adults and children, bags and pouches, kitchen and home decor products, garments for men and women and items for corporate gifting. The organisation is now evolving systems for smooth running the business. How is International Women's day a important day for you and the women you work with? The International Women's Day is indeed a very big day in our calendar. For the past few years we have been organising a sports day for the women to celebrate the occasion. This is the day for them to let their hair down and enjoy themselves. They understand that they are no less than anybody. This builds tremendous confidence and self esteem in the women.Through your work can you tell us about the social impact initiatives and the effect it has on the lives of the women and their families? To begin with our idea was to let the women earn economic independence. As the craft did not exist here we had to first train them. So, learning new crafts and training became an ongoing activity in Psss. Women who never had the confidence that they could learn anything are now ready to take on any challenging work. They can confidently meet customers to talk about their lives and sell their products. Many of our women now own smart phones and are active on Facebook and WhatsApp.   Regular workshops and lectures are arranged for the women touching varied subjects such as leadership, time management, dealing with customers, health and sanitation and yoga and its benefits. This kind of exposure widens their vistas. They begin to understand that the world is much bigger than their villages. The nutritious lunch initiative of the society has resulted in much better health for the women. They fall ill less often. They are able work and earn better.Our being a member of Fair Trade has taught them to respect the environment.  Working with PYDS our women have campaigned for villages free of plastic.  We succeeded to a great extent. Being economically independent they are respected better by the family and the community. They are now able to make decisions for the family. They understand the importance of education and make sure their children are educated.Lastly, what does Balance for Better mean to you in light of this years International Women's Day?These are my thoughts on balance. Balance has to start from within.When your being is in balance that means you are at peace with yourself and the world around you. There is no place for violence but only joy. If we can find balance in the world, between the sexes, between the needs of human beings and nature, between the power of one nation and others, the world will be a better place  to be in.  

MUSE # 3 - Sophia Kaplan Photography by Saskia Wilson The incredible photographs Saskia captured of you are so peaceful, still and moving. Can you tell us how you were feeling in the last weeks before giving birth? I was so fortunate to have the ever so talented Saskia take these photographs. I will treasure them forever as they capture a really special moment in my life. It’s funny because so many women from time immemorial have gone through this but it does still feel special when it happens to you. I felt so lucky to fall pregnant and am now so thankful for my healthy baby boy. Towards the end of my pregnancy I was getting so incredibly impatient to meet my little one and to see what all the fuss around child birth was about! This huge event was about to take place, any moment, I was even worried we wouldn’t get the shoot done in time before the baby came. Weaving happily through these feelings was an appreciation of the quiet moments to myself and with my partner, the final moments of being child-free we would have, ever. We would go for walks and be in nature and really soak in the moment, the growing belly and the fact that our lives were about to enter a new chapter. If you were to write a letter to yourself just before giving birth to Raph what advice would you give yourself?  Be sure to enjoy every moment because the time flies past so fast. The newborn stage is short and each stage is special so lap it all up. Also the sleep deprivation can hit you like a freight train so make sure you ask for help if you need it. With running multiple small businesses how have you found the juggle between it all since Raph came into this world and what insights have you had? It definitely is a juggle and I have only been able to do as much work as I have because of the incredible support of my parents, my sister and my partner Michael. My family have done lots of babysitting, walking around the neighbourhood and bringing him to me for a feed while I’m installing flower jobs. It wouldn’t have been possible otherwise. That being said I have been super select about what jobs I do take on, focussing on my loyal clients who I love working for. My other business Leaf Supply has kept rolling while I took some leave because of the hard work of my business partners Lauren and Ariella. But I’m back at that now and we’re working on our second book which is exciting! What are your favourite new memories you’ve had since you’ve had Raph?   It’s the little things like watching him with his dad or our families and friends. Witnessing the love they all have for Raf is truly heart warming. His little nude bum all summer holidays, the extra strong cuddles we get late at night or when he’s teething, the funny little noise he makes after he sneezes, introducing him to places that have meant a lot to us and watching him learn how to be in this world are all pretty special.