AUSTRALIA
Fiona
Anastas
"In Australia, we just have a good attitude towards life. Even if shit is happening, we have some fun."
One of the most thoughtful people we know, Fiona is that best friend everybody wants. Originally from Bondi Beach in Sydney, Australia, Fiona has all the Australian traits; well traveled, friendly and most importantly that chill attitude. It’s an Australian thing Fiona tells us, “I remember a big storm that hit Sydney in the mid-80's. I remember being woken up and rushing to the front window. You could see a gush of water down the street and cars were floating but people were on their surfboards and things alike. In Australia, we just have a good attitude towards life. Even if shit is happening, we have some fun”.
Did you know, Australia prides itself on being a country of inventors? Yea, we didn’t know that either. Here is what we heard. “Australia is a very young country (if you don't count the ancient Aboriginal history prior to British occupation), and back when it started as a British colony, in 1788 officially, we relied on Britain for everything. So if you needed anything, it took months to get there. So culturally we have been people who always had to adapt, to improvise, to invent. Australians have a can-do, will-do attitude. Something needs to be done, we find the best way and just do it”.
Fiona moved to NYC in 2012 and lives with her husband and their seven-month-old daughter. Every part of their apartment has a story from one of their many travels.
Ugg boots
Winter home slippers(boots) made of lamb's wool
Ugg boots (Not the trademarked version)
“Ugg boots have been in my life for as long as I can remember,” says Fiona pointing to her feet.
The lamb meat from Australia and New Zealand is prized for its quality all over the world. As such there are a lot sheep there. A natural by-product is the use of their leather and wool. Since the leather of a sheep is not as thick and sturdy as cows, the fur is left on the leather and what you are left with is what Australians call “lamb’s wool.”
Lambswool rugs or throws can be found in Australian houses. Ugg boots are made from lamb’s wool and were originally boots with just a rubber sole. “They were home slippers and not a fashion item. They certainly weren't something you wore outdoors”.
(And here is where we had our classic “did you know?” moment)
Fiona goes on, “Ugg or ugg boots for us is a very common term, and a household term used to describe a type of house boots. So multiple manufacturers made what was called the ugg boots. In the late 90's, an American company trademarked the term UGG, which made it difficult for local Australian manufacturers to call their products Uggs and they were forced to call them with a more generic term like "lamb’s wool boots." Although, since a widely used common name like in this case “ugg boots” cannot be trademarked, Australian manufacturers fought the case against UGG brand and won the case in 2006. UGG still owns the trademark rights outside Australia and trademark rights on its logo in Australia.
Bodgie comb
Scalp vitalising, palm hair brush
Bodgie comb
In Australia everything is shortened to "ie" like a mosquito is "mosie", swimming costume is "cosie" so the name for this comb, Fiona thinks probably came from the same philosophy. We did our own investigation and found that Bodgies referred to a youth subculture in the 1950’s in Australia. Bodgies can be compared to the rocker culture or greaser culture in the US. These combs are of that era, so our assumption is that these combs were probably used by the bodgie youths and that’s why the name. But don’t quote us on it.
“When I was like 11 or 12, I had short hair and my mom got it for me to comb my hair in the shower, and I used it a lot. It’s harder to use on long hair, but I think it’s good for stimulating the scalp and preventing dandruff. I saw it at a pharmacy when I was in Sydney, and it was only a couple of dollars, so I had to have it.”
Dinosaur Designs
Australian manufacturer of resin based jewelry and homewares
Dinosaur Designs
“I first discovered Dinosaur Designs in my year 11 design class”. Our eyes widened as Fiona pulled out this gorgeous teal colored necklace out of a linen bag. “The teacher had brought in a magazine on all different Australian designers, and she gave each one of us an article to research further. Colorful, bright shades are what I tend to gravitate towards naturally, so I chose to research Dinosaur Designs”.
What makes their designs unique is the use of the materials. The featured material is resin, but each piece is a play on color, pattern, and texture. The unique effects are achieved by pouring and mixing the resins together, and each piece is crafted by hand. Fiona, a designer and material specialist herself can truly appreciate the art behind their designs. “It is a great example of a generic or a simple material being elevated because of the way you process it as well as the way you combine it with contrasting or complementary materials, in this case, metal and leather.”
Swaddle UP
Unique swaddling solution by Love To Dream
Swaddle UP
Fiona is a first-time mother and like all first-time mothers she also has many products tried and tested. But this one she swears by and not just because it is by an Australian company. “Everyone's heard of swaddling, which is essentially wrapping the baby tight, so it feels like a womb. But the baby really only needs to be swaddled around their middle because they need to keep their arms free to rub their face or suck their thumb and they like their legs to be free. There are a lot of swaddle products in the market, but the advantage of this one over the others is it is just one simple zip up. You don't have to wrap anything or tie anything or stick arms through holes. We put our baby in it from day one at home, and she sleeps soundly in that all through the night”.
This product is called ‘Swaddle up’ by an Australian company called ‘Love to Dream’. Swaddle up is another example of the Australian inventor mentality. Started by a mom who couldn’t find the right product in the market for her baby, decided to make her own. It is very simple in terms of material and sewing. It’s just a stretch jersey fabric, but the shape of it is in tuned with the way a baby sleeps.
"This product is great and was recommended to me by my sister who is a nanny in Australia. Also, as someone who sews I appreciate the simple but effective design; the fabric is well suited and every stitch and detail is exactly as it needs to be."
Wooden comb
As the name says, a wooden comb
Wooden comb
Although not an Australian product, this comb is an integral part of Fiona’s life and comes from what we call a global citizen. A person who has traveled far and wide and adopted rituals around the world and made their own.
“What I find brushes do, is they charge my hair and make them frizzy. So I use this wooden comb right out of the shower when the hair is wet to get the knots out”. It makes sense. We didn’t even think about it till Fiona said it. Her original one was from a woodworker in England that she found while traveling. This one was given to her and bought on Amazon.
