We’ve been in love with Coco and Ginger’s gorgeous kids wear for years so were super excited to catch up with founder and designer, Saffron Pugh-Blaby, in her fabulously eclectic tropical Bali home.
Coco and Ginger are going gangbusters – they are not only introducing a new teen range, but also putting the finishing touches on a homewares collection which is every bit as covetable as their clothing line.
You come from a very artistic family. Tell us a bit about your background.
I grew up on Sunshine Coast in Buderim on 49 acres on an old banana farm. My father is a self- taught ceramicist, my mother is a painter, and I have 2 sisters, a ceramicist and a painter! After studying fine arts at Sydney University I came back to Sunshine Coast and worked with my dad in his ceramic business.
It was there I met my husband Simon who was working as a chef at the Spirit House. He was headhunted in 2002 and we moved to Bali.
So how has the kid’s fashion label Coco and Ginger developed?
Whilst in Bali I started making clothes for my daughter to wear and all the women in my mother’s group asked where the clothes came from. They were my first customers and the business grew from there.
We now have a director, 2 Balinese partners, and we work with home industry. We deal directly with four families and take our clothes to various women’s collectives. You won’t find a factory anywhere and because of that our clothes have hand-made touches, It also means we can do small minimums which allows us to produce creative ranges.
Describe a typical day for you.
First thing we do is to get the girls (Coco aka Chloe, 14, and Ginger, 6) off to school – my husband Simon walks them through rice paddies and over a bamboo bridge to get there.
I then do some sort of physical exercise with my trainer Mel and check emails before dropping into the studio to work, which could be anything from designing to troubleshooting. I go shopping and pick up the children then it’s homework, dinner, a bath, and maybe a DVD or a book for me.
What and who are your influences in fashion?
I really love Australian designers sass and bide, Zimmerman, and Collette Dinnigan. And I love Liberty of London and Isabel Marant. I like anyone who has ethnic elements in their design – anything with a handmade feel and of course, the floral prints of Zimmerman and Liberty.
You got the inspiration for the name from your children. Are they involved in any way?
My girls feel very connected to the business and they always do the photo shoots. We have a tween line called ‘Stealing Beauty’ and Coco has been instrumental in this collection, she’s part of the design process. Ginger is in charge of comfort feedback, whether the garment scratches, if it’s too tight or whether the dress twirls properly.
What is the part of your job that you love the most?
I love seeing little girls wearing our clothes! That’s my favourite part. I love creating; we are doing all of our own fabrics now! And I love working with my team, they are great people to work with.
Tell us what you’re up to right now.
We are putting the final touches on our latest collection for Summer 2013 called ‘My Island Life’ which is due in stores in August. It’s to be sold in Australia, Japan, and Singapore.
And what is next?
I’m looking at opening a stand-alone shop in Bali (psst – it’s opening 6 May 2013!) and have just produced an older collection for 12 to 16 year olds. We are also getting into homewares – cushions, beach bags, towels, and water bottles.
You’ve lived in Bali for over 10 years now. What do you love about the island?
I love the creativity and the religion and the way that religion finds its way into every element of daily life from the simplest offerings to complex ceremonies. I love the Balinese aesthetic, where you might find a yellow wall and a blue door – they are not constrained by colour charts.
I also like the aesthetics of the landscapes, whether it be a grove of coconut trees or the verdant green of a rice paddy. I really love the botanical elements of Bali.
Tell us some of your favourite places to eat and drink in Bali?
Petitenget (Disclaimer: Saffron’s husband Simon is the chef). Otherwise we love Warung Murah for Indonesian food, Mama San, La Lucciola, Green Ginger, and Watercress.
What advice would you give to a younger you?
It’ll all be ok! Stop worrying so much!
Thanks Saffron!
The new Coco and Ginger store is at Jalan Batubelig 88, Kerobokan, Kuta, Bali, Indonesia, p. +62 361 4020841. Open daily 10am-8pm.