A friend is learning to sew. It’s been some time since I’ve seen a dining room strewn with a sewing machine, fabric and pins. Actually, it’s been some time since I’ve known a household to have a sewing machine.
Back in the day, it was standard fare—growing up the family home even had a ’sewing room’ (also known as the ‘ironing room’). With the aid of a Butterick pattern, my mother would whip me up a supply of shorts. They tended to be in questionably lairy, cartoon prints personally selected by my 9 year-old self from the rolls at the haberdashery store. One-of-a-kinds you might say.
Mum has long since hung up the Janome, as have many women of generations past. Lydra is attempting to harness some of that latent sewing talent for a collection of bags, clutches, satchels and purses.
The range is handmade in Melbourne by senior citizens with the dual purpose of creating chic accessories and giving the elders an income and a creative outlet: a concept that scored Lydra accreditation by Ethical Clothing Australia, the first accessories label to get the ECA’s thumbs up.
The feel-good story continues with products using locally sourced, pre-loved materials. Bamboo ply, vintage fabrics, leather jackets and upholstery remnants are re-purposed. Just like old times, each piece is a one-of-a-kind, although it’s fair to say they exhibit significantly more elegance than cartoon print shorts.
Lydra is available online and from selected boutiques.
