Meet Little Yarn, the emerging Byron Bay knitwear label that counts Iris Law as a fan

“Pieces designed to make you feel beautiful and stay special to you forever.”

When Byron Bay designer Sophia Gibbs was doing her yearly wardrobe clearout, she recognised a few defining features of the clothes she chose to keep: they were made of quality materials and the designs had both a timelessness and a point of interest. Combining her lifelong love for fashion (she used to make a living as a full-time Depop seller) and her bachelor’s degree in industrial design, soon after this wardrobe cull, Sophia began daydreaming about pieces she could make that would always be in people’s ‘keep’ piles.

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Looking to her friends for inspiration, she began designing “pieces I could see my friends keeping in their wardrobes forever” featuring frills, bows and lace-up details. Made from cashmere, merino and alpaca blends, Little Yarn‘s clothing perfectly fuses high-quality materials with an effortless, French-girl aesthetic. Below Sophia shares the journey of her label so far.

Tell us about you. What’s your fashion background?

 

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My name is Sophia, I am 24 and live in Byron Bay. I have a bachelor’s degree in industrial design and have always had a quietly creative brain. I used to make a living off reselling clothes on Depop. As a family, we would go to Europe once a year and I would bring an extra suitcase to collect vintage pieces. I’ve always enjoyed finding intricate pieces that I know have been previously loved and appreciated.

 

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Over the last couple of years, I have dabbled as a stylist assistant and have worked for some incredible eCommerce brands in a range of different roles. I’ve pretty much always revolved my day around the appreciation of fashion in some way, although I never really imagined having a brand myself.

What were you trying to achieve from the project at the time? How has this evolved and what are you trying to communicate through the brand now?

Little Yarn was just a project I could weave my ideas into, never a business plan. I was doing the yearly wardrobe clean out and was disappointed in the number of trends I fell for and how many clothes I would never get good wear out of (this was before I discovered cost per wear).

I noticed the only pieces I had kept for years were my favourite denim jeans, the unique vintage pieces no one else had and my grandma’s handmade knitwear. I discovered they all had a few things in common: quality materials, timeless elegance and something interesting about the piece that made it special.

 

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I started to imagine creating something unique and special but something that would also last. I spent most of my weekends brainstorming pieces I could see my friends keeping in their wardrobes forever, [considering] what makes them feel most beautiful and something that I thought was different. I did a lot of fabric research to discover the longest-lasting and highest-quality material blends. I only officially launched Little Yarn three months ago but I hope to continuously keep each drop limited in stock, considered and able to hold its value for a lifetime.

How would you describe your label to someone who’s never seen it before?

 

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Unique pieces designed to make you feel beautiful and stay special to you forever. Soft and delicate, it’s not trying to be anything other than what it is.

What are you most proud of in your work on your label?

 

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Iris Law reached out before I had launched and that was exciting to me because at that time it was just me in my room with my iPad. I had to rapidly learn about how to do pretty much everything from logistics, tech packs and pattern making all in my spare time. But yeah… seeing people wearing Little Yarn is the wildest part for me. When my friends send me sneaky pics of people wearing Little Yarn at festivals or at a cafe etc, it’s just so crazy.

What do you wish you knew when you started?

 

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There are so many kind and supportive people who will support and want to be a part of something new. Whether they are your close friends, people you look up to, photographers, known people in the industry or absolute strangers! It’s overwhelming in the best way. The support I’ve had from my friends was beyond what I imagined, so I named each top after them.

What about the Australian and New Zealand fashion industry needs to change?

 

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I love discovering brands with really strong brand identities or core ethics that shine through all of their collections. Personally, I get overwhelmed when I see brands morphing into the same trend season after season. From a business point of view, it makes all the sense! It’s less risky and most customers just want to fit into the new trends. But… as a consumer myself, I love when brands stay beautifully unique to themselves as they evolve.

Who is in your wardrobe right now?

 

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You mean floordrobe? Yeah, I’m currently wearing my vintage John Galliano jeans paired with my new samples… watch this space!

Keep up to date with Little Yarn on Instagram and explore its range here.