Meet Saule, the Melbourne label designing robes for the beach and beyond
PHOTOGRAPHY BY Jessica Grilli
STYLING BY SAVANNAH ANAND-SOBTI
ART DIRECTION BY ANNIE PORTELLI
PRODUCTION BY SALLY TABART
WORDS BY IZZY WIGHT
“To float around your house in, jazz up your outfit, throw over your bathers, or hang on the back of your door.”
Last summer, while enjoying the warm breeze and blue beaches of Yamba, multi-hyphenate creative Sally Tabart dreamt of a soft, seersucker robe. Inspired by a friend’s similarly lightweight layer, Sally “felt it was a product that didn’t really exist outside of the loungewear space, and [I] could see the whole vision straight away”.
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Deciding to work for herself after years as a design editor, Sally – with a little help from some talented friends – spent the next year refining a comfy capsule collection. Made by a small, all-female team here in Naarm, the Japanese cotton seersucker robes are crafted to “straddle the worlds of fashion, design and home wear”. Below, Sally speaks on how Saule was brought to life.
Tell us about you. What’s your fashion background?
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I’ve actually never really worked in the fashion industry in this way before, but I’ve always been somewhat fashion/design adjacent. In my twenties, I worked as a producer in fashion film and photography. I started a publication with my good friend Sav called Ladies of Leisure, which very much had a love for fashion and fashion images at its core, through a feminist lens.
Most recently, I was the managing editor for The Design Files, a role I finished up at the end of 2021. Now that I work for myself, I’m a writer, editor, creative strategist and producer. Basically, I help people find their visions and bring them to life.
How did the label get started? Talk us through the process and the challenges.
The idea for Saule came about in the summer of 2021. I had just finished up with my full-time job, and for the first time in a long time, I had some space in my brain. As a design editor, I had spent years telling the stories of other people’s creative projects and was really craving something of my own.
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I was staying with my best friend who lives in Yamba, and she was wearing a really cute robe to the beach every day that her sister-in-law had made her as a Kris Kringle present. I had actually been searching for a lightweight layer to jazz up some summer looks without much luck. And this little cotton robe sparked something in me!
I felt it was a product that didn’t really exist outside of the loungewear space, and could see the whole vision straight away. On that trip, we came up with the name and general shape of the idea, and when I got back home I started working with my good friend Andria (from Honeymoon), who helped me with pattern making, took me to fabric suppliers, introduced me to my makers, and taught me everything about creating a garment. It was kind of like doing an internship for myself!
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The greatest challenge was definitely diving headfirst into a field I had zero experience in, but it was also the best bit. I’m so grateful for all the help I’ve received, and that so many people got excited about it!
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?
I was looking to share my point of view in a different way, and to make something beautiful. My whole career has been as a support to creatives, but I wanted to prove to myself that I could also execute my own vision. I wanted to find a way to work with people I admire and create things we could all be proud of.
Now that Saule is here, all of these things are still true. I genuinely love our layering pieces, and the world we’ve built around them. I guess I’m trying to communicate the beauty I see in everyday moments.
Where did the name come from?
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My mum’s side of the family is Latvian (and pretty much all women) so I did some research and found out that Saule is the name of the sun goddess in Baltic mythology, responsible for the well-being and regeneration of all life on earth. I thought the word was really beautiful, and a nice way to connect with the women in my family. I couldn’t imagine it being anything else now!
How would you describe Saule to someone who’s never seen it before?
Simple, everyday elegance. A luxurious cotton seersucker robe to float around your house in, jazz up your outfit, throw over your bathers, or hang on the back of your door. A layering piece to wear both in and out of the house, Saule is designed to work in harmony with your existing wardrobe and make every day a bit more beautiful.
What are you most proud of in your work on your brand?
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The collaborations and connections. From the design process to the photo shoots, the website and the branding – every single person who has worked on Saule is either a friend or has become one. Everyone gave me so much time and energy, and in return, I tried to give creative freedom.
I’ve always thought that trusting people to do their thing gives the best results, and I think that’s true with Saule! I’m also really proud that we make our robes here in Naarm/Melbourne, with a team of three female makers. And the actual product itself is so beautiful! I’m over the moon.
What do you wish you knew when you started?
How expensive everything was. I need to sell a lot of robes.
What do you think is most exciting in the Australian fashion scene right now?
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The community! I know that people often say people in fashion gatekeep information, but I’ve had the opposite experience. Everyone I’ve asked advice from has given me their contacts, their time and advice, or has pointed me in the right direction.
Special shoutout to Andria from Honeymoon, Emma from Sister, Meg from Après Studio, Sarah from Nu Form, and Ween from Soot for this!
Go-to dinner party playlist?
I’ve been working a lot and haven’t really been having a lot of dinner parties lately, but my go-to studio music is the NTS Breakfast Show with Flo and Zakia, or So Much So Much, which is a fortnightly mix series I started with my partner in lockdown that’s still going strong.
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Who is in your wardrobe right now?
My most recent purchase was a dress from Paris Georgia for a wedding. I also kept a beautiful Kye Intimates bra I bought for a shoot that I’m obsessed with.
How can we buy one of your pieces?
On our website at saule.com.au, which is going live on Thursday, December 1 at 8am.
For more Saule, head here.
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