When you see a new Sand + Salt Kids collection drop, you’re seeing months of work wrapped up in a few photos.
What you don’t see is everything that happens before that.
Ideas usually find me when I’m least expecting them.
Sometimes it’s walking along the beach on Phillip Island.
Sometimes it’s standing in the shower.
Sometimes I’m scrolling and one tiny detail sparks a completely new design.
I’ve learnt to write ideas down straight away because inspiration has terrible timing.
Once I have an idea, it starts to grow.
A colour palette.
A graphic.
A message.
A feeling.
Then it heads to our makers in Bali, where it slowly starts becoming something real.
From Sketch To Sample
One thing I’m incredibly grateful for is our relationship with our makers.
Most collections only take one to three samples before we’re happy.
That doesn’t mean the process is effortless.
Tiny changes make a huge difference.
Moving a print a few centimetres.
Choosing between two shades of blue.
Changing the fit ever so slightly.
They’re the little details most people never notice, but they’re the things I obsess over.
The Hardest Part
If I’m honest, the hardest part isn’t waiting for samples.
It’s knowing I have ten more ideas sitting in my notebook that I can’t afford to make just yet.
As a creative, that’s hard.
My imagination is always moving faster than the business budget.
If money wasn’t part of the equation, I’d probably launch a new collection every month.
The Best Part
Nothing beats opening that box of fresh samples.
Well… almost nothing.
The only thing better is seeing one of your kids wearing them.
Or getting tagged in a customer photo.
Or hearing my Shopify notification and knowing another family has chosen Sand + Salt Kids.
Even after all these years, that little sound still makes me smile.
Every single order reminds me that someone chose something I created from an idea that once only existed in my head.
I’ll never stop being grateful for that.
Why We Keep Creating
Every collection tells a story.
Not just about colours or graphics.
About childhood.
Adventure.
Confidence.
Good vibes.
And creating clothes that kids actually want to wear.
That’s what keeps me coming back to my sketchbook.
Because somewhere in there might be the next design your child never wants to take off.
Want to see what all those sketches eventually become?
Take a look at our latest collection and discover the small-batch pieces designed in Phillip Island and handmade in Bali, built for surf, skate and good vibes.