Fire and Flood
Tell us a bit about Fire and Flood
- What led you to starting Fire and Flood?
Fire and Flood came together very organically after many conversations sharing our desires and needs as Artists and as Mothers. We were initially looking for art studio space, but quickly discovered that we shared such strong values and creative vision. We all wanted to create a space to support our families and fellow creatives and to curate all the things we love in one place.
- Who is behind it along with a short bio?
Fire and Flood is comprised of 3 determined, productive, creative mums. We all love natural ingredients, hand made and/or ethically made clothing homewares and toys. Amber Hearn is a painter, Kevina-Jo Smith is an installation artist, and Heather Miller is a botanic fabric colourist who has her own brand Flora Studio.
- What are your ethos and intentions behind Fire and Flood?
After individually and collectively facing prolonged uncertain times in life and love, the three of us felt passionate about a strong reset for ourselves and our children heading into the future. We aim to achieve this by creating a productive, energised space that brings daily life back to community by supporting local made/Australian made/Indigenous made items which are handcrafted, thoughtfully designed and ethically made. Our space is intended to bring people together to celebrate our collective resilience and creativity. We consider Fire and Flood somewhat of a ‘General Store’ as we sell a broad range of beautiful and carefully curated goods with a focus on materials derived from nature with a future-conscious focus.
- What sets your clothing store apart from others in the industry or in your area?
Whilst we are not specifically a clothing store, clothing is an integral part of everyday life, therefore an important component of our overall story. We constantly curate a range of unique and handmade clothing, alongside carefully selected brands whose ethos we love and align with. There is a lot of variety in style and size, bought together by our strict policy of supporting natural and up cycled fabrics only. People often come to us for a special gift or a one of a kind item. We have so much fun regularly remerchandising our unique range to amplify the nature of what we sell. We are also very interested in contributing to the elevation of our village as a shopping destination and bringing something special to our broader community, we do this in conjunction with our on site art studio spaces.
- How do you balance motherhood and work?
It’s a constant, ever evolving challenge, particularly during school holidays!! However we all love to involve our kids in what we do and they love being included and connecting with each other. They actually all love being ‘put to task’ and definitely feel a sense of pride and ownership over what their Mums are creating. We as woman love modelling resilience and hard work whilst also striking the balance of engaged and connected time with our kids. We often help each other out by taking turns babysitting for each other. The beauty of working in a balanced partnership and rowing in the same direction, is that we can always support one another and it seems to (mostly haha) flow seamlessly.
- What does being a woman mean to you?
Part of being a women, to us, is leading by positive example, showing our children what is possible through hard work, commitment, determination, love and fun! We openly display our belief in ourselves and each other, by being brave and strong yet gentle and connected and nurturing. Our children and maker community get to witness us building each other up, as well as our fellow makers and friends and customers, thereby displaying what it is to be a part of a genuinely connected community.
- How do you select the clothing brands and products featured in your store?
This process has so far been partially us recommending our individual aligned friends with labels, such as was the case with Land and Honey, as well as makers themselves being drawn to what we are creating and seeing themselves as part of our story. In some instances makers have an excellent product, but need help with branding and packaging so as to make sense in the Fire and Flood ‘world’.
- What future plans or initiatives do you have for your clothing store?
Most recently we introduced a coffee corner, so our customers can enjoy a specialty drink or local made treat whilst they browse. We have some upcoming book launches and Artist exhibitions upstairs in our studio/gallery space. We love the broad creative community that we have created a platform for and that we are much more than just a retail shop.
- Could you share any memorable customer stories or experiences related to your clothing store?
There are so many!! But to choose a fresh one, this morning we had just sold a beautiful one of a kind ‘orange’ Blanket Coat by Saint Joan, which had been part of a fresh window display. I replaced it immediately with a beautiful one of a kind ‘Lime/Yellow’ Blanket Coat by Saint Joan. Leaving the remainder of the display exactly the same. Moments later two woman came in looking for the ORANGE coat they had spotted in the window on their way to breakfast and intended to come back for. After noticing their confusion and slight distress, I connected with them … it turned out she thought she was going crazy and remembered an orange jacket, not lime/yellow… there was a lot of laughing as I explained that it just sold! And the nature of selling one of a kind items was that it included the pieces in the window display. The woman said next time she is coming in BEFORE breakfast haha!!
- How do you engage with the local community and support local initiatives or charities?
We engage with our local community by selling things predominantly made by our local community. We are passionate about creating space for community connections, recently we had our first artist in resident exhibit at the end of their residency which we hosted upstairs, inviting locals in to share a wine and enjoy the art as well as connect with each other. Prior to this we ran an autumn night market with stalls by many different local makers, it was a such a hit with wood fired pizza and live music, people were bustling and enjoying buying things from all the different makers which included jewellery, clothing, ceramics, jams and chilli oils, wooden spoons, plants and breads! As we slowly strengthen and deepen our roots, we intend to grow the amount of creatives /events we can support.
- Can you tell us 3 of your favourite brands or labels?
⁃ Land and Honey (of course) such quality in a timeless and elegant fashion.
⁃ Fables of the Hands, is our longest running locally designed and made label. Lina uses repurposed vintage fabric to create one of a kind dresses and coats. She has gorgeous Spring offerings filtering instore now too.
⁃ Daisy Beatie Jewellery, locally made, wax cast poured recycled silver which has beautiful organic markings and natural shapes reflecting the ocean and the bush.
