A Keepsake of Growth
Between markets, making, and meaning, a reflection on slow progress.
For a long time, Macrae has revolved around slow-making and made-to-order runs.
With conscious, sustainable design at the core of everything I do, I’ve loved this process, the intimacy of creating something by hand, piece by piece, for someone specific.
But lately, I’ve been yearning to build a stronger foundation. To create pieces that can exist as ready-made — sitting patiently in the studio, and to cut down wait times for you all. This collection became that experiment. A way to see if I could find balance in it all - more stock, without losing the soul of handmade work.
Within this release was the long-awaited debut of our Cadet Hats. This product has taken over a year to refine and perfect, involving a steep learning curve and new sewing and construction techniques that challenged me deeply.
Now that they exist in full form, I feel a quiet kind of pride. And to be able to launch them alongside a close friend made the slow process even more worth it.
Launching them at the recent market felt symbolic too. It’s been a goal of mine for years, and finally getting to share work face-to-face — meeting so many of you, was genuinely fulfilling.
This collection feels like my keepsake from these recent moments.
It holds the effort to evolve, to build more stability without losing meaning, and to honour the growth that doesn’t always look glamorous, the kind that takes a year to feel ready… and that’s alright.
Sincerely,
R