Van Journal: Navigate your way home - the first collection

The first collection of the re-launch is nearly finalised, fabrics have been picked, fits are all but two are signed off and now i'm in the process of sewing them up. There still seems a lot to get done but I think I'm going to make it.

The first collection is called "Navigate your way home" taken from inspiration from the first time I launched Vanjo where the idea came from when I sat on a plane (2003)  and fed up of un-hooking my bra for comfort on long haul flights, I wanted a soft bra that was cup sized and I wanted one that comfortable. Rolling in at a size 30E back then, there was nothing in the market for my size, soft bras back then were bralettes in small sizes or generic sizes. 

Having also travelled and probably used my entire carbon footprint in the sky, I wanted the fabrics and trims I used to reclaimed fabrics, which basically is end of roll fabrics or trims that would have ended up in the landfill sites, fabrics that larger companies didn't want. So I vowed not to produce new fabrics or trims and just use stock fabrics and trims, and if I couldn't source that then use organic fabrics. A practise which I think is important today, however with more awareness about this now, ironically it's harder to source this ethos as there are many companies now doing the same.

Navigate your way home - is also not just about physical travel, it's also about navigating to the true you, it's a reminder that it's okay to be yourself. To ignore the comments that may crop up about you or your designs. Having been told when I first started that I shouldn't do 28 inch backs, previously 28FF became my best seller.

Having what feels like I've come full circle (Vanjo was the first business I launched when I came back to the UK) it feels like I'm coming home, there was always part of me that missed having my own brand and producing great fitting comfortable lingerie that's not just black or white. 

By closing Vanjo down the first time, it allowed me to work for companies I wanted to work for, allowed me to get sponsorship to work in Melbourne Australia, and allowed me to write books about lingerie design. And more importantly it allowed me to follow my dreams at every stage of my career only to come back to it 10 years later.

Vanjo will be releasing in mid September