Greetings from the South of France, Carin Stellabatti

As a mother and entrepreneur, I know how challenging it can be to balance a fulfilling work life with a quality and nurturing family life. The best part of my job as Founder and Creative Director is when I get the chance to travel; change scenery and step out from daily routines. This for me is where I get inspired! 

It’s worth mentioning that as glamorous and fantastic as this sounds, this is maybe 10% of my job. Entrepreneurship is definitely a very exciting journey, but by no means one where you get to do only what you like. It involves a huge amount of grind and non-instagramable moments.

As a mother of three little ones (a 5 year old, a 3 year old and a 10 month old) I haven't been able to travel as much as I used to or would like to, but this summer we decided it was only fair and healthy for all of us to go on a six week holiday to Europe. Specially after two years of pandemic, so we packed our bags with summer dresses, bravery and very, very low expectations. 

We left our cozy home in Bogotá in a mini bus (yes, we now only fit in mini buses), 4 huge suitcases, 3 chirpy bouncy children and two scared parents. We looked at each-other and hoped for the best…And guess what? It was the most amazing trip!

Obviously, it was not the type of getaway with 3-star Michelin restaurants, mornings spent at museums, sunset drinks and relaxing evenings. It was very different indeed… It was a gift for us to be alone with the girls, with no external noise, and just be able to focus on us as a family. With no help, without any type of anesthesia: just us, cooking, cleaning, washing, and entertaining our three little darlings… our only savior being wine & Champagne.  

The strangest thing for me was not being able to work… not working 8-10 hours a day. I mean, I had no option, I had to change nappies, pack snacks, play hide and seek, make figures out of clouds and just be there for my daughters.

It was so liberating and empowering! I am not joking: I loved the constant chaos, every wash and meal… I felt energized and so alive (well maybe not every single moment). As a result, my mind and my creativity expanded and I saw inspiration and ideas everywhere. I woke up in the mornings with solutions and new views for upcoming projects. 

Clearly being surrounded by beautiful settings like the British country-side and the south of France gave me the perfect blank canvas for fresh ideas, prints and products.

As Creative Director, I get inspired by anything visual, so just walking through charming French towns filled with pastel colored facades, dazzling sea views, red & white candy-style parasols and endless fields of fruit trees fulfilled my mind and inspired my soul. I loved visiting the old towns, the traditional markets, the authentic way of French living…

This whole trip was a huge reminder that in life all you need is to take a break from everyday grind in order to be productive and find your flow: that’s where magic really happens!

I also realized we could travel with so much less… I had no option but to be practical. Between the favorite Rönner pieces I packed was the Occitanie dress, which I used as a formal wedding dress in England to a casual tunic in France. It gave me many styling options. I felt well dressed, unique and ready for any occasion the best thing is that I didn’t have to wash it once. It is a delight, wrinkle free and so easy and small to pack.

Now that I am back I am very grateful to have such a supporting family and team at the office! I am so lucky to have partners like my mother and sister who worked twice as hard during my absence, as well as the team of wonderful women who keep the company moving forward. 

I am sitting at home looking at wonderful pictures that I will treasure forever and my mind is full of new ideas and energy. Stay tuned to hear more about our upcoming projects, prints and inspirations that were brought back with our 5 heavy suitcases. 

 With love, Carin Stellabatti