This year has started the way that many have – a return to home base, enjoying an escape to Stradbroke Island. The ‘island time’ is an opportunity to switch off before the hectic year ahead.
January has been a month of many things, with island indulgence, team bonding time at Naudic HQ, and TV sports. It’s been a time of reconnecting with all my happy spaces and faces, a welcome part of every festive season. This period – the island, being back in Queensland, seeing family – recharges me for what is to come. It also brings unexpected inspiration, again revealing to me the unexpected ways that people interact with the world and what they wear.
With January now ending, it’s time for the journey to start again. Once again, it will be a wild journey, taking me back out into the world to see new cultures, meet new people, and (of course) create. Travelling brings all these loves of mine together.
What is life other than a wild adventure? The beginning of my next adventure is days away. I’m packed and ready to start flying north again. The essentials are booked … after all, all you need (really) are flights and somewhere to sleep. The rest can just fall into place later. I’m nervous, but excited for what is to come. I imagine a few of my adventures will come through being halfway closer to my kids, who have been living in Sweden for the past year.
Last year was a year of exploration. I rediscovered how to move and leave the comforts of everyday routines (even though I do like the comfort of routine!). Having just spent 6 weeks down under, in the tranquil surrounds of Stradbroke Island, in my familiar circle of family and friends, there is a comfort that comes from being with those you have a shorthand with. There is no substitute for lifelong friends and family, who love you as you are. These fill up the soul. I’ve banked these feelings to take with me on my next adventures. Plus, Australia really does have the best beaches and the cleanest oceans, not as overrun as some of their overseas counterparts.
My first destination is my second home base in Mumbai. I’m looking forward to the hustle and bustle of this 27 million-strong eco-system. We are gearing up for our next collections - Summer and Resort 2024. The legs and eyes will be the source of discovery, with new ideas and patterns in the suitcase. Our first few weeks will be for looking and hunting.
Being ‘winter’ (a term used lightly), it’s going to be cooler. This means that we can explore further and throughout the day, not seeking midday shelter from the blistering hot streets. Top-ups of chai and street food will sustain us, before we head to the studios, planting our ideas on the table and seeing what grows from it. This is where the magic happens, taking eight to ten months to nurture ideas and bring them to life.
I have had some lovely feedback on my travel blogs. I’m glad you enjoy reading them as much as I like writing them … I think it keeps things authentic, showing you a little bit of what goes on. If there’s anything you’d like to read more about, please drop me a line at emma@naudic.com.
Heading north in a couple of days means the work of 2023 begins in earnest. I’ll then travel south, east, and west, touching corners of the globe I’m unable to anticipate. It’s all up to how I respond to the challenges of the unknown. With my two suitcases packed, I’m ready for this wild adventure. I wonder what I will see and experience this time?
All the best for 2023.
Talk soon,
Emma
