A new week means a new excuse to treat yo’self and there’s no better way to do that than with some sweet local brands. From threads to swimwear and accessories, we’ve rounded up a collection of Gold Coast goodies that we know will knock your socks off.

Happy shopping.

Olas Supply Co. 
Established in 2016, Olas Supply Co is the product of two people with a shared loved for travel and adventure, wanted to branch away from their regular Monday to Friday jobs and try something different. Inspired by the founders adventures and grown from the soul of traditional villages along the coast of Central and South America, Olas Supply Co. offer a unique style Gold Coasters love.

Violet Gray
Violet Gray is the love child of Australian Designer, Alexandra Olsen. Her pieces are simple, delicate and created from high grade metals (soon to be 100% recycled and fair trade) and genuine gemstones. The concept for each piece is deeply rooted in spirituality, connection, romanticism and symbolism, making them sacred and powerful to wear. Alex and Violet Gray started their journey at The Village Markets five years ago and since then has grown to be loved worldwide.

Lokoa
What started as a daydream in 2009 quickly turned into an independent Australian lifestyle brand that has since been featured in the pages of Instyle and OK! Magazines. The Gold Coast based bohemian fashion label specialises in exotic handmade leather bags, wallets and clothing inspired by local designer Brie Shinn’s love of travel and exploration. The colourful and unique pieces resemble every creative women’s wanderlust, bringing a sense of mystery and adventure into the lives of wearers.

Shuturp
Created by Ellie Hopley, Shuturp is a quirky fashion label that has quickly become much-loved the world over. With hand drawn art adorning t-shirts, caps and clothes for the kiddies, the brand is easily recognised and very colourful. Many of the pieces also have uplifting slash hilarious slogans on them too. Everything is part of a limited drop so get in quick.

The Lobster Shanty
Now something for the fashion-savvy men amongst us, introducing The Lobster Shanty. Jarro Dartnell is the brains behind the Australian beach-oriented fashion label and clothing store. Inspired by his Granddad Jims’ love of the sea, Jarro created his own boutique range of signature tee shirts and snapbacks while the store offers a wide array of seasonal essentials for the like-minded adventurers with brands such as Brixton, Obey and Santa Cruz.

Grace Loves Lace
For women of style, substance and originality, Grace Loves Lace specialise in unique, free-spirited and timelessly sophisticated luxe wedding dresses handmade from only the finest French and European lace and silks. When it’s time to slide on that ring and pop the champagne, you can’t be in any ordinary dress, you NEED Grace Loves Lace! Only the best on your big day, Sweetheart!

The Undercurrent
Tourism on the Gold Coast has reached a whole new level with the recent launch of The Undercurrent, a fashion label dedicated to showcasing the city through the eyes of locals. The brand made its debut with a collection representing five suburbs (Burleigh, Mermaid, Surfers, Currumbin and Coolangatta), each of which is printed with a local artists’ work depicting iconic landmarks and incorporating the things they love about their area.

Myra Swim
The Gold Coast is known as the bikini capital of Australia and for good reason with labels like Myra Swim producing the goods. Bianca Elouise launched Myra Swim in 2014 and since then she hasn’t looked back. Inspired by the sun, surf and the sea, Bianca wanted to create a swimwear line for curvier women and as such, has developed an international following including the likes of the one and only Kim Kardashian.

The Weft
The Weft is a recent addition to the Gold Coast design scene and it’s a goodie. Created by Caitlin Verall, The Weft is all about subtle, beautifully crafted pieces that transcend the seasons in natural colour palettes and fabrics. The latest range Outliers offers everything from the classic Smith ‘90s Dress to the statement Ithica Wrap Dress. It’s a beautiful range of timeless, laid-back silhouettes, with matching separates emerging for the first time.

peony swimwear
Born out of a life long love affair with the ocean, boutique Australian swimwear label peony fuses bohemian nostalgia with refined femininity to create swimwear made for chasing the sun. First making an appearance at The Village Markets and now an internationally-renowned brand, peony epitomises summer’s simple joys – diving into the ocean, the smell of coconut oil, the feeling of sand under bare feet and the first bloom of peony flowers, which signal the beginning of summer.

Get shopping.

Words by Louisa Ingelheim

If you’re one of the lucky ones who nabbed themselves a ticket to the best Australian festival of all time a. can we please have it and b. this story’s for you.

While music is the name of the game over the three day weekend that is Splendour in the Grass, we all know fashion is equally important, as is ensuring you are well equipped for a winter weekend in the middle of nowhere.

Because we want your Insta content to be primo, and it seemed like a fun idea, here’s a list of local brands who’ve got all your Splendour needs covered. Good luck to you lucky ones.

Ace of Swords
Boho-style jewels are a non-negotiable when it comes to festival style and Ace of Swords has them in spades. Handcrafted sterling silver pieces with natural semi precious stones in the cutest of designs. Fill up your fingers with a few of these and you’re already at the top of your game.

Two in the Sun
Leather and sterling silver combine to create sweet, fine pieces made with ethically sourced materials and minimal environmental impact. Think hammered pendants, tiny moon symbols and leather strung with silver whale tales – the perfect understated but pretty accessories to ensure you stand out at Splendour.

Barefoot Blonde
The perfect local brand to get your boho fix, Barefoot Blonde has you covered from maxi dresses to playsuits and back again. Not only that though, BB also make leather goods along the lines of chic cowboy boots and woven slides perfect for dancing up a storm in the Splendour Amphitheatre. 

Olas Supply Co.
One for the guys and the gals, Olas Supply Co. has been a local favourite for a few years now. Offering up the perfect festival attire in the way of cute overalls, simple (yet luxe) tees and funky button ups for the fellas, Olas is all about the wandering way of life and that’s something we can get behind. Hit ‘em up.

Tanora Design
What is life without a raffia bag these days? Not much it seems. Enter Tanora Designs, a bunch of local gals touting exactly that as well as wide brimmed hats for max sun protection. Obviously you’ll need a bag to lug around all your accessories (and many layers) and luckily there’s a leather strapped number perfect for that and a round slightly smaller bag that’s as cute as a button.

One Fable
Easy to wear pieces in luxe fabrics are sure to be a hit at Splendour this year. Think cropped slouchy pants, floor length frocks and button up tops for the ultimate laidback look. Surprise! One Fable has all the things made with natural fibres in natural colours that will probably last you a lifetime. We love every single thing.

Grit Ceramics
Not only necessary in your festival life, Grit Ceramics is a must-have day to day. Leia creates many a beautiful thing in her local studio but Splendour-wise we highly recommend grabbing yourself a travel coffee for that early morning caffeine hit you’re sure to need after a night of busting a move on the dancefloor. Plus, the less single use thingos the better right guys. 

The Undercurrent
Repping your local suburb via a cool tee is always a good idea and Gold Coast brand The Undercurrent has your back (literally). They make tees with local artist drawn representations of suburbs including Burleigh, Miami, Palm Beach, Cooly and Broadbeach to name a few. There’s also a Gold Coast specific tee so you can shout your hometown from the rooftops. Or the moshpit should that be your jam. Check out their gear here.

Rustic Peppermint
Your face is going to need some expert love throughout three days of non-stop good times and Rustic Peppermint can help with that. They’re all about plant-based skincare that’ll make your mug extra shiny after being outside in the elements all day. The Balance Skin Serum is a definite and maybe throw in some Hair Potion for glossy locks while you’re at it.

Andean Collective
For the times when your little feet are aching from too much carving it up on the dance floor (if there is a such a thing), you might want to sit yourself down on a pretty rug. Andean Collective have several colourful creations perfect for throwing into your bag and taking along for the ride. You might just make a few new friends if you bust out one of these bad boys too.

Limbo Collective
What is a festival without vintage threads? Not much guys, not much. The team at Limbo Collective have quite the ahh collection of wears including the most Texas-style cowboy boots you’ve ever laid eyes on, messenger bags, kimonos to throw over everything and well, whatever you need really. Head in to grab yourself some absolute gold before festival weekend.

Bella Bronze Tan
If winter has you doing your very best Casper the friendly ghost impression (same) you best rectify that before busting out your best festival attire. Bella Bronze know tans and you can get yourself either the One Night Tan Instant Bronzer or the Self Tanning Mousse and lather yourself in a golden glow before and during the big event. You’re welcome.

ENJOY party people!

Words by Kirra Smith.

Rose Lamont and Sophie Spratt are the sweet sisters responsible for the creation of one of the Coasts’ favourite yoga and Pilates studios, Ritual Palm Beach, for which we can all be grateful.

We sat down for a chat with the longtime Gold Coast locals about the realities of working with your family on the daily and why yoga and Pilates are something we should all introduce to our lives, ASAP.

How long have you been Gold Coast locals?
We grew up here on the Coast, so always!

What do you love most about living here?
The lifestyle on the Gold Coast is second to none, we love the pristine beaches, the people, the amazing food, the growing live music and arts scene and of course our prime location being only 45 minutes to Byron Bay and an hour to Brisbane. On top of that we love the diversity of the landscape; within the space of an hour you can be at the beach and then out in the Currumbin Valley or the Hinterland.

Tell us how your studio, Ritual Yoga and Pilates came about?
We began dreaming up Ritual over five years ago, we’ve always shared a passion for yoga and Pilates and our dream was to create a community space offering quality classes and a place where people could be themselves. At the time we were both studying at University so it always felt more like a big dream rather than something that could be a reality. Despite this, we’d talked about the idea so much over the years that when a space came up for rent in Palm Beach we decided to enquire, not thinking we’d actually go through with it, it was more of a ‘fake it til you make it’ kind of thing. Amazingly, lots of things fell into place at the right time, which led to us eventually signing the lease and going for it. It was a huge leap of faith and involved converting a solicitors office with 16 rooms and grey carpets into a spacious, light-filled studio with wooden floors and two rooms, all while we were both in our last semester of Uni. We did this with the help of our Dad, who basically did the renovations himself, along with the help of some of our amazing friends and family who all helped create the beautiful space that is now Ritual. When we first opened up we taught all 60 classes per week by ourselves, today we have 12 incredibly wonderful and knowledgeable teachers plus the amazing community of students who make Ritual the warm, welcoming place it is! Looking back it was a crazy decision that took a lot of hard work and commitment but man has it been worth it!

Why do you think incorporating yoga and Pilates into our lives is so important?
With the proliferation of the fitness industry and rise of social media it seems that collectively our focus is on ‘looking good’. However, it’s becoming increasingly obvious that health is about more than just looking good, it’s also about feeling good and understanding ourselves so that we can have healthy relationships in all areas of our lives. This kind of inner and outer work is exactly what the practices of yoga and Pilates provide, namely they offer physical and mental practices that are a platform for self-exploration and growth. From a physical perspective, they are excellent ways to keep your body in great physical health as they incorporate strength, balance and mobility, but we believe the beauty of these practices lies in their holistic approach to health. We are living in a time where we are being fed lots of information about who we should be and what we should look like and the practices of yoga and Pilates offer an antidote to the obsession of looks. They are for everyone and they invite us to explore the potential of our body-mind complex and provide powerful tools that help us find stability and confidence within ourselves rather than looking outside.

What’s the best thing about going into business with your family?
We can fight like cats and dogs and then just call and say sorry and it’s done and onto the next thing.

What would you say to people thinking about starting their own business?
Go all in, running a business takes 100% commitment. Don’t worry about the ‘how’ just focus on the goal. Find mentors who have your best interests at heart and who can hold you accountable. Make sure your passionate about the work you’re doing, then it’s not work at all! Spend your energy wisely.

Besides classes, what else can people do at Ritual?
Ritual offers retreats, yoga, meditation, Pilates training and lots of amazing workshops spanning over a variety of different topics with some excellent guest speakers from Australia and around the world. We also run yoga philosophy club once a month.

Final workshops for 2018:
Yogic Spring Clean with Brooke Elliston 16/11
Handstand Workshop with Brooke Elliston 17/11
Sound Healing Meditation with Matty Rainbow 25/11
Pain & Consciousness workshop with Mitch Hunter 8/12
Yoga Philosophy Club with Rose Lamont 15/12

What’s happening for the rest of 2018?
We’re in the middle of running our Pilates Matwork course which has been so much fun! After that we’re heading off to New York for a work trip to go check out all of the studios there and undertake some training! Apart from that we are making final arrangements for our Yoga Teacher Training beginning in Feb 2019!

Tell us your favourites on the Coast…
Beach: The Alley
Café: Barefoot Barista, of course!
Restaurant: Etsu Izakaya
How does your weekend usually look: Classes, beach, family, friends 🙂