My name is Sally Kelso, the designer and creator of flæx.
I am a mother of 4 and live in the country town of Inverell on the slopes of northern NSW.
Tony, my freelance archaeologist / historian partner, is the other member of the flæx team.
flæx grew from a dream, to an idea, into reality very quickly.
Our beautiful old weatherboard home, with its abundant garden, has become a stimulating environment for the creative flæx to flourish.
It provides such a conducive atmosphere to work in each day and is a huge reason for my continued inspiration.
flæx was launched in November, 2016.
I had the work ethic, ideas and determination but had to become a risk taker and push all my boundaries to the extreme – a huge learning curve.
My first creations were made from an old sheet after sketching and drafting the pattern on to brown paper. When I was confident enough, I outlaid on some linen and cut in!
flæx was born!
Since the burst of inspiration, flæx has slowly gained momentum.
To launch flæx we held an evening of champagne and linen in our garden.
The combination of flæx designed garments in linen, silk, and leather along with a collection of curiosities and collectables; a charming setting – old house in a tranquil garden, bubbles, food and friendship created a magical and highly successful event.
We were overwhelmed with upwards of 120 people attending. With such interest and positive feedback the inspiration to “push on” was compelling.
flæx has steadily grown, we now hold regular functions and ‘pop up’ shops in Brisbane and Northern NSW.
I love to work with natural, handmade and vintage materials.
There is nothing more exciting and rewarding then starting the day with a soulless stiff piece of fabric on the roll and finishing the day with a garment that you have sketched, designed, cut and stitched – a piece of clothing that has character and qualities - something individual and beautiful - something someone else chooses to wear.
It is not only linen (although it does dominate) that is produced in the flæx workshop. I have created a range of leather bags displaying the continued theme of simplicity and style, believing that the design, quality of craftsmanship and raw materials are the features of the product.
Functional tote bags with leather handles from French vintage linen mangle cloth and Hungarian grain sacks are also designed in the workshop. These items are extra special given the fabrics unique provenance.
“Belt it Out” is another facet of the flæx workshop. These limited edition eclectic handmade belts and buckles, are the result of serious “digging” in all parts of the globe for suitable unique braids and textiles.
Each belt has a story to tell – perhaps from a houseboat in Kashmir or an alleyway in Spain. Most of these pieces can never be repeated. They are often hand embroidered and feature craftsmanship and qualities that have been lost in todays world.
Daily I continue to design, cut, make and stitch in my flæx workshop. With an increase in demand and a major change in life circumstances, I am no longer able to solely create everything by myself.
I now engage artisans in Australia and from overseas to supplement some of my workload.
I outsource some of my clothing designs and stitching to a small, ethically run, family business in Vietnam. These talented friends produce high quality workmanship and take pride in each piece of flæx they create.
After I have designed, cut and prepared my leather bags I have them stitched locally on an industrial weight sewing machine.
Each flæx design is individually hand made with a strong moral and ethical conscience, either by myself or one of these artisans.
By easing the stitching load it has allowed me more time for ‘Design’. This ultimately allows my flæx range to gently flourish and grow.
It is of paramount importance to me that flæx continues to engage in ethically made products with a strong commitment to our environment.
