Take Five: 2020.Design
- Words by Peppermint
What can we say about 2020 that hasn’t already been said? It’s a year that will no doubt stay with us long after it ends. But out of the darkness comes light and with it a gorgeous new sustainable label from designers Geraldine Nortje and Kate Kozak of Seaside Tones. Pairing bold prints with natural materials, we caught up with Kate and Geraldine, the founders and creative force behind 2020.Design, to hear more about their new beautiful and sustainable artisan fashion label and the passion behind it.
………….
What inspired you to start the label?
We met last year at a design market in Sydney and it was a perfect meeting of talent and timing. Over a few months it was clear that together we could achieve a brand that we were proud of. One that was sustainable, inclusive, fun, inspirational and reflected our audience’s needs.
We share the same values and our skills complement one another. (Geraldine handles the design and manufacturing, and Kate is responsible for the branding and business side.) Because we’re just beginning, we do everything together to learn from each other. You need to know your business from start to finish.
LEFT TO RIGHT: KATE KOZAK, GERALDINE NORTJE.
Why the name 2020.Design?
It is 2020: the year of change! There is no way back. As designers and founders we have a responsibility and opportunity to make wise choices – often not the most affordable but ones that are kind to the planet and the makers. Because of COVID-19 our makers rely on us at the moment, needing not only financial but also mental support. The label name reflects our experience and our hope for a more sustainable future in fashion.
Tell us about your design process from inspiration to creation?
Our style is a combination of culture and skills with distinct influences from Africa, Australia and Bali. The design work is carried out in Kiama and Sydney, where we live and operate the business. The manufacturing process always begins with the textile business in Bali, using traditional block printing and various hand-dyeing techniques, creating unique pieces exclusively for us. All our garments are manufactured by a small production family business. Geraldine has cultivated this relationship since 2015, working closely with our production house and third generation artisans and tailors.
We personally know the makers who share our ethical values and practices. We use only natural materials like bamboo buttons and pure linen grown and woven in West Java. We don’t use plastic in the shipping process. Above all we concentrate on infecting others with enthusiasm – it is possible to be sustainable and sexy at the same time…
Any tips for people starting a label?
1. Be clear on your vision for your brand, find your production team, establish a personal relationship with your manufacturers, visit and connect with the people you are working with.
2. Know and understand the process from start to finish.
3. Love what you’re going to create.
4. Celebrate the wins!
What’s been your happy place to go to during these trying times?
The excitement of building a new label; keeping our design dreams alive; helping our manufacturers and artisans stay in business; and knowing we have helped turn a difficult time into a positive experience as much as we possibly could. It’s been incredibly rewarding. We really hope that 2020 will set a precedent for the years to follow.
THIS ARTICLE HAS BEEN CREATED IN PARTNERSHIP WITH OUR LOVELY FRIENDS AT 2020.DESIGN.
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Look, I don’t want to make anyone panic but IT’S DECEMBER!!! If you’re planning to give homemade gifts, you’re going to have to act fast. …
Hang out with us on Instagram
🌻 The Paddington 🌻
This is a much-loved staple, created for Issue 50 in 2021. We love seeing the #PeppermintPaddingtonTop continually popping up in our feeds!
How stunning is our model Elon MelaninGoddessEfon – she told us it was one of the first times she had been asked to come to a shoot with her natural hair. 🌻
We worked with South African patternmaker Sarah Steenkamp of @FrenchNavyNow_ to create this wardrobe essential – the perfect puff-sleeve blouse. Raglan sleeves make it the ultimate beginner sew, plus the gorgeous back buttons let you add your own personal twist.
Pattern via the link in bio! 🪡
Photos: @KelleySheenan
Fabric: @Spoonflower
Model: MelaninGoddessEfon
“In the 1940’s, Norwegians made and wore red pointed hats with a tassel as a form of visual protest against Nazi occupation of their country. Within two years, the Nazis made these protest hats illegal and punishable by law to wear, make, or distribute. As purveyors of traditional craft, we felt it appropriate to revisit this design.”
Crafters have often been at the heart of many protest movements, often serving as a powerful means of political expression. @NeedleAndSkein, a yarn store in Minnesota, are helping to mobilise the craftivists of the world with a ‘Melt The Ice’ knitting pattern created by @Yarn_Cult (with a crochet pattern too), as a way of peaceful protest.
The proceeds from the $5 pattern will go to local immigrant aid organisations – or you can donate without buying the pattern.
Raise those needles, folks – art and craft can change the world. 🧶
Link in bio for the pattern.
Images: @Gather_Fiber @NeedleAndSkein @a2ina2 @KyraGiggles Sandi.204 @WhatTracyMakes AllieKnitsAway Auntabwi2
#MeltTheIce #Craftivism #Knitting #CraftForChange
TWO WEEKS TO GO! 🤩
"The most important shift is moving from volume-led buying to value-led curation – choosing fewer, better products with strong ethics, considered production and meaningful stories. Retailers have real influence here: what you buy signals what you stand for. At Life Instyle, this means using the event to discover and invest in small-scale, planet-considerate brands that align with your values and your customer’s conscience. Consumers don’t need more things; they need better things, and retailers play a key role in selecting, contextualising, and championing why those products matter."
Only two more weeks until @Life_Instyle – Australia`s leading boutique retail trade show. If you own a store, don`t miss this event! Connect with designers, source exquisite – and mindful – products, and see firsthand why this is Australia’s go-to trade show for creatives and retailers alike. And it`s free! ✨️
Life Instyle – Sydney/Eora Country
14-17 February 2026
ICC, Darling Harbour
Photos: @Samsette
#LifeInstyle #SustainableShopping #SustainableShop #RetailTradeEvent
Calling all sewists! 📞
Have you made the Peppermint Waratah Wrap Dress yet? Call *1800 I NEED THIS NOW to get making!
This gorgeous green number was modelled (and made) by the fabulous Lisa of @Tricky.Pockets 🙌🏼
If you need a nudge, @ePrintOnline are offering Peppermint sewists a huge 🌟 30% off ALL A0 printing 🌟 when you purchase the Special Release Waratah Wrap Dress pattern – how generous is that?!
Head to the link in bio now 📞
*Not a real number in case that wasn`t clear 😂
#PeppermintWaratahWrapDress #PeppermintPatterns #SewingPattern #WrapDress #WrapDressPattern
8 Things to Know About January 26 - from @ClothingTheGaps:
Before you celebrate, take the time to learn the truth. January 26 is not a day of unity it’s a Day of Mourning and Survival for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.
It marks the beginning of invasion, dispossession, and ongoing colonial violence. It’s time for truth-telling, not whitewashed history.
Stand in solidarity. Learn. Reflect. Act.
✊🏽 Blog written by Yorta Yorta woman Taneshia Atkinson.
🔗 Link in bio of @ClothingTheGaps to read the full blog
#ChangeTheDate #InvasionDay #SurvivalDay #AlwaysWasAlwaysWillBe #ClothingTheGaps
As the world careens towards AI seeping into our feeds, finds and even friend-zones, it`s becoming increasingly hard to ignore.
We just wanted to say that here at Peppermint, we are choosing to not print or publish AI-generated art, photos, words, videos or content.
Merriam-Webster’s human editors chose `slop` as the 2025 Word of the Year – they define it as “digital content of low quality that is produced usually in quantity by means of artificial intelligence.” The problem is, as AI increases in quality, it`s becoming more and more difficult to ascertain what`s real and what`s not.
Let`s be clear here, AI absolutely has its place in science, in climate modelling, in medical breakthroughs, in many places... but not in replacing the work of artists, writers and creatives.
Can we guarantee that everything we publish is AI-free? Honestly, not really. We know we are not using it to create content, but we are also relying on the artists, makers and contributors we work with, as well as our advertisers, to supply imagery, artwork or words created by humans. AI features are also creeping into programs and apps too, making it difficult to navigate. But we will do our best to avoid it and make a stand for the artists and creatives who have had their work stolen and used to train AI machines, and those who are now losing work as they are replaced by this energy-sapping, environment-destroying magic wand.
Could using it help our productivity and bottom line? Sure. And as a small business in a difficult landscape, that`s a hard one to turn down. We know other publishers who use AI to write stories, create recipes, produce photo shoots... but this one is important to us.
`Touch grass` was also a Merriam-Webster Word of the Year. We`ll happily stick with that as a theme, thanks very much. 🌿
