We LOVE it when we stumble upon someone doing something awesome in the sustainable fashion and lifestyle space, which is why we had smiles a mile wide when we found The Essentials Club – a website crammed with beautiful DIY fashion projects and sustainability tips and tricks, all wrapped up in one gorgeous, minimalist space. 

The brainchild of creative Maddy Rawlings (who runs her own Gold Coast-based branding design studio), The Essentials Club is a one-stop shop for all the super chic, super simple #memade projects you could wish for – we love these DIY linen culottes, this cami top with tie sleeves and this classic slip dress. Maddy’s ethos is ‘Make what you can, and ethically source the rest’, and she’s driven by a desire to show other people how easy it is to make their own clothes.

“I learnt to sew in high school, and fell in love with the process of dreaming up garments and then bringing them to life,” she explains. “Being glued to a screen all day for work meant sewing became my tangible creative escape – and even though it brought me so much joy, it was a hobby that got a bit neglected as life and work got busier. I created The Essentials Club with the aim of holding me accountable to make time for sewing and help educate people on how to make their own garments. Initially I was more passionate about the creative process, but then I discovered what really gave me purpose was sharing resources to help people become more sustainable but still stylish – with sewing tutorials, upcycling tips and insights into choosing preloved.”

As if that wasn’t enough, Maddy also features sustainable lifestyle tips, recipes, city guides and homeware tutorials – meaning she’s pretty much a total all-rounder. We’ll be featuring some of Maddy’s awesome work in the coming months, so watch this space!