Having cut her teeth in the dizzying world of commercial womenswear, Freya Rabet travelled far and wide, learned how to design for the real world and collaborated with a host of exciting makers. But the speed and demands of the industry on both the planet and its people wore her down, and Freya began looking to alternative ways to produce beautiful clothing with minimal resources.
Back in 2020, in the midst of the pandemic, she finally found the time and space to think creatively for herself once again. What started as reworking old pieces that had lost their appeal quickly evolved into a much broader upcycling process and the founding of her own sustainable brand Freya Simonne. Now giving vintage and deadstock fabrics a new lease of life through handcrafted contemporary designs, she creates romantic dresses, jackets and accessories with a patchwork of retro florals and pastel hues.
Now, Trouva has collaborated with Freya on her very first foray into homeware. The Florentina Collection, our sixth Trouva Exclusives collaboration, is a limited edition offering of table linen created using vintage materials. Inspired by summers spent in Italy and made for gathering friends around the table, the collection is an extension of the Freya Simonne world.
We sat down with Freya ahead of the launch to chat honouring timeless craft techniques, the work-life balance as a new mum, and drawing inspiration from her grandma’s fabulously kitsch home.