Story
Five years ago, I was searching for a gift for a friend’s new baby, the first friend of many to become a parent. Struggling to find the perfect keepsake, it dawned on me that unearthing a luxury gift with a personal touch for a newborn baby is a surprisingly challenging proposition.
And yet, I realised, I was in the unique position of having all the tools to create my very own luxury gifting brand, and so I decided to do just that.
At the time, I was living in London, working as a knitwear designer for several internationally regarded fashion brands, while quietly harbouring a growing interest in homeware and interiors - This burgeoning fascination could reasonably be attributed to my father who owned and ran his own interiors business (as indeed had his father before that). There’s a very strong chance that it’s from him that I inherited my attention to detail, and a passion for working with beautiful textiles and trims.
When I moved out of the city to East Sussex three years ago, with my husband and our son Harry, I was given a fresh focus to really refine what Calf & Co meant to me, starting with a colour palette inspired by the surrounding countryside and drawing on the styles of local artists and vintage textiles I would source in neighbouring Lewes’s antique markets.
I strongly believe the key to creating a true luxury item lies in the personal attention to every detail: from the monogramming of each piece myself, to the hand-written message card and premium packaging in which it arrives. The same care that goes into each and every design should also be reflected in the manufacturing process, which is why I have carefully cultivated relationships with a select group of small UK factories who bring each individual piece to fruition. Without these wonderful artisans Calf & Co would still be a daydream.
The perfect gift should leave a lasting impression. It is a moment you share with someone you care about; a memory you will both keep forever. A little luxury for life.
Jenny
