Togetherness for Adairs

It’s so nice to meet you, Esther!

Can you tell us about yourself and your background?

Hello, my name is Esther Sandler, and I am a textile designer, illustrator, and craft artist. I’ve had several jobs within the creative industries – including designing uniforms for a school wear company in Perth, interning for a fashion house in Paris and working for a commercial tween fashion label as a full-time textile designer in Melbourne (with a couple of other jobs in between!).

Once I realised that a 9-5 working life wasn’t for me, I decided to embark on my own journey, starting Togetherness and working freelance on the side. I’ve had many amazing opportunities to collaborate including creating illustrations and artwork for brands such as MECCA, Etsy, Frankie Magazine, Toyota Sewing Machines, Swisse and events such as The Big Design Market and Finders Keepers. I’m beyond thrilled to be able to add Adairs to this list!

What’s the story behind starting your label Togetherness?

I started my business while I was studying textile design, making embroidered brooches to sell on Etsy to keep myself busy in the uni holidays. Gradually I built up my product range to include purses, bags and tea towels and began exploring these objects as ways to showcase my own textile designs. At the same time, I began to explore different ways of selling my products through smaller markets and with a few stockists. The growth of my business has been a very organic process of gradually building up the confidence and knowledge to take the next step and then repeating over and over again.