One of the things I love about tea is the way it brings people together. Strangers and old friends alike, over conversations, stories, ideas.

Here’s a recent catch up with Lilia Cass - a talented designer, a friend from my school days, and now a fast friend of Ash’s too. We’ve long admired her thoughtful approach to fashion and the way she challenges the norm - especially when it comes to bridalwear. Her pieces are modern, minimal, and made to be worn well beyond the wedding day.

 
We caught up over a cup of tea to chat about her work, how her own wedding sparked the idea for her collection, and why she sometimes uses Webster’s English Breakfast to naturally dye her dresses.

For anyone new to your work - tell us a bit about yourself and what you do.

I have always loved making clothes, but when I completed my fashion course and entered the industry in 2008, most local manufacturers were closing or moving offshore, making me second guess why I learned these unneeded skills. Feeling a little out of place in the fast-paced production world, I have found a love in creating slow fashion again, making modern and minimalist ceremonial-wear for like-minded brides.

Your own wedding sparked the idea for your bridal collection. What was that journey like?

Buying an outfit for only one day is something I have always struggled to get my head around, and didn't know where to start looking for my own wedding dress. With eco-consciousness and rewearability as a non-negotiable, I started designing an outfit that could be worn again, styled down or in a different way.

"Can this be worn again and styled differently?" is a question at the forefront when developing new concepts or design ideas, which has been the same since launching the first collection in 2019. There are a lot of ways to shop, create and wear more sustainably — but wearing and re-using is key, not to mention how special it is to get more use out of such a sentimental piece of clothing.

You naturally dye dresses after the big day — sometimes even with tea! How did that start?

Yes, this is a big part of the rewearability of the garment. I only use natural fabrics (mostly silk) in my designs and construct each garment using silk or cotton thread to ensure they can be dyed using natural methods. I’ve played around with avocado pits, onion skins, and tea... it's a rabbit hole when you start to go down the journey of dyeing naturally, but so satisfying!

For creating ivory tones, tea is my preference over any store-bought dyes to create the perfect ivory. I recently purchased a large roll of silk organza and when it arrived, it looked a lot whiter than expected — so I started experimenting with Webster's English Breakfast, which perfected the colour nicely.

We're collaborating on a fun giveaway! Can you tell our readers a little more please? 

Yes! I’m really excited about this one. We've teamed up to create a small batch of naturally dyed silk headscarves and scrunchies — each one handsewn and dyed using Webster’s Tea. It’s a little daily ritual, made wearable. And to celebrate, we’re doing a giveaway (x3) to win a scrunchie and tea. It's our way of sharing something beautiful, slow, and thoughtfully made.

Enter here

What’s coming up next - any new ideas or pieces in the works?

My next collection is taking shape with the focus on becoming zero waste. We already save all fabric offcuts and send them to other creatives around NZ - the larger pieces are used for small items, then smaller pieces are patchworked, and the scraps that look totally useless have been used by a talented felter. Next up, I’ll be working on a zero waste collection where every last piece of fabric is utilised in the garment at the cutting stage.

And finally, if you could share a cup of tea with anyone, who would it be?

Christian Dior. A little cliché, but I’ve always been intrigued by his controversial feminine style during a masculine time in fashion history.

Thanks Lily! 

You can check out Lila's website here 
Her instagram here

Want to win a hand-dyed scrunchie and tea? Check out the giveaway here