“I love fashion and the way it makes me feel, as its our chosen skin, madre natura was born through the year of the coronavirus pandemic and it only amplified my vision for an optimistic future. The pandemic has hit everyone in some way, as we veered towards economic collapse, worrying about our health, jobs, savings and humanity’s future. These past two years have also been a great time for a reset when it comes to our consumption habits.

Present-day consumption was thrown into focus when the devastating Rana Plaza collapse in 2013 had a huge impact on the fast fashion industry. It was an eye-opener for the public to understand the true impacts they were having on our fellow humans and this showcased ‘over consumption’ and horrible human labour exploitation. At madre natura, we focused on systemic changes towards sustainability as conventional fast fashion is in a state of crisis. Advocating circularity by addressing the elephant in the room ’consumption’.

Our solution is to promote and increase the focus on the quality, durability and longevity of our garments with our mn_Circular program. As well as with a strong focus on manufacturing in Australia and being transparent. We strive to rebuild the connection between our makers and the materials for the consumer to understand what is required to produce our garments. At madre natura, we hope to remove the negativity around fashion and create a positive change.

Growing up, I was very artistic, eccentric and creative. I loved to admire the architecture and contemporary culture around me. I would spend hours exploring magazines, books, movies and spending time in fashion stores and at home playing dress-ups and planning outfits. I have loved fashion for as long as I can remember, and my mother taught me how to sew growing up. She used to stay home Friday nights to make her outfits for Saturday nights in the 70s. I was always inspired by the women around me, mostly my mother and grandmothers.

Before I graduated from The Fashion Design Studio TAFE in Ultimo, I worked part-time at the Vinnies stores in Sydney, it was working at Vinnies where I was really inspired to become a fashion designer. I loved collecting vintage and pre-loved designer clothing and would spend hours adoring the quality, finish and craftsmanship. I was horrified about the afterlife of the clothing that was donated - around 80% of donations were sent to landfill. It became clear to me that the public was not educated about what should be donated, most customers would donate their ‘rubbish’, and there was no system in place for textile waste. 

In 2017, while I was still working at Shona Joy, I read Wardrobe Crisis by Clare Press. I had always dreamt of starting my own fashion house, and I knew then that it had to be purpose-driven because my love for people and the planet is a part of my DNA.

After a year of studying and collecting dead-stock fabrics from local fashion houses, I had to pause the project. It wasn't until 2020, that I knew it was the time to put everything I had into the business. 

” Jackie Galleghan - Founder, Creative Director & Head of Sustainability”