Birthdays evoke memories for me.
July 2016. I’d ended a large professional chapter + I was exhausted. Sans Beast was just a concept that came to me as I attempted to wind down, while simultaneously stressing about 'what was next'. I wrote the name + all accompanying thoughts down. Then shelved it.
May 2017. The concept moves to a solid plan, the plan moves to a brand identity, sketches, materials, conversations with manufacturers + soon after, a mini HQ in a co-working space.
Here we are 9 years later.
So many life lessons, some tough, some triumphant, all have been felt intellectually, financially + emotionally. For me, this birthday is not a loud one. Yet, every sun rotation is an achievement in life + business – and this one reflects where we are at now, with a soft nod to where we are going.
There’s no denying that the last 12-18 months have been particularly tough in the land of making, marketing + selling things. For me, it’s not just the economy that’s challenged my psyche (and the business) – it’s the geopolitical landscape, it’s the climate crisis, it’s the knowledge that animals are being hurt every day of every month of every year with not enough people caring, it's the overwhelming volume of product being produced with seemingly very little craft or care going into it.
And perhaps indulgently, it’s my increasing desire to explore new frontiers in creative + collaborative projects.
This 9th birthday marks a threshold. A quiet inhale before careful expansion of this Sans Beast project.
It's about surrounding ourselves with concepts, designs, materials + conversations that hold meaning — not noise.
I have always looked to art, to form, to materials, to real conversations with interesting people - but I aim for this to be more upfront, with clarity shining through.
I'm excited to see some much loved favourites return soon, a sprinkling of new tones, textures + styles land - and for a few surprises we're working to inject, come to fruition. We're in the thick of writing, planning, shooting + filming all the ways we'll be telling our story, as we move into the latter half of 2026.
Thank you to Demiurge Studio for styling + creating the beautiful portraits accompanying this missive - reflecting a mood of nostalgia via collections of treasured objects, journal notes + simple plant based nourishment. All created with real objects, hands, heart + care - no intelligenza artificiale here.
Building a brand, staying the course, keeping the business going - is a marathon. Starting is the easy part, continuing + indeed, enduring, is where the sweat happens.
Thank you for being here - what a privilege it has been to create something from nothing, with the love of my nearest and dearest. And, the thousands of you who I may not know, but have shown up, purchased + amplified the Sans Beast message. I'm so very grateful to those who choose us in what is an increasingly crowded, chaotic world.
Cathryn 💋