Free Soul Collection

Introducing The Free Soul Collection

Life has been a little crazy. That may just be the understatement of the century. In the midst of the chaos of recent months, we have quickly been at work behind the scenes to create our latest Especia collection. In moments of darkness, we are taught to look for the light in even the smallest moments, and we hope this collection can bring you a pocket of peace in your day. This collection is named after the free spirit that exists in each of us, that guides us through our lives and is still there even on the darkest of days.

From the uncertainty and sense of loss that we have experienced over recent months, the Free Soul collection is inspired by the idea that even the most beautiful of flowers bloom in the face of adversity. This collection reflects the idea that we are going to come out of this pandemic as stronger people than we were before, and with a new outlook on how precious life truly is. The clothing in this collection is inspired by the hope and dreams we have for our community, and each is a love letter to the women who wear them. We know these last few months have been difficult, and for many of us our lives have changed forever, and we want the clothing in this collection to offer you a something that will bring joy to your day. Fashion may not be the most important thing in our lives, but it can help us feel like ourselves and it can brighten our day in such a simple way. The colour and silhouettes in the Free Soul collection offer a whimsical feel in a moment of darkness. 

Even in times of hardship and tragedy, we must hold onto our dreams. Our Free Soul collection is inspired by the dreamers, for the dreamers. We have created clothing that encapsulates our hopes for the future, for a time when we can return to chasing wanderlust across the world and a time when we can get back to some form of normality. Life is filled with trying times and comes down to what you make of it. The last few months have taught us how precious life is, and this collection focuses on the importance of following your spirit, wherever it takes you. 

We shared our hopes, fears and gratitude. We used our imagination to try to inspire.

The last few months have been difficult for businesses all over the world, and your support for Especia means more to us than you will ever know. Choosing to support an independent brand is how you can help keep the fashion industry alive for the next generation. The conglomerates can survive anything, but many small businesses are not as fortunate. Thank for, from the bottom of our hearts, for standing by us. You supported us in ways we cannot fully express. 

The Free Soul collection is for you.  

We made plans with the future and we learned it was not in our hands. The clothing in our Free Soul collection is inspired by the idea of taking life as it comes, of savouring every moment for what it is. Each garment is created to give you the confidence to fight back at whatever life throws at you, to add a skip to your step and a smile to your face. 

For the Free Soul collection, we photographed our newest releases at a magical place that is the backdrop of many a fairytale. The land of mermaids and margaritas. That place is on the beach. Its calming waters bring a sense of tranquillity even in moments of chaos. The finely grained sand under our feet reconnects us with nature and the Earth itself. When we escape the beach, either for a vacation or a day trip, we block out the madness of the world around us and spend a little time in paradise. We hope the Free Soul collection brings you the peace and tranquillity that we find at the beach, that it allows to reconnect with yourself and view the world through a simpler lens. It's not seeing the world through rose-tinted glasses, but rather accepting life for what it is and making the most of it.

With this collection, we focused on creating clothes that are not only gorgeous but also comfortable. Our range of prints are all touched with a hint of romanticism and each tells its own story. We have produced each garment using natural fibres fabric to create the highest-quality pieces that will feel like a piece of luxury against your skin. The prints in the Free Soul collection are handmade and a part of the Especia story. 

Birds have long been a powerful motif in literature, from Charlotte Bronte’s Jane Eyre to Tennessee Williams’ Camino Real. Birds are envied for their ability to run free through the sky. Birds are placed in a cage to represent a life that is less fulfilled than what the protagonist dreamed of having. At Especia, we believe that birds are the symbol of the free spirit and that they have been allowed to reach as far as their wings can take them. This is why birds are a focal point in the Free Soul collection and why we have created several handmade prints with birds as their hero. In recent months, we have all felt a bird in a cage, but as we move forward, the bird must leave its gilded cage and return to the sky. Birds remind us of our freedom and our soul, and how easy it can be to lose both. 

Douglas Coupland, a Canadian postmodernist novelist, wrote in his book ‘Life After God’ that “birds are a miracle because they prove to us there is a finer, simpler state of being which we may strive to attain”. That state of being is the ability to embrace our soul and live our lives to their full extent. We must be like the bird who travels through the sky using their soul to guide them along the way, to ensure safe passage. Birds aren’t afraid of adventure or going off into the unknown, and that represents everything a free soul should be. 

The dresses in our Free Soul collection have been inspired by a drive for adventure in life. With ultra-feminine silhouettes that will flatter every shape, we have created a collection of dresses that can take you from home to paradise, and everywhere in between. With frills, delicate ruffles and empire waistlines, the Free Soul collection embraces femininity and the idea that a simple detailing can create something extraordinary. We want you to live your dream in our dresses, wherever that dream may take you in life. 

We learned that the present is a gift and that is why it’s called the present. In the weeks and months to come, which are still so uncertain, we want to take the time to work on our soul and to reconnect with ourselves. We have all been through so much, each in our way over the last seven months. We mustn’t lose sight of what’s important to us all. Our families, our community, our hopes and our dreams. After all the negativity that this year has brought into our lives, it’s time to bloom again.  

As Disney once taught us, the flower that blooms in adversity is the rarest and beautiful of all. Over recent months we have all experienced the storm that happens before the sun comes out. Together, we can all bloom and chase our greatest desires.  

The message of the Free Soul collection is simple: 

Keep hope. Keep inspiring. Keep blooming with us.