All roads lead to Combelle
In many ways, Combelle started over 20 years ago, although it’s only since sitting down to start the business that this occurred to me.
I gravitated toward period inspired, fine gauge, slinky & drapey knitwear, from the word go. When I stepped into Central Saint Martins at the ripe young age of twenty, I quickly realised that I should have been specialising in knitwear- which I wasn’t- although this didn’t stop me from clumsily creating a fully knitted final collection.
Working my way up
Determined to start my own company, I set about working my way up, across, sideways, through the fashion industry, learning & gathering experience, in both New York & London.
The first business attempt at age twenty four failed, but the second one at age twenty eight was a runaway success, & it’s thanks to those unforgettable years that I learned the how, & have some idea of what running a business really feels like.
The vintage years
Add to this a backdrop of 15 years of buying & collecting vintage & antique clothing worldwide (I later became a vendor, opening an online shop & selling at fairs), & the required knowledge & experience finally reached the requisite level for starting a vintage-inspired premium knitwear brand.
The here & now
Combelle was founded in 2022, several years after I moved to rural Italy, however it took some time to become operational as it took longer than I had anticipated to close the gap between my sustainable brand aspirations and what I knew to be a workable business model.