SARAH CANTOR
Edited by Naomi Gupta
Réjane is a patchwork brand that focuses on repurposing used fabrics or scraps into beautiful, one-of-a-kind pieces, including patchworked bags, accessories, or bucket hats. The brand was created in 2020 during the COVID-19 quarantine when 25-year-old designer Clara Talajic first started sewing. Like many other bored artists during the pandemic, Talajic took to YouTube to learn how to sew. Yet unlike most pandemic hobbies, Talajic’s newfound interest in patchworking transpired into a full-blown business, only two years later.
Talajic’s personal connection to her brand is clear: it is heavily inspired by her grandmother. First off, the name itself—Réjane—was inspired by Talajic’s grandma. She was always interested in fashion, but, according to Talajic, “never really dipped her toes in it.” In this way, Réjane embodies the designer’s grandma’s unfulfilled desires. Furthermore, many of Talajic’s early sewing materials, like old threads or notions (accessories sewn into items), were gifts from her grandmother. She also shared that she has always liked “putting things together.” Naturally, she views “making intricate design pieces” in her patchwork as a way to synthesize her artistic and personal styles.
Réjane’s line of products aims to be well-made and long-lasting. It is apparent that her brand is an extension of her values; her products are made of reused materials and designs that she hopes will withstand trend cycles. Given the designer’s interest in textiles, she prioritizes materials that are unique, rather than ones that she could simply just pick up from a fabric store. Talajic sources fabrics from her old clothing, other people, or thrift stores, like Value Village. She gets excited when customers come up with good colours or “let her go a little crazy with the colours.”
Before experimenting with patchwork, Talajic attended art school where she studied studio arts, trying out a little bit of everything. She qualified the experience as “inspiring different ways [she] could work with materials.” Later, when she began sewing, she started making little accessories, like keychains or coin purses. After some time, she felt comfortable releasing her designs for purchase. Currently, she works in her studio apartment and manages the entire brand independently: designing, sewing, marketing, and selling.
Sustainability is also reflected in Talajic’s design process. She often designs from patterns or colour ideas she’ll see when out and about or while watching a television show on Netflix. As soon as she has an idea for a product, she sketches it out to plan the assembly of its different features, like pockets or crossbody straps for a bag. While her business model is based on releasing collections of similar designs, other times she creates custom pieces. When doing so, she uploads a design to her Instagram—from there, customers can reply and she subsequently creates and processes the order.
As the holidays approach, Talajic plans to integrate festive designs into her creations—even playing around with tree ornaments. Recently, she designed a green bag of various shades of green. Regardless, Réjane’s future designs will no doubt continue to prioritize individuality and sustainability by combining artistic character with quality products.
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