Reflecting on 2022 - Highs and Lows

As we come to the end of 2022 it seems like the perfect time to acknowledge and reflect on the year that has just passed, and to thank all those that have contributed to Gather&See's story. 

2022 has been tumultuous and most definitely been a year of ups and downs both on a global scale and in our own small business. World events from the horrors of war to climate disasters have reminded us what fragile times we live in - the destruction that mankind is able to inflict, but also the strength and power of a common human spirit built on kindness, empathy and hope, even in the face of adversity.

That spirit - an inherent belief in kindness and positive change - is something that has driven and inspired us here at Gather&See throughout a busy year. We are so proud of our incredible brands who have worked so hard to produce beautiful collections that put people and planet first. It has been an absolute pleasure to welcome new names to the G&S family and to introduce such exciting talent to you. We truly feel we have built an exceptional curation and, after 8 years of experience, the site has never looked better.

An absolute highlight came in June when Anna Murphy Fashion Director of The Times, featured us  - "This is my new favourite online shop - and it's worthy." After years of hard graft, it honestly felt quite emotional and incredibly humbling to hear such kind words and we were so happy to be able to share our story with many new customers thanks to her piece. 

 

 

It's no secret that this year has been incredibly tough for retail and small business in particular. We are not ashamed to say the climate has impacted us too. We are so sad to see several of our brands choose to call time on businesses that they are passionate about because times are so hard, and that is heartbreaking. We've had to look at ourselves hard and really question how we go about making Gather&See be all that it can be, in amongst the realities and juggles of life as 2 Mums based on two continents with three young kids each. Just writing it down makes my head spin and that's before you throw in illness, childcare struggles and our own mental health. It's all very well being worthy, but is it worth it?!

The answer is - absolutely. Yes it's been a tough one. We talk to each other multiple times a day - but illness and events transpired which meant we didn't get a long over due in person catch up in the summer and neither of us have met our most recent additions - 14 months and 10 months respectively and that, as friends really hurts. But we've also learnt a lot this year, perhaps more than in any of our previous 7 years in business.

We truly believe in what Gather&See is doing  - delivering the best curation of sustainable brands in one place and providing a hands on, personalized service to you, our customers. Our experience and our offer makes us unique and we know that there is so much further we can go. Now more than ever it matters what we spend our money and our time on. Never has shopping sustainably been so important. So we hope you will stick with us and we want to thank you from the bottom of our hearts for being a part of our journey and for believing in a better way to shop. Here is to 2023, can't wait to see you on the other side! 

Steph & Alicia 

xxx