Hello, I’m Allison! A New Zealander who come to London, meet a boy and still hasn’t gone home yet. I am a one handed designer/maker, living with my amazing husband and 2 beautiful young daughters in West London.
I have sewn since before I can really remember. My mum was a avid sewer (and her mum before that) so sewing has always been in my life. I was always sewing for friends in my teenage years and went off to do my Bachelors of Design majoring in Fashion. I always had a sewing machine on hand and knew that was where my future was leading.
After spending 2 years in London, working full time and trying to start my own clothing brand in the evening, I had a major Stroke at age 25 and my world turned on its head! (literally). I lost the function of the right side of my body (I’m right handed) and speech. After 6.5 months in hospital learning how to walk and communicate, I walked out shell of myself.
For 10 years I tried to get back to what I thought my life was going to be like. I learnt to sew and design in a new and I didn’t want to let my disability affect what I thought I need to achieve. I grew my handed made clothing business but as the years went by, I began to stop loving what I was doing and I came to the point where I didn’t know why I was continuing to struggle both physically and mentally. Something needed to change in my life to bring back the happy.
I really looked at my work and stripped my business back so I went back to my basics – my sewing machine, my love of design and my desire to help make life so much more accessible to everyone. The seed for ‘Hope and Co’ was planted.
‘Life with Hope and Co’ Blog is the start of my new sewing journey. A little piece of the internet that I can document my new wardrobe makes, share the things I have learnt and encourage others along the way.