Above: Katrina Weber and Farley Wright in their Goolwa studio.
Kitty Came Home Story by Poppy Fitzpatrick.
If you were to misplace your purse, you’d likely panic at the loss of its contents over the vessel itself. That is, of course, unless the purse resembled the careful craftsmanship of two passionate Goolwa-based designer-makers, using all Australian-sourced materials. Such an artwork isn’t as easy to replace as an old battered credit card. When Katrina Weber lost her purse amid the chaos of the Adelaide Central Market in 2004, her search for a replacement that was both original and practical proved a difficult task. As a jewellery designer who struggles to keep her hands still, the natural next move was to create a replacement from scratch. Hand stitching some of her grandmother’s old fabric together with some clear PVC, Katrina crafted a winning design. The misplaced purse wasn’t the only moment of serendipity in Katrina’s life at this time. While working on her jewellery and living in an Adelaide artist cooperative, Katrina met Farley Wright. Their passions were well matched; Katrina’s relentless addiction to creating was the perfect complement to Farley’s business skills. As her purse began catching the eyes of friends and eventually an interstate retailer, Kitty Came Home was born. The name, a nod to the countless times Katrina – or ‘Kat’ – would return home with carloads of secondhand fabrics collected from far and wide, now also stands as a fond memory of their late cat Fella who pawed over their creations for a whopping nineteen years. While Katrina assumed the role of artistic director, Farley took the title of business manager – but when it comes to the work, the pair operate as one. Every single purse is the product of four intertwined hands cutting, measuring, positioning and stitching. The intricacy means the work is intimate, and since the pandemic removed them from their studio in Goolwa’s industrial district, the line between their label and life has become increasingly blurred. Katrina and Farley’s workspace overlooks their garden; industrial sewing machines 34
present daily obstacles to their wardrobe; and their vast collection of fabrics surround them in neat stacks. But it’s clear this work and life overlap doesn’t bother them in the slightest. An appreciation for process and detail is a common thread throughout their life and the pair maintain a shared and genuine reverence for the concept of ‘handmade’. Some of their earliest customers still reconnect to have their purses restored after a few years of loving wear and tear. This commitment to their craft not only allows them to be connected to every step of the process, but also ensures waste is minimal. Even their packaging is custom-made, using boxes salvaged from the local bottle shop, often adorned with the excess fabric of the design contained within. ‘We get lots of complaints about the packaging, from people saying, “The packaging is too beautiful, I don’t want to open it!”’ Farley said. Entering the seventeenth year of Kitty Came Home, the cancellation of countless art markets across Australia has been a heavy blow. Besides a few stockists scattered throughout the state including Fleurieu Arthouse, sales have shifted primarily to their online store, which has been pushed to its limits. During Melbourne’s coronavirus outbreak, Katrina and Farley produced a huge volume of fabric face masks from their fabric collection and offcuts from Frock Me Out in Goodwood. After an entire week tied to their sewing machines on minimal sleep, they watched in awe as the online release sold out in a mere seven minutes. Collaborations with their broader community of designers, including Fleurieu artist Dana Kinter who previously worked with fashion designer Gorman, allow them to support each other while reaching new audiences. The pair were thrilled to pass on the same support to emerging artist Jessica Royans of Birds Nests For Hair, with a stunning collaboration of purses, journals and jewellery. Katrina and Farley are looking forward to a new collaborative artist release in coming months, while channeling their unending stream of ideas into more projects and evolutions of the brand. With their nomadic, market-chasing lifestyle brought to a halt, it seems that Kitty has come home to the Fleurieu – and might just be staying home for a while.
