Before Tea, there was fashion...
I spent over 15 years in the fashion retail industry,
working across buying, product development, and analysis. It’s a world that
moves quickly, driven by constant change and urgency. It taught me a lot, but
over time, I began to feel the weight of its pace. The pressure, the noise, the
lack of transparency… it became difficult to find meaning in it.
In 2019, an unexpected opportunity led me to work for a
well-known tea company, known for its bold blends and expressive
approach to retail. At first, it was simply a new chapter.
But what I found there stayed with me.
It wasn’t just the tea. It was the people.
I met a team deeply passionate about tea, who introduced me
to its history, its origins, and the incredible depth behind something so
simple at first glance. Through them, I discovered a different way of thinking
about product. One rooted in respect for craft, for sourcing, and for the
journey from leaf to cup.
It was a stark contrast to what I had known before.
Around that time, tea became something personal. A pause in
the middle of fast-paced retail days. A way to step away from the rush, even
briefly. To sit, breathe, and reconnect. What started as curiosity became a
ritual. A small but meaningful act of self-care.
Tea revealed something unexpected. It can hold memory.
If you take the time to really taste it, to sit with its aromas and textures,
it can bring back something vivid and almost tangible.
I remember my first time trying Pu’erh tea.
With just a sip, I was transported back to my childhood,
to my grandparents’ cottage by the lake.
I had been out near the pond, searching for frogs,
before running back inside to the shed.
I could feel it all again, the humidity of the stone walls,
the scent of damp earth and aged wood.
For a moment, it didn’t feel like a memory.
It felt like I was standing there again.
That stayed with me.
