This week on Home Life Series, we wander through the serene coastal oasis of TWOOBS co-founder, Jess Dadon.
From the moment you step foot inside Jess’s Mornington Peninsula beach shack, you're greeted by a flood of natural sunlight and an open space that practically begs you to take a deep, soothing breath. Her home exudes an unmistakable sense of peace and balance, inspired by her love for the outdoors, yoga and nature.
It is these very principles that lead Jess and sister Stef to create TWOOBS, an oh-so-cool vegan, environmentally-focused footwear brand that’s disrupting the fast fashion industry.
Keep reading to hear all about Jess’ journey to creating these colourful AND kind beauties, taking the business to Byron Bay and how to create a serene space in your home. We promise you’ll leave feeling zen!
Hi Jess! We are long time fans and have been following you and your sister Stef since your tumblr days, what a throwback! We are so excited to be welcomed into your humble Mornington Peninsula abode. For those who haven’t heard, can you please introduce yourself?
OMG that’s wild! Those tumblr pics would’ve been back in our How Two Live days which was a blog my sister and I started in 2012 - our first foray into fashion together. A few years later we started TWOOBS, a vegan and environmentally-focused footwear brand, which is where we spend most of our time now. The brand combines my two great loves, fashion and the environment, and getting to build something with my sister/best friend means our work hardly ever feels like work. My third great love is yoga which I teach on the side, so my life and cup feel very full in all the best ways.-(2)-v1698205806690.png)
In 2016 Stef and yourself launched TWOOBS - your very own sustainable, stylish and comfortable footwear brand! Tell us about this journey - what was the inspiration behind this startup and where did the name come from?
Through our blog How Two Live we became quite known for wearing ginormous platform shoes - think the Spice Girls circa 1997. We were always rolling our ankles, or ending the night with our feet covered in blisters. The first designs for TWOOBS were actually based on kids shoes, because we noticed that kids always looked so fabulous but were never required to compromise on their comfort like women were. Many years on we’re still making cool, comfy shoes but heavily focused on making footwear that’s better for the planet - mostly made from recycled materials, and we recycle the shoes at the end of their life.
TWOOBS is an entirely made up word, but our shoes did used to come in tubes instead of boxes to match the name. The tubes were a logistical nightmare so we scrapped the packaging idea but the name stuck.
TWOOBS have just announced the opening of your very first store - huge congrats! What do you love most about Bryon Bay and why was this the perfect spot for your first store?
Stef moved to Byron a few years ago and ever since we’ve been looking for the perfect spot for our first flagship store. The town is known all around the world for its environmental focus and chilled vibe which is perfectly aligned with TWOOBS. There’s also a never ending stream of new people holidaying from all over Australia and the world, so we’re able to access people from lots of different places from the one location.
Now onto your beautiful home! We are all in envy of your home among the gum trees, just a short walk to Merricks beach. How long have you been at this beautiful spot and what was it like when you first arrived?
Thank you, I feel endlessly lucky to live in this little slice of the world. We moved about a year and a half ago after spending most of COVID living at my mum’s a couple of beaches away. It was a pretty basic little beach shack when we first bought it but the energy of the space felt instantly special to us. We’ve renovated a little and added details that have made it feel more like us, but I love that it’s a bit of an ongoing project so whenever we have time we’ll start a new DIY project.
Your interior style feels very serene, no wonder you’re a yogi! How would you describe your style and what have been some of the biggest influences on your aesthetic?
I am a big believer in style being an ever evolving thing, something that changes with us as we grow and evolve, both in fashion and interiors, so I guess in that way where I’m at in my life is the biggest influence on my aesthetic.
When I lived in the city my life was really fast paced, we lived in this great loft style house with lots of exposed red brick, and the colours I gravitated towards were bolder and shapes were sharper. Now I crave a life that is more slow and spacious, so I’ve found myself creating a really calm space, the colours and edges are softer, and walking inside feels a bit like an exhale. The one constant I would say is that I don’t take anything too seriously, so I’m always looking for ways to incorporate something unique, bold or a bit fun.
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What is your favourite space or part of the house and why?
Probably sitting outside on the deck. We’ve laid these great terracotta tiles along the house which are basically my pride and joy. I love to just sit out there with a hot drink and my cat, watching the funny birds and cute chubby bunnies play in the garden.
