We grew Rae from a shared love of finding special stores or places when travelling around the UK or abroad. We wanted to create that feeling of finding a hidden gem! We feel the physical store is still very important to build a connection with the customer, even in these harder times and more of our lives move online. We really wanted to create a store that appreciates the well made, slower pace of life and products. Pieces that you want to keep for many years in your home.
Rae grew from my partner Eduardo and I wanting to create our own business, we have been planning and saving for this leap for over a year. Rae combines my previous side hustle of vintage homeware alongside special smaller brands that we ourselves love and use at home, for example Kana Studio and Earl of East. We both have creative backgrounds so the store includes our own pieces from my re-worked vintage linens and Eduardo’s jewellery. Coffee was also an important element to create a relaxed atmosphere and experience for our customers, we are working with Allpress roastery which has been an amazing experience. We hope the store is an initial starting point for a longer journey of our own brand and store offering.

Ruby is a bundle of joy, she’s a 1 & ½ year old blue female whippet. She came into our lives from the North of England, collecting her on a long round road trip, she was relaxed and easy going from the start. Ruby quickly adapted to our previous work routine in London, enjoying the great puppy socialisation living between London Fields and Victoria Park offered. She’s a naughty whippet, always hungry and always has an eye out to steal something! Ruby’s loves people as much as other dogs, she loves a good sprint after finally getting up in the morning (she’s not a morning dog!)

Previously Ruby had a set routine around our full time work in London, with the help of an amazing walker called Irene. However now we live in Rye and have opened Rae, the days are a little more unsettled. One of us takes her for a big morning walk, she is not trusted in the store yet so then she is at home, with one of us around working while the other is in the store. She gets a quick lunch time town walk then another big countryside evening walk. Otherwise she pretty much sleeps the rest of the time!

Most days its field & river walks around Rye, plus she is lucky to get to the beach a few times a week and loves the sand dunes at Camber to bomb around! Ruby is timid of the sea, however I am encouraging her to swim with me now we live here. There are beautiful woods at Brede nearby that we are yet to explore, so I am looking forward to visiting these now Autumn is here.

With Ruby, treats are essential, she has pretty bad recall so these are the only way to have any control. Cooked chicken is the best but peanut butter & banana snack biscuits work well too. I also need a whistle as I can’t naturally and a ball, although she looses interest in this fairly quickly. I mainly carry everything in my hands in the summer (not great) so love the look for your walking bags, in winter everything gets shoved into my coat pockets.