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Passed on in good faith
When I was working in the UK last year I was interested to read the newspaper reports of trench foot at the music Festivals where rain and mud had accompanied the throngs. Wellingtons became very fashionable at these events. So too did the English aristocracy style of wellies on, when inspecting your estate, made so chic, by Madonna, until she fell off her horse. Well I was delight to discover the fashionable rainware is coming from Australia. A continent known more for draught than rainfall, but as we know into everyone's life a little rain must fall. Now we can look bright and happy in the pouring rain thanks to Renske Carbone, who is a Dutch rubber boot designer living in Melbourne Australia. She is an artist and designer who loves the idea of hand painted rainboots (Wellies, Rubber Boots or Gumboots) with matching umbrellas and raincoats. She started in a shed in Fremantle (WA) and now her company exports world wide. The boots start as flat pieces of rubber with a process which makes the rubber white. Shapes are cut according to sizes and the painter carefully places the motif, so that it corresponds to a left and right match. Once the paint dries steel moulds are used to shape the boot. The moulds are clad in cotton lining before the rubber goes on. Next stage is to colour fast the liquidized rubber colours which involves baking the boots. Once complete they are trimmed, quality checked, paired off, before being sent out. There are several styles of boot available with fittings to suit most feet. Renske designs Funky Rainboots and Kloggies which are hands free clogs and the Bootsies range have anti-slip soles and can be worn as slippers in the house.
More information
http://www.funkyrainboots.com/index.html
Colourful Wellies from downunder
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