Leanne Haining is inspired by nature, and her appreciation for Mother Earth is the basis of her unique range of bath, body and home fragrance products that enhance and celebrate everyday rituals.
As Urban Rituelle’s Founder and Creative Director, Leanne embodies her business values. She believes that beautiful things don’t just happen and if you want something marvellous, you’ve got to make something marvellous. She has an ‘attitude of gratitude’ and knows that the happiest people do not have the best of everything, but they make the best of everything, and she practices the power of positivity every day.
She’s an inspiration and a fellow #bosslady, and she has a few words of wisdom to share when it comes to living and breathing an impactful business…
Where did the idea come from for your business?
After meeting on the Mediterranean coast of Turkey in 1993, and exploring the fragrant filled bazaars of the East, my husband Scott and I spent two years wandering the world before returning to Sydney. Our experiences overseas restored an appreciation for life’s simple pleasures and filled us with the inspiration to create a unique range of bath, body and home fragrance products that enhance and celebrate everyday rituals. We started out at the Glebe Markets in 1999, followed by a launch to retail partners at the Reed Gift Fair. My background in visual merchandising was complimented by Scott’s experience in business, steering Urban Rituelle from its infancy to where it is today.
Where does your passion for ethics and sustainability stem from?
Ethics and sustainability have been at the heart of our business since we first launched 20 years ago. Actively taking steps that are kinder for the planet brings so much fulfilment, and we know we are part of a movement that has so much impact in this day and age. Even the smallest changes like being conscious of recyclable packaging, reducing plastic usage and keeping an eye out for sustainably harvested ingredients can make the biggest difference for our planet, its creatures and its people. I am incredibly passionate about our beautiful planet and looking after our natural environment. I am happiest when I am in nature, either at the ocean or the mountains. I walk outside along the beach nearly every day so that I can breathe in the fresh air and see the gorgeous sunshine. It distresses me so much to see litter in our environment or animals suffering because humans have left their rubbish behind. I always 'take 3 for the sea', collecting rubbish on my walks and putting it into the bin. I believe that if you look after mother nature, mother nature will look after you.
Can you tell us a bit about the work you do with The Gift of Giving Project?
We’re in the business of gifting, and we believe that the best way to celebrate our creative journey is to be charitable to and give a gift to those less fortunate than ourselves. We’re celebrating our 20th anniversary in 2019, and recently launched our newest collection of bath, body and home fragrance products, ‘Alchemy’. 1% of the sales from this collection will be donated to the Gift of Giving Project, and proceeds go towards aiding the latest initiative from The Human Kind Project. They support and fund projects that transform lives and communities in impoverished locations around the world. They’re an amazing charity, and we’re proud to have partnered with them to bring the project to life. They believe that businesses can change the world, and we agree. Proceeds from the Gift of Giving Project are currently working towards educating girls in the poorer rural villages of India. We’re working to provide hands-on, practical education to children who are not able to attend school during the day due to family responsibilities such as farming, livestock breeding and household chores. The children gather at night to learn by the light of solar lanterns. This informal environment utilises innovative learning tools to teach literacy, democratic values, environmental sustainability, mathematics and science skills.
The celebration of everyday rituals is at the heart of what you do. Why is it so important to slow down and embrace the magic of the everyday?
When we take the time to slow down, it’s much easier to let go of stress, to be present, to be happy, to be healthy and to practice gratitude. When we do this, it’s so much easier to enjoy the pleasures in life that we can often miss when we are rushing through our day-to-day. At Urban Rituelle, we create rituals that make people feel good, and we encourage our community to be conscious of the simple pleasures that can be enjoyed - every day. Our products are designed to nurture both the body and the soul; to remind us to be kind to each other, to enjoy the little things in life and to take time out away from the crazy hustle.
Support businesses who believe in giving the gift of happiness and paying their positivity forward, and shop the Urban Rituelle range at urbanrituelle.com.au. Use THEFASHIONADVOCATE at the checkout for 20% when you spend over $75, valid until 30th June 2019. It’s the perfect time to spoil mum for Mother’s Day too!
The Fashion Advocate x
1 comment
Stunning products and beautiful story ❣️