The Isolation Diaries: Jennifer Rothwell
Image Cloud-Dye
By Ruby Staley
We know isolation can get a little lonely.
In honour of staying home, we’ve decided to take some time to chat (via the internet) to some of our favourite creatives to find out how they are dealing with this very new and strange state of being.
Amongst the various DIY fads I’ve forced myself to try and eventually give up during this cluster-fuck of a year so far, comes my personal favourite: tie-dye.
Not nearly brave enough to try it myself, I’ve opted to salivate and eventually purchase an embarrassingly large number of brightly dyed t-shirts, jumpers and trackies over my time in lockdown.
One of my favourite DIY-turned-retailer’s of this (hopefully not fleeting) trend is the Instagram account Cloud-Dye that boasts beautiful, one off loungewear sets tie-dyed in a myriad of shades.
Jennifer Rothwell is the smart cookie behind the operation and I was lucky enough to speak with her, via the net, to gain a glimpse into the mastery of tie-dying and what it is like to start a small business in the middle of a recession.
Do you have a background in fashion/online retailing?
I don’t actually have much of a background in fashion/retail but I just finished a four year degree in Interior Design at RMIT. So I guess you could say I am a very creative person and I have been for as long as I can remember.
Where did the idea for Cloud-Dye come from?
The idea for Cloud-Dye came from spending lots of time on Insta in the lead up to the beginning of lockdown and actually discovering other girls over in America doing very similar things. And also seeing and loving the tie dye trend that was coming in! I actually wanted to start it first week of lockdown back in March but I didn’t pursue it at the time due to being unsure about what funds I had coming in to start up the little business so I held off for a few weeks.
What has the reception been like since starting the brand?
It’s been really good since starting and my parents were actually unsure of how it would go but I told them I knew my market and I knew how trendy it is! I am just doing it on my own so I have been able to manage the demand so far so it’s been great! Being able to reach out to influencers has also been really helpful too.
Walk us through your daily routine and how it’s changed.
I had been living by myself for a lot of isolation so it was nice to have a space to myself! So usually I was up around eight and chilled and catch up on YouTube during the morning and do whatever I need to for Cloud-Dye. Then usually in the arvo I fit in a workout and do some reading and I’m ready to wind down by 5:00ish!
How have you been staying sane during isolation?
Being able to workout has kept me so sane! Love a HIIT workout or I have found some F45 classes on YouTube lately which are a really good workout! Also love catching up on YouTube daily.
What does your ideal WFH outfit look like?
WFH has to be a matching tracksuit, whether that be tie dye or the 90’s style of tracksuit that is very trendy right now! I have a few matching sets now.
Give us your isolation recommendations; what have you been reading, watching, listening to, eating?
Obviously have been watching YouTube! Can easily spend 3/4 hours a day watching people lives haha I have also started Grey’s Anatomy from the beginning again (BIG FAN) and have managed to get through around six books too! I loved Watching You by Lisa jewell and The silent patient by Alex Michaelides! And also podcasts! Can’t forget podcasts! We bought a house with Finneas and Claudia Selweski is amazing.
What’s something you’ve learned during this time?
I have learnt to be so grateful for the time I spend with family and my boyfriend. I hadn’t seen him for six months but I am now back in Canberra due to lockdown two so I am with him again. I have also learnt that it’s okay not to be okay with everything going on at the moment. Being alone during this time took a tool on me mentally but having cloud-dye really helped to keep me occupied during the days and gave me purpose.
Check out and order your own set of tie-dye goodness at @cloud-dye on Instagram.