Founder Rach Taylor talks to us about quiet moments, calming life's chaos and the conception of Sun & Shine Studio.
Image by @iamlourobertson
Let's start from the top - tell us about Sun & Shine Studio?
Oh cool - an easy one to start! Sun & Shine Studio is a lifestyle brand that inspires modern women to slow down — something that has become necessary for me over the last few years...
The hope is that SSS reminds you that is possible to find a slower rhythm to your days. We celebrate artistry, optimism and purpose and our products are designed to help you find slow moments. We want these in-between moments to feel achievable, not a burden or a chore or something just totally un-relatable. It was really important to me that the brand revolved around story-telling so that real human connection remained at the centre of the brand. I want to tell stories of modern women who are digging deep to make real change for connection, calm and presence.
So where did it all begin?
I am a full-time working mum of two gorgeous kids and since 2019 our family has been through three rounds of IVF, moved half way across the world, started two businesses and attempted to stay sane - if any of that sounds familiar to anyone?! My days were leaving me dizzy and all I could dream about was slowing down so I started to search for ways that I could slow my daily rhythm - just a little. My reality was that life was busy and I needed small rituals that didn't take too long, just to sort of reset me and remind me to breathe. These daily habits were small dedications with huge results and became my go-to for a gentler pace.
What type of habits did you start to adopt?
Because I was a creative copywriter in a previous life, I started with what I knew and began to write. Going to bed at night, I left my phone in another room so there was no temptation to wake up and scroll. I didn't need an alarm clock (our one year old's sleeping patterns have trained me to wake with the larks) and so I woke up and wrote for five minutes every morning, starting my day by getting my thoughts on paper was a real game changer for me.
Another good one was burning incense. After the morning chaos of breakfasts, uniforms, last-minute packed lunches and school drop offs - I would come home, sit down at my desk with a cup of tea and burn an incense. I would literally sit there with my hands wrapped around my cup of tea, stare out of the window and slowly come back to the present. Anyone who has any kind of busy morning will relate to this!
Once I had started work for the day I found it really hard to get out of my chair but I would force myself to stop and go outside and take some deep breaths. This was a toughie for me but one that actually probably made the most difference. I have a huge noughties hangover of thinking a work day is between 9am to 5pm and eight hours long but if I am feeling really rebellious I will chuck on my runners and head out for a midday jog - I am self-employed and often have to remind myself that I am a grown-up and I can do that if I want to! Actually, on the subject of running - getting outside in the fresh air with no music and no tracking my distance or time is the real deal for me - just the rhythmic stomp of my feet is a game changer.
Don't get me wrong, these rituals don't always work out, there are some days where I just cannot find the space or the time to get them done but it is what I aim for and I try and be easy on myself when they fall by the wayside. I remind myself that on the days that manage to take a pause, I have a little more patience, my breaths are just that much deeper.
Tell us about the path that has brought you to this brand?
I am English and met my future husband whilst travelling in Australia in 2011 - a classic modern love story! He is a Kiwi and a total cruiser. We met in Noosa which for anyone who has ever been will know it is the land of sunshine, waves and sun-warmed turquoise ocean. We lived in Australia for ten years and in 2018 Sun & Shine was born in Byron Bay as a creative studio. In 2021 we made a snap decision, packed up our lives into three suitcases and moved to Cornwall in the UK. The studio came with us, ready to live out its days staring at the Atlantic ocean which has just been a total dream so far.
The decision to change from a creative studio to a lifestyle brand was a pretty easy one for me. I was having more and more convos with incredible women in my life about feeling burnt out and overwhelmed and it seemed such an important topic that it was a natural step to use my background in branding and creative writing to build a brand that felt unique and incredibly beautiful but also human and authentic. I want SSS to be a gift for modern women and a resource that feels incredibly special but at the same time down to earth.
Now onto the name - do you have a slight obsession with the sun?
Since as far back as I can remember, I have been relentless in chasing the sun. As soon as I was old enough, I took off in search of sun-drenched land and that craving for the warmth has genuinely never once waned! I just feel like under the sun life slows down, smiles rest easy and worries are washed away - leaving only what truly matters, clinging to my salty skin.
It is a life that had followed me into motherhood and granted my family is busier now, more tired — I chase this romantic life of quiet and calm, as much as possible. There is a famous line from a poem called 'The Summer Day' and it goes 'Tell me, what is it you plan to do with your one wild and precious life' and to me this not about going all guns blazing and doing as much as possible but living your life exactly how you want to - you only get to do this life once.
Talk us through the launch!
1st July 2025 is our launch date and Sun & Shine Studio will drop chapters of work. Small batch, intentional pieces centred around beautiful prose and poetry. So each piece will carry a story and you will be able to learn about how the tool came to life, how it helped me and how it can help you. Our first chapter is called 'An Ode to the Sun' and I just love the way it makes me feel! It is a poetic dive into the world of summer, a place where dappled sun and warm-honeyed breeze slows our rhythm and smooths our flow. All the more meaningful given the weather we have been having! Our first chapter is a collection of tees and caps. I wrote the other day 'Wear what you know to be true' and I really stand by that. I hope that the words on the clothing will make you breathe deep, tilt your face to the sun and maybe even prompt a convo with a friend, lover or even stranger.
Image by @iamlourobertson
Any last words of wisdom before we press publish?
Make space for the sun this summer!
