About

Maxted launched back in 2018; grown organically, out of a love for fashion, knitwear and sustainability.

I’d worked in fashion design for over a decade, and I knew I was ready to branch out and launch my own brand.

So, Maxted was born.

 

Hey! I’m Caroline, and while I do try to keep my personal and Maxted life separate, I know it’s important to you, our customer, to feel reassured that Maxted isn’t a big corporate body. You like to see a face behind a brand, so here I am! 

I’m incredibly proud of what Maxted has grown into. It’s gone from a side hustle, outside of my office hours with a handful of stockists to my full-time job. A business I run whilst juggling motherhood. And an incredible opportunity to work with like-minded creatives.

 

Maxted is my married name. 

Choosing it for the brand was something of a gamble, as we only recently married! It was the right decision and I loved the name so much. It felt like its roots were deeply inspired and influenced by British Heritage. 

I grew up in the English countryside, surrounded by fields, where horses were my first love, long before I discovered art and fashion. 

After studying in Manchester I found myself in London, with the boutique brand; Sara Berman. I was part of the team that designed the main line stocked at boutiques, department stores, Urban Outfitters & ASOS. We also designed for the Cashmere label N.Peal, where my passion for knitwear first began. 

I also worked with Sophie Cranston of Libelula, whose designs have been enjoyed by Kate Middleton. 

I’m so lucky as my experience gave me the chance to work with the best of the British fashion retail industry, I experienced factory floors and selling collections at London Fashion Week. I was given the unique opportunity of being part of every stage of the supply chain and understanding how it worked. 

Then I moved to Burberry - a dream move for my career. I was part of the runway collection team; a whole new world. 

Thanks to working on Prorsum Men’s and Women’s knitwear and outerwear, I was able to shadow some of the world’s most talented designers. At the factory in Italy, I witnessed the craft and skill of hand and machine knitting which provided an incredible and immersive design experience.

In 2011, I made a big decision, took a leap of faith and travelled to Australia. At the time I meant to be here a short while, but over a decade later I’m still here!

I’ve designed for Witchery and Cotton On, but running Maxted on the Surf Coast is the happiest I’ve ever been.

I am so proud of our 100% Australian Merino clothing range - each year we launch a small, but perfectly formed capsule collection; our luxury range. The collection includes grandpa cardigans, knit pullovers, roll neck jumpers, cable knitwear and more. 

The range features 100% merino wool sourced in Australia, from Victorian farms. We have some information on where the wool is sourced from here.

I’ve moved our warehouse closer to home – in Geelong. It’s so important to me that our customers’ orders are packed and shipped as soon as possible. It’s exciting to order something new and we don’t want any delays in that special piece of knitwear getting to you.

 

When I started Maxted it was just me, my partner and our small Fitzroy house, crammed to the ceiling with boxes of Maxted knitwear. 

Since then, Maxted has grown continuously, and we’re now sold in boutiques across Australia. We have a small team of people that help me do everything across Maxted, whether it’s getting the orders out (no more trips to the post office for me!), marketing, liaising with our resellers and planning yarn to ensure we don’t over-order and create waste. 

It’s great seeing customers out and about in their Maxted pieces, and it brings me so much joy to see customers coming back. 

Our customers know we take care creating knitwear, not throw-away fashion. Every decision we make is consciously thought through including environmental impacts and sustainability - this is so important to me as we grow the business.