Meet the Maker: Prae Store

We are so blessed to showcase the Sunday Lane collection in the most beautiful boutiques, alongside carefully curated collections dreamt up by creative minds. Stores that craft lovely experiences for their customers, and pour love and consideration into every detail.

In these times, our heart goes out to those that are not able to open their doors to smiling faces. As a small business ourselves, we understand how deeply this is felt and sincerely encourage you, where possible, to support visionaries and creatives that work passionately to build these beloved businesses amongst our community - those that honour working small, fostering local talent and craftsmanship.

Meet Bec Conforti, founder of treasured Sunday Lane stockist, Prae. With boutiques in Tugun and Byron Bay, Prae houses a collection of luxurious, coveted essentials within the active, beauty, wellness and lifestyle space. 

With this edition of our Meet the Maker series, we thought it fitting to turn the tables and showcase the creator behind one of our beloved stockists, and one of our favourite stores to visit to delve into the world of wellness, beauty and self care.

In 2018, Bec launched Prae as a one of a kind concept, blending style and wellness with an elevated slant - in a way that was yet to be seen at the time. Now, it's boutiques and online platform have garnered a community that benefit not only from their beautifully curated collections, but the additional resources and inspiration provided through their online channels to lead a well life.

We invite you to delve into this read to discover more about Bec's rituals and her view of the wellness space, alongside visuals of their Tugun boutique which we had the delight of capturing on a sunny winter morning recently. 

  

Prae so perfectly blends activewear, beauty and wellness in one space - a truly unique concept. We know for ourselves in business, it is so important to have a unique voice - what inspired you and what do you think sets Prae apart?

My idea for Prae was inspired by my passion for wellness after dealing with a chronic illness. I noticed a gap in the market at the time for something different within the wellness space and that’s where my idea of fusing active, wellness and clean beauty came from, as I think all aspects are important for our wellbeing. I also have a love for sustainability practices and beautiful design, so I wanted to incorporate that into my brand also.

The thing that sets Prae apart I believe is being consistent with our branding, values and tone of voice as a brand. I feel that some brands can sometimes get lost and do things that don’t necessarily fit their brand, but we have had such strong brand values from the start and always stay true to them and that consistency shows.

 

What, or who does Prae represent and what are some of the defining moments that have contributed to its success?

Prae is more than just a brand, it’s a community. Through carefully curated products, inspiring content and collaborations, and professional, yet down-to-earth service, we strive to educate and inform in a considered and relatable way. Whether you’re shopping online or in-store, Prae feels like home. 

There have been so many defining moments that have contributed to the success of Prae, however I think the biggest would be finding the right staff for our brand to help us take Prae to the next level.. Also finding the right people that fit into your team and aren’t just great on paper - work culture is super important for a strong and successful team.

Also another big defining moment would have been Covid - It was such a big unknown when that all started early last year and we weren’t sure if we would come out the other side - however that unknown made us completely change the structure of our business and build a big online community for when our shops were closed. It was amazing what we achieved in a short period of time when we had to adapt quickly to what was happening.

        

What is new in the world of wellness? What are your favourite new discoveries?

Nothing is too new in the world of wellness - however some things that I am enjoying is going back to basics and keeping it simple. Meditation, manifesting and being out in nature is what is working for me currently.  Now that I just turned 30, I am also loving my collagen powders for my anti-ageing beauty regime. I also just got back into ice baths and am really enjoying them at the moment too.

 

What are the everyday rituals that help you to feel your best and lead Prae with confidence?

I have quite a busy schedule and if I don’t look after myself with everyday rituals, it really effects my mental health and ability to lead my team at work. My morning rituals include some form of movement for the day - either a walk, run, or strength training or if I’m feeling tired, at least some stretching and breathing exercises. I also try to make space for a 20 minute mediation to get into the right headspace for the day. I love to have a sauna twice a week as an afternoon ritual.

 

When it comes to your home, your personal sanctuary, what are your essentials and what inspires your decor style?

I am such a homebody (hello Cancer), so my personal sanctuary is so important to me. I really need a clean space, to feel like I can relax, so my home is very minimalistic, and my essentials are beautiful timeless furniture pieces and then I can add some pops of colour with cushions and linen. I’ve always been really inspired by my many travels to Japan with their architecture and decor, so I would say our home style is modern contemporary with some touches of Japanese inspiration.

 

Sunday is a day to pause, reset and to spend time doing the things we treasure most. What is your ideal Sunday?

I love Sundays - they are my favourite!  My ideal Sunday is either spending time with my husband at the beach and exploring on our jet-ski or going for a ride on my horse with friends. Both are super grounding to me and set me up for a good week ahead at work. My morning ritual on a Sunday morning is to not set an alarm and have a slow start to my morning, as every day through the week is quite scheduled and I am up early.

 

We certainly invite you to visit the Prae boutiques if you are near Tugun or Byron Bay, and if not, experience their online platform.

To support your nearest Sunday Lane stockist, find our directory here.