A good clean?!

Whenever Micah & I are talking I'll always reference various stories with "the other day" The other day could have been 50 years ago and not really just the other day! Such as the other day my sister and I were on our bikes (we would have been about 10!!) as you can see I have a vague sense of time! So with that in mind...

The other day I came across this guy and gal! (yah about 6 years ago!!!!!) It feels like the other day, because recently I discovered they make soap! ( about 6 months ago)

So without further ado let me introduce to you Rich & Kate, just look at their picture and tell me that you expected that they make soap?? If I had said they are involved in high fashion clothing, shoes, or decorating that would have been expected right? Nope my fellows... SOAP! In fact not just soap, but lip balm... which is the BEST I have ever had (although not currently offered) and they keep bees and are now striving for a minimalist lifestyle. How rare to meet a beautiful young couple so eager to fend for themselves and encourage others to so the same?! Rich has a unique and interesting blog called I will escape here focusing on perfecting minimalism.

 

I did interview them both, and one of the most interesting to date... Read on...

Rich and Kate have been doing extensive research on their product for about two years now and finally have their own website called "The Duchess and Duke Soap Company" which is still currently under construction, but keep checking back because they are working on getting stocked in the next few weeks. Haven't you seen successful soap makers with terrible websites!! But one of Duchess and Duke's motto's is "the little things are the biggest things" which is great considering you will be coming into close contact with their soaps!

If you couldn't tell by the vintage feel to the photo Rich & Kate tell me that they get a lot of Ideas from the blending of modern and classic elements. "We're inspired by the rich excess of Europe in the 1700's and 1800's. When we began to appreciate the extent of the details put into fabrics, furniture, and clothing of that time period we wanted to incorporate a degree of that into the products we produce but with a fresh approach. We're going to do some homework once we get rolling to make sure we've got some fresh packaging design." Don't the soaps and the packaging remind you of that? They look great.

Rich & Kate tell me how tired they are of receiving so many things which are mass produced in factories overseas these days.
We would agree with them that most of it is complete junk and don't you get tired of junky things. In this economy if we are going to be spending money on luxury items then the wanted quality needs to be the best! And that's what Duchess and Duke have resolved to provide.

In Rich's words "One of my personal mottos regarding Duchess and Duke is "Every Detail Ardently Observed." We're not selling soap, but we're providing a sense of quality and a feeling of luxury to every person who unwraps a bar of our soap. Every morning I make a french press from freshly ground coffee beans, and to me that's a small luxury that I enjoy. I feel that premium soap is another one of those small luxuries everyone can appreciate.
How do we stay inspired? We pay attention to the littlest details and when you're so focused on something, you always find new things to be inspired by, but for me personally, the biggest motivation is Kate. She's said that I'm the brains behind Duchess and Duke, but she has to be the heart of it"

 

Honestly, its so nice to see them passionate about what they are doing and, not just focus on selling, but that they focus on perfecting their product.

Don't think its all roses for out ardent couple! It has been a struggle and a learning process, with more to come no doubt! Especially trying to start a business here in friendly CA! (detect the sarcasm?)

Thank you so much Rich & Kate for your input and candid response! I can't wait to test the soap out for myself! I hear it's an amazing product!