The Shorty + The Skinny — the iconic lockers that hold the key to our story
The Shorty and The Skinny have been with us since we launched Mustard in 2018 — they're the reason we fell in love with lockers. Mustard's origin story could not be written without a chapter dedicated to these two iconic styles, so allow us to take you back to where it all began.
Our recent announcement that we're (re)launching The Shorty and The Skinny in the United States (yay!) got us thinking about the early days of Mustard. When we took a gamble and booked a spot at a Sydney trade show in 2018, these two iconic styles were our right-hand ladies. They helped us get our name out there and start spreading our love of lockers.
Even though we now have a bunch of different locker styles and other products in the Mustard family, we'll always have a soft spot for The Shorty and The Skinny. They're classic, timeless and functional — our own take on the old-school lockers that many people remember. Still, often when we are telling people what we do, it can take a little bit of explaining!
Once people realise that I'm not talking about lockets or condiments, I find the best way to explain is to just show them a picture. Once they see it for themselves, they get it! — Becca
In honour of The Shorty and The Skinny's US relaunch, let's take a little walk down memory lane.
The abandoned locker that inspired the locker obsession.
rescue mission
Way back in 2012, I (Becca) spotted an old, rusty single-door, skinny locker that had been dumped on the side of the road. It was a dark green colour with light pink sides, but super rusty and peeling all over. Clearly no-one else wanted it, but to me it was beautiful. I'd always loved vintage furniture and even though this wasn't your typical roadside treasure find, I simply couldn't leave it behind! The locker obsession was born.
The first Mustard shoot at our friend's house with the first batch of samples. Look how little we were!
the spark
While I continued to collect lockers for my home and work studio, it wasn't until 2017 that a conversation with my sister Jess turned my slightly strange love of lockers into a business idea. Soon after the birth of my son Ellis, Jess visited me from London in Australia. We'd been dreaming of starting a business together, and during a walk along the beach, we asked each other, 'What is it that you love that is uniquely you?' It was a question I'd read in an article that had stuck in my mind. I immediately thought about my little collection of lockers. The idea was unlocked!
metal magic
Many people might not know that before lockers, my work had a running theme: metal! Before Mustard, I had a handmade jewellery business called House of Bec. I created unique sterling silver jewellery designs cast from real succulent plants, and, slightly randomly-but-it-worked, also stamped vintage silver plated cutlery with custom messages or quotes. I love the solidity of metal and the fact that it ages so gracefully, it can be dented or dinged but is still inherently beautiful!
Love at first sight! There's nothing quite like seeing your scrappy drawings become real-life products. We were smitten (and still are!)
seeing is believing
Many people I talk to don't 'get' the idea of lockers at first and we got some strange reactions when we told our friends and family our business plan in the beginning. It wasn't until we saw the very first Skinny and Shorty samples at our factory in China, we really felt sure we were onto something good. Jess and I took our Dad and my six-month-old baby Ellis on that momentous trip to China, I distinctly remember the moment the roller doors lifted and we finally got to see our lockers, the light was streaming in and they were absolutely beautiful to me! I cannot emphasise enough just how important that trip was to our business. What we were doing all started to make sense!
A line up of Skinnys bringing the retro vibes on the outside, a whole lot of storage potential on the inside. Pretty and practical, just the way we like it.
the tall + short of it
When it came to choosing Mustard's signature styles, a tall, lean locker was a no-brainer. The Skinny is my all-time favourite. It fits into all sorts of small corners but can hold so much stuff inside! The Skinny comes with four adjustable shelves and the option to add more. It also includes a removable hanging rod, perfect for tops and jackets!
True story: The Shorty was named after Becca's nickname and original email address… veryshortstuff. (She’s just over 5ft tall if you were wondering!)
The Shorty is The Skinny's trusty sidekick. It's our take on a bedside table, but can basically be used anywhere. We use The Shorty in our offices as she fits neatly under our desks, but also sits really nicely next to the couch as a handy spot to rest your cuppa. The Shorty includes two adjustable shelves, one handy hook, one cable hole and two wall attachment points.
The original gang of lockers, where it all began with six colours and two locker shapes. Time has moved fast but these originals are still as beautiful as ever.
the original palette
Mustard launched with six iconic colours — Olive, Blush, Slate, Chalk, Mustard and Navy. We called the business Mustard because it's hot, spicy and a bit of an acquired taste, like lockers! The word just fit the vision for our brand, so that's exactly where the colour palette started too.
The old rusty locker I had rescued back in 2012 was a deep earthy green colour, with light pink sides. So it won't surprise you that the next colours on the wishlist were Olive and Blush. The contrast of the soft pink with a beautiful earthy green just felt so right! Next up were Navy, Chalk and Slate. I've always been obsessed with Yves Klein Blue so Navy was a slightly toned down homage to that colour — rich and deep but a touch more versatile. Chalk and Slate set the foundations — we wanted a warm white and a bluey grey that were anything but plain. When it comes to Mustard's colours, versatility has always been at the core — and these six colours continue to draw in locker-lovers because they work just as well in a kids' room as they do in an office.
Mustard has grown a lot since 2018, but our iconic single-door lockers are still a firm favourite! We're so excited that our friends in the US can welcome them into their homes again. Oh and that rusty old roadside locker? Yep, I still have it! When we talk about keeping our lockers for life, we really mean it!
Love Becca x
