Style with Heart: Cable Heritage 365 x McGrath Foundation
Earlier this year, we had the absolute honour of welcoming the incredible Rebecca Maddern as host of our Heritage 365 launch event. With her signature warmth and genuine presence, Rebecca set the tone for a day that celebrated not only the legacy of our new collection, but also the stories, people and purpose that bring it to life.
One of the most moving moments came from Lisa and Sara — two remarkable Cable customers who generously shared their personal journeys through cancer treatment. Both spoke of the comfort they found in their Cable cardigans during times of vulnerability and strength, a reminder that clothing can be so much more than fabric. It can carry memory. It can offer warmth when words fall short.
Their stories touched everyone in the room, reminding us that style is never just about how we look, but about how we feel and how we connect to one another. At Cable, we design with this in mind: pieces that hold meaning, created with heart, heritage, and humanity at their core.
This October, we are proud to continue that purpose by supporting Breast Cancer Awareness Month and the McGrath Foundation. From every Heritage 365 piece sold throughout the month, Cable will donate $20 directly to the Foundation, helping to fund care for those experiencing cancer, as well as their families.
By choosing timeless style from the Heritage 365 collection, you’ll also be choosing to stand with countless women and families impacted by breast cancer.
Together, we can make a difference.
Lisa’s Story
In 2021, I was diagnosed with an extremely aggressive blood cancer. It came out of nowhere — completely blindsiding me. I had been living my best Covid lockdown life in Melbourne, feeling fitter than ever, though far away from my family in Perth. Life had been full of travel back and forth when the borders opened, a new relationship, stepchildren, and even buying our first home together with dreams of starting a family.
Everything changed almost overnight. My diagnosis meant I had just 8–12 months to live without treatment. Within days, I was attending daily medical appointments and having urgent conversations about experimental treatments, chemotherapy, and their severe side effects. I was also rushed into emergency IVF to preserve a chance at future motherhood before treatment destroyed that possibility.
Just over a week after the diagnosis, I was in a fertility clinic creating embryos, and two days later, I started chemotherapy.
The physical toll was devastating. I lost all my hair. I was thrown into menopause. I gained 30 kilos. My body no longer felt like mine, and I was left with lasting neuropathy in my hands and feet.
Emotionally, I was completely unprepared. With no close friends or family who had been through cancer, I assumed I’d “bounce back” after treatment. But when I finished eight months of chemo and radiation, I didn’t feel triumphant — I felt broken. I didn’t recognise myself in the mirror, I couldn’t wear the clothes in my wardrobe, and despite surviving, I didn’t feel alive.
Through it all, one constant comfort remained: my Cable cardigan and beanie, bought years earlier from the Beatty Avenue store. That cardigan became my safety net — something familiar to wrap around myself when everything else was out of control.
When treatment ended, I tried to return to normal life. But shopping in the stores I once loved left me feeling fragile and disconnected — my size had changed, and I didn’t know how to dress my new body. That’s when I walked into Cable’s Collins Street store and met Gaby, the store manager. Her warmth and empathy made me feel seen. She helped me find clothes that fit and felt good, without judgment. That experience helped me reconnect with myself.
Just as I started rebuilding, my world was rocked again: my oldest and dearest friend Sara was diagnosed with breast cancer.
Sara had a trip to Melbourne already planned, and she insisted on coming. When I picked her up from the airport, we broke down together in the car park — holding each other, crying, and facing the unknown. She was about to have surgery and didn’t know what the road ahead would look like.
I took her to Cable Collins Street, knowing she would feel safe there. Gaby, once again, welcomed us with kindness — even offering to close the store for privacy. She helped Sara find a treatment “uniform” that made her feel confident, dignified, and human through radiation.
That day, Sara and I both bought the same cardigan. Now, when I wear mine, I feel connected to her — tied together not just by our friendship and shared experience, but by those threads of Cable.
Sara’s Story
Lisa and I met in 1983 as Year 1 students in Perth’s inner north. We were inseparable — skipping rope, dancing, singing, and dressing up like twins whenever we could. Even when Lisa moved schools, our bond stayed strong through sleepovers, BBQs, and family holidays.
Later, Lisa moved to Melbourne to expand her creative horizons, while I stayed in Perth to be close to family. Our lives diverged, but our friendship never faltered.
When Lisa was diagnosed with cancer in 2021, it was one of the worst years of my life. With WA’s borders closed, I couldn’t be there for her. Not knowing what to say or how to help made me feel helpless. One of my happiest moments was finally reuniting after her treatment, hugging her in Perth and seeing her alive and smiling again.
Then, in 2024, I received my own shock diagnosis: early-stage breast cancer discovered through a routine mammogram. The fog of those early days was heavy, but my family and friends rallied around me — bringing meals, flowers, and kindness.
Fortunately, I already had a trip to Melbourne booked to see Lisa. Just days later, I would return home for surgery. The timing was uncanny, but also a gift. Lisa was a source of incredible strength. She knew instinctively what to say and what not to say.
As my unofficial stylist, she took me straight to Cable’s Collins Street store. We started the day crying in the car park, but inside Cable we found lightness and even laughter. Together, we chose a cardigan and pants that became my “uniform” during radiation. The breathable, natural wool fibres gave comfort, while the timeless style gave me dignity and confidence — even drawing compliments from my colleagues.
Those pieces weren’t just clothing; they were armour, helping me face treatment while still feeling like myself. I still wear them today and continue to add to my Cable collection as I focus on healing, family, and the joys of life.
Next on my list? An Italian adventure with my husband Rob and our son Zac. Life is precious, and I’m determined to embrace it.
At Cable, we are deeply grateful to Lisa and Sara for sharing their stories. Their resilience and friendship are testaments to the strength of women supporting women — and to the small but meaningful role clothing can play in carrying us through life’s hardest seasons.
This October, every Heritage 365 piece you purchase helps support more women like them, through the work of the McGrath Foundation.
