Ten Australia Labels To Love Now
Talent, style and substance, we chart ten of the hottest fashion labels on the Australian fashion scene.
As a personal stylist I will constantly scour the country to introduce my clients to brands I think they will love, so when the opportunity came up to showcase some of my favourite Australian designers who are creating beautiful collections that are not the usual high street go-tos I was beyond excited. The list of 10 designers below, I believe, are a standout, not only for the craftmanship that goes into their work but for their stories which make the pieces invested in something a little more special than the normal. These are the designers to watch and the designers bringing a uniqueness to your wardrobe that is both unexpected yet very stylish amongst the trends. I am also proud to say the brands listed below work in an incredibly sustainable and conscious way while maintaining both design and style. Enjoy this list, in no particular order, they truly are something special.
Gary Bigeni
Gary Bigeni has over 17 years’ experience working in the industry and is known for his own personal, eclectic style. Gary has built a reputation for masterful drape, intelligent silhouettes and artful use of colour, his once quiet colour palette now exudes the vibrance and joy of his own personality. Last year was the official shift to pre and made-to-order for Gary Bigeni, Gary will continue to release small capsule collections throughout the year and is taking into consideration customer feedback and requests with each capsule. All Gary Bigeni designs are hand manufactured in Australia using local artisans and sustainable fabrics. Gary’s designs are an absolute treat and bring fun into fashion in a very classic way
Local Supply
Local Supply was launched in 2013, with a vision to create the best quality and best value eyewear for everyone, everywhere. Local Supply are guided by the brand principles of Diversity, Sustainability, Design, Affordability and Community. Local Supply use only plantbased materials to produce their frames and use custom production methods that minimise waste and carbon emissions. Local Supply utilises a plant-based resin, sustainably sourced and produced resulting in 50% less carbon emissions.
Local Supply have also developed a custom injection moulding process that produces 10 x more frames per kg of raw material than traditional acetate production, this allows for more efficient and waste free production. Designer Sean Satha has a background in engineering which drives the brand towards continuous improvement across design, production and manufacturing processes. Their product mantra is “We believe everyone deserves to have nice things, and they shouldn’t cost the earth. We minimise waste and unnecessary costs in order to supply exceptional products at less than half the price of our competitors”
Sarah J Curtis
Bringing together a love of summertime, travel, sun protection and quality craftsmanship, Sarah’s vision to create her signature styles, core collections and seasonal wide brim hats that look stylish and fabulous whilst offering maximum sun protection all year round. Celebrated for her unique take on the traditional Panama hat, Sarah works with the harvest of the raw material of the palm leaf buds of the Carludovica Palm Tree which is completely sustainable as only the ripe ones are taken without harming the mother plant.
Once in the workshop with Sarah each hat body is measured and prepared to be processed according to each specification Each hat is processed individually making sure every detail is looked after. The result is one-of-a-kind pieces of art that are ready for the most beautiful sunny days. With a scary encounter with sun melanoma Sarah is in her words “passionate about sharing the sun safe message and believes it is honestly not worth not protecting yourself ”.
PJohnston
PJohnston have typically dressed men with their collections although also now provide their beautiful designs to women as well.
“Our goal has always been to help people dress better. We want to help women build their wardrobes using the same process and experience we have provided men for 11 years now” designers Patrick and Tamsin John say. With a deep understanding of tailoring, they aim to help women feel strong and confident through a thoughtfully cultivated and atemporal approach to style and slow things down while taking great consideration with each piece. Patrick and Tamsin describe their design as a mix of classicism and individuality that takes advantage of Australia’s isolation which develops a more widely observed sense of style, particularly with respect to colour and that unique sense of ease and comfort associated with the Australian approach to life.
Their custom-tailored process allows them to minimise wastage by building very special and unique garments rather than crudely amassing inventory. These pieces will never fade in style.
MAARA Collective
MAARA Collective was founded in 2019 by Yuwaalaraay Creative Director Julie Shaw, to showcase and celebrate Indigenous art and fashion. The brand’s name MAARA Collective acknowledges and honours the ‘many hands’ involved in the creative and collaborative processes, where the word ‘MAARA’ refers to ‘hands’ in the Yuwaalaraay and Gamilaraay language groups and works closely with Indigenous artists and creatives, drawing inspiration from Country to present within the context of contemporary fashion.
This stunning collection details an earthy palette showing a direct reflection of the Australian landscape featuring variations of Ochre Yellow, Ash, Sand and Red Earth. The ombre prints are reminiscent of rugged rock formations and sunset touching Country. The use of billowing silhouettes, resort wrap styles and knotted details are combined with fringing and signature handwoven elements that pay homage to the brand’s core focus on artisanal craftsmanship. MAARA Collective use sustainable practices wherever possible and are on a continual journey to become more sustainable and make locally in Sydney, Australia. This collection is heaven on earth.
Eloïse Panetta
Eloïse Panetta is a luxury womenswear label motivated by feminine empowerment and nurtured by a transparent and ethical approach to fashion design. El creates products that celebrate the beauty of the natural world through unique artisanal skills and processes, creating consciously handcrafted jewellery, botanically dyed silk accessories and bespoke clothing, all proudly handmade in Australia. The Eloïse Panetta flagship store on George St in The Rocks Sydney is unique in that customers can meet El herself and see the creation process unfold in the studio which is adjacent to the retail space.
El dyes the silk herself by hand using flowers and eucalyptus leaves she has collected, so every batch is unique and each garment is one of a kind. She does everything from dyeing to pattern cutting to stitching on the buttons. While the majority of garments are created bespoke to order, there are some pieces in the store you can buy “off the rack” and she will customise them to fit you perfectly.Her made to order fashion approach using hand-dyed botanical silk result in unique pieces that are very special.
A_C Official
Designer Tessa Carroll of A_C Official created the brand to be cruelty-free and sustainable accessories label and was the first brand in Australia to utilise a new cactus leather textile. The plant-based textile “Desserto” has been touted as the most earth-friendly leather alternative yet. A_C develops ranges using innovative non-leather textiles (previous collections have been made from Pinatex, or pineapple leather, and responsibly forested washable paper) and donates to carbon sequestration projects through an impactful Social Enterprise model.
With an emphasis on transparent supply chains, the business is built with the circular economy top of mind and offers a recycling buy-back program. Aside from it’s ecofriendly credentials the new monochromatic Cactus collection is super sleek and minimalist and would impress even nonvegan fashionistas.
Arsdorf
Jade Sarita Arnott founded the brand Arnsdorf in 2006 to be a collection of seasonless designs and limited runs of each item, along with our permanent collection, never holding excessive amounts of inventory never going on sale. Only using organic cotton & linen, tencel, hemp, wool & silk, Arnsdorf is a modern womenswear brand, based on a foundation of transparency, ethical manufacturing and sustainability. Each garment is designed, cut, sewn and finished in their own in-house Atelier in Collingwood Ethical Clothing Australia accreditation. For those who like precision, Arnsdorf have a store in Melbourne where a personal stylist can tailor your piece to your body and help with the wardrobe you are building, also offering lifetime repairs on their garments you will always know where each piece was made, the people who made them and at what cost.
Sleeping with Jacques
Sleeping with Jacques made made its debut only three years ago and is now globally recognised in retail stores Harrods, SAKS 5th Avenue, FarFetch and Browns. In addition, the collection is also available on Net-APorter. Such an incredible achievement for the Melbourne-based designer, Jacques Hoang, who launched the brand. Founder and designer, Jacques Hoang began her label with the intention behind Sleeping with Jacques to make women feel good, powerful, strong and capable of anything. The true intention behind the brand lies with the notion of wanting the woman who wears Sleeping with Jacques garments to go to bed with their dreams and when they rise, go out and chase them. The design features of Sleeping with Jacques are true to the brands identity invoking confidence within the wearer.
Hoang worked in close collaboration with long-time supporter of the brand, Cheyenne Tozzi, UN Women Ambassador throughout the design process. A percentage of profits from the Romantic Virtue collection will be donated to UN Women Australia as the brand partnership continues to create a brighter, safer and more promising future for women.
Natalie Alamein
Destinations, music, love stories and art inspire Alamein’s collections and are designed to celebrate life in – wear them dancing, dating, confetti-tossing, champagnesipping, sunbaking, boating, travelling or just brunching with friends. Every now and then a brand just seems to do its own thing and just works so beautifully with its use of rich colours, customised vintage prints and uncompromising craftsmanship.
Each piece is conceptualised and brought to life with a team of like-minded tailors, master pattern-makers, seamstresses, dyers, graphic designers and store assistants – all of whom hold the ethics of quality, consistency and beauty at heart. Fine fabrics are staples, as are the small, thoughtful details that you didn’t know you needed and is just at home teamed with a pair of sneakers as it is heels. Launched in 2012, Natalie has spent the best part of a decade celebrating bold femininity and helping women around the world feel their best selves thanks to a strong understanding of how apparel can do justice to the female form.