YES, SIR
The cult Australian label doing things its own way.
IT WAS A VINTAGE SCARF UNEARTHED IN A HIDDEN-AWAY STORE in the village of Bellagio on Lake Como last summer that sent creative sparks flying for designers Nikki Campbell and Sophie Coote. Fast-forward to Paris and Fashion Week earlier this year and the resulting floral print had worked its way into soft jumpsuits, ruffled dresses and mini-skirts making up the FW18 collection for their label SIR. Upon first inspection, the fashion director of Barneys was placing an order for five stores, and by the end of the week SIR had increased in sales by 127 per cent.
Such is the appeal of the four-year-old brand, which has gained a cult following through a savvy backdoor approach to the fashion industry. Without formal design training, twenty-something friends Campbell and Coote have built their business outside of traditional avenues. They met while studying, Campbell, a communications degree, and Coote, commerce and finance, and an idea for an aspirational, accessible brand they themselves would want to shop soon turned into a business plan. “I guess we were at that point in time, we were both 24 years old, and we had everything to gain and nothing to lose. So we just went for it,” says Coote.
Originally launching as an online store, the duo utilised the power of social media and soon amassed an everwidening circle of dedicated fans that now snap up their cool-girl must-haves quicker than they can hit production. Despite quickly finding big commercial success in Australia and wholesale traction in the US, e-commerce remains accountable for more than 86 per cent of SIR’S
business, owing in large part to clicks through from Facebook and Instagram from women wanting to nab the pieces in their feeds. “Through social media, we were able to show the brand globally and it just grew really organically from that,” says Campbell, who admits the label was conceived to fill a gap in their own wardrobes. The pair create a lot of content themselves, focus on shooting regularly and draw on creative collaborations. “That was born in the beginning through a lot of our contacts,” says Coote. “We were able to leverage everything easily, some of our friends were models and we were just collaborating with people who we knew initially and it just all kind of snowballed.”
SIR stands for separates, intimates and ready-to-wear, and what began as a limited range of essentials in linen has grown into a full offering of modern-nostalgic everyday pieces – the kind you can throw on with denim and sneakers, as Campbell and Coote do, and replenish at whim. So far, they’ve released a staggering 16 collections, including three main collections per year plus regular capsule collections designed exclusively for online. The regular drops help feed their customers’ desire for newness. “We’re finding our girls follow the brand religiously. We have really great return customers, so we’ve been trying to fill that void, keeping their wardrobe up to date on a regular basis,” says Campbell.
Taking in follower feedback, each collection builds on brand classics, favourite details and recognisable shapes, offering seasonal design tweaks and fresh fabrics and styles that generate hype and typically sell out in pre-order (often within the first day). It’s an agile business model that means Campbell and Coote can essentially make to order, cut down on wastage and grow the business sustainably.
Living between Sydney and Canggu in Bali – with regular trips to the US and Europe – and with just four fulltime staff working on the label means life is hectic, so it’s fortunate that the designers not only get along but rely on each other for support and motivation. “We don’t really disagree on anything, which is very rare. So creatively, the brand is very much 50/50 and we just share that vision together,” says Campbell, whose responsibilities include marketing, while Coote typically manages production. “If we’re apart, we’re on the phone at least 30 times a day with each other!” It’s lucky, too, that the brains behind SIR both gravitate to the ’70s for ideas they can translate for now, and muses such as singer-songwriter Françoise Hardy and all-time supermodel Pat Cleveland. The FW18 collection plays on the brand’s masculine-meets-feminine signature, looking to imagery from Peter Knapp as well as Helmut Newton’s “Les Maisons Hantées De Hollywood”, referencing the cultural shift of the time and the French boudoir movement that saw women embrace their sexuality in sweet-soft lingerie worn with a strong attitude. This is the first season the “intimates” element of SIR has really come into its own, with lace, knitwear and embroidery made to be layered and glimpsed under simple shirts and sheer dresses. “Our girl is confident, she knows what she wants and she’s not afraid to dress how she feels. It was that liberation and that feminist movement that inspired the more sexy take on traditional shapes,” says Coote.
Next up on your social feed, expect to see imagery captured in Paris where Coote and Campbell took over a suite at the storied Ritz to snap their favourite pieces in situ. While we can’t all be reclining on an upholstered chaise, French doors thrown open with a view of the Eiffel Tower, at least we can tap into the dream with one of SIR’S frilled frocks. “I love that our customer loves feeling like a part of our adventure,” says Coote. “I guess everyone at home in winter loves that inspiration of a European holiday as well.”
“OUR GIRL IS CONFIDENT, SHE KNOWS WHAT SHE WANTS AND SHE’S NOT AFRAID TO DRESS HOW SHE FEELS”