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This is the month to discover Australian talent. And although we look to MercedesBenz Fashion Week Australia for the resort 2020 collections, we’re also committing to memory the best under-the-radar names to recognise off the runway. By Jen Nurick.
As we look to Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week Australia for the resort ’20 collections, we’re also committing to memory the best under-the-radar names to recognise off the runway.
LABEL: HOLIDAY BY EMMA MULHOLLAND
FOUNDED: 2017
GO-TO FOR: EVERYDAY GRAPHIC TEES, STATEMENT PANTS AND SWIMWEAR
A sense of nostalgia for last summer’s sun-filled holiday pervades the playful, colourful offerings from Emma Mulholland’s Holiday – a ready-to-wear label that introduces the relaxed tees, sweaters and swimwear you may have left in your suitcase into your everyday wardrobe. Having debuted at Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week Australia in 2017, Holiday takes inspiration from Mulholland’s past vacations, as well as from the Australian coast and 90s surf culture, bringing the beach into a new context.
Mulholland, whose first eponymous label debuted in 2011 and caught the attention of celebrities such as Kanye West and M.I.A, wanted something relaxed and affordable that would feel more sustainable and relatable for her already well-established customer base. Holiday provides just that – graphic hoodies celebrate la dolce vita, and printed dresses can be layered over T-shirts. Emulating the laid-back, relaxed attitude of the beachgoer, the clothing from Holiday doesn’t take itself too seriously – a useful style cue to keep in mind when you’re getting dressed.
LABEL: ARNSDORF
FOUNDED: 2006, RELAUNCHED IN 2016
GO-TO FOR: UPDATED ESSENTIALS AND EFFORTLESS EVENINGWEAR
In an age of instantaneity, in which few designers are willing to compromise speed of output for sustainability, an audience of conscious consumers is rearing its head and considerate designers are listening. Chief among these is Jade Sarita Arnott of Arnsdorf – a woman-led womenswear brand out of Melbourne – who relaunched her label in 2016 after a four-year industry hiatus.
For Arnott, the process of designing each collection is twofold: just as important as the clothing’s look and feel is its longevity. This understanding of a garment’s environmental footprint informs the brand’s transparency as well as its trans-seasonal approach, with clothing released in limited runs outside the usual retail calendar to minimise material waste. Arnsdorf offers elevated staples for the everywoman. Using hemp, organic cotton and linen, as well as designing pieces without the use of synthetic fabrics or nonbiodegradable materials, Arnott aims “to create meaningful and lasting garments for women of style and purpose”.
LABEL: REPLICA PROJECT
FOUNDED: 2018
GO-TO FOR: DECONSTRUCTED ELEGANCE FROM DAY TO NIGHT
Replica Project may be a brand that has been flying under the radar, but designer Amanda Nichols is no stranger to the industry. Among her credits she has a storied background in costume design and has spent time working at a small atelier in Paris that produced couture garments for Givenchy and Schiaparelli.
The RMIT fashion design graduate – whose master’s collection debuted earlier this year at VAMFF – draws on historical archival garments for inspiration, reimagining the past to inform her present designs.
This ode to late designers results in timeless women’s clothing that is nevertheless tethered to a contemporary context, with sustainability always front of mind. For Nichols, the first collection of Replica Project is a testament to this, with pieces made from “deadstock [fabric] … nylon made from plastic waste and discarded fishing nets found in the ocean”. Exhibited at the 2019 NGV Designer Showcase in Melbourne, Replica Projects is the inventive label transforming the old and making it new (and cool) again.
LABEL: VALET STUDIOS
FOUNDED: 2017
GO-TO FOR: MOOD-LIFTING EARRINGS AND ACCESSORIES
The wash of 90s and 00s throwbacks infiltrating the fashion runways has overflowed into accessories, making Valet Studio the earrings and hair accessories label of the moment.
The Sydney-based brand is the second instalment from the founder of Reliquia jewellery, Ana Piteira. She finds inspiration in family heirlooms, harnessing the sentimentality we attach to jewellery through vintage-like designs and employing the effects of hand-poured resin to create pieces that are unique in colour, texture and tone.
For Piteira, the thought process behind the female-led brand is to create wearable, everyday jewellery for women that adheres to the idea of empowerment through accessorising. The hairclips, barrettes, earrings and bangles (bags are coming, too ), are as impactful as they are affordable. Wear alone or try mixing and matching.