00s SASS & BIDE ON INDIVIDUALITY AND THE CULT OF CELEBRITY
A new mood ushered in the unapologetic noughties – expressive style was back and an outwardly proud oeuvre underpinned an era of celebrity. Sarah-Jane Clarke and Heidi Middleton’s modern whimsy and powerful spirit were the decade’s perfect match. By Natasha Inchley.
“WE TOOK OUR work seriously but not ourselves. Maybe that was the key to it,” says Heidi Middleton, of the label she co-founded with Sarah-Jane Clarke. Their clothes were for rule-breakers, a kind of Moulin Rouge! mix of oddities which somehow worked: the handpainted mini-dresses, the layering of feathers and sequins and the low-cut jeans with teeny-tiny zippers. The pair wore it best and a whole legion of fans followed.
They also had tremendous drive, as Clarke explains: “Heidi and I were fearless, determined and curious. We didn’t let any obstacle get in our way. We would ask questions, make mistakes, but humour and strength willed us to a great place.” That force seemed to spring from the duo’s yin-and-yang effect. “We offered different ideas. We celebrated strength and beauty, masculine and feminine lines and we took embellishment and adornment into a new terrain. The spirit, lightness and fun emanated from the clothes, and we liked the idea of breaking convention in both design and marketing,” says Middleton.
Together, they proved clever innovators as much as savvy stylists. So much so that in 2001 they attracted the eye of actress Sarah Jessica Parker. Middleton says: “We stumbled across SJP on set [for Sex and the City] in uptown New York and asked security to give her one of our denim jackets, which she fell in love with.”
The cult following was further boosted by highly charged runway presentations staged in Sydney and later New York. One particular show, a 2003 collection held in an abandoned power station in Sydney, earnt the duo a standing ovation and accounts with international stores. It cemented the brand’s authority and success.
Magic aside, Middleton is most proud of Sass & Bide’s ethical and philanthropic base. “Looking back, I feel very fatalistic about that time. I believe we created a unique culture within the workplace. The work ethos was fair, positive and inclusive, and celebrated working mums and women in the office.”
It’s a philosophy that continues to influence the two creatives, long after they sold the final stake in their business for a reported $30 million to Myer in 2013. Today, while working independently, they follow a similar approach to their trade, via Middleton’s Artclub, a brand built around limited- edition offerings, and Clarke’s eponymous resort line. “The traditional fashion brand model held little appeal to me: I don’t believe it’s conducive to sustaining high creative output or protecting our planet, which we all know is facing great threat,” Middleton says. “Today, I’m passionate about creating in a way that can give back and nourish people and the planet, rather than the other way around.”