Everyone who knows fashion, knows Dr Martens, but connoisseurs of fashion know Jun Takahashi’s Japanese streetwear brand Undercover. The combination of these two iconic brands was always going to be a cult collaboration.
Undercover is, itself, already considered a cult brand. It is described as sharing “a mutual punk aesthetic and rebellious attitude with Dr. Martens”, and to “epitomise the essence of ‘Japanese cool’, making this new collaboration obvious to those who know.
Takahashi founded the brand in 1990; its understated and underground vibe made it “one of the ura-Harajuku movement’s most coveted secrets for many years” but since 2002 the brand has been showing at Paris Fashion Week, making the jump from cult streetwear brand to cult luxury brand.
One of Dr Marten’s longest-running collaborators, Takahashi has worked with the iconic shoe brand creating remixed imprints for almost 10 years. The Japanese designer is known for his underground aesthetic and inspirations, making him a perfect fit for Dr Marten’s.
This Dr Marten’s collaboration was inspired by Takahashi’s love of 70s cinema, informing the colour choices of the three options – black, cherry red and blue – for the Undercover version of the Original 1461 3-eye shoe that is made in Dr Marten’s original Wollaston factory.
The shoes are printed with a grid-check pattern from the Undercover archive; embossed with the brand’s signature – We Make Noise Not Clothes – and have the traditional yellow welt stitching on the smooth leather, both logos on the sock liner and come in designed packaging.
The Dr Martens X Undercover collaboration collection is available exclusively from drmartens.com.au. Follow the brand on Instagram at @drmartensaustralia.
For more information about Jun Takahashi’s Undercover, go to undercoverism.com, and follow the brand on Instagram at @undercover_lab.
IMAGES: Undercover 2022 Autumn Winter Psychophilia & Dr Marten’s
With most of the world still struggling through the Coronavirus, the fashion industry is in the odd position of being seen as either a pointless waste of resources and time, or a psychological escape from the doom and gloom.
But what does that mean for the young creatives graduating during this weird time, like the recent grads from Lasalle College of the Arts’ BA (Hons) Fashion Design and Textiles course?
For one, it meant no graduate fashion show with friends, family, media and industry insiders to show off to, rather the school for the first time created a virtual runway on July 16.
“The world we live in today is more unpredictable than ever. This pandemic alone has ground the world to a halt and increased our online consumption to curb social isolation. Although the fashion industry has long functioned based on the expectation that a runway has to be present, we are already seeing fashion houses worldwide begin to explore different ways to present their new collections. To some extent, the change has also arisen out of ongoing conversations about sustainability and the future direction of fashion. We believe it is more important than ever that our students graduate with a consciousness of these issues and the role of fashion in this changing world,” said Circe Henestrosa, Head, School of Fashion at Lasalle.
Henestrosa refers, of course, to the recent attempts by international fashion weeks to claw back some of the media focus with less than successful digital events. Of the various attempts from London Mens, to Couture, few of the brands managed to create an online experience that topped their regular live shows. Only Helsinki Fashion Week – which has been online only since 2016 – has managed to create something that is at least as interesting in a creative way, as the physical shows.
Prada, Gucci, Dior Women (oh dear, Dior. A whole other problem there), basically just made fashion films. Dior Men created a fabulous fashion film, but still these were all just background and additional to what was usually the centrepiece, the clothes.
So, if even major established fashion brands with their endless budgets found it hard to stand out on the digital platform, how were 17 mini collections from a bunch of graduates based in Singapore going to do?
The ‘show’ …
To be honest, the virtual fashion show was, again, basically a fashion film. There was a lot of post-production and atmospheric shots of Pasir Panjang Power Station and the college campus – already a well-known location for sci-fi inspiration – but it was difficult to really see the clothes.
Watching via Zoom, you could not tell how well the garments were made, what the materials used were, or see the details that create the points of difference that make a new designer stand out.
Another thing that seemed a little behind the times was the concept of using Sustainability as an overarching ‘theme’ for organising the various designers. The collections were separated into five themes – Sustainability, Future Forward, Heritage, Textures, Body & Identity. Not unique concepts, but definitely topical ones, ideas and themes that are obviously affecting young creatives.
My issue with Sustainability as a separate theme, is that in the time of climate disaster, it should no longer need to be defined as a point of difference from ‘other types of fashion’. Sustainability should not have to be a ‘theme’. Sustainability is a fact; and any designer who produces today should be doing so in a sustainable and ethical manner automatically. The idea of using ‘sustainable’ or ‘ethical’ as a brand marketing tool is over. All brands need to be both, and therefore need to find another point of difference.
OK, rant over. Still, the Lasalle teachers and directors do take the issue seriously, while also allowing students to make their own decisions as to whether or not they incorporate it into their collections.
“One of the pillars of Lasalle’s School of Fashion and its BA(Hons) Fashion Design and Textiles programme is the continuous development of the notion of ‘future crafts’. Through this, we understand a seamless symbiosis between artisanal techniques and modern technologies,” explains Dinu Bodiciu, the lecturer in charge of the BA (Hons) in Fashion Design and Textiles at LASALLE College of the Arts’ School of Fashion.
“With the increase in awareness of sustainability, there is greater attention paid by our students to the materials employed in their collections. The graduation project allows them the time to play, experiment, investigate and innovate new textile processes in the search of creative fashion solutions.
“For instance, even though the plastic used by Felicia Agatha in the collection Repelebb was not recycled, she still chose to work with it because she needed a vessel to hold liquid substances like water and cooling agents. Her collection hydropuff proposes possible new materials and fashionable alternatives in a future when humanity has to face the consequences of global warming.
“Another example is Kwok Minh Yen’s collection 1.5oC. It expanded the notion of zero waste design by engaging in textile manipulation of leftover materials, turning these scraps of fabric into decorative elements in the collection. Minh Yen further worked with UV reactive threads and pigments, combining them with synthetic materials like mixed polyester/nylon organza.
“This juxtaposition of materials, preferred by fast fashion companies against the slower process of zero waste design, aims to criticise the industry’s unsustainable ways and how this contributes to global warming,” says Bodiciu.
Good, bad or blah …
To be expected, a number of the graduates were inspired by our dystopian times with collection themes that covered humanoid spaceships with different personalities, and one concept that was literally entitled Dystopia. Other current topics were covered as well; sizeism, sustainability, global warming, climate change, LGBTQIX, #metoo, etc. All to be expected in our modern world of global pop culture and TikTok. Some of the most successful concepts were those that didn’t focus on the global theme to the detriment of the actual design and craftsmanship of the garments. Of the most interesting were the designers that reimagined their concept into garments that functioned as both an artistic statement and an intellectual concept.
Cheah’s collection sat under the overall theme of Sustainability, using zero-waste pattern cutting techniques, but it was her modern take on traditional Malaysian prints inspired by the decorations of traditional kites that stood out. The draped, floaty shapes in the strong traditional colours ways of orange and black were softened with additions of hand dyed blues and yellows. While the cuts were somewhat reminiscent of early Japanese designers, the addition of ‘string’ interlacing referencing kite strings offered slivers of skin, creating a sense of fluid femininity. It will be interesting to see where Cheah goes from here. These pieces would definitely find a commercial market.
A mix of Iris van Herpen and Simone Rocha, Kwok’s work was also in the Sustainability theme, and was based on “draw[ing] attention to the increasing rate with which global warming is causing coral bleaching”. The garments were basically white, oversized dresses with ruffles and collars decorated with recycled textiles created to look like bits of coral. A series of adornments on one dress – donut shaped 3D rings studded with Swarovski crystals and UV reactive threads and pigments light up. Unfortunately this function wasn’t able to be clearly seen during the virtual show, but can be spotted in the photographs. Without the additional decoration, these pieces are cute, wearable clothes that don’t look much different from a lot of #cottagecore dresses seen all over TikTok and Instagram but come with a new take on the sustainability concept.
A pretty collection of pastel and embroidered separates, Schriber’s collection also sat under the Sustainability theme based on its entirely vegan material use. What these vegan materials are is unclear. No leather, so does that mean ‘vegan’ leather ie. plastic? Are the fabrics natural fibres? Or manmade and therefore less environmentally friendly? These are the issues that keep cropping up when it comes to defining what sustainable fashion really is. Still, the overall collection, while looking rather similar to Korean brand Ti:Baeg’s early work, is very wearable despite the fact that some of the concept was a bit too literal with large embroidered birds and prints being featured.
Part of the Future Forward theme, Agatha’s collection is described as “delving into science in order to devise climate-sensitive solutions for our future”. What that translated into was a lot of plastic. Presumably the plastic stood in for as yet unavailable technical materials that will adapt to issues of climate change like floods and such. The “activewear-influenced” pieces appear to be less about being active and more about creating shapes to be worn under the clear technical materials. The shapes and cuts had a vaguely 80s feel, added to by the combination of black, clear plastic, zips and pastel lavender shades of shiny fabric. The designer’s work with hydrogels is quite fascinating and it will be interesting to see how her research translates into future garments.
One of the collections that riffed on the issue of sizeism, Ng’s work looks like a mix of streetwear and 80s ideas of ‘future clothes’. The concept is described as being “built on the foundation of science fiction, imagining a world where plus-size is no longer a separate category”, but the interpretation falls a little short. Instead of creating new silhouettes for larger sizes, the cuts echo already existing oversized streetwear staples like shorts, hoodies, and collared shirts. The addition of ‘spaceman’ bits and pieces like zips and plastic pockets, plus the very literal use of flames to represent the sun combined with technical shiny materials gives the work a cartoonish vibe.
Phang is obviously a lover of anime. The entirely weird concept of the collection looks exactly like a real life version of Kantai Collection known as KanColle (艦これ, KanKore). The story line has cute girls who somehow turn into ocean-going battleships to fight off their enemies. While the underlying concept is completely daft, Phang’s work is some of the most interesting of the graduates. The designer hopes that future research and technological development will be able to turn his “fantasies into functionality”. The collection features a mix of form-fitting bodysuits as the basis for a series of layered pieces that add various functions to an outfit, like a coat, shirt and even a currently needed accessory, the face mask. It is also interesting that although his collection is placed firmly in the future, the fabrics used are more traditional like a Prince of Wales check in menswear fabric, showing that this guy really knows how to cut and fit a garment. It will be interesting to see how his work translates commercially.
Another of the collections focused on the issue of sizeism, particularly that of South Korea where the extreme social conditioning of Kpop has reduced women to equally extreme diets and plastic surgery. Lee’s work is a rather literal interpretation of her traditional heritage, the hanbok, with a slight nod towards modernity in the addition of capri pants. While pretty, these pieces are more akin to the trend of hanfu, where young people dress in slightly modern versions of historial outfits, with a nod to nostalgia and an Asian version of #cottagecore. While it is refreshing for the designer to create for larger women, again this just translates into bigger sizes of the same clothes that are already being made and worn. Still, the pieces are pretty.
Also part of the Heritage theme, Basri’s collection looks at subverting the “misogynistic symbols tied to the Malay folklore figure, promoting body acceptance in the process”; also incorporating the current #metoo trend to a certain extent. Basri uses the traditional ghost story of the Pontianak – a misogynist tale of a female vampire who is transgressive in Malay society due to her inability to have a child – to talk about definitions of womanhood and femininity. The concept has been translated into a series of garments that evoke simple working clothes combined with the colours of mourning – black, white and grey. Although there are a couple of embellishments of red ‘blood’ tracing the fabrics which are a little too literal, overall the collection is wearable and interesting with a nod to the simplicity of Japanese design.
Based on the Japanese concept of “Ma” (間), the idea of allowing a sense of space in between other things, this collection is somewhat hard to define. There is definitely a very Japanese style overall, with some very obvious takes from the work of designer Yohji Yamamoto in the use of gaps or cuts in patterns for classical coats and jackets. There are also pieces obviously inspired by the work of Rei Kawakubo of Comme des Garçons with the use of padding and strips of menswear fabric.
Sitting under the Textures theme, Tibrewala’s collection is based on “fluid and distorted lines in order to express chaotic emotions” which really just translates into adding squiggly lines to her fabrics via print and hand-done spray paint. The shapes are based on early 80s, including a definite nod to Issy Miyake’s Pleats Please collections – one round-shouldered top in particular. Overall the collection has a pleasant run through of shape and colour, although a collared, open back jacket strikes a bit of a wrong note, as it seems too different to the rest of the pieces. There is also something a bit off with the proportions particularly in the short length of the pants. However, there is a softness and wearability to these garments; they are very ‘art gallery worker’, much like Issy Miyake.
Supposed to be all about the sense of touch, with the aim of making the viewer – not the wearer? – want to touch the garments, this collection appears, in fact, to be the opposite. Created from some sort of stiff, hard, sharp-looking faux leather (maybe?), the garments jut out from the wearer more like spines saying ‘stay away!’. There is little attention given to the wearer either, with the stiff fabric removing any human softness from some of the more encompassing pieces, while adding excess volume to the body in others. The juxtaposition with sheer fabric and the use of bright colours certainly imparts a kind of child-like playfulness, and while some of the cuts are simple, the more textured pieces have an interesting use of volume. Are these pieces actually soft to the touch? Or do they feel as stiff as they look? Interesting.
Based on her imagined idea of what people on magic mushrooms see, Halim has created garments that are basically traditional in shape and cut, but have various parts – the sleeves mostly – ‘blown out’ with the addition of sheer voluminous additions. The concept reads well in the original sketches, however the finished garments seem unbalanced and overly complicated. The addition of various colours, crystals, fabrics, more embellishments, and even more textures gives an impression less of the distorted vision of a bad trip, and more a toddler’s idea of dress up. The designer’s central premise of “a reality where vision is blurred by hallucinogenic drugs”, has been lost in translation.
Based on the myth of the Chimera – part lion, goat and dragon – the designer chose instead to combine a butterfly with a jellyfish, with unfortunately little success. The interpretation is all too literal with actual, human-sized butterfly wings adorning half a garment, while the other half features a long, full ‘jellyfish’ sleeve. A lopsided puffball skirt recalls not only the very worst of the 80s but also a dying blue bottle jellyfish on the beach. The concept was interesting – the idea of combining various and opposite creatures; air and water – creates fertile ground for juxtaposition and contrast. It is just unfortunate that in this iteration the clunky construction overcame the concept.
Part of the Body & Identity theme, Balachander’s collection is a cleverly wrought interpretation of the concept that “underneath our skin, our human anatomy is all one in the same”, a powerful nod to the current global reassessment of racism. The designer translates her links to her grandmother, with her age and experiences etched onto her body into a series of oversized menswear garments that expand the silhouette far outside the original body, stretching out with padding and extreme length. Yet somehow, these pieces still look like someone, somewhere could happily wear them. Actually, with many parts of the world still in lockdown, these voluminous pants and sweatshirts are the perfect hide-from-the-world-in-comfort pieces. Using a quilting technique, Balachander implies ideas of wrinkles on skin, or the lines of a topographical map, which is also echoed in the original print in the collection. All in all, this collection is an accomplished piece of conceptual design, that still feels not only like fashion, but like something you could actually wear, and want to buy.
A mix of the Mona Lisa and an Instagram influencer sounds like an interesting starting point for a collection. However the garments created by Latib appear less a “satirical conversation” between the Renaissance and contemporary culture, than an excess of shiny, oversized, blinged up streetwear pieces. The Renaissance references are lost in a sea of snap-on trouser legs, puffers, sleeves and hoodies, with a lone neck ruff to voice centuries of innovation and philosophical thought. The influence of Moncler X Craig Green is also very obvious. What is really a shame is that the designer’s earlier work as seen on his Instagram account is way more interesting, better constructed and unique.
Inspired by his personal medical issue, a diagnosis of Wolff Parkinson White (WPW) Syndrome, that causes random heart palpitations, this collection is one of the more personal. The translation into a series of voluminous, non-gendered garments, however, seems to have little connection. It is hard to see the link between a backless jumpsuit, a cloak of bunched red vinyl and a white shirt with long cuffs as “an abstract form of a journal – penning and scribbling down what I felt when the palpitations attack”, as the designer writes. Presumably the shapes and volumes are how the designer translates his feelings. Whatever the connections, the pieces themselves are well tailored, pretty evening wear for the non-gendered.
There is something very Leigh Bowery and Judy Blame about Xun’s collection, mixed in with current Drag Queen Culture, added to Rei Kawakubo of Comme des Garçons and even a touch of Moncler X Craig Green. The work is a celebration of “queerness, artifice, irony and high aestheticism” that is obvious in its theatricality, shouting ‘look at me’ as loudly as possible. But it is because of this blatant obviousness that the collection works. The fact that the construction is impeccable and, while riffing on the work of other experimental designers, does not copy slavishly, it also positions the designer at the head of the conceptual pack. Xun’s work is unashamedly more art than retail, but that is exactly why it will grab the eyes and hearts of dedicated fashion lovers the world round. Can’t wait to see where this designer goes, and what they decide to make.
All images Lasalle College of the Arts. For more information, and to watch the original virtual show, go to www.lasallesof.com.
Thai designer label Takara Wong was founded in 2015 by designer Thakorn Wannawong around the concept of ‘trial and error’, and influenced by subcultures and musicians across the world and history.
According to Wannawong, iconic tropes from the 70s or 60s for example, are mixed with an “aerodynamic sporty silhouette” which makes the garments timeless. The latest collection for 2020 is all about streamlined 70s leather and glam for the menswear pieces, and sexy leather and suiting for the womenswear.
“Imperfections are what make things truly interesting, that is why the brand focuses on the underdogs of society and rebellious spirits,” states Wannawong on the website.
Wannawong is a graduate from Japanese design school Bunka’s Bangkok school, and he has always been interested in fashion, starting with designing pieces for family, and then moving onto creating costumes and outfits for his musician friends.
There is a very new YSL feel to the latest Takara Wong collection – lots of leather, lots of skinny guys and girls with shaved heads, tight and narrow cuts combined with slinky velvet. This is a very sexy collection; but there are also a number of sharp suits that can take you from day to night.
These pieces aren’t exactly cheap, but there is a level of quality and detail that is worth the cost – many of the pieces are ‘demi couture’ and need to be pre-ordered.
For a long time Australian fashion has been known only for its swimwear, beach wear, resort wear, flip flops, shorts, jeans, casual tees and Ugg boots. Now, with the world made smaller via the internet, some Australian designers are beginning to branch out into areas that are more fashion, than retail. In fact, some of the more interesting Australian brands have been around for decades … You just didn’t know about them.
Here are three of my current favourite Australian fashion brands …
Et Al
Et Al is a Melbourne brand that has been around since 1987 when it was founded by Christine and Les Doughty, who still own and run it. This is one of my personal favourite Australian independent labels; it’s very Japanese-art-gallery-worker crossed with 90s goth and bits of Vivienne Westwood.
This is a brand that is strongly influenced by the Japanese designers of the 80s – think relaxed tailoring, lots of black, few patterns, multi-use garments and gender neutral designs. The current brand designer is Anthony Capon who won Project Runway Australia season two.
Et Al is known for its quality of fabrics and finishings; there is a type of timelessness to the designs that make the pieces trans-seasonal. Et Al also supports other young and emerging Australian designers via its accessories stocks that feature artistic jewellery, as well as shoes and hats. The brand offers womenswear and menswear, but many of the styles are unisex. The use of muted colours and some prints adds depth to its more basic black core collection.
The brand produces limited runs of only 8 to 24 pieces of each style, and 70% of their garments are made in Australia. It is also size inclusive running from Australian size 8 to 18. Et Al is even age inclusive, featuring models of all ages in its social media and campaigns.
Another one of my favourite Australian fashion brands, Alpha60 is Melbourne born and bred, founded in 2005 by brother and sister duo Alex and Georgie Cleary. The brand’s name comes from the sci-fi classic movie Alphaville by Jean-Luc Godard.
Alpha60 is another brand where you can clearly see the influence of the Japanese designers of the 1980s.
While there is not so much black, there are lots of cocoon shapes, volume, asymmetric cuts, simple patterns, little glitter or gloss, natural fabrics and size inclusivity ie. nothing’s too tight or too structured.
Alpha60 is a brand that sticks to small production runs, using local sewers, and although it has around 10 boutiques in Australia and New Zealand, is still affordably priced in the lower contemporary range. I’ve bought a fair few pieces.
This menswear brand is an interesting mix of JW Anderson menswear with touches of Off White and Korean brand Junn J. Based in Melbourne, this brand is probably the most experimental of the local menswear brands. Lin is inspired by “architecture, structure, and texture” which can be seen in the cuts, volume and use of wool fabrics.
Lin is also known for his quality, but still interesting, knitwear. The use of various techniques to create lacey sweaters or bodycon tops, gives the brand the JW Anderson feel. Recent collections have shown a brighter and sharper use of colour, particularly the Uniform collection; note the ‘logo’ and use of red. It rather reminds one of something, does it not?
Although primarily a menswear brand, Lin has recently branched out to create a few womenswear pieces, and items that are distinctly non-gendered as well.
These appear to be more like luxe basics with a more elevated feel, rather than Lin’s more artistic runway garments. The newer items look to be more wearable for a wider range of body types as well. A good move in these uncertain times.
For a long, long time Australia was seen as a fashion desert, with its lack of ‘major’ brands, its odd seasons – compared to the rest of the fashion world – and the country’s laidback lifestyle. Even its most cultured of cities – Melbourne – tended towards the basics of shorts and tees in summer and tracky daks and uggs in winter.
Somewhere in the 80s, however, there seemed to suddenly appear a nascent Australian fashion scene. Ksubi sent rats down the runway, magazines proliferated and the average Aussie girl started wearing cute little dresses and Sass & Bide lowrise jeans. Yes! Australia had fashion.
By the beginning of the 21 century, unfortunately this burgeoning fashion industry started to collapse with the influx of high street brands from around the world; the introduction of online shopping seemed the final nail in the coffin of a small, off-season regional fashion industry.
But all is not lost. In the last five or so years there has been a rise in small production, locally manufactured, sustainable fashion brands sprouting in Australia. These brands are focused on circular production systems, waste reduction, ‘slow fashion’, limited production runs, using sustainable fabrics and dyes, and generally not wanting to be ‘huge’ or international brands.
As the coronavirus hits the global economy, many fashion brands are finding their supply and distribution chains at risk. In conjunction with these issues, more customers are thinking about the idea of #shoplocal, of supporting their local economy and small businesses. This situation therefore may become a great opportunity for small, local, sustainable fashion businesses.
Here are six small, sustainable Australian fashion brands to check out. Remember, just because they are small, doesn’t mean they don’t sell online, and ship globally (in biodegradable packaging).
A.BCH
Founded in 2017 by Courtney Holm, A.BCH is a womenswear and menswear brand with many garments fitting into the non-gendered definition and in fact shot and sold on both men and women. The core of this brand is its circular production cycle, or circular economy standard.
The brand’s line of elevated basics are all made in Melbourne from organic, recycled and renewable materials; buttons are made from seeds of fallen corozo fruit and their factory is family owned and operated in Melbourne.
A.BCH’s design is a mix of practical basics – sweaters, tees, shirts, pants, skirts etc – in muted neutral shades and simple patterns. There’s an earthy, relaxed and comfortable vibe about the brand, it’s almost anti-fashion.
Although the focus of the design is on reducing waste, the odd thoughtful detail on a basic garment helps elevate the brand to something a little bit more interesting.
This Melbourne denim brand is all about sustainability and ethical production. Everyone knows that denim is one of the worst fabrics when it comes to pollution, water use and waste, which is why the team behind the brand is focused on making ‘clean’ denim garments.
All the garments are made in Melbourne with guaranteed fair working conditions employing over 80 staff; Nobody Denim is also accredited with Ethical Clothing Australia (ECA).
The brand is also very careful in where it sources its materials – which means working with suppliers who meet IS014001 standards, use natural enzymes in their laundry, have reduced their water use for certain processes by 50% and support Australian hardware suppliers like YKK zips to reduce their carbon footprint.
Nobody Denim doesn’t just do jeans, the brand also offers womenswear tops, skirts and even dresses in fabrics like organic cotton and silk. But it’s best pieces are the denim, particularly their season collection items like coloured denim, wide-leg jeans and slim cut denim jackets.
Made in Melbourne brand Kuwaii was founded in 2008 by designer Kristy Barber and is all about the slow fashion movement and local production. The womenswear brand focuses on creating anti-fast fashion pieces that are less trend driven, more about personal style, comfort and longevity.
All garments are made within a 15klm distance from the design studio, and even its footwear is made by one of the last surviving Australian footwear factories, where each pair of shoes takes up to a day to make by hand.
Kuwaii is also focused on transparency with its environmental goals posted on its website; it aims to be carbon neutral by June 2020. It’s packaging is either biodegradable, compostable, recyclable or reusable; even for online shopping the brand uses compostable bags and a biodegradable sticky tape. Fabrics are as environmentally sustainable as possible, the brand also uses surplus fabrics in their collections thereby repurposing waste from larger brands.
Kuwaii’s aesthetic is a combination of comfortable shapes, natural materials and colourful prints. The brand collaborates with local artists to create unique print runs on limited pieces, mixing these with muted solid colours and neutrals. It’s a casual brand creating comfortable clothes for women of all body types and ages.
Launched in 2018, Joslin is a womenswear brand based in Melbourne founded by designer Elinor Joslin. The brand is a slow fashion label with an emphasis on limited lines in sustainable fabrics.
Joslin is a softly feminine brand and is best known for its signature linen dresses adorned with ruffles, pintucks, smoking and button detailing. More recently the brand is being noticed for its stylish and flattering range of knits, which also have a quietly feminine touch. The brand features a lot of traditional fabrications and techniques.
On the sustainability front Joslin uses 100% compostable bags and packaging for its online shipping, including 100% recycled tissue paper, and its international orders are carbon offset using DHL’s GoGreen Climate Neutral service.
The brand uses natural fabrics, and only uses synthetics if there is totally no other alternative; its signature linen and ramie fabrics, silks, organic cottons and merino wool fabrics are used in conjunction with recycled cotton and nylon. For 2020 the brand’s design team is working with natural dead-stock fabrics and working on discovering alternatives to synthetic fusings and plastic zips and buttons.
Another Melbourne based brand, Devoi is all about slow fashion and ethical consumerism. Known for its original prints, the overall vibe is fun, colourful, wearable and comfortable. From its launch, the team behind Devoi decided to focus on ensuring ethical manufacturing practices and sustainability.
This womenswear brand’s design is less about trends and more about longevity – like most of the brands in this list. Devoi does not use synthetic fibres, instead using silk, viscose and linen – mainly because all these fabrics can be dyed and cleaned in cold water with natural detergents. The custom prints are digitally printed since it uses less water and produces less toxic waste. The dyes used for the printed fabrics are AZO free dyes and natural plant dyes.
The brand’s manufacturing is done overseas, however it works with factories that are connected to NGO organisations, supplying mattresses made from scrap fabrics for those in poverty. That same factory reuses cardboard boxes for delivery to Devoi. Devoi’s textile dyeing mill has a treatment plant that uses evaporation and separation technology to clean the water used in the dying process, and then reuses the recycled product.
In line with much of the slow fashion movement, Devoi produces limited runs so there is no wasted fabric or stock wastage, and the brand uses the print fabric offcuts to create accessories like belts, headbands, pouches etc.
This brand is less a fashion label and more an art project led by Sean Tran. While SHHORN does produce clothes, it is also focused on creating handcrafted fabrics and other objects in search of the “inherent traits of natural materials through design and construction activity”.
Tran is a self-taught tailor who used to be an architect and jeweller, and spends his time between an atelier in Sydney and a handcrafting fabric studio in the Blue Mountains. The resulting garments are hand stitched from fabric that has been crafted from raw fibres also by hand.
There is something very Japanese about SHHORN in the way the process of the making is as important as the final garment; the pieces – both menswear and womenswear – have an old fashioned feel to them with a kind of artistic Amish vibe.
There is also an element of non gendered design, with pieces being shot on both male and female models. There are menswear pieces that echo womenswear cuts, and also a touch more of the Japanese artist’s aesthetic with short-cropped trousers and voluminous cocoon shapes for both genders.
The cuts have a timeless quality about them with generic shapes being made important and interesting due to the way they are produced, rather than any strong creative urge. Accessories include kangaroo leather pouches and belts, all very authentic and hardwearing, again the design is about functionality and longevity.
‘Made in China’ has, rather unfortunately, been considered a symbol with negative connotations, denoting as it did historically that anything made in China was cheap rubbish. Thankfully in the last decade or so, this misconception has been mostly overcome, particularly in the areas around technology.
However there has continued to be a perception that when it comes to original creativity, the work coming out of China is less refined, more derivative, and not as stylish as that of the rest of the world, indeed, even the rest of Asia.
Japan has long been considered a bastion of high design, from ceramics and architecture, to fashion and technology; in the last five years South Korea has also been seen as owning a particular type of original design. China, however, has not.
Which is a shame. After all, the core design traditions of both Japan and Korea are Chinese. The form of writing, building, traditional clothing … All can be traced to China.
In current times China’s impact on the creative world has been seen mostly through the lens of business and money. Chinese luxury buyers are to be tempted with red and gold versions of existing products … ‘just in time for Chinese New Year’, but the majority of creative brands have not only patronised the Chinese market, they have also appropriate its culture and used blatant racism in its advertising.
All of this leads one to wonder why more attention hasn’t been given to the current crop of quality creatives now coming out of China. There are a number of highly regarded architects and artists, for example, that do appear to receive accolades, so why not the fashion designers?
There are a number of Chinese designer names who have managed to make enough noise to be noticed, mostly because they are based in Europe. Masha Ma, Angel Chen, Yiqing Yin, Ryan Lo and Yang Li are all based in either Paris or London.
This lack of attention towards Chinese fashion designers is due to the tendency of Western fashion media to ignore anything that isn’t right in front of their noses.
In an attempt to try to remedy this attitude, here is an interesting Chinese fashion brand worth discovering.
HEMU
Founded in 2010, by Yang Fengrui, Hemu is a modern take on traditional Chinese clothing without too many of the obvious cliches.
While there are definite straight nods to tradition – mandarin collars, frog closures, long loose layers, tassels – they are used in a relatively sparing manner to create the impression of histroriosity, rather than a direct knock-off like you find on Hanfu clothing websites.
What strikes the eye immediately is that Yang is moved mostly by fabric; every piece of the Spring 2020 collection depended on the fluidity of the silk used to impart the meaning and even structure of the garments.
The focus on the texture of the fabric, in plain swathes of white and black showed a very modern take on a traditional qipao. Muted shades of gold and umber, plus a single shot of red, held the collection together.
Less clever are the menswear pieces (see the video) that take a more obvious leaf from the traditional garment book; however in the current age of non-gendered dressing the sheer fact that most of the menswear garments could be interpreted as long gowns is an interesting perspective. The traditional Chinese dress style, after all, offered long, flowing garments for both sexes.
Despite the ongoing drama surrounding not only the impact of coronavirus on the fashion and creative industries, but also the general malaise of the industry as a whole, there are some bright spots to celebrate.
Anje World is an online marketplace for swapping and selling preloved and vintage clothing plus new eco-friendly products like scrunchies made from recycled clothes. The marketplace is also a non-profit.
“Unlike other online marketplaces, we earn zero profit. We started this website to encourage and raise awareness of sustainable fashion. As you know, the fast fashion industry is the second largest polluter in the world,” explains Min Hui from Anje World.
As we all know there is already too much stuff, too many clothes, bags and shoes already in our environment. This Singapore-based concept makes it easy for you to shop more consciously and ethically.
“Anje World’s mission is always about bringing hope and love to people. Not just fostering strong bonds, but also encouraging one another to be sustainable for our earth’s good,” says Min Hui.
The site offers a range of clothing and fashion items, from brand new Timberland boots still in the box for $230, to a Gucci Tote Bag for $500, or a cute fashion romper for only $8. There are items for women, men and children. The Anje World platform allows anyone to join up – for free – and to share their items.
“We hope with the launch of Anje World, we can build a community of eco-warriors. We strongly believe that everyone has a part to play,” says Min Hui.
To try out the new Anje World marketplace platform, go to www.anjeworld.com.
Launched in May 2019, Vetyver is a relatively new addition to the round up of Singapore designed fashion brands. Founded by designer Firdaus Aris, better known as Pit, the label offers both womenswear and menswear in a monochrome palette of black and white with a distinctive cut that echoes some of Singapore’s more creative fashion brands.
When you look at these pieces you will see echoes of Pit’s foundation and training at two of Singapore’s more creative and successful fashion brands – alldressedup and In Good Company – where he trained. Vetyver was conceived while Pit was working as a fashion lecturer at Lasalle College of the Arts – the source of a number of Singapore’s best designers.
“I had the chance to work with friends and colleagues across different design disciplines and hoped to bring a new perspective forward through the label,” explains Pit.
“At the same time I was also liaising with a uniform factory that was going to close down and they were letting go of a lot of these ‘uniform’ fabrics. I started to develop a fascination in the idea of a uniform system.
“Uniforms have played a vital role in my memories of growing up where I had attended public school, to seeing my father who was an engineer leave for work wearing overalls.
Pit felt that uniforms were often overlooked as a design object; they are items that combine function and quality, and something that also “served as a visual representation of the identity of an organisation.”
These thoughts and ideas led him to look into creating a fashion brand based on the original uniform materials he discovered, creating a mini project, which turned into Vetyver. The brand launched with the capsule collection ‘Un-form’ at Grafunkt’s design district in Funan Mall in December 2019.
Sustainability in longevity
When asked about the brand’s position on sustainability, Pit noted that being sustainable and operating an ethical business “is a natural part of our process, which should already be for any existing fashion brands”.
“I love using durable materials that will last, that will wear and improve or give more character after each wash,” Pit explains, pointing out that longevity is as much a part of the sustainable movement as recycling.
“Upcycling of materials is in the plans for a future project. I believe that good design and good quality will last in the wardrobe, and I work very closely with our manufacturers. I am also opposed to the wear-and-throw culture.”
What’s the future for fashion?
Considering the current state of the retail sector with the coronavirus phenomenon, starting a new fashion brand could be considered a risk. Pit was asked about this prior to the current situation, and his answer appears almost prescient.
“I think more consumers are becoming much more aware of sustainability now as compared to 5 years ago. Curated designer thrift stores and resale garments are gaining more popularity. It can be seen as both over-saturated or also an exciting time for change. I remain optimistic.”
Pit is also optimistic about the future of Vetyver: “I love collaborative efforts within the creative industry. I’m planning for more exciting cross-disciplinary projects ahead.”
This is good news for fashion lovers, particular those who want to not only invest in well-made, well designed, long-lasting clothes, but also those who are looking to #supportlocal during this time of economic upheaval.
Shop local, support local designers
Vetyver is available online at www.studiovetyver.com. There are two collections available for men and women – one is currently available, the second is available for pre-order (another great way to reduce waste).
The looks are a mix of simple lines, and functional cuts with details like adaptable necklines – you use a drawstring to choose the size – and everything is designed to work together.
The menswear is particularly interesting with touches of Yohji Yamamoto in the uber-normcore cuts of jackets, pants and overalls. However there are plenty of interesting, more gender neutral shapes in shirts and tops. The womenswear pieces are equally a mix of simple and interesting – with looser cuts and luxe finishes like silk binding.
Vetyver pieces are also somewhat interchangeable for guys and girls; not unisex exactly, but definitely more flexible than traditional brands.
“The brand does have a lot of unisex styles. While I love the idea of unisex, I am not worried if the brand is seen as unisex or not,” says Pit. “I am more excited to see how people play with our garments, regardless of gender.”
For a long time I’ve had an issue with Singapore media describing certain companies that make clothes as ‘fashion brands’ but which are actually ‘retail’ labels. These brands – Love, Bonito is one of them – are not really ‘fashion brands’; they are companies that make nice clothes, at reasonable prices, with a bit of personal style, for people to wear on a daily basis. These brands are more similar to Topshop and Uniqlo than they are to Dior or Chanel, or even Vetements.
In Singapore there are number of quite successful retail brands that have been making their way into popular shopping memories, but which are not fashion brands per se. Brands like Love, Bonito, By Invite Only, Beyond the Vines and Benjamin Barker, were recently featured at the Singapore Fashion Awards 2017, as part of the ‘marketing’ section, not as part of the design awards. And having been a founding judge for the awards, I know that the reason these brands are featured is because they are popular and much more retail-friendly than many less wearable or conceptual designer brands. Designer brands that are more appropriate to be considered as ‘fashion’ labels.
Now, don’t get me wrong. I’m not saying that more retail-friendly brands are worse than the more fashion-forward labels. What I’m trying to highlight is that these types of clothing companies are not ‘oranges and apples’, they’re more ‘oranges and coffee-smoked buffalo tongue’. The first is something that doesn’t scare the shopper, the second is only for the very adventurous.
I have a great deal of respect for Love, Bonito’s founders. They have created a very lucrative business in a fashion retail environment that’s been under a great deal of pressure for the last 2-3 years. The brand knows exactly who their customer is; they know what she wants; and they know how to give it to her in a seamless online-to-offline experience. The brand has a variety of price points, but retains its core directive from its launch, expanding only as much, and as directionally, as is needed to grow the business. Love, Bonito is not a fashion brand swinging on the weird wind of trends and concepts; it’s sailing along smoothly along in a clear direction. And this is not a bad thing.
Image from Love, Bonito Chinese New Year 2018 capsule collection. Model: Jasmine Sim
While I may not consider Love, Bonito to be a hardcore fashion brand – you can read about the Singapore brands I do consider more ‘fashion’ – the founders have never claimed it is one. They are purposefully creating a business that has long term prospects in the retail market.
There are a few other Singapore brands that are also not exactly pristine when it comes to plagiarism. Whole9Yards has been cited for knocking off first, Self Portrait – the classic coloured lace dresses of its earliest collections – and now Malaysian designer, Jonathan Liang. Pleatation is obviously a copy of Issey Miyake’s Pleats Please label.
For Pleatation, the concept arose at the same time as micro pleated skirts started flooding Zara and Topshop; the brand cleverly linked up with this trend.
Image from Jonathan Liang SS17
When Whole9Yards first launched there was not a whole lot to talk about. The design concept was very ‘office lady’. However, after Self Portrait’s iconic lace dresses took off in 2013, Whole9Yards began to specialise in lace dresses the average OL could afford. The lace dress became a staple of its output. And very successful it was too. Although I’ve noticed that the brand has massively increased their prices now that they’re doing items that look like those of Jonathan Liang.
Image from Whole9Yards AW17
Again, I’m not saying that affordable retail options are an entirely bad thing. What I am saying is that making items that so closely echo the creative work of other designers is not fashion; it is copying. It is the lack of original design coupled with riding a wave of commercial popularity that makes it ‘retail’ and NOT fashion. At least as far as I’m concerned.
As I was quoted in this very flattering story by Adele Chan, the Editor-in-Chief of Nylon Singapore … “As always, I want to remind readers that this is my personal opinion, and as with anything, you can always have your own.”
Have been looking at some of the photography I’ve done lately and realised that I’ve been getting a lot better at it; at least I think so. Here are some backstage snaps I took at the Finland’s Fashion Frontier runway show featuring a couple of Singapore’s top models – male and female, including the amazing Jean Yong in the main image above – and some other lovely faces … It’s all in the eyes. I might need to invest in a proper camera.
niki bruce 