Image: Nick Chiu from Apartment boutique, 2018.

Retail with Soul

Brothers Nick and Ben Chiu have been fashion pioneers in their home city of Brisbane, Australia. They opened their first Apartment boutique in 2006, bringing New York street and sneaker culture to Brisbane.

This year, 2018, they opened in a new larger location and joined with womenswear boutique, Violent Green.

Apartment is a mecca for streetwear connoisseurs, stocking brands like Comme des Garçons PLAY, Visvim, WTAPS… 

Ben and Nick bring a lot of soul to their retail business. Visitors are welcomed with warmth and are inspired by their beautiful products and space.

The brothers believe in creating community and experiences in Brisbane. Their work extends beyond fashion into music and records, and burger restaurants! All delivered with the same quest for quality and attention to detail.

In this episode:

• Nick became interested in fashion in high school. His first casual job was working in Australian department store, Myer.
• He and his brother Ben enjoyed the local boutique scene in Brisbane.
• After studying for 6 months in New York, Nick was inspired by the sneaker and streetwear culture. He decided to open a New York-inspired streetwear shop in Brisbane.
• Together with his brother Ben, Nick took over the lease of a friend’s store and the brothers opened their first Apartment boutique in 2006.
• Work ethic is very important and also learning from your mistakes and working hard to correct them.
• Apartment recently joined forces with womenswear boutique, Violent Green, opening a larger store in a central location. Their stores have always been a little hidden & hard to find.
• Nick and Ben are always inspired by Tokyo and Japanese style and streetwear.
• Apartment’s core-clientele consists of Asian students and travellers who are dedicated fans of the brands stocked in the store.
• Ben and Nick travel to Paris to buy their collections. They have to buy what they know will sell well, and decide when they will take risks on lesser known or more avant-garde products. It’s a balance between what the market wants, and what they personally love.
• Brand marketing has become all powerful today. This has changed the way people shop. It is not easy to stock emerging brands today when the customer wants big names.
• Nick and Ben work harmoniously and efficiently together — naturally complimenting the other in their business operations.
• While they plan to further develop their online presence and e-commerce, Apartment today is very focused on the in-store experience.
• Around the time of the Global Financial Crisis, a difficult time for retail, Ben and Nick began developing other activities and business ventures – including music events and records, and burger restaurants.
• In this age of fast visual communication, fashion is an important means of communicating about yourself to others.
• Self-expression, being creative and not conforming is important.

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See more from Apartment >> aptmnt.com

Image: Meriel Chamberlin speaking at Fibrecraft House in Brisbane, 2017.

Cotton for Conscious Consumers.

Hailing from the UK, Meriel Chamberlin is a textile technologist and the founder of Full Circle Fibres.

Meriel is making it possible for individuals and businesses to source 100% Australian cotton yarns and fabrics. Her cotton is “single origin” and Meriel coordinates every step the supply chain, from paddock to product.

Meriel has a wealth of knowledge to share about fibres and fabric manufacturing. Her sustainability message to designers is to create brilliant products that fit well – that people will wear often and love!

In this episode:

• Meriel loved playing with fabric and yarn from a young age and was also interested in science and technology.
• She studied Textile Technology, a degree program sponsored by Marks & Spencer.
• Industry experience was part of her degree including working in a spinning mill in Mauritius.
• Meriel worked at Marks & Spencer as a Product Technologist, ensuring fabrics would perform to meet customer expectations, and managing quality and consistency with large quantities.
• Today a lot of quality management work is done in countries where products are manufactured.
• After moving to Australia and becoming a mum, Meriel began work with the Council of Textile and Fashion Industries Australia (TFIA) and met many people and businesses in the Australian industry.
• Meriel saw the opportunity to provide Australian cotton to crafters and designers seeking a transparent supply chain and locally grown product.
• Meriel founded Full Circle Fibres which provides single origin Australian Super Cotton from one farm in St George in Queensland. Individuals can purchase small quantities for crafting or large brands can get exclusive orders.
• Full Circle Fibres products include yarns, jerseys, wovens.
• Meriel coordinates the entire supply-chain with suppliers in Australia and the UK. Meriel can provide custom colours and printing.
• Australian cotton is world’s best practice in terms of yield, quality, and minimal water and chemical use. A classic Full Circle Fibres T-shirt = 700 litres of water. World Wildlife Fund estimates the global average per T-shirt = 2700+ litres of water.
• Meriel believes the most important element of sustainability is creating a quality product that fits and functions well for the consumer.
• Meriel dreams of having a cotton spinning mill in Australia and also the capability to recycle fibres.
• Meriel advises designers to avoid using blended fibres in more consumable products such as underwear and socks. 100% cotton is biodegradable.
• Meriel provides insights into the facts about organic cotton. Global Organic Textile Standard (GOTS) = 70% organic fibre.
• Meriel advises us to consider the whole system, and the impact of chemicals and energy across the entire manufacturing chain, not only in the paddock.
• Natural fibres such as cotton, wool, mohair etc are already in fibre form, whereas bamboo and other processed fibres require chemicals and energy to create fibres.
• Today there is no need for heavy metals and harmful chemicals in the dyeing process. Synthetic dyes can mimic the exact chemical properties of their natural counterparts, eg: indigo.
• The knowledge about micro-plastic pollution will be changing the sustainability ratings of synthetic textiles as we consider the post-purchase pollution from these fibres.

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See more from Full Circle Fibres >> fullcirclefibres.com

Image: Full Circle Fibres

Image: Alice Jones (right) and I speaking on The Ekka stage, August 2018.

Fashion Reflects What We Care About

Alice Jones was forced to question the ethics of the fashion system when she worked as a fashion buyer and was confronted with the unbelievably low cost of garments made in developing countries.

She met like-minded fashion activist, Louise Visser, and together they established an ethical and sustainable fashion brand, Sinerji, in 2006. Sinerji attracts a loyal clientele who wants quality garments made from natural fibres, and customers who care about the provenance of their clothes.

Alice and I spoke about her sustainable fashion success story, live on stage, at The Royal Queensland Show (AKA The Ekka). Thank you to Laura Churchill for inviting us to be part of this event celebrating Australia’s natural fibres!

In this episode:

• Alice’s mum was a costume designer and Alice grew up loving clothes and fashion.
• Alice worked in the mainstream fashion industry and became a buyer. The wholesale price of garments made her question the system. For example, a 15c singlet that retailed for $29.
• By outsourcing our manufacturing, we are outsourcing the environmental impact to other countries. For example, toxic dyes that go into local rivers and people’s drinking water.
• Today’s global fashion supply chain is long and complex. The environmental impact is huge and unnecessary, and often doesn’t benefit farmers or producers. However when positive changes are made, the impact can be enormous.
• Alice and Louise decided to establish Sinerji, a sustainable and ethical fashion brand, in 2006.
• Sinerji uses non-GMO organically grown cotton which is long-lasting and beautiful to wear. The cotton is non-irrigated, grown in northern Thailand, alongside other farming, and plants grown for natural dyes.
• Sinerji also uses organic bamboo, and some recycled PET and recycled polyester for more sporty garments.
• Sinerji uses natural vegetable dyes and eco-certified, non-toxic dyes.
• Alice and Louise practice fair trade principles and visit their producers every year. They ensure a safe workplace, a living wage, and support their workers to develop their own entrepreneurial activities.
• For Alice, fashion is about self-expression and must reflect her core-values. Good values are transferred into a garment and into the wearer’s life.
• Sinerji customers want quality products, natural fibres, and/or ethical & sustainable products.
• Alice’s advice to designers: be very tenacious, create something that aligns with who you are and what is really important to you – this will get you through the tough times, and you will attract like-minded supporters.
• Recommended resources: The True Cost (documentary), Good On You (app).
• When shopping, look at the quality of a garment, ask questions about where the garment has been made, ask yourself – will you wear this 30 times?
• Sinerji sells online and in stores around Australia. Sinerji has a boutique at Forest Glen on The Sunshine Coast.

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See more from Sinerji >> sinerji.com.au

Image: Sinerji SS 18/19 

Image: Fashionable selfie with Thuy Nguyen (right) 2018. Hats by Shilo Engelbrecht, CEA designer member.

Teaching a new generation.

Thuy Nguyen is the fashion development manager at Creative Enterprise Australia (CEA). Through the Fashion360 program, she mentors emerging and early-stage fashion entrepreneurs to develop their ranges and establish viable businesses.

Thuy has worked in the fashion industry her entire life and has a wealth of technical and industry knowledge. Her design career began very early, using her mother’s industrial sewing machine at the age of 9 to sew Barbie doll clothes which she sold to other young girls. Pursuing her childhood dream, she later established her own bridal business.

Hers is a lifelong passion for fashion and she fosters a sense of quality and appreciation for the craft of fashion in the designers she mentors.

In this episode:

• In Vietnam Thuy’s mum had a fabric store. When the family migrated to Australia, her mum became an outworker so she could raise her kids and earn money.
• Thuy grew up around fabric and production. Her aunt had a garment factory in Brisbane.
• Manufacturers still use outworkers today in Australia but legislation is in place – designed to ensure correct pay and working conditions.
• Australian fashion production began declining when tariffs were lowered, enabling cheaper offshore manufacturing and imports. Skilled fashion workers are retiring.
• However with more conscious consumption and consumers’ concern for sustainability, some designers are choosing to manufacture locally again.
• CEA helps creative start-ups through 4 pillars: Start, Grow, Scale, Connect.
• Fashion360 program is designed to equip early stage and emerging fashion designers with essential skills, knowledge and understanding – to execute and sustain a growing business.
• Thuy is passionate about passing on her knowledge and skills after 22 years in the industry.
• Designers don’t realise how much is required to successfully bring a concept to life as well as create something that is financially viable and has longevity.
• Thuy believes that technology in fashion will not replace the need for human knowledge and understanding.
• Specification sheets are a designer’s insurance and assurance. Absolutely vital if you are manufacturing overseas.
• A perfectly resolved sample is also very important if you want your production to be perfect.
• Designers should have a Code of Conduct / MOU before entering into a business relationship with a manufacturer.
• Thuy recommends that designers start small and local. Road-test things with small quantities. Develop your following and get some traction, then increase your production quantities.
• Thuy can organise very small minimum quantities with local manufacturers. Eg: 10-15 per style.
• It is more sustainable not to have excess stock.
• If consumers are educated, they will be willing to wait for products. Eg: pre-ordering.
• Independent designers should not compete with fast-fashion brands. They must focus on quality and offering something unique.
• Thuy has always loved designing and sewing. She made and sold Barbie doll clothes when she was 9 years old.
• Studied a Diploma of Arts in Fashion Design, and worked for local companies. She also ran her own bridal business.
• Thuy would like to see Brisbane fashion have a higher profile nationally and internationally.

Learn more about CEA >> qutcea.com

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Image: Ania Zoltkowski, London 2018.

Imagining Thriving Fashion Futures.

Ania Zoltkowski has been working in-and-out of the fashion system for many years. From big and famous fashion houses, to living and working with underprivileged women in a fashion workshop in Lucknow, India.

Her quest to find alignment between her ethical values and her love of fashion creativity has led her to pursue higher research in the field of sustainable fashion at the London College of Fashion, under the supervision of Kate Fletcher.

In this episode she shares her research and ideas for the future of fashion… and a fresh and inspiring perspective on sustainability.

In this episode:

• Ania has always been creative and enjoyed making things.
• Passionate about human rights and began studying law. Dropped out and went to art school and backpacked around Europe.
• Completed a fashion design degree at the Queensland University of Technology.
• Interned with her idol Vivienne Westwood when she was a student. Saw firsthand the stress and pressure of the fashion system.
• Worked in Paris in a fashion agency and showroom.
• Founded her own ethical/sustainable fashion label based in Byron Bay.
• Worked with a not for profit ethical workshop in Lucknow to create her designs.
• Enrolled in London College of Fashion – ‘Fashion Futures’ Masters Program.
• Her thesis was about resilience in fashion. Ania developed 7 properties of resilience (see below).
• Ania believes we are consuming too much to fill a void. Our fashion consumption is like mindless addiction.
• There needs to be more sustainability in fashion schools to create widespread change.
• Her advice for designers: Take time out to listen to your heart. Design from your soul. Understand the impact of your design process and products.
• Ania’s recommended reading: Routledge Handbook of Sustainability and Fashion, edited by Kate Fletcher.
• Who is inspiring Ania in fashion right now? Antibad, The Lissome, Lana Siberie.
• Sustainability 5.0 – Ania’s upcoming platform and resource for designers.

7 Properties of Resilience for Fashion Design – by Ania Zoltkowski

1. Ecological Ethics
2. Mindfulness
3. Context
4. Integrative Thinking
5. Rhythms
6. Adapting with Grit
7. Revolutionary Transformation

See more from Ania >> aniazoltkowski.com

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Image: Sustainable and ethical womenswear brand, Zoltko, by Ania Zoltkowski.

Image: Rébecca Leger and I at a café in Paris, 2018.

Evoking history and spirit at Palais Galliera.

Rébecca Leger works with the costume and textile collection at Palais Galliera, a famous and historic fashion museum in Paris. She considers herself a custodian of the collection, offering beauty and knowledge to the public through the museum’s exhibitions, while taking care of the fragile and historic garments. Rébecca works to display the pieces in line with the curator’s narrative and also interpreting the unique spirit of each designer and the history of the garment.

Rébecca has a background in theatre and costume. She entered into the world of vintage fashion under the mentorship of the late Mary Vaudoyer, a private collector and pioneering writer/researcher on couture and vintage clothing. Rebecca worked with Mary to create her seminal book, “Le Livre de la Haute Couture” (The Book of Haute Couture).

In this episode:

• Rébecca was attracted to textiles from childhood.
• She began her career in costume and dressing. Working for over 10 years in theatre, ballet, and opera in Paris.
• She began working for private collector, Mary Vaudoyer, to prepare her vintage couture collection for a sale at Sotherby’s in Monte Carlo.
• Buyers included Diana Vreeland and Guillaume Garnier, then director of Palais Galliera.
• Mary taught Rébecca how to examine vintage garments and how to look for important details in each piece.
• Studying vintage is also about understanding the spirit of the designer and the feeling of wearing the piece.
• Rébecca helped Mary prepare for a second sale of her collection.
• Mary and Rébecca created an important reference book cataloguing the collection and documenting the labels and history of the couture houses, “Le Livre de la Haute Couture”.
• Rébecca was drawn to conservation and went to work at Palais Galliera.
• Her work involves taking care of the collection, mounting exhibitions, and travelling with the pieces when exhibitions go on tour.
• Fashion and costume is made from organic material which deteriorates and decays. It is a challenge to preserve and display the pieces.
• Palais Galliera collection began with French painter, Maurice Leloir, who collected vintage costume for his models to wear for his paintings. He was a natural conservator and collector.
• Rébecca works to display the silhouette of garments as beautifully as possible. Respecting the fragility of the piece and the era of its creation.
• She wants to show beauty to the public — to teach and entertain.
• Contemporary designers come to research and view pieces in the museum’s collection.

Coda (35m40s)– a little more about Mary…

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 Image: (left) Doeuillet-Doucet evening dress, 1929, from “Le Livre de la Haute Couture”, (right) Mary Vaudoyer.

Image: David Szeto at his home in Brussels, 2018.

From Vancouver to Paris.

Fashion designer and entrepreneur, David Szeto, tells the amazing story of how he came to establish his fashion house in Paris. He grew up in Vancouver. At the age of 12 his older sister paid him to do her home economics projects and he developed a keen interest in sewing and fashion.

His knowledge and skill as a designer continued to grow as he experienced more of the fashion industry, studying at FIT in New York, and later moving to London and then Paris. David’s story is one of incredible determination and creativity!

David has a very loyal following of clients and fans around the world, who treasure his poetic and beautifully crafted clothes. He also has a lot of wisdom and humour to share with young designers today.

In this episode:

• Growing up in Vancouver. David taught himself to sew at age 12.
• His first job in fashion at age 13, assisting a local designer. He learnt about fabric, ironing, cutting samples and patternmaking.
• Began making clothes for private clients while at high school.
• Attended Fashion Institute of Technology (FIT) in New York.
• Learnt draping at FIT and was inspired by the work of Comme des Garçons and Madeleine Vionnet.
• Living in New York was very inspiring and motivating. The energy of the city pushes you to go as far as you can.
• Decided to go to London after being inspired by the work of John Galliano.
• David took patternmaking jobs to save money in New York. One memorable adventure was working for Trash and Vaudeville.
• Flew to Europe – one way ticket.
• Decided to do a fashion show in Paris. Creating minimal fashion in an era of power dressing.
• Went door-to-door in London trying to sell his first collection. Received an order for his accessories.
• Slowly grew his business, cold calling stores and fashion press.
• One of his first retail clients was Lucienne Phillips in London.
• A landmark moment – British Vogue photographed a dress on Helena Christensen.
• Decided to move to Paris where there was more industry and more international buyers.
• Sold his collection to Paris boutique, Victoire. His garments was displayed in the window and caught the attention of Bergdorf Goodman.
• Met his fashion agent, Florence Deschamps, and got a PR agent.
• Growth was very quick with lots of demand from the press.
• Built a team of patternmakers and drapers from the big Paris houses.
• Learnt about sell-through reports and how buyers buy.
• David’s advice for designers:
• It’s important to get experience working for another fashion brand or house before you launch your own collection.
• It’s important to create something new.

See more from David >> david-szeto.com

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Image: David Szeto AW05/06

Image: (left) Marina Lyritzi via @marinalyritzi Instagram, (right) Florence Deschamps.

Nurturing fashion talent and creativity for the international stage.

With a career in fashion spanning five decades, Florence Deschamps has worked with some of the biggest names in the industry, including Rei Kawakubo of Comme des Garçons, and Kenzo Takada. Florence is passionate about finding and mentoring creative talent. In her Paris showroom, she introduces emerging designers and their collections to the world’s top buyers.

Florence works closely with her young and hip showroom director, Marina Lyritzi. Marina is a talented content creator and branding specialist. Through her work as a stylist and online influencer, Marina tells the story of designers and their products, with a youthful and joyful voice.

In this episode:

Part 1 – Florence

• Dressing up in her grandmother’s designer wardrobe in Connecticut.
• Florence studied at Sarah Lawrence College and La Sorbonne. She also studied dance with George Balanchine.
• Florence began her fashion career working as a model in the late 1960s.
• With photographer Sarah Moon she learnt the art of photography.
• Working in public relations at French fashion house, Dorothée Bis, was very formative.
• In the early 1980s Florence discovered Comme des Garçons and met Rei Kawakubo. She became the president of Comme des Garçons, and launched the brand internationally.
• Today Florence presents and sells her young designers’ collections to the great fashion stores around the world, including Rei Kawakubo’s Dover Street Market, and Blake in Chicago.
• Good proportion, a sense of harmony, and a sense of humour and playfulness are important in a designer’s work.

Part 2 – Marina (27m40s)

• Marina met Florence at Paris Fashion Week when she was interning with an Italian bag designer.
• Marina had a fashion blog for several years, before shifting to Instagram.
• She collaborates with fashion brands and recently won first prize in Marie Claire Greece blogger awards, and has worked with H&M.
• It’s more effective for consumers to see fashion products on real people, rather than very tall and thin models.
• It’s important for designers to have a good connection with their showroom.
• Strong brand DNA and a clear target market are very important for commercial success.

Bonus audio – What the dog thinks (36m10s)

Learn more about the Florence Deschamps Showroom >> florencedeschamps.com

See more from Marina >> @marinalyritzi

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Image: Florence Deschamps Showroom via @marinalyritzi Instagram.