Posted by kluster on June 27, 2011
A beautful little film by Adam Murfet & Jessie Oldfield for Melbourne-based label above. Jump one, jump two...
adam murfet, jessie oldfield, above, melbourne
Posted by kluster on April 5, 2011
Kluster was first exposed to the inspired works of Brisbane’s Courtney Meyer, Creative Director, Miss Unkon, at last year’s Rosemount Australian Fashion Week. Needless to say we were suitably impressed. We’d missed her debut RAFW show, as part of the New Gen crop the previous year, but had heard the (loud) noise made about it in the days that followed, and we were glad the young designer lived up to our rather high expectations.
There is something incredibly raw about Meyer’s stylings. An innocence, complete with a sophisticated style, made unique by the apparent attention to detail featured in each collection’s strong lines: a meshing of structure and freeform, if you will.
Things appear to have been coming along nicely for the fledgling label and it’ director during the months since we last laid eyes on them so we figured it was about time we touched base. The email conversation that resulted is below.
Now, if only we’d been privy to a little more of the abandonment poured into her collections in the answers featured below... Regardless, the future looks bright.
Covered: international expansion, concept pop-up stores, collections like canvas and the beauty of imagination.
Kluster: We first laid eyes on your free-flowing designs at the 2010 Rosemount Australian Fashion Week (RAFW) show for your impressive SS10 collection, Love Is Like A Dreamland – A Journey of Young Love. Tell us a little about what’s been happening for Miss Unkon in the months since.
Courtney Meyer: So much has happened over the last year, which has been very exciting for Miss Unkon. We have expanded nationally and internationally with amazing new stores throughout the country.
We opened a Miss Unkon pop up concept space in Sydney’s Westfield City as well as launching the first Miss Unkon book which was published by Blurb and featured creative concepts, bloggers and illustrators.
K: And for the Kluster readers not currently aware of your designs, tell us a little bit about the birth and subsequent life of Miss Unkon. More...
miss unkon, rafw, fashion, brisbane, designer
Posted by Penny Cropper on December 15, 2010
To really put a yuletide smile on your face this week, Sydney designers Friedrich Gray and Romance Was Born are teaming up with swimwear label Jemma Jube for a four-day pop-up Xmas store. On offer will be a bunch of exclusive, unseen goodies including Friedrich Gray’s new basics collection, Injection, RWB’s 2011 summer collection (plus some special release prints), and Jemma Jube’s sophisticated, figure-flattering togs, made exclusively in France (ooh la la).
The Xmas store is open Wed 15th (that's today) – Saturday 18th Decmber from 10am-7pm. Find it at District 01 74-76 The Basement Oxford Street (corner of Crown and Oxford streets) Darlinghurst.
Romance Was Born, Friedrich Gray, Jemma Jube, District 01, Xmas Store
Posted by Danni Le Toullec on November 29, 2010
As part of their Design For Humanity charity initiative, Billabong held their second annual benefit to raise much needed funds for UNICEF's Pakistan Flood Children's Appeal last Wednesday night. Using the collaborative powers of the beautiful trifecta that is fashion, art and music - they managed to sell out Sydney's Oxford Art Factory. With 100% of all ticket sales going to the charity, to say the event was a success would be quite an understatement.
Australian fashion designer Lill Boyd collaborated with Billabong bikinis to produce a range of one-off swimsuits for the show. Bringing the beach to the factory, the glass divider room was transformed with sand, beach babes, beach balls, fluffy clouds and a deckchair. With long-legged, tanned beauties stomping down the Virgin Blue runway and an art wall decorated with glossy surfboards suspended against foamy waves, organisers did a great job of bringing everybody's favourite season to life.More...
billabong, design for humanity, pakistan flood, the vines, operator please, oxford art factory
Posted by Katy Hutcheson on November 18, 2010
Those clever designers at Dosh have gone and done it again, adding another line to their already fantastic range of wallets and just in time for Christmas.
For $69 you can pick up one of the new ‘street’ range (in nine different colours), whilst the sleeker ‘luxe’ wallets will give you that understated, stylish look you’ve always been after. Now you will be able to take your wallet from work, to the club and still look siiiick all day long.
If this isn’t good enough for ya, check out their new collaborative animation with miniature expert, Tileman. Spying Tileman about 6 months ago when his miniature skateboard animation video hit the web, Dosh decided they wanted a piece of the action. Dedicated as they are they even turned their friends into miniatures for the day, let's hope they put them back to normal after the film was shot.
Check out the video for yourself
wallets, men, dosh, tileman, animation
Posted by Audrey Lee on November 9, 2010
Kluster are proud to feature a series of awe-inspiring designers selling wares at the Finders Keepers Spring/Summer Markets at Sydney’s CarriageWorks this December.
Put simply, Fold Studio is a collective of young designers from Melbourne. The culmination of their creative efforts is a series of finely crafted wooden products, ranging from necklaces to coasters and waste-paper bins. With their first ever Finders Keepers Spring Summer Sydney market stall just round the corner we asked one of the designers, Roslyn Campbell, to give us the lowdown.
Covered: Three friends, same goal, using environmentally thoughtful materials and expanding the business.
Audrey Lee: Tell us a little about your design background. When did you first decide to venture down the path of producer of creative wares?
Roslyn Campbell: Myself, Patrick and Laura all met in the furniture department of UTAS Fine Arts School a couple of years ago. Then we decided to move to Melbourne to study Furniture Design together at RMIT. We are just about to graduate. Hooray! We have always had a knack for designing and creating things, but recently decided to try our hand at making an income from it too.
AL: What can visitors expect from your stall at The Finders Keepers Spring/Summer Markets this December? Is this your first Finders Keepers stall?More...
fold studio, roslyn campbell, finders keepers, spring summer markets
Posted by Audrey Lee on November 5, 2010
Fashion fiends, Quill and Scott, are back with another The Twelfth Letter range. Brothers and sister, share your clothes.
In their SS10/11 range, the Sydney based designers continue along the path of the asexual, blurring the lines between masculinity and femininity. The label's refined pieces feature sleek textures and monochrome hews on garments that are simple, universal, and yet so intricately and uniquely designed.The collection presents an ensemble of basics redefined with sleek silhouettes and subtle adornments specially designed for both genders.
quill, scott, the twelfth letter, ls clothing
Posted by Audrey Lee on November 5, 2010
Kluster are proud to feature a series of awe-inspiring designers selling their wares at the Finders Keepers Spring/Summer Markets at Sydney’s CarriageWorks this December.
For those who aren’t in the know, The Mup is the lovechild of diehard indie designers, Matt Pike and Andrew Harrison. The Sydney pair has spawned a unique array of both blank and digitally printed T-shirts that are made from 100% Australian organic cotton. Word around the block is that a new range of boardies is also well on its way. Here, we go behind the scenes with Matt and Andrew as they spill the deets on their anticipated stall at FKSSM.
Covered: A combination of pleasure and business, 100% Australian organic cotton range, a story behind every tee, coming up next: board shorts.
Audrey Lee: Tell us a little about your design background. When did you first decide to venture down the path of producer of creative wares?
The Mup: In general, we're both little crafty bastards. We have formal graphic design backgrounds, but we have always been producers of creative wears. Throwing paint around or cutting stencils for little screen prints has been something we've both loved to do, mainly just for the enjoyment of it. A few years back though we thought why not do something that combines the pleasure with the business. That's the Mup. I don't think we'd be doing it if it wasn't fun.More...
the mup, finders keepers, spring/summer markets, matt pike, andrew harrison, t-shirts
Posted by Audrey Lee on November 2, 2010
Kluster are proud to feature a series of awe-inspiring designers selling wares at the Finders Keepers Spring/Summer Markets at Sydney’s CarriageWorks this December.
In Melbourne-based designer, Anika Cook’s label, The Gently Unfurling Sneak fashion meets art meets quirky in the most organic of ways. Her diverse collection ranges from wooden accessories to printed fabric, printed canvases and paper cuts. Anika tells us more about her designing days and her upcoming stall at FKSSM.
Covered: Starting out after uni, from Melbourne to Brisbane, absurdity and surrealism, a new range in August 2011.
Audrey Lee: Tell us a little about your design background. When did you first decide to venture down the path of producer of creative wares?
Anika Cook: I studied Creative Arts at uni but found it more fun to make strange little things in my own time - things that I didn't have to explain in reference to historical and cultural contexts! I started selling a few tees at a local design market to cover the cost of some screen printing equipment I'd bought, and just kinda kept going. Those early markets were my training ground, and I eventually branched out into accessories, other clothing and small artworks. Now I run The Gently Unfurling Sneak as a small business and also do some freelance web and design work.More...
finders keepers, spring/summer markets, the gently unfurling sneak, anika cook, carriageworks
Posted by kluster on October 13, 2010
The r.e.a.l store owner Virginia Bruce has decided to take a different approach to stocking in her Bourke Street shopfront in Woolloomooloo, Sydney. Since opening in September r.e.a.l has been true to its name, providing customers with a unique range of 'social, ethical and sustainable' design products. The wares adorning shelves and racks are sourced from locations across the globe to be sold a few hundred meters from the Sydney harbour edge.
We're certainly all for the unique stock, ethical premise and the stylised layout of the space but, we must admit, our interest in r.e.al. was piqued by something else. The real meaty part of the story behind this shop can be found with the devil; in the detail. A quick stroll around the bright curated store reveals a range of wares, thoughtfully selected not just for their functional and aesthetics merits, but also for the creation history of both the item and its producer. Through the products sold in her store, Virgina connects customers with community. Be it the small group of ethical and sustainable cotton farmers and producers in Egendeniz, Turkey, responsible for the Hands Cotton range found in store. Or via guest engagement in the history of a piece and its creator through detailed documentation attached to each item in the Water Tiger range. The store inadvertently shrinks our planet, giving a face to the previously faceless.
In an age where corporations (to whom terms like 'sustainable' are more of a buzz word than a reality) dominate the market and smaller businesses struggle to stay afloat it's nice find retailers like Virginia doing their bit to change the world through practice, not preaching and taking a chance on creating a better retail future for all of us.
The r.e.a.l store at 91 Bourke Street, Woolloomooloo, Sydney.
r.e.a.l store, virginia bruce
Posted by Audrey Lee on September 27, 2010
Hurrah! Kluster's favourite new online accessories store, Final Episode launched yesterday. As the newest store on the Sydney-meets-world block, Final Episode features selections from established international labels Camilla Skovgaard, Opening Ceremony and Tristan Blair as well as Kluster's favourite emerging Sydney designer duo, Strummer. We love the fact that Final Episode prides itself on stocking cutting-edge and innovative designs and that the wares sold there span fashion, design and art.
Not one to restrict herself to single-focus projects the brains behind FE, Seema Duggal – who is also founder and editor of Side Street Sydney - offers customers published art with purchase, in the form of an exclusive concept zine.
To celebrate the launch, Final Episode is hosting a party at aMBUSH Gallery this Thursday night at 6pm. Works by high-profile Aussie artists Ben Frost, Jonathan Zawada, Lyn & Tony and Canvas Group will be on display on the night.
aMBUSH Gallery is at 4 James Street, Waterloo, Sydney. To attend, simply RSVP via the Facebook page.
final episode, camilla skovgaard, opening ceremony, tristan blair, seema duggal, side street sydney, ben frost, jonathan zawada, lyn & tony, canvas group, ambush gallery
Posted by Audrey Lee on September 21, 2010
For two days next month, Fashion Palette will be creating a buzz for both leading and emerging fashion designers who have done great things within our fashion industry. The event includes one-hour presentations and seminars, offering budding designers the opportunity to learn directly from the best. Guests won't be short of entertainment either, with a series of runway presentations featuring top-notch designers Wayne Cooper and Nookie and 30 of Australia’s exciting new designers.
Fashion Palette will take place on 8-9 October at the Overseas Passenger Terminal in Circular Quay, Sydney. Head over to their website for the event’s official schedule.
Courtesy of the good people from Fashion Palette, we are giving away a double pass to one lucky new Kluster subscriber.
Already a Kluster subscriber? No problem, just convince a friend to let you subscribe them too (include their name and email address in the body of the email).
To enter simply email info@kluster.com.au with the subject: Fashion Palette
Entries close 5.10.10
fashion palette, wayne coope, nookie