It was once European fashion that dominated the runways, but over the past 10 years, our beloved Australian fashion brands have made their way onto the big stage and into the big wardrobes.
*insert high-five and loud YES-WE-HAVE here*
These now iconic Australian brands’ focus on sustainable, quality materials which last longer (not like that, you devil you), further supports their presence and growth on circular economy platforms like Restitched, Depop and Ebay.
In an article recently published by the Sydney Morning Herald, Head of fashion at eBay Australia, Brooke Eichhorn, said it was clear pre-loved clothing was entering the mainstream as demand soared on the platform against a backdrop of rising living costs.
“We see Australian fashion brands really highly searched on eBay. Brands like Zimmermann, Aje, and Scanlan Theodore are searched every two minutes and their popularity versus other categories is just really astounding.”
Katy Perry, Elsa Pataky and Gigi Hadid wearing Aje.
Popular circular economy fashion platform, Restitched, has released the top searched Australian fashion brands on their site. Zimmermann, Alemais, Matteau and Aje are leading the charge, with Sir The Label, Bec + Bridge and Camilla & Marc coming close runners up.
Resititched has also released the fastest selling fashion brands on their site to be…drum roll..Alemais and Matteau!
Oh my! What a surpise! Said absolutely no one.
“Our Alemais and Matteau items sell within the day, some of them don’t even make it online before they’re gone over instagram direct message” says Restitched Founder and CEO, Paige Adams. “We’ve kept our site to only Australian and New Zealand designers so we can support the local fashion industry. Plus, it’s all our consumers are wanting”.
Australia’s favourite beauty boss, Zoe Foster-Blake, wearing wonderful Alemais..lots.
So what makes these brands so popular? Are they just simply the cool kids in fashion school or is there more to them?
What is beginning to define the Australian fashion landscape is purpose. Basically, Australian consumers are looking for designers that, to put it politely, give a sh*t!
We’re looking for more one-of-a-kind and less mass-produced, more sustainable-practices and less churn-and-burn, more long-lasting and less this-season-only.
We take care of our stuff now! And we’re happy to pay for it.
Lesleigh Jermanus, designer and founder of Alemais, says “supporting sustainabilty initiatives to prolong the life of garments is an absolute must for any modern fashion brand”. Alemais bases its guiding priniciples on “creating and curating collections that feature artisanal communities and reduce negative environmental impact.”
The ethos of Matteau is to produce pieces “with the intent they will last a lifetime, are not disposable and don’t become obsolete with the changing of seasons”. “More and more consumers are prioritising buying pieces with longevity”, explains Matteau's designer and co-founder Peta Heinsen.
Fashion royalty, Rosie Huntington-Whitely AND Gisele Bundchen, both wearing Matteau.
So it seems this sustainable, purposeful and design-conscious theme is synonymous with all the popular fashion brands in the circular econonmy. A coincidence? We think not..
You only have to scratch the surface a little deeper to find that Zimmermann is “encouraged to see [their] pieces passed on through the second-hand economy”, Aje believes that “engaging in the circular economy is an essential measure for fashion brands aiming to lessen their ecological footprint”, Camilla & Marc shares their vision for “building a circular fashion system, where products and materials are … re-used and re-circulated for as long as possible”.
Kendall Jenner, Priyanka Chopra and Emily Blunt in Camilla & Marc, Margot Robbie and Vanessa Hudgens in Sir the Label.
So what is the common theme here? Where is this all heading?
Our talented Australian designers are putting increasingly more time and energy into ensuring their products stand the test of time and can be circulated for years to come.
The proof is in the very beautiful, very chic, pudding. It’s no wonder these beautiful designs get snapped up so quickly!
Restitched aims to “support both our local designers and community by providing a trusted and reliable circular economy platform for designer clothes. It gives consumers confidence they can sell their clothes after a season, meaning they’re more likely to purchase each collection, but more importantly, gives the rest of us access to top-notch-quality, vetted, designer beauties.”
It’s a deliciously sustainable, big-hugs-all-round kind of situation!