Wild Horses

http://www.wildhorseslabel.com.au/

Natalie Donovan

Look out for Western Australian tempestuous label WILD HORSES. Designed for untamed women who want to abscond from the herd and dare to be lax but different. Simple, yet striking, the clothing and jewelry assemblage is renowned for achieving naturally inspired fun and accessible designs while still maintaining dark, stormy undertones.

Natalie’s creations are superbly unique as she steers her creative skills into drive ready to road test to onlookers. A woman who takes pride in quality checks, her exceptional craftsmanship ensures each piece of clothing is crafted to sheer perfection. A multi-tasker mum, she has created a marque from scratch, utilizing her prior industry talents and ingenious pattern maker in the making of the business. Natalie allowed her passion to run freely for women who want to escape the herd.

What is your label about?

Wild Horses is about being carefree, wild, spirited and effortless! For women who want to escape the herd.

What made you create this label? Tell us your story?

It all began in 2011 when I would create hand made jewelry out of precious stones. From there I would go to markets specializing in local fashion and from then on it grew and got popular and so I took the next step which was clothing.

How did you get to where you are now with your label?

Perseverance, consistency and strong will! Be 100% you! Keep going and don’t look back. And make sure you remember ‘if the elevator to success is out of order, you’ll have to use the stairs, one step at a time.

What’s a usual day in the office?

Office is attached to our home as we have two young children. Usual day is wake up 6am, organise kids for school. The day - answer urgent emails, gym, write a to do list of the day and sometimes week/month, try to complete that list! Meeting, appointments throughout the day about up and coming shows, shoots, collections. And if it’s that time of year where we need to organise the next range, we would be in the studio most days pattern making, designing, toiling and sampling.

Did you study fashion? If not what did you study?

I studied Fashion and Textiles at the Institute of Technology in 2010 completing Diploma.

What is your favorite part about being a fashion designer?

Flexibility of working from home. You have total control on what you design, and how you can style it. It’s very joyful!

How did you select the materials you used?

Fabrics are usually chosen during pattern making time. I like to be clear in what I’m wanting to use for the collection so I don’t confuse my self and more importantly so I don’t waste time and money. Most of the time I have a theme for the range and I stick with that theme to keep the fabrics cohesive and strong throughout the collection.

How many people are in your team?

There is me, myself and I! And my pattern maker, samplist, factory, book keeper and accountant.

How and what gives your inspiration for each collection? Do you go on fashion trips to gain inspiration?

I have been on fashion trips over seas. But most of the time the inspiration comes from within. I feel and imagine a lot and from there it creates these little pops of ideas and then it grows.

Who is your target market?

Women between 18 – 39 years.

How do you go about sourcing your products? Lots of googling! Research into fashion Asking people Calling and inquiring a lot of businesses in what they do.

Where is the final product made?

The final product is made locally – Fremantle WA. A small handful is made in Indonesia which is mainly the leather side.

What’s your current achievement with the brand that you are most proud of?

Proud that WH is 100% pure and organic. The whole brand has been curated and created by myself. And to have started the label up from nothing is truly inspiring and I feel lots of women can be inspired by each other as we are all strong and passionate beings.

How many years did it take for your idea to hit reality and start becoming a reality?

A good year.

Before creating your brand did you work for another label?

I didn’t as I just thought – hey lets do this! And threw myself into the deep in, head down, bum up!

Which fashion designers do you aspire to?

Stella McCartney,Chanel,Kate moss and the Olsen twins

And lastly, any advice to people who want to get into the industry?

Do it! But, make sure you have the knowledge, strength and financial back up to start. Something tricky and hard as this industry will leave you red and raw. They say to make $100,000 you need $1,000,000.

Special thanks to Natalie Donovan xx

Website : www.wildhorseslabel.com.au Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/W-i-l-d-H-o-r-s-e-s/150633064994175 Instagram: @wildhorseslabel

ONEBYONE

www.oneby1.com.au

Matt Newman created ONEBYONE the label way before it was the popular renowned street wear brand it is today. Matt was fresh out of completing his Diploma in Graphic Art and Diploma in Graphic Design. Matt originally started his brand by focusing on creating board shorts with an outcome to eventually be sponsoring extreme sport and water sport brands.

Today his ONEBYONE street wear company was recreated into the world of fashion. His style is out of this world and there is much meaning behind his brand along with his different themes with each season. He is a man who breathes for summer with a seaside lifestyle. His outlook on life seeps through his creative ideas in his clothing. Providing the image of his brand it has today.

What is your label about, I’ve noticed with a few things with ONEBYONE is that you have a strong theme having in your videos for each season; tell us more about that and your story. 

My ONEBYONE label does have a theme to it. If you watch the videos we always use the same models in each film so that you feel apart of the story and can visualize what is happening each season. It’s kind of like a runaway love story in each season. Each season brings something new such as a change, new beginning the way life really is. Life always changes as well as clothing and fashion. My brand is a journey through the themes.


When I had first started ONEBYONE, I had focused my brand as only the intention of creating just surfboard shorts. This stopped quickly as I didn’t want to put in a genre.

I could see the industry was changing as to when I first started my brand. Rip curl, Billabong and other big brands were being out grown by street wear brands. If I kept creating surf wear my brand would eventually die out, I had to develop my range further to become street wear brand. When I converted my brand into street wear I wanted to stand out and be more adventurous than other brands. All my seasons have themes and this corresponds with the seasons.

What’s a usual day in the office?

My usual day is talking to stores, dealing with manufactures, working daily on designing and looking after my brands image. Making sure production is on track. I’m already ordering for next winter 2015! Writing and replying to emails, PR and searching for fashion bloggers who I can collaborate with. Then designing at night, sometimes till 12am it’s the only way I get into the zone I cut myself from everything and make that commitment at night.

Did you study fashion? If not what did you study?

No I didn’t study fashion.

I went to Holmesglen Tafe Melbourne studied a Double Diploma in Graphic Design & Advanced Diploma in Graphic Art

What is your favorite part about being a fashion designer?

My favorite part is seeing someone wear my label. If its out in nightclubs, beaches or down the street. Seeing your brand out and about gives me a rewarding feeling about myself and the brand. How did you select the materials you used?

The materials I use is a cotton viscose. 55% cotton 45% viscose. This makes the material feel very soft, In fact it's what people notice when they come into store and touch our clothing. It also fits nice as well comes out of the wash without damaged to the garments. The quality is better than your normal cotton t-shirt and the quality is important when you purchase anything in stores and online.

How many in you’re team?

Three part time and one full time around up to six people when the store is open at Philip Island in the summer. The brand is constantly growing and expanding there could be more employees in the future!How did you get to where you are now with your label?

It started as a hobby, I would dedicate long nights without making any money at the start. Anything that I did profit I would put it all back into my brand. From hard work and dedication is where I got to where my label is today. How and what gives your inspiration for each collection? Do you go on fashion trips to gain inspiration?

I tend to have a theme in each collection. Sometimes it can relate to what’s currently going on in my life at the time. Sometimes it can as well be reflecting about the summer that has just past. Emotions as well come to play with each theme and collections are part of that. I just can’t come up with the collection straight away. Life’s journey is what makes my ideas come to life or where I am traveling at the time. Such as my pervious collection was called “Lost Heaven” That reflected on how I traveled to Thailand. It’s just all about my current situation and what is happening around me will reflect straight into that season as well a mix with current trends.

Who is your target market?

Well, I say 16-35 but to be honest as I mature the brand matures. So it grows with me along with the target markets. How do you go about sourcing your products?

Well normally I buy samples and from overseas then I do some quality assurance measures on them. Washing them multiple times seeing how it takes. Then from there I get a feel for what’s in trend and I create my own look. I normally send over the trade sketch to china to create the sample that is reproduced with my own unique touches to it.

An example is that I liked a jumper that fitted well it but it was produced with polyester but I wanted to make in different material. So I sent swatches of material that I prefer. Then I create a jumper that will match the fabric and add my own special touch to it to make it unique.

Matt how did you learn about fabrics?

I threw myself in the deep end and taught myself about fabrics. I learnt on the way with creating my brand and when you create something that you love and passionate about, you become very determined to learn everything you can to pursue your dream.Dedication is the key!

Where is the final product made?

The product is designed by me in Australia. Final products are made in China.

 What’s your current achievement with the brand that you are most proud of?

My most current achievements are often being the most popular/top seller brand on the iconic. Which is fantastic as you know they have more than 250 male brands on the iconic and to be top seller is absolutely the best feeling. I am really  proud about my brand and knowing that the public loves it really makes me feel I’ve achieved a great outcome! As well opening up my own store down at Phillip Island, which has been around for about 5 years now. How many years did it take for your idea to hit reality and start How long did it take for your brand to become the strong brand it is today?

When I first started off business was booming in retail, it was a very easy environment to sell clothes to stores before Recession hit. When I first started people had money to spend, Chapel street was booming, Bridge Road had shops everywhere.  During recession it became a really tough time for retail. It first affected with surf wear shops and then moved on to the other fashion brands. No one was taking on new brands onboard, I had to restructure everything and re-born my brand in a tougher environment. The retail market is a whole different ball game, I had to make sure I could keep up with my competitors in this new environment. Who are your inspirations? What Fashion designers who you look up to?

My inspiration and who I look up to happens when I go to Hong Kong yearly. The big brands there are just so incredible especially the window displays there such as H&M and Louis Vuitton are amazing. Checking out the street wear too whilst I’m there really give me an insight to new ideas for the brand.

And lastly any advice for people who want to get into the fashion industry? If you know what your up for and have a passion and love for designing then go for it. Also another word of advice is that you have to put in the hard yards and dedicate your life before you start making any profit.

Special thanks to Matt Newman

Website:  

www.oneby1.com.au

Instagram: ONEBYONE_CLOTHING Facebook: 

https://www.facebook.com/ONEBYONECLOTHING

APOM

http://www.apom.net.au/

APOM is the collaboration between Kajsa Kvernmo and Kate Brook, a partnership bound by a mutual affinity for handcrafted techniques, narrative and the natural world.The two met at university started designing together in their final year, both undertaking a second degree, with a dream to pursue, years of interning and work experience behind them, a vision unlocked and empowered by our chance encounter

Kajsa is Sami indigenous Norwegian, which is a group of people who have a rich culture, their own language, and deeply engrained tradition. The Sami have a deep connection with nature, they live by the law of nature and learn from an early age to respect and cherish it. Kate grew up with polish heritage and spending time on her grandparent’s farm in the Adelaide hills. As a child, on adventures with siblings she would dream up dazzling stories assisted by her, grandfathers involvement in horse racing and a her grandmothers closet full of race-wear treasures.

Prints are an integral part of the APOM brand. They work with a local artist each season to design a print that is unique to their own label. Collaborating with local artists to turn their creations into unique prints and an inherent narrative behind each collection, they strive to bridge a connection between the wearer and the creator of each APOM garment. Kajsa and Kate pride themselves on making beautiful wearable clothing that is not too delicate to be lived in. From the high quality fabrics to the carefully designed cuts and details, the collection resonates with those seeking both quality and beautiful design

What is your label about? 

APOM is a label dedicated to easy wearable day to day clothing.  Beautiful quality flattering silhouettes.

What’s a usual day in the office?  We religiously sit down every morning with a cup of coffee and de brief. Plan the day, talk about what’s happening with the label and have a giggle. Besides the coffee everyday is different from the next depending what stage of the season we are in. We could be pattern making the whole day or visiting suppliers/ customers or the factory.

Did you study fashion? If not what did you study? Kajsa and I both studied Fashion design in Melbourne.

What is your favorite part about being a fashion designer?  We are very lucky to have a career in something we love doing, not a lot of people can say they get to go to work doing something they love with their best friend. Our favorite part of our job is seeing each collection come together, after months of pattern making and toiling seeing a beautiful array of garments is the best feeling.

How did you select the materials you used?

We are always drawn to texture and color, we initially pick out a few key fabrics and try and fill in the gaps with some basics. We work with an artist each season to design a new print based on the inspiration behind the collection.

Before creating your brand did you work for another label?

Kajsa and I both interned in our last year of university.

What made you create this label? Tell us your story

We both finished university and where at a point in our lives where we wanted to create something for ourselves. Tired of throw away fashion we hoped to create something a little more meaningful.

How did you get started in all this?

We always had a love for creating which led us both to study fashion, which eventually led to the label – an outlet for us both to be creative.

How did you get to where you are now with your label?

We have worked extremely hard for the past two years. We started the label fresh out of university and were a little niave. We made a lot of mistakes but learnt hard and fast not to make them again.

How and what gives your inspiration for each collection? Do you go on fashion trips to gain inspiration? 

We base each collection on a narrative, creating a story inspired by something that has come into our lives during the previous 6 months. It could start with a song, a movie a news story anything that has sparked a thought of inspiration and stayed with us. Before we begin designing again we like to get out of the studio, we often take a day or two and get out of Melbourne to refresh and relax and talk about what we want for the next season.

Who is your target market? The APOM lady has her own style. She likes to be comfortable but still feel elegant.  she has an active lifestyle,  and needs her clothing to cater for that. We have found there is no limit on who wears our clothing, we have found women from all ages wear APOM clothing the way they want.

Where is the final product made?  We have a factory in Melbourne that makes about 80% of our garments, all our printed garments are made  in India.

What’s your current achievement with the brand that you are most proud of?

 Seeing our first collection materialize and sold in stores around Melbourne. It was the first time we saw our clothing on a rack. These first few months were very exciting times. Every little achievement APOM gets we still get a bit of a buzz out of, the Label is still growing and every day is exciting for us.

Who’s your inspiration/ fashion designers who you look up to?

We admire women who have ever lasting style like Katherine Hepburn and Grace Kelly. We get inspired by local artists and makers but some of our favorite designers are Phoebe Philo and Proenza Schouler for their innovative prints and textured fabric

Special thanks to Kajsa Kvernmo and Kate Brook xx

Bird & Knoll

Bird and knoll was founded by Macayla Chapman and Natalie Knoll in 2013.  Both dynamic duos having Natalie's talent behind the camera and Macayla's creative business background having a broad experience in New Zealand with the most successful fashion businesses. Collaboration focuses on combining tactile, quality textiles and finishes with distinct photographic images to create a beautiful brand of lux accessories. Each of their luxurious oversized cashmere-blend scarves is printed with a photograph of an iconic and exotic destination - a narrative of the modern woman's contemporary lifestyle and travel aspirations.. "we have set out to create an accessories collection that the discerning fashionista would use as the final edit of her outfit - like a great handbag, a beautiful pair of shoes … an eye-catching scarf" says Chapman "these are pieces that simplify her life with their versatility, quality and creative impact."

I was delighted when Natalie agreed to be interviewed for LeBlondeFox about what Natalie and Macayla have created together. Below is a further insight about the two and their brand for us to read. Their achievements with the brand are rising and which we are proud to see in our Australian brands as they continue to do so!

What is your label about?

Bird and Knoll is elegantly brings together fashion, travel and photography on our oversized cashmere blend scarves. We are very much about luxury and quality and versatility.

What made you create this label? Tell us your story.

I (Natalie) have been a professional photographer for more than ten years but had been looking for another creative outlet for a while. The idea came to me when we were travelling and I knew that I needed to do this with friends and fashion aesthete, Macayla. We have been working on the label for a year and a half now and have just lauched our second collection to our more than twenty stockists across five countries and online. 

How did you get started in all this?

We had the business background from my years as an investment banker in London and New York. We had the creative photography from my more than ten years as a photographer and we had the fashion and editorial industry know-how from Macayla’s experience working for top fashion labels in New Zealand doing sales and marketing. Taking all of this knowledge and experience and a lot of research and product development, we have slowly but methodically built a brand that we are very proud of. 

How many in your team?

The business is really Macayla and I but we have a phenomenal support team with our PR firms in Australia, New Zealand and New York and from our supplier in China.

How did you get to where you are now with your label?

A lot of research, asking the right questions, comparing what we have and want to do with what is out there, taking constructive feedback from our stockists and customers…really focusing on important details that make the Bird and Knoll experience a complete one. 

How and what gives your inspiration for each collection? Do you go on fashion trips to gain inspiration?

  Bird and Knoll appeals to a broad demographic right from younger fashionistas to more mature fashion doyennes – but they are always women who recognize the value of one of our scarves as the final edit to their outfit.

How do you go about sourcing your products?

Once we have quite a clear idea of what we want from our own research, we liaise with our supplier agent in Hong Kong who is brilliantly effective at helping us to source the right finish, the right quality, the right look for Bird and Knoll.

How many years did it take for your idea to hit reality and start becoming a reality?

It took us a year from when we first started talking about it to delivering our first collection to stockists.

Where is the final product made?

Our products are made just outside of Shanghai using an Italian owned company with representation in China. They are as pedantic about quality as we are. 

What’s your current achievement with the brand that you are most proud of?

Being described by Harpers Bazaar as a failsafe travel accessory, being instagrammed by Lindy Klim and Lesley Crawford, being selected as part of the wardrobe ensemble for a new Australian movie…There have been a lot of highlights! We are really so happy with how Bird and Knoll is flying… 

What are your future plans with your label?

Scarves will always be the core product of Bird and Knoll but we are looking to introduce an interesting and beautiful new product next year. We have also started collaborating with a well-known Australian designer and head to New York next month for meetings with buyers and media there. 

Who’s your inspiration/ fashion designers who you look up to?

Travel and culture and the imagery they generate are our greatest inspirations but we get a little giddy looking at labels like Givenchy and Chanel for their unbelievably amazing details. Australian designers have really come into their own too – wonderfully fresh and unique perspectives that have really made the world sit up and take notice of what is happening Downunder. 

What’s your feeling for future trends – We see people wanting more and more simplicity in their lives but not at the expense of style. Design is already and will need to continue to accommodate this in cuts, fabric and versatility. 

And lastly, any advice to people who want to get into the industry!

It may sound clichéd, but hard work, research, knowing your market and not compromising on the quality and finish you want are imperative. Most importantly….Be nice!!

Special thanks to Natalie & Macayla xx

http://www.birdandknoll.com