10 brands making everything locally
Image via Molly Coombs Marr
Close to home.
We should all try to shop locally whenever we have the chance.
Whether you’re in the market for clothing, jewellery or homewares, here are 10 Australian labels to check out before you look anywhere else.
Molly Coombs Marr (pictured above)
Designing jewellery that captures our national identity is no easy task, but Molly Coombs Marr has nailed it. The artist began her namesake label after a childhood spent surrounded by Mem Fox, rainbow Paddle Pops and Ken Done art. She perfectly demonstrates a nostalgic view of our sunburnt country through brightly-coloured earrings and brooches. Expect a range including Bubble O’ Bill earrings, magpie studs and fairy bread pieces. Influenced by a love of wearable art and the local landscape, Molly’s designs explore what it really means to be Australian.
Limb the Label
Melbourne label Limb has quickly become a local favourite. Committed to fashion with a social conscience, the brand’s founders Andria and Sinead ensure their supply chain is as transparent as possible. This means producing everything locally, with patternmaking and sampling done in a small studio behind their Fitzroy boutique. Head in-store to check out the AW18 collection which includes wide-leg pants, roll-neck jumpers and button-up jackets in a palette of red brick, tan, black and blue. If you’re not in Melbourne, you can access the full range online.
B. Scarce
B. Scarce is a contemporary jewellery label for the young and young at heart. Its colourful offering is inspired by ’80s and ’90s pop culture, and is carefully handmade in Melbourne. Designer Bridie Scarce works with acrylics to create earrings with pink glitter lightning bolts, heart-shaped drops, flamingos and more. The lively collection is 100 per cent nickel free, and also appears alongside a select range of mixed media prints. You can catch B. Scarce at Fitzroy’s Rose Street Market or online.
WhiteLightly
WhiteLightly emphasises the simple beauty of gemstones in their natural form. Its range of earrings is handmade entirely in Melbourne by Jane Fenn. You can expect semi-precious stones like rose quartz, moonstone and golden calcite across the collection, each chosen for their reflective properties. For added personality, the label also uses lesser known minerals like fluorite and pyrite. Due to the nature of the earth they come from, each WhiteLightly piece is truly unique. View the range in person at Melbourne’s Markit @ FedSquare on April 22.
Tluxe
If you agree that garments should transcend fashion to form a part of your identity, Tluxe is a label to have on your radar. The brand’s line of luxurious basics has been thoughtfully created and made in Sydney, from organic and sustainable fabrics which are designed to stand the test of time. Think Tencel, bamboo, organic cotton, linen, cashmere, silk and merino wool. The result is beautifully-produced investment pieces that are functional, luxurious and refined, ready to wear for years to come.
FinerRings
Two things immediately come to mind when encountering FinerRings. Firstly, how delicate and minimal the label’s designs are, and secondly, how affordable each piece is. Crafting with high-quality 14 karat gold fill, sterling silver and rose gold, designer Taiba Ash produces her pieces by hand in Melbourne. Available online and at pop-ups around the city, you’ll find hammered stacking rings, fine hoop earrings and delicate layering necklaces. The jewellery has been designed to be worn everyday, so you can rest assured there’s no risk of turning your skin green, tarnishing or the colour fading. For 15% off, use the code FASHIONJOURNAL at the checkout.
Collective Closets
Based in Fitzroy, Collective Closets blends Melbourne’s penchant for deconstructed silhouettes with the wild, deregulated aesthetics of modern African fashion. The label was founded by African-born, Melbourne-raised sisters Fatuma and Laurinda Ndenzako, who manufacture their garments locally while sourcing fabrics from Africa. You can expect pieces which combine traditional tribal weaving, batik prints and tones of forest green and black. Working hard to keep their brand socially conscious, the sisters have partnered with ANPPCAN to bring attention to the horrors of child trafficking in Kenya.
Simply Alfie
Simply Alfie specialises in the unique and handcrafted. Founder Anthea Fraser began her label after realising she could create her own jewellery instead of purchasing it. Her range spans colourful designs across geometric drops, tear-shaped studs, polymer clay necklaces and more. Fraser produces her exclusive collection using alcohol inks on synthetic paper, before sealing each piece in resin. The use of these materials means that no two products are ever the same, with varying colours, shapes and textures. Simply Alfie will next exhibit at Daylesford’s Sisters’ Market in May.
Mulla Mulla Designs
Helen Ansell and Peta Riley are the duo behind Mulla Mulla Designs, a collaborative team designing lively patterns and homewares. The range is hand-painted and digitally-rendered, then transformed into keepsakes that will brighten your living space. Think along the lines of greeting cards, prints, scarves, picnic rugs, tea towels, coasters and more, inspired by native Australian flora and fauna. Ansell and Riley also spread their creativity by delivering community engagement programs to regional artists and art centres. Mulla Mulla Designs is available to shop through Etsy.
Colours by Liz
If you’re in the market for statement jewellery, you can’t go past Colours By Liz. The Sydney-based label is the creation of Elizabeth Heng, who started selling her handmade designs after realising she was making more jewellery than she could possibly wear. With a self-described addiction to polymer clay, Liz hand-creates vibrant earrings in a rainbow of colours, before packaging and marketing everything on her own. You’ll find styles spanning studs, hoops and tasseled drops, meaning there’s something for every taste and occasion.
etsy.com/au/shop/coloursbylizdesigns
This article was originally published in Fashion Journal 178. You can read it here.
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